Bayonne, New Jersey

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Bayonne, New Jersey
map showing Bayonne in Hudson County
map showing Bayonne in Hudson County
Coordinates: 40°39′60″N 74°07′04″W / 40.66667, -74.11778
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Hudson
Incorporated April 1, 1861 (as township)
Incorporated March 10, 1869 (as city)
Government
 - Type Faulkner Act Mayor-Council
 - Interim Mayor Terrance Malloy
Area
 - Total 11.2 sq mi (29.1 km²)
 - Land 5.6 sq mi (14.6 km²)
 - Water 5.6 sq mi (14.6 km²)  50.04%
Elevation [1] 13 ft (4 m)
Population (2006)[2]
 - Total 58,844
 - Density 10,992.2/sq mi (4,241.1/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) Eastern (EDT) (UTC-4)
ZIP code 07002
Area code(s) 201
FIPS code 34-03580[3]
GNIS feature ID 0874554[4]
Website: http://www.bayonnenj.org/

Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, south of Jersey City. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 61,842.

According to tradition, the city derives its name from the city of Bayonne in France. It is said that French Huguenots settled there some time before New Amsterdam was founded. French-speaking Walloons were a large percentage of the population of New Netherland during the mid-seventeenth century and may have given the name. However, there are no historical records to prove this, and it has been alternatively suggested[citation needed] that, when the land was purchased for real estate speculation, it was named Bayonne because it is on the shores of two bays, Newark and New York, hence Bay-on, or "on the Bays." Bayonne is a diverse city, with large communities of Italian, Irish and Polish Americans .

Bayonne was originally formed as a township on April 1, 1861, from portions of Bergen Township. Bayonne was reincorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 10, 1869, replacing Bayonne Township, subject to the results of a referendum held nine days later.[5]

Bayonne is connected to Staten Island, New York by the Bayonne Bridge. The Bayonne Bridge is lit in patriotic colors (red, white & blue) in the evenings, as a 9/11 memorial initiated by a then 8-year-old girl in the summer of 2002, Veronica Marie Granite, with the assistance of then-Municipal Councilmember-at-Large Maria Karczewski.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Bayonne is located at 40°39′60″N, 74°7′4″W (40.666552, -74.117680),[6] south of Jersey City on a peninsula surrounded by New York Bay to the east, Newark Bay to the west, and the Kill van Kull to the south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.2 square miles (29.1 km²), of which, 5.6 square miles (14.6 km²) of it is land and 5.6 square miles (14.6 km²) of it (50.04%) is water.

Communities within Bayonne include Bergen Point and Constable Hook.[7]

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1880 9,372
—
1890 19,033 103.1%
1900 32,722 71.9%
1910 55,545 69.7%
1920 76,754 38.2%
1930 88,979 15.9%
1940 79,198 -11.0%
1950 77,203 -2.5%
1960 74,215 -3.9%
1970 72,743 -2.0%
1980 65,047 -10.6%
1990 61,444 -5.5%
2000 61,842 0.6%
Est. 2006 58,844 [2] -4.8%
historical data sources:[8][9][10]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 61,842 people, 25,545 households, and 16,016 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,992.2 people per square mile (4,241.1/km²). There were 26,826 housing units at an average density of 4,768.2/sq mi (1,839.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.64% White, 5.52% African American, 0.17% Native American, 4.14% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 7.46% from other races, and 4.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.81% of the population.

As of the 2000 census, the ancestry of Bayonne residents was: Italian (20.1%), Irish (18.8%), Polish (17.9%), German (6.1%), Arab (3.8%), United States (2.5%).[11]

There were 25,545 households out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,566, and the median income for a family was $52,413. Males had a median income of $39,790 versus $33,747 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,553. About 8.4% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.[11]

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

The City of Bayonne is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government by a mayor and a five-member city council. The council has three members from wards and two elected at large, all of whom serve four-terms in office, elected concurrently in non-partisan elections.[12]

