Jersey City, New Jersey

Jersey City, New Jersey
City
City of Jersey City
Aerial view of Jersey City with Exchange Place in foreground
Seal
Nickname(s): "Chilltown, J.C."[1] "Wall Street West"[2]
Motto: “Let Jersey Prosper”[3]
Location of Jersey City within Hudson County and the state of New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Jersey City, New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°42′50″N 74°04′16″W / 40.714°N 74.071°W / 40.714; -74.071Coordinates: 40°42′50″N 74°04′16″W / 40.714°N 74.071°W / 40.714; -74.071[4][5]
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Hudson
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)
• Mayor	Steven Fulop (term ends June 30, 2017)[6][7]
• Deputy Mayor	Vivian Brady-Phillips[8]
• Business Administrator	Robert Kakoleski[9]
• Clerk	Robert Byrne[10]
Area[4]
• Total	21.080 sq mi (54.596 km2)
• Land	14.794 sq mi (38.316 km2)
• Water	6.286 sq mi (16.281 km2)  29.82%
Area rank	133rd of 566 in state 1st of 12 in county[4]
Elevation[11]	20 ft (6 m)
Population (2010 Census)[12][13][14]
• Total	247,597 (75th)
• Estimate (2013)[15]	257,342
• Rank	2nd of 566 in state 1st of 12 in county
• Density	16,736.6/sq mi (6,462.0/km2)
• Density rank	10th of 566 in state 6th of 12 in county
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (EDT) (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	07097, 07302-07308, 07310-07311[16]
Area code(s)	201[17]
FIPS code	3401736000[4][18][19]
GNIS feature ID	0885264[4][20]
Website	www.cityofjerseycity.com

Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey,^[21] after Newark. It is the seat^[22][23] of Hudson County, as well as the county's largest city. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 247,597.^[12][13][14]

Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies across from Lower Manhattan, bounded on the east by the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay and on the west by the Hackensack River and Newark Bay. A port of entry, with 11 miles (18 km) of waterfront and significant rail connections, Jersey City is an important transportation terminus and distribution and manufacturing center for the Port of New York and New Jersey. Service industries have played a prominent role in the redevelopment of its waterfront and the creation of one of the nation's largest downtown office markets.

After a peak population of 316,715 measured in the 1930 Census, the city's population saw a half-century long decline to a low of 223,532 in the 1980 Census, but since then the city's population has grown, with the 2010 population reflecting an increase of 7,542 (+3.1%) from the 240,055 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 11,518 (+5.0%) from the 228,537 counted in the 1990 Census.^[24][25]

History

Lenape and New Netherland

The land comprising what is now Jersey City was inhabited by the Lenape, a collection of tribes (later called Delaware Indian). In 1609, Henry Hudson, seeking an alternate route to East Asia, anchored his small vessel Halve Maen (English: Half Moon) at Sandy Hook, Harsimus Cove and Weehawken Cove, and elsewhere along what was later named the North River. After spending nine days surveying the area and meeting its inhabitants, he sailed as far north as Albany. By 1621 the Dutch West India Company was organized to manage this new territory and in June 1623, New Netherland became a Dutch province, with headquarters in New Amsterdam. Michael Reyniersz Pauw received a land grant as patroon on the condition that he would establish a settlement of not fewer than fifty persons within four years. He chose the west bank of the North River (Hudson River) and purchased the land from the Lenape. This grant is dated November 22, 1630 and is the earliest known conveyance for what are now Hoboken and Jersey City. Pauw, however was an absentee landlord who neglected to populate the area and was obliged to sell his holdings back to the Company in 1633.^[26] That year, a house was built at Communipaw for Jan Evertsen Bout, superintendent of the colony, which had been named Pavonia (the Latinized form of Pauw's name, which means peacock).^[27] Shortly after, another house was built at Harsimus Cove and became the home of Cornelius Van Vorst, who had succeeded Bout as superintendent, and whose family would become influential in the development of the city. Relations with the Lenape deteriorated, in part because of the colonialist's mismanagement and misunderstanding of the indigenous people, and led to series of raids and reprisals and the virtual destruction of the settlement on the west bank. During Kieft's War, approximately eighty Lenapes were killed by the Dutch in a massacre at Pavonia on the night of February 25, 1643.^[28]

Scattered communities of farmsteads characterized the Dutch settlements at Pavonia: Communipaw, Harsimus, Paulus Hook, Hoebuck, Awiehaken, and other lands "behind Kil van Kull". The first village (located inside a palisaded garrison) established on what is now Bergen Square in 1660, and is considered to be the oldest town in what would become the state of New Jersey.^[29]