The current Mayor of Bayonne is Terrence Malloy, who was selected by the City Council in October 2007 to serve as mayor on an interim basis, after the resignation of former mayor Joseph Doria on September 18, 2007 to serve as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.[13]

Members of the Bayonne City Council are:[14]

  • Vincent Lo Re Jr. - Council President- At-large
  • Anthony Chiappone - At-large
  • Theodore Connolly - First Ward
  • John Halecky - Second Ward
  • Gary La Pelusa - Third Ward

Mayors of Bayonne

  • Mayors have been governing the community ever since the year Bayonne was established in 1869.
  • The first mayor of Bayonne was Henry Meigs who served from 1869-1879.
  • The mayor with the longest term in office was Dennis P. Collins, who served from 1974-1990.
  • Pierre P. Garven served two non-consecutive terms from 1906-1910 and 1915-1919
  • Dr. Bert J. Daly served three non-consecutive terms from 1914-1915, 1927-1931 and 1943-1947.
  1. Henry Meigs, Jr. 1869-1879
  2. Stephen K. Lane 1879-1883
  3. David W. Oliver 1883-1887
  4. John Newman 1887-1891
  5. William C. Farr 1891-1895
  6. Egbert Seymour 1895-1904
  7. Thomas Brady 1904-1906
  8. Pierre P. Garven 1906-1910
  9. John J. Cain 1910-1912
  10. Matthew T. Cronin 1912-1914
  11. Dr. Bart J. Daly 1914-1915
  12. Pierre P. Garven 1915-1919
  13. W. Homer Axford 1919-1923
  14. Robert J. Talbot 1923-1927
  15. Dr. Bert J. Daly 1927-1931
  16. Lucius F. Donohue 1931-1939
  17. James J. Donovan 1939-1943
  18. Dr. Bert J. Daly 1943-1947
  19. Charles A. Heiser 1947-1951
  20. Edward F. Clark 1951-1955
  21. G. Thomas DiDomenico 1955-1959
  22. Alfred V. Brady 1959-1962
  23. Francis G. Fitzpatrick 1962-1974
  24. Dennis P. Collins 1974-1990
  25. Richard A. Rutkowski 1990-1994
  26. Leonard P. Kiczek 1994-1998
  27. Joseph V. Doria, Jr. 1998-2007
  28. Terrance Malloy 2007-present

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Bayonne is split between the Tenth and Thirteenth Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 31st Legislative District.[15]

New Jersey's Tenth Congressional District, covering portions of Essex County, Hudson County, and Union County, is represented by Donald M. Payne (D, Newark). New Jersey's Thirteenth Congressional District, covering portions of Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, and Union Counties, is now represented by Albio Sires (D, West New York), who won a special election held on November 7, 2006 to fill the vacancy the had existed since January 16, 2006. The seat had been represented by Bob Menendez (D), who was appointed to the United States Senate to fill the seat vacated by Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine. New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

For the 2008-2009 legislative session, the 31st District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Sandra Bolden Cunningham (D, Jersey City) and in the Assembly by Anthony Chiappone (D, Bayonne) and L. Harvey Smith (D, Jersey City).[16] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[17]

Hudson County's County Executive is Thomas A. DeGise. The executive, together with the Board of Chosen Freeholders in a legislative role, administer all county business. Hudson County's nine Freeholders (as of 2006) are: District 1: Doreen McAndrew DiDomenico; District 2: William O'Dea; District 3: Jeffrey Dublin; District 4: Eliu Rivera; District 5: Maurice Fitzgibbons; District 6: Tilo Rivas; District 7: Gerald Lange Jr.; District 8: Thomas Liggio; and District 9: Albert Cifelli.

[edit] Education

The Bayonne Board of Education serves students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district are the ten K-8 elementary schools ( Henry E. Harris No. 1, Phillip G. Vroom No. 2, Dr. Walter F. Robinson No. 3, Mary J. Donohoe No. 4, Lincoln No. 5, Horace Mann No. 6, Midtown Community School No. 8, George Washington School No. 9, Woodrow Wilson No. 10 and John M. Bailey No. 12); P.S. #14, an advanced school for gifted and talented students in academics, the arts, and physical education, for students in grades K-8th (as of 2008); and Bayonne High School. Bayonne High School is the only public school in the state to have an on-campus ice rink for its hockey team.[18]

For the 2004-05 school year, Mary J. Donohoe No. 4 School was named a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve.[19] It is the fourth school in Bayonne to receive this honor. The other three are Bayonne High School in 1995-96,[20] Midtown Community School in 1996-97[21] and P.S. #14 in the 1998-99 school year.[22]

The Board of Education has implemented a dress code that will take effect in the 2006-07 school year for students in Pre-K through eighth grade. Under this code students will wear a school logo shirt and a variety of pants, skirts, shorts, and other prescribed items. The plan is intended to "increase student identification with their schools and the district, Eliminate many of the distractions associated with differences in social or economic status, Allow the children, their teachers and the Board of Education to concentrate on shared pursuit of educational excellence [and] Instill a sense of belonging and school pride".[23][24] A heated battle is currently being fought between enraged parents and the Board, with parents upset at the manner in which the policy was imposed, the cost of the uniforms, the loss of freedom of expression to students in choosing the clothing they wear and issues regarding the manner in which the contract was awarded.[25]

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Car

The Bayonne Bridge provides a direct link to New York City, i.e. Staten Island.

The Newark Bay Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 78) provides access to Jersey City and, via the Holland Tunnel, Manhattan. In the opposite direction on the Newark Bay Extension, the Newark Bay Bridge provides access to Newark, Newark Liberty International Airport and the rest of the Turnpike (Interstate 95).

Route 440 runs along the east side of Bayonne, and the west side of Jersey City, following the old Morris Canal route. Although it has traffic lights it is usually the quickest way to go north-south within Bayonne. It connects to the Bayonne Bridge, I-78, and to Route 185 to Liberty State Park.

[edit] Bus

Bus transportation is provided on three main north-south streets of the city: Broadway, Kennedy Boulevard, and Avenue C, both by the state-operated New Jersey Transit and several private bus lines. The Broadway line runs solely inside Bayonne city limits, while bus lines on Avenue C and Kennedy Boulevard run to various end points in Jersey City. One Kennedy Boulevard service (the Coach USA 99S) runs to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan, New York City, and rush hours peak direction the NJ Transit 120 runs between Avenue C in Bayonne and Battery Park in Downtown Manhattan, while the 81 provides service to New Jersey.[26]

[edit] Light Rail

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, which was completed in the year 2000, has been a popular form of transportation which currently has stops throughout Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, Union City and North Bergen.

Stations in Bayonne are:

A fourth station, 8th Street, which will be located at Avenue C, is under construction. Incidentally, all of these stations were the original train stations for the old Central Jersey rail system.

Service within Bayonne is available between these three stations. Northbound service from Bayonne runs through Jersey City, mostly near the waterfront, to Hoboken Terminal. Other parts of the system can be accessed via transfers. The Tonnelle Avenue (in North Bergen) and other stations north of Hoboken Terminal can also be reached by transferring at stations between Liberty State Park and Pavonia-Newport for the West Side Avenue-Tonnelle Avenue route, or at Hoboken Terminal for the Tonelle Avenue-Hoboken route. The Liberty State Park station is a transfer point for those traveling between Bayonne and stations on the West Side Avenue (Jersey City) line. Connection to PATH trains to midtown Manhattan and to New Jersey Transit commuter train service are available at Hoboken Terminal, and connections to PATH trains to midtown Manhattan are available at the Hoboken Terminal and Pavonia-Newport stations. Transfers to PATH trains to Newark, Harrison, and downtown Manhattan are available at Exchange Place.

[edit] Current building projects

Currently, the city of Bayonne is working on building projects on the former Military Ocean Terminal (MOTBY). Plans for the site include new housing and businesses.