Early America

Among the oldest surviving houses in Jersey City are the Newkirk House (1690),^[30][31] Van Vorst Famhouse (c.1740)^[31][32][33] and the Van Wagenen House (1742). During the American Revolutionary War the area was in the hands of the British who controlled New York. In the Battle of Paulus Hook Major Light Horse Harry Lee attacked a British fortification on August 19, 1779. After the war Alexander Hamilton and other prominent New Yorkers and New Jerseyeans attempted to develop the area that would become historic downtown Jersey City and laid out the city squares and streets that still characterize the neighborhood, giving them names also seen in Lower Manhattan or after war heroes (Grove, Varick, Mercer, Wayne, Monmouth, and Montgomery among them). During the 19th century, former slaves reached Jersey City on one of the four routes of the Underground Railroad that led to the city.^[34]

The City of Jersey was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 28, 1820, from portions of Bergen Township, while the area was still a part of Bergen County. The city was reincorporated on January 23, 1829, and again on February 22, 1838, at which time it became completely independent of North Bergen and was given its present name. On February 22, 1840, it became part of the newly created Hudson County.^[35]

Soon after the Civil War, the idea arose of uniting all of the towns of Hudson County east of the Hackensack River into one municipality. A bill was approved by the State legislature on April 2, 1869, with a special election to be held October 5, 1869. An element of the bill provide that only contiguous towns could be consolidated. While a majority of the voters across the county approved the merger, the only municipalities that had approved the consolidation plan and that adjoined Jersey City were Hudson City and Bergen City.^[36] The consolidation began on March 17, 1870, taking effect on May 3, 1870.^[37] Three years later the present outline of Jersey City was completed when Greenville agreed to merge into the Greater Jersey City.^[35][38]

In the late 1880s three passenger railroad terminals opened in Jersey City next to the Hudson River (Pavonia Terminal,^[39] Exchange Place^[40] and Communipaw^[41]). Tens of millions of immigrants passed through these stations as they made their way westward from Ellis Island into the United States.^[42] The railroads transformed the geography of the city by building the Erie Cut as well as several large fright rail yards.^[43][44] The railroads became and would remain the largest employers in Jersey City into and during the early 20th century.

20th and 21st centuries

Jersey City was a dock and manufacturing town for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. Much like New York City, Jersey City has always been a destination for new immigrants to the United States. In its heyday before World War II, German, Irish, and Italian immigrants found work at Colgate, Chloro or Dixon Ticonderoga. In 1908, the first permanent, drinking water disinfection system in the U.S. was installed on the water supply for the City by John L. Leal.^[45] The Hudson Tubes opened in 1911, allowing passengers to take the train to Manhattan as an alternative to the extensive ferry system. The Black Tom explosion occurred on July 30, 1916, as an act of sabotage on American ammunition supplies by German agents to prevent the materials from being used by the Allies in World War I.^[46]

From 1917 to 1947, Jersey City was governed by Mayor Frank Hague. Originally elected as a candidate supporting reform in governance, the Jersey City History Web Site says his name is "synonymous with the early twentieth century urban American blend of political favoritism and social welfare known as bossism." Hague ran the city with an iron fist while, at the same time, molding governors, United States senators, and judges to his whims. Boss Hague was known to be loud and vulgar, but dressed in a stylish manner earning him the nickname "King Hanky-Panky".^[47] In his later years in office, Hague would often dismiss his enemies as "reds" or "commies". Hague lived like a millionaire, despite having an annual salary that never exceeded $8,500. He was able to maintain a fourteen-room duplex apartment in Jersey City, a suite at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, and a palatial summer home in Deal, and travel to Europe yearly in the royal suites of the best liners.^[48]

After Hague's retirement from politics, a series of mayors including John V. Kenny, Thomas J. Whelan and Thomas F. X. Smith attempted to take control of Hague's organization, usually under the mantle of political reform. None were able to duplicate the level of power held by Hague,^[49] but the city and the county remained notorious for political corruption for years.^[50][51][52] By the 1970s, the city experienced a period of urban decline that saw many of its wealthy residents leave for the suburbs, rising crime, civil unrest, political corruption, and economic hardship. From 1950 to 1980, Jersey City lost 75,000 residents, and from 1975 to 1982, it lost 5,000 jobs, or 9% of its workforce.^[53]

Beginning in the 1980s, development of the waterfront in an area previously occupied by rail yards and factories helped to stir the beginnings of a renaissance for Jersey City. The rapid construction of numerous high-rise buildings increased the population and led to the development of the Exchange Place financial district, also known as 'Wall Street West', one of the largest banking centers in the United States. Large financial institutions such as UBS, Goldman Sachs, Chase Bank, Citibank, and Merrill Lynch occupy prominent buildings on the Jersey City waterfront, some of which are among the tallest buildings in New Jersey. Simultaneous to this building boom, the light-rail network was developed.^[54] With 18,000,000 square feet (1,700,000 m²) of office space, it has the nation's 12th largest downtown.^[55]