Bayonne Golf Club, a private Irish/Scottish-links style golf course is planned to be constructed on the site of the former city dump. A flagpole, displaying a large American flag that is visible from Manhattan and surrounding communities, has been erected at the site where the clubhouse will be built in 2007.

Proposed projects include construction of the September 11th memorial park for the Tear of Grief monument, and completing Bayonne's section of the 18-mile Hackensack RiverWalk, stretching from Newark Bay in Bayonne to Bellman's Creek in North Bergen.

The RiverWalk section in Bayonne, if fully completed, would run from the southwest corner of the town in an area where the Kill Van Kull meets the Newark Bay, to the northwestern point of the area. That is according to Joseph Ryan, spokesperson for Bayonne Mayor Joseph Doria.

The ribbon was cut and the plaque unveiled on May 2, 2006, for the new Richard A. Rutkowski Park in Bayonne, a wetlands preserve on the northwestern end of Bayonne, which will be part of the future RiverWalk. Also known as the Waterfront Park and Environmental Walkway, it is located immediately north of the Stephen R. Gregg Hudson County Park.

Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine joined a contingent of state and federal officials to announce on May 6, 2006. that funding was in place to extend the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system to Eighth Street in Bayonne. With the engineering work nearly complete, work on the rail line and the station is expected to start by 2008 and should be complete by 2009.[27]

[edit] Bayonne Crossing

The long-planne Bayonne Crossing, a power center, on Route 440 in Bayonne has finally gotten the green light to begin construction, according to a statement made by Michael O'Connor, executive director of the Bayonne Economic Development Corp. Cameron Group, the conditional developer for the site, will soon begin construction.[28] Announced tenants include anchor stores Circuit City, Lowe's Home Improvement, and New York Sports Club, as well as Starbucks Coffee, Chili's, and Sleepys.[29]

[edit] Local media

[edit] Fauna

Bayonne currently plays host to a many animal species including aquatic animals, semi-aquatic animals, and land-dwelling animals. Most populations thrive.

  • Mammals: Raccoons, bats, opossums, rabbits, feral cats and dogs, mice, rats, squirrels.
  • Birds: Geese, ducks, pigeons, seagulls, cardinals, bluejays, robins, sparrows, crows, doves, partridges, pheasants, starlings, falcons, egrets.
  • Reptiles: Painted turtles, red-ear slider turtles, snapping turtles, toads.
  • Fish: Striped Bass, Bluefish, Summer and Winter Flounder, Weakfish.
  • Insects: Grasshoppers, Praying Mantis, ants, beetles, wasps and hornets, bees, butterflies, cicadas.
  • Crustaceans: Blue crabs, Horseshoe crabs

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
This section needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008)

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Bayonne include:

  • Shaquille O'neal, all-star basketball player for various NBA teams.[38]