City Ordinance 13.097, passed in October 2013, requires employers with ten or more employees to offer up to five paid sick days a year. The bill impacts all businesses employing workers who work at least 80 hours a calendar year in Jersey City.^[56]

Geography

Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, and the second-largest city in New Jersey.^[21] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 21.080 square miles (54.596 km²), of which 14.794 square miles (38.316 km²) of it was land and 6.286 square miles (16.281 km²) of it (29.82%) was water.^[4][5] As of the 1990 Census, it had the smallest land area of the 100 most populous cities in America.^[57]

Jersey City is bordered to the east by the Hudson River, to the north by Secaucus, North Bergen, Union City and Hoboken, to the west, across the Hackensack, by Kearny and Newark, and to the south by Bayonne. Given their proximity and accessibility by rapid transit to Manhattan, Jersey City and Hudson County are sometimes referred to as New York City's Sixth Borough.^[58][59][60]

Neighborhoods

Jersey City (and most of Hudson County) is located on the peninsula known as Bergen Neck, with a waterfront on the east at the Hudson River and New York Bay and on the west at the Hackensack River and Newark Bay. Its north-south axis corresponds with the ridge of Bergen Hill, the emergence of the Hudson Palisades.^[61] The city is the site of some of the earliest European settlements in North America, which grew into each other rather expanding from central point.^[62][63] This growth and the topography greatly influenced the development of the sections of the city^[64][65] and the neighborhoods within them.^[49] The city is divided into 6 wards.^[66][67]

Downtown Jersey City

Downtown Jersey City is the area from the Hudson River westward to the Newark Bay Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 78) and the New Jersey Palisades; it is also bounded by Hoboken to the north and Liberty State Park to the south.

Newport and Exchange Place are redeveloped waterfront areas consisting mostly of residential towers, hotels and office buildings. Newport is a planned mixed-use community, built on the old Erie Lackawanna Railway yards, made up of residential rental towers, condominiums, office buildings, a marina, schools, restaurants, hotels, Newport Centre Mall, a waterfront walkway, transportation facilities, and on-site parking for more than 15,000 vehicles. Newport had a hand in the renaissance of Jersey City although, before ground was broken, much of the downtown area had already begun a steady climb (much like Hoboken). In recent years, this area of Jersey City has undergone gentrification that has seen the improvement in neighborhoods. This has also caused a rise of the standard of living throughout the city. Downtown also includes The Newport Centre area, which is also home of the Westin Hotel.^[68] Prior to the September 11 attacks Jersey City had 3 office towers over 100 meters. Since 9-11, another 3 more office towers and 10 residential buildings over 100 meters have been completed.^[69]

Bergen-Lafayette

Bergen-Lafayette, formerly Bergen City, New Jersey, lies between Greenville to the south and McGinley Square to the north. It also borders Liberty State Park and Downtown to the east and the West Side neighborhood to the west. This area is commonly called "The Hill" by the natives of the city. Communipaw Avenue, Bergen Avenue, Martin Luther King Drive, and Ocean Avenue are main thoroughfares. The former Jersey City Medical Center complex, a cluster of Art Deco buildings on a rise in the center of the city, have been converted into residential complexes called The Beacon.^[70] Berry Lane Park, which will be the largest municipal park in Jersey City, is currently under construction along Garfield Avenue in the northern section of Bergen-Lafayette.

The Heights

The Heights or Jersey City Heights is a district in the north end of Jersey City atop the New Jersey Palisades overlooking Hoboken to the east and Croxton in the Meadowlands to the west.

The southern border of The Heights is generally considered to be north of Bergen Arches and The Divided Highway, while Paterson Plank Road in Washington Park is its main northern boundary. Transfer Station is just over the city line. Its postal area ZIP Code is 07307. The Heights mostly contains two- and three-family houses and low rise apartment buildings, and is similar to North Hudson architectural style and neighborhood character.^[71]

Previously the city of Hudson City, The Heights was incorporated into Jersey City in 1869.^[36]

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Jersey City has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.^[72] Jersey City is within USDA hardiness zone 7a on the West side of the city and hardiness zone 7b on the East side.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	3,072		—
1850	6,856		123.2%
1860	29,226		326.3%
1870	82,546	*	182.4%
1880	120,722	*	46.2%
1890	163,003		35.0%
1900	206,433		26.6%
1910	267,779		29.7%
1920	298,103		11.3%
1930	316,715		6.2%
1940	301,173		−4.9%
1950	299,017		−0.7%
1960	276,101		−7.7%
1970	260,350		−5.7%
1980	223,532		−14.1%
1990	228,537		2.2%
2000	240,055		5.0%
2010	247,597		3.1%
Est. 2013	257,342	[15][73]	3.9%
Population sources: 1840-1920[74] 1840[75] 1850-1870[76] 1850[77] 1870[78] 1880-1890[79] 1890-1910[80] 1840-1930[81] 1930-1990[82] 2000[83][84] 2010[12][13][14] * = Gained territory in previous decade.[35]

Racial composition	2010[85]	1990[86]	1970[86]	1940[86]
White	32.7%	48.2%	77.8%	95.5%
—Non-Hispanic	21.5%	36.6%	69.5%[87]	n/a
Black or African American	25.8%	29.7%	21.0%	4.5%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	27.6%	24.2%	9.1%[87]	n/a
Asian	23.7%	11.4%	0.5%	−

Jersey City is one of the most racially diverse cities in the world.^[88] The city's formerly most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic white,^[86] declined from 69.5% in 1970 to 21.5% by 2010.^[85] The growing population of Asian Indians makes up a large part of the India Square district in Journal Square,^[89][90] comprising 10.9% of the overall population of Jersey City in 2010,^[12] the highest proportion of any major U.S. city. Likewise, Jersey City is also home to a Little Manila to serve its large Filipino population. The city has a large Kenyan American community,^[91][92] and the country's largest Egyptian Coptic population.^[93] Jersey City also has a large Moroccan community. Pakistanis, Guyanese, Nigerians, Vietnamese, Chinese, Haitians, Polish, Italians, and Irish also make up a large percent of the population. Relations between ethnic groups have not always been amicable, as evidenced by incidents such as the infamous Dotbusters gang attacks of 1987 against residents of South Asian descent.^[94]

A 2011 survey of census data shows Jersey City to have one the nation's highest percentages of residents who work as artists, leading The Atlantic magazine to call it the 10th most artistic city in the USA.^[95][96][97]

2010 Census

At the 2010 United States Census, there were 247,597 people, 96,859 households, and 57,631 families residing in the city. The population density was 16,736.6 per square mile (6,462.0/km²). There were 108,720 housing units at an average density of 7,349.1 per square mile (2,837.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 32.67% (80,885) White, 25.85% (64,002) Black or African American, 0.51% (1,272) Native American, 23.67% (58,595) Asian, 0.07% (161) Pacific Islander, 12.81% (31,726) from other races, and 4.42% (10,956) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 27.57% (68,256) of the population.^[12]

There were 96,859 households, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.20.^[12]

In the city, 21.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 37.6% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.2 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.^[12]

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $54,280 (with a margin of error of +/- $1,460) and the median family income was $58,533 (+/- $2,116). Males had a median income of $49,582 (+/- $1,968) versus $43,458 (+/- $1,837) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $30,490 (+/- $668). About 15.1% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.^[100]

As of the 2010 Census, Jersey City experienced an increase of 7,542 residents (3.1%) from its 2000 Census population of 240,055.^[12][21] Since it was believed the earlier population was under documented, the 2010 census was anticipated with the possibility that Jersey City might become the state's most populated city, surpassing Newark.^[101] The city has hired an outside firm to contest the results, citing the fact that development between 2000 and 2010 substantially increased the number of housing units and that new populations may have been under counted.^[102][103] Preliminary findings indicated that 19,000 housing units went uncounted.^[104]

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census the population was 240,055 making Jersey City the 72nd most populous city in the U.S.^[105] Among cities with a population higher than 100,000 ranked in the 2000 Census, Jersey City was the fourth most densely populated large city in the United States, behind New York City; Paterson, New Jersey; and San Francisco.^[106] There were 88,632 households, and 55,660 families residing in the city. The population density was 16,093.7/mi² (6,212.2/km²). There were 93,648 housing units at an average density of 6,278.3 per square mile (2,423.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 34.01% White, 28.32% African American, 0.45% Native American, 16.20% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 15.11% from other races, and 5.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28.31% of the population.^[83][84]

As of the 2000 Census, the most common reported ancestries were Italian (6.6%), Irish (5.6%), Polish (3.0%), Arab (2.8%), and German (2.7%).^[107]

Of all 88,632 households, 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living there, 36.4% were married couples living together, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.37.^[83][84]

In the city the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.^[83][84]

The median income of its households was $37,862, and the median income of its families was $41,639. Males had a median income of $35,119 versus $30,494 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,410. About 16.4% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.^[83][84]