[edit] Famous people born in Bayonne

[edit] References

  1. ^ USGS GNIS: City of Bayonne, Geographic Names Information System, accessed May 14, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Population Finder: Bayonne city, New Jersey. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-08-19. “The 2006 population estimate for Bayonne city, New Jersey is 58,844.”
  3. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 146.
  6. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  7. ^ New Jersey Localities, accessed September 9, 2006.
  8. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
  9. ^ Campbell Gibson (June 1998). Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in The United States: 1790 TO 1990. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  10. ^ Wm. C. Hunt, Chief Statistician for Population. Fourteenth Census of The United States: 1920; Population: New Jersey; Number of inhabitants, by counties and minor civil divisions (ZIP). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  11. ^ a b Bayonne, New Jersey from City-Data.com, City-Data.com. Accessed November 14, 2006.
  12. ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 139.
  13. ^ Sullivan, Al. "Malloy's the one: Acting mayor named in divided council vote", Bayonne Community News, October 26, 2007. Accessed October 27, 2007. "In casting the deciding vote in favor of making city Business Administrator Terrence Malloy the mayor for the next 14 months, City Council President and Acting Mayor Vincent Lo Re said that his need to spend time with his family discouraged him from seeking the post for himself."
  14. ^ Bayonne Municipal Council, City of Bayonne. Accessed June 30, 2006.
  15. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 55. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  16. ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  17. ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  18. ^ Richard L. Korpi Ice Rink, City of Bayonne. Accessed December 2, 2006.
  19. ^ Star School Award recipient 2004-05, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 23, 2006.
  20. ^ Star School Award recipient 1995-96, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 23, 2006.
  21. ^ Star School Award recipient 1996-97, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 23, 2006.
  22. ^ Star School Award recipient 1998-99, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 23, 2006.
  23. ^ A Letter to Parents and Members of the Community, dated July 24, 2006.
  24. ^ Dress Code, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed July 31, 2006.
  25. ^ School uniform policy to raise protest: Angry parents expect to confront School Board at next meeting, Bayonne Community News, July 19, 2006.
  26. ^ Hudson County Bus/rail Connections, New Jersey Transit. Accessed July 3, 2007.
  27. ^ Funds to stretch light rail to 8th St. in Bayonne, Jersey Journal, May 4, 2006.
  28. ^ Bayonne Crossing
  29. ^ Bayonne Crossing Marketing Summary
  30. ^ BAYONNE TV TOWER PROPOSAL IN QUESTION, New Jersey Capital Report, May 21, 2003.
  31. ^ Kurland, Bob. "PITCHING IN MAJORS FULFILLS BOROWSKI'S OTHER DREAM", The Record (Bergen County), August 27, 1995. Accessed July 15, 2007. "The 24-year-old native of Bayonne even has had a taste of pitching for the Baltimore Orioles."
  32. ^ Sandra Dee, 'Gidget' Star and Teenage Idol, Dies at 62, The New York Times, February 20, 2005.
  33. ^ Review of The Worlds of Herman Kahn: The Intuitive Science of Thermonuclear War, accessed December 2, 2006.
  34. ^ Jammal Lord, database Football. Accessed December 26, 2007.
  35. ^ George R. R. Martin: Life & Times: Bayonne, accessed December 25, 2006.
  36. ^ Yo, Big Chuck, New Jersey Monthly, December 2006
  37. ^ A Wylde time: Rarely printable but always quotable rocker has had a big year., The Kansas City Star, November 9, 2006.
  38. ^ Shaq, Wikipedia, November 9, 2006.
  39. ^ "BEN BERNIE DIES; BAND LEADER, 52; ' Old Maestro,' Star of Radio, Stage and Screen, Rose From Poverty on the East Side", The New York Times, October 21, 1943.
  40. ^ Oreskes, Michael. " Washington at Work; Barney Frank's Public and Private Lives: Lonely Struggle for Coexistence", The New York Times, September 15, 1989. Accessed October 11, 2000. "Mr. Frank points up at the poster as he explains what was wrong with his life back then - how he tried to divide his public from his private life, how he could not handle the strain of this and, finally, how he made a personal blunder that threatens now to wreck a political career more successful than he ever imagined possible as a boy growing up in Bayonne, N.J."
  41. ^ Van Gelder, lawrence. "Brian Keith, Hardy Actor, 75; Played Dads and Desperadoes", The New York Times, June 25, 1997. Accessed December 12, 2007. "Mr. Keith, whose full name was Robert Brian Keith Jr., was born in Bayonne, N.J."
  42. ^ Marks, Peter. "THEATER;Frank Langella Stamps 'The Father' as His Own", The New York Times, February 11, 1996. Accessed January 1, 2008. "A Bayonne, N.J., native, he is perhaps best known for his performance in the Broadway and movie versions of "Dracula.""
  43. ^ Gene Olaff, National Soccer Hall of Fame. Accessed November 26, 2007.
  44. ^ "Tales from the dark side - Offbeat, off-B'way player turns..., The Star-Ledger, April 17, 2005. "Urbaniak was born In Bayonne But moved to Marlboro Township When he was 7."
  45. ^ "A Wylde time", The Kansas City Star, November 9, 2006. "...the thing about Wylde, A 40-year-old, Bayonne, NJ-born father of three..."

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