Commerce

Jersey City has several shopping districts, some of which are traditional main streets for their respective neighborhoods, such as Central, Danforth, and West Side Avenues. Journal Square is a major commercial district. Newport Mall is a regional shopping area.^[108] Portions of the city are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3½% sales tax rate (versus the 7% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants.^[109] In February 2014, New Jersey State Senate President Stephen Sweeney argued that Jersey City, among other distressed cities, could benefit from a casino—were construction of one outside of Atlantic City eventually permitted by New Jersey.^[110]

Jersey City is home to the headquarters of Verisk Analytics^[111] and Lord Abbett, a privately held money management firm.^[112] Companies such as Computershare, ICAP, ADP, and Fidelity Investments also conduct operations in the city.^[113] Goya Foods, which is headquartered in adjacent Secaucus, announced plans in 2011 to open a 500,000-square-foot distribution center in Jersey City.^[114]

In 2014, Paul Fireman proposed a 95 story tower for Jersey City that would include a casino. The project would cost an estimated $4.6 billion and was endorsed by Mayor Steve Fulop.^[115]

Art and culture

Notable landmarks

• See List of Registered Historic Places in Hudson County, New Jersey
• Statue of Liberty National Monument, Ellis Island and Liberty Island
• Liberty Science Center
• The Katyń Memorial by well-known Polish-American artist Andrzej Pitynski on Exchange Place is the first memorial of its kind to be raised on American soil to honor the dead of the Katyń Forest Massacre.^[116]
• The Colgate Clock, promoted by Colgate-Palmolive as the largest in the world, sits in Jersey City and faces Lower New York Bay and Lower Manhattan (it is clearly visible from Battery Park in lower Manhattan). The clock, which is 50 feet (15 m) in diameter with a minute hand weighing 2,200 pounds, was erected in 1924 to replace a smaller one that was relocated to a plant in Jeffersonville, Indiana.^[117]
• The Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre, one of the five Loew's Wonder Theatres constructed in the 1920s and the only one located outside of New York City, is located in Journal Square. Currently presenting classic films, live performances, and events while the theatre undergoes restoration by volunteers.^[118][119]

Museums and libraries

The Jersey City Free Public Library has five regional branches, some of which have permanent collections and host exhibitions. At the Main Library, the New Jersey Room contains historical archives and photos. The Greenville Branch is home to the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Society Museum. The Five Corners Branch specializes in works related to music and the fine arts, and is a gallery space. The library system also supports a bookmobile and five neighborhood libraries.^[120]

Liberty State Park is home to Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, the Interpretive Center, and Liberty Science Center, an interactive science and learning center. The center, which first opened in 1993 as New Jersey's first major state science museum, has science exhibits, the world's largest IMAX Dome theater, numerous educational resources, and the original Hoberman sphere.^[121] From the park, ferries travel to both Ellis Island and the Immigration Museum and Liberty Island, site of the Statue of Liberty.^[122]

The Jersey City Museum, Mana Contemporary, and the Museum of Russian Art, which specializes in Soviet Nonconformist Art,^[123] include permanent collections and special exhibits.

Some stations of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail feature public art exhibitions, including those at Exchange Place, Danforth Avenue^[124] and Martin Luther King Drive station.^[125][126]

Hudson County Shakespeare Festival

Since 1992, the Hudson Shakespeare Company has been the resident Shakespeare festival of Hudson County performing a free Shakespeare production for each month of the summer throughout various parks in the city. The group regularly performs at Hamilton Park (9th Street & Jersey Avenue), Van Vorst Park (Jersey Avenue & Montgomery Street), and The Historic Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery (435 Newark Avenue).^[127]

In literature

The American poet Wallace Stevens described the city as a place where "the deer and the dachshund are one."^[128]

Government

Local government

The mayor is Steven Fulop, who won the mayoral election in 2013.^[6] The Business Administrator is Robert Kakoleski.^[129] The City Clerk is Robert Byrne.^[10]

Jersey City is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) form of municipal government by a mayor and a nine-member city council. The city council consists of six members elected from wards^[130] and three elected at large, all elected to four-year terms on a concurrent basis in non-partisan elections.^[131][66] As of 2015, members of the City Council are Council President Rolando R. Lavarro, Jr., Daniel Rivera (at Large), Joyce Watterman (at Large), Frank Gajewski (Ward A - Greenville), Khemraj “Chico” Ramchal (Ward B - West Side), Richard Boggiano (Ward C - Journal Square), Michael Yun (Ward D - The Heights), Candice Osborne (Ward E - Downtown) and Diane Coleman (Ward F - Bergen/Lafayette), all of whom are serving concurrent terms of office running from July 1, 2013 until June 30, 2017.^[132]

Federal, state and county representation

Jersey City is split between the 8th and 10th Congressional Districts^[133] and is part of New Jersey's 31st and 33rd state legislative districts.^{[13][134][135]} Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Jersey City had been in the 31st, 32nd and the 33rd state legislative districts.^[136] Prior to the 2010 Census, Jersey City had been split between the 9th Congressional District, 10th Congressional District and the 13th Congressional District, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.^[136] The split that went into effect in 2013 placed 111,678 residents living in the city's north and east in the 8th District, while 139,519 residents in the southwest portion of the city were placed in the 10th District.^[133][137]

New Jersey's Eighth Congressional District is represented by Albio Sires (D, West New York).^[138] New Jersey's Tenth Congressional District is represented by Donald Payne, Jr. (D, Newark).^[139] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Cory Booker (D, Newark, term ends 2021)^[140] and Bob Menendez (D, Paramus, 2019).^[141][142]

The 31st District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Sandra Bolden Cunningham (D, Jersey City) and in the General Assembly by Charles Mainor (D, Jersey City) and Jason O'Donnell (D, Bayonne).^[143] The 33rd Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Brian P. Stack (D, Union City) and in the General Assembly by Sean Connors (D, Jersey City) and Ruben J. Ramos (D, Hoboken).^[143] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township).^[144] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).^[145]

The city encompasses three Hudson County freeholder districts in their entirety, while three others are shared with adjacent municipalities. The Hudson County Executive, elected at-large, is Thomas A. DeGise.^[146] Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 are located partially or entirely in Jersey City. District 1 comprises neighboring Bayonne and a small part of Jersey City, Country Village,^[147] and is represented by Doreen McAndrew DiDomenico.^[148][149] District 2 includes the West Side and parts of the Marion Section and Journal Square^[150] and is represented by William O'Dea.^[148][149] District 3, which stretches from Paulus Hook through Bergen Hill to the east side of Greenville^[151] is represented by Jeffrey Dublin.^[148][149] District 4 includes Harsimus, Hamilton Park, and portions of Journal Square and the Heights ^[152] and is represented by Eliu Rivera.^[148][149] District 5, comprising portions of the Heights and all of neighboring Hoboken,^[153] is represented by Anthony Romano.^[148][149] District 8 compromises all of North Bergen, the North End of Secaucus and the northern tip of the city near Transfer Station.^[154] It is represented by Thomas Liggio.^[148]

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 120,229 registered voters in Jersey City, of which 58,194 (48.4%) were registered as Democrats, 7,655 (6.4%) were registered as Republicans and 54,293 (45.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 87 voters registered to other parties.^[155]

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 85.5% of the vote (64,052 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 13.5% (10,120 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (751 votes), among the 75,506 ballots cast by the city's 133,197 registered voters (583 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 56.7%.^[156][157] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 81.8% of the vote (65,780 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 16.8% (13,529 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (584 votes), among the 80,381 ballots cast by the city's 139,158 registered voters, for a turnout of 57.8%.^[158] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 74.5% of the vote (52,979 ballots cast), out polling Republican George W. Bush with 22.8% (16,216 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (559 votes), among the 71,130 ballots cast by the city's 119,723 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 59.4.^[159]

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 66.5% of the vote (20,421 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 31.8% (9,784 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (514 votes), among the 32,347 ballots cast by the city's 139,265 registered voters (1,628 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 23.2%.^[160][161] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 76.2% of the vote (29,817 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 18.7% (7,336 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 3.2% (1,263 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (371 votes), among the 39,143 ballots cast by the city's 120,269 registered voters, yielding a 32.5% turnout.^[162]

Emergency services

• Jersey City Fire Department (JCFD)
• Jersey City Medical Center Emergency Medical Services
• Jersey City Police Department (JCPD)
• Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department
• Hudson County Urban Search & Rescue
• Hudson County Sheriff's Office

Education

Colleges and universities

Jersey City is home to the New Jersey City University (NJCU) and Saint Peter's University, both of which are located in the city's West Side district. It is also home to Hudson County Community College, which is located in Journal Square. The University of Phoenix has a small location at Newport, and Rutgers University offers MBA classes at Harborside Center. Hudson County Community College, a junior college located in the Journal Square area offering courses to help the transition into a larger university, is praised for the culinary department and program.^[163]

Public schools

The Jersey City Public Schools serve students three years and older from Pre-K 3 through twelfth grade. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide,^[164] which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority.^[165][166]

Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School was the second-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked second in 2008 out of 316 schools.^[167] and was selected as 41st best high school in the United States in Newsweek magazine's national 2011 survey.^[168] William L. Dickinson High School is the oldest high school in the city and one of the largest schools in Hudson County in terms of student population. Opened in 1906 as the Jersey City High School it is one of the oldest school sites in the city, it is a four-story Beaux-Arts building located on a hilltop facing the Hudson River.^[169] Liberty High School is also one of the top schools in the Heights and the only high school that focuses on all academics. Other public high schools in Jersey City are James J. Ferris High School, Lincoln High School, and Henry Snyder High School. The Hudson County Schools of Technology (which also has campuses in North Bergen and Secaucus) has a campus in Jersey City, which includes County Prep High School.^[170]

Among Jersey City's elementary and middle schools is Academy I Middle School and Frank R. Conwell Middle School #4, which is part of the Academic Enrichment Program for Gifted Students. Another school is Alexander D. Sullivan P.S. #30, an ESL magnet school in the Greenville district, which services nearly 800 Pre-k through 5th grade students.^[171]

Jersey City also has 12 charter schools, which are run under a special charter granted by the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education, including the Mathematics, Engineering, Technology and Science Charter School (for grades 6 - 12) and the Dr. Lena Edwards Charter School (for K-8), which were approved in January 2011.^[172]

Private schools

Catholic schools

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark maintains a network of elementary and secondary Catholic schools serve every area of Jersey City. High schools administered by the Archdiocese are Hudson Catholic Regional High School, St. Anthony High School, Saint Dominic Academy and St. Peter's Preparatory School.^[173] St. Mary High School closed in June 2011 due to declining enrollment.^[174]

Catholic grade schools include Our Lady of Mercy Academy, Our Lady of Czestochowa School, Resurrection School, Sacred Heart School,^[175] St. Aloysius Elementary Academy, St. Anne School, St. Joseph School and St. Nicholas School.^[176]

Other private schools

Other private high schools in Jersey City include First Christian Pentecostal Academy^[177] and Stevens Cooperative School.^[178] Kenmare High School is operated through the York Street Project as part of an effort to reduce rates of poverty in households headed by women, through a program that offers small class sizes, individualized learning and development of life skills.^[179]

A number of other charter and private schools are also available. Genesis Educational Center^[180] is a private Christian school located in downtown Jersey City for ages newborn through 8th grade. The Jersey City Art School is a private art school located in downtown Jersey City for all ages.^[181]

Media

Jersey City is located within the New York media market, and most of its daily papers are available for sale or delivery. The daily newspaper The Jersey Journal, located at its namesake Journal Square, covers Hudson County, its morning daily, Hudson Dispatch now defunct.^[182] The Jersey City Reporter is part of the Hudson Reporter group of local weeklies. The Jersey City Independent is a web-only news outlet that covers politics and culture in the city.^[183] The River View Observer is another weekly published in the city and distributed throughout the county. Another countywide weekly, El Especialito, also serves the city.^[184] The Jersey City Independent is an online newspaper covering Jersey City and surrounding municipalities. It also publishes JCI Magazine, a print quarterly magazine.^[185] The Daily News maintains extensive publishing and distribution facilities at Liberty Industrial Park.^[186]

WFMU 91.1FM (WMFU 90.1FM in the Hudson Valley), the longest running freeform radio station in the US, moved to Jersey City in 1998.^[187] WSNR-620 AM is also licensed in the city.

Jersey City is the filming location for the 2012 reality television series Snooki & JWoww, a spinoff of Jersey Shore that stars Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Jennifer "JWoww" Farley living at a former firehouse at 38 Mercer Street at Grove Street in Downtown Jersey City.^[188]

Transportation

Of all Jersey City commuters, 8.17% walk to work, and 46.62% take public transit.^[189] This is the second highest percentage of public transit riders of any city with a population of 100,000+ in the United States, behind only New York City and ahead of Washington, D.C. 40.67% of Jersey City households do not own an automobile, the second-highest of all cities in the United States with 50,000 to 250,000 residents.^[190]

Rail

• Hudson-Bergen Light Rail: One of the most popular forms of transportation in the city. Of the 24 HBLR stations that connect its three terminus points, 13 are located in Jersey City.
• PATH: 24-hour rapid transit system with four stations in Jersey City: Exchange Place, Newport, Grove Street, and Journal Square to Hoboken Terminal (HOB), midtown Manhattan (33rd) (along 6th Ave to Herald Square/Pennsylvania Station), World Trade Center (WTC), and Newark Penn Station (NWK).
• Hoboken Terminal-New Jersey Transit Hoboken Division: Main Line (to Suffern, and in partnership with MTA/Metro-North, express service to Port Jervis), Bergen County Line, and Pascack Valley Line, all via Secaucus Junction (where transfer is possible to Northeast Corridor Line); Montclair-Boonton Line and Morris and Essex Lines (both via Newark Broad Street Station); North Jersey Coast Line (limited service as Waterfront Connection via Newark Penn Station to Long Branch and Bay Head); Raritan Valley Line (limited service via Newark Penn Station).

Water

• NY Waterway ferries operate between Newport, Paulus Hook Ferry Terminal, Liberty Harbor, Port Liberté to Manhattan at Battery Park City Ferry Terminal, Pier 11/Wall Street, and West Midtown Ferry Terminal, where free transfer is available to a variety of "loop" buses.
• Statue Cruises provides service to and between Ellis Island and Liberty Island^{[191][192][193]}
• Liberty Water Taxi operates ferries between Dock M. of Liberty State Park and the Battery Park City.^[194]

Bus

The Journal Square Transportation Center, Exchange Place, and Hoboken Terminal (just over the city line's northeast corner) are major origination/destination points for buses. Service is available to numerous points within Jersey City, Hudson County, and some suburban areas as well as to Newark on the 1, 2, 6, 10, 22, 64, 67, 68, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 123, 125, 305, 319 lines.^[195] Also serving Jersey City are various lines operated by Academy Bus and A&C Bus. Increased use of jitneys, locally known as dollar vans, have greatly affected travel patterns in Hudson County, leading to decreased bus ridership on traditional bus lines. After studies examining existing systems and changes in public transportation usage patterns it was determined that a Journal Square-Bayonne bus rapid transit system should be investigated. In 2012 the Board of Chosen Freeholders authorized the identification of possible BRT corridors.^{[196][197][198][199][200]}

Air

• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is the closest of the metropolitan area's three major airports
• LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is in East Elmhurst, Queens
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is on Jamaica Bay in Queens
• Teterboro Airport, in the Hackensack Meadowlands, serves private and corporate planes
• Newport Helistop Heliport at Hudson River at Newport^[201]

Road

As of May 2010, the city had a total of 218.57 miles (351.75 km) of roadways, of which 189.88 miles (305.58 km) were maintained by the municipality, 10.34 miles (16.64 km) by Hudson County and 12.23 miles (19.68 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 6.12 miles (9.85 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.^[202]

• Holland Tunnel: From Boyle Plaza in downtown Jersey City to its eastern terminus at Canal Street, Manhattan (carries  / )
• Highways include the New Jersey Turnpike Extension  / Interstate 78, the Pulaski Skyway ( U.S. Route 1/9), New Jersey Route 139 (), and New Jersey Route 440 ().

Bike

A part of the East Coast Greenway, a planned unbroken bike route from Maine to the Florida Keys, will travel through the city. In June 2012, part of the route was officially designated in Lincoln Park and over the Lincoln Highway Hackensack River Bridge.^[203][204] Both the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway and Hackensack RiverWalk are bicycle friendly.^[205] In April 2012, the city initiated the Morris Canal Greenway Plan to investigate the establishment of a greenway, including a bicycle path, that would follow the route of the Morris Canal to the greatest extent possible.^{[206][207][208]} in the same month, the city established bikes lanes along the length Grove Street, originally meant to temporary. In December 2012, the city announced that Grove Street lanes would become permanent and that it would add an additional 54 miles (87 km) of both dedicated and shared bike lanes.^[209] The Harbor Ring is an initiative to create a 50 mile bike route along the Lower Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, and Kill van Kull that would incorporate bike paths in the city.^{[210][211][212]} In 2013, the city simplified the application and reduced the cost for business and residences to install bike racks as well as making them obligatory for certain new construction projects.^[213] Hudson County has initiated exploration of a bike-share program.^[214] Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehawken intended to operate the program starting 2014^[215] but delayed the launch due to lack of sponsorship.^[216]

Notable people

Sister cities

Jersey City has participated in the sister city program since establishing a relationship with Cusco, Peru in 1988. Currently they have relationships with 12 international cities, showing a spirit of economic and cultural exchange and mutual friendship.^[217]

– Cusco (Peru) (1988) – Ahmedabad (India) (1994) – Nantong (People's Republic of China) (1994) – Ozamiz (Philippines) (1995) – Jerusalem (Israel) (1997) – Vitória (Brazil) (1997)

– Oviedo (Spain) (1998) – Sant'Arsenio (Italy) (1999) – Kolkata (India) (2001) – Saint John's (Antigua) (2002) – San Martín del Rey Aurelio (Asturias, Spain) (2004) – Rosario (Argentina) (2008)

See also

• Timeline of Jersey City area railroads
• Hudson River Waterfront Walkway
• Hackensack RiverWalk
• Demographics of New Jersey
• Filipinos in the New York City metropolitan region
• St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church
• Gateway Region
• Gold Coast, New Jersey
• Bergen Township

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jersey City, New Jersey.

• Official website
• Destination Jersey City
• Jersey City List
• Jersey City Guide

Links to related articles Current Members of the Jersey City Council Current Term: July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2017 President Rolando R. 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