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Perth Amboy, New JerseyFor the band once known as Perth Amboy, see Stonebolt.
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 47,303. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay".[6] Perth Amboy was formed by Royal Charter on August 4, 1718, within various townships. Perth Amboy was chartered as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on December 21, 1784, within Perth Amboy Township and from part of Woodbridge Township. Perth Amboy Township was formed on October 31, 1693, and was enlarged during the 1720s to encompass Perth Amboy city. Perth Amboy Township was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships on February 21, 1798. The township was absorbed by Perth Amboy city on April 8, 1844.[7] Perth Amboy, and South Amboy across the Raritan River, are collectively referred to as The Amboys. Signage for Exit 11 on the New Jersey Turnpike refers to "The Amboys" as a destination. The Amboys are the northern limit of the area informally referred to as the Bayshore.
[edit] History
Perth Amboy was settled in 1683 and incorporated as a city in 1718. It was founded by English merchants, Scots seeking religious freedom, and French Protestants, who sought to make use of Perth Amboy's harbor to its full potential. Perth Amboy served as the state capital from 1686 until 1776. In 1684, Perth Amboy became the capital of East Jersey and remained the capital until the union of East and West Jersey in 1702 and became an alternate state capital with Burlington until 1776.[8] A few of the buildings from this early period can still be seen today (a map of historic sites and buildings [1]). Most notably, the Proprietary House, the home of William Franklin, the last Royal Governor of New Jersey and estranged son of Ben Franklin, still stands in the waterfront area of the city. Other early architectural examples include the Kearny Cottage (moved from its original location), and St. Peter's church. St. Peter's is surrounded by a graveyard of early inhabitants and displays a collection of incredible stained-glass windows. In addition to the religious scenes these windows portray, early depictions of New Jersey receiving her charter and a meeting between William Franklin and his father, Ben, are also included. Perth Amboy's city hall, first built as a courthouse in 1685, survived major fires in 1731 and 1764 and is the oldest city hall in continuous use in the United States.[9] By the middle of the 1800s, immigration and industrialization transformed Perth Amboy. Factories such as A. Hall and Sons Terra Cotta, Guggenheim and Sons and the Copper Works Smelting Company fueled a thriving downtown and employed many area residents. Perth Amboy also grew after it became the tidewater terminal for the Lehigh Valley Railroad and a coal shipping point. Perth Amboy also witnessed tightly knit and insular ethnic neighborhoods such as Budapest, Dublin, and Chickentown. Immigrants from Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Russia, and Austria quickly dominated the factory jobs. Perth Amboy was also a resort town in the 1800s and early 20th century. Today, Perth Amboy’s immigrants are primarily Hispanic. Unfortunately the immigration growth occurred at a time when factories were being demolished and plants were being closed down; thus Perth Amboy became part of the rust belt. Once a resort town, Perth Amboy’s beaches are no longer in use for swimming because of the polluted waters. Competition from malls outside the city and in New York forced the big chain and higher end stores out of Perth Amboy’s downtown. There are no movie theaters or major department stores remaining in Perth Amboy. The overcrowded schools are slightly passing or failing. Perth Amboy is an Abbott funded district, which ensures that the district receives parity funding. There is also a large and growing number of students who cannot read or write in English. However, since the early 1990s Perth Amboy has seen redevelopment. Small businesses have started to open up, and with the presence of an Urban Enterprise Zone. The waterfront has also seen a rebirth. The marina has been extended, there are new promenades, parks, and housing overlooking the bay. Perth Amboy is still continuing for an attempt of an upheaval in the waterfront. A new project called Landings at Harborside will feature 2,100 residential units composed of town homes and mid-rise luxury condominiums along with indoor garage parking. There were also be 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2) of retail space with an international market, restaurants, specialty shops, community center, and recreation amenities for the public as well. It is an eight year and $600 million plan. Moreover there will be an extension of Route 440 to High Street, connecting commuters from the Outerbridge Crossing directly to the waterfront. [edit] GeographyPerth Amboy is located at (40.519455, -74.275326)[10]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.0 square miles (15.5 km²), of which, 4.8 square miles (12.4 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) of it (20.07%) is water. The city is named after Perth, Scotland, and was originally granted to a company of Scottish noblemen, headed by the Duke of Melfort "Amboy" is an Algonquian name for the area, also appearing in South Amboy. [edit] Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 47,303 people, 14,562 households, and 10,761 families residing in the city. The population density was 9,892.0 people per square mile (3,820.9/km²). There were 15,236 housing units at an average density of 3,186.2/sq mi (1,230.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 46.41% White, 10.04% African American, 0.70% Native American, 1.53% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 35.59% from other races, and 5.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 69.83% of the population. Most of the Hispanics in Perth Amboy are of Puerto Rican or Dominican descent but all Latino nationalities are represented in the city. There were 14,562 households out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 21.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.20 and the average family size was 3.63. In the city the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,608, and the median income for a family was $40,740. Males had a median income of $29,399 versus $21,954 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,989. About 14.3% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over. In 2000, 27.79% of Perth Amboy residents identified themselves as being of Puerto Rican ancestry, the fifth highest concentration of Puerto Ricans on the U.S. mainland of those municipalities with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.[13] In the same census, 18.81% of Perth Amboy residents identified themselves as being of Dominican ancestry, the third highest concentration in the country of Dominicans in the United States after Haverstraw, New York and Lawrence, Massachusetts using the same criteria.[14] [edit] Community
[edit] The WaterfrontPerth Amboy features a historic waterfront, which has gone through significant revitalization. Perth Amboy's waterfront is where the city was first settled and one of the few places left in New Jersey that has a historic and marina culture surrounded by water. Local attractions include two small museums, an art gallery, a yacht club, and a marina. Near the marina lies a park with a small bandshell. On Sunday afternoons in the summertime, Perth Amboy hosts the Concerts by the Bay in the park's bandshell. The waterfront is also characterized by a redbrick promenade near the water and many stately Victorian homes, some on hills overlooking the bay and predominating tree lined streets with well-manicured lawns. It has a number of seafood restaurants, as well. The waterfront rises very steep after two blocks. This hinders the rest of the town making the waterfront look like a quiet fishing village. Points of interest on the waterfront include St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, and the Proprietary House, which is now the former governor’s mansion and houses a museum and some offices. Kearny Cottage, which also has a museum, is here. In addition, this section of Perth Amboy once had a thriving Jewish community with yeshivas, synagogues, kosher butchers and bakers.[15] Today however there are only two synagogues left each with only a few members usually over the age of 55. [edit] Downtown Perth AmboyDowntown is the main commercial district and is centered on Smith Street. It is an Urban Enterprise Zone and the reduced sales tax rate of 3½% (half of the statewide rate of 7%) funds revitalization of Smith Street with newly planted trees, Victorian streetlights, benches, garbage cans, and redbrick sidewalks. Smith Street is a relatively small shopping center that is only seven blocks wide and bustles with stores that cater to the lower and working class. The street is flanked by mainly two to three story buildings of varied architecture. It also has a lone bank skyscraper which is 10-stories tall called Amboy Towers in the "Five Corners" (pictured above). The Five Corners is the intersection of Smith Street, New Brunswick Avenue, and State Street. Although there were previously a number of department stores, the largest store downtown today is discount retailer Kids City. [edit] HarbortownHarbortown is a recently built townhouse development, that is part rental and part condo, and still continues to be expanded. Section 8 housing along with more affluent homes can be found in Harbortown, an economically and ethnically diverse townhouse development in the city. Harbortown is also the most educated and one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Perth Amboy. However it also has the highest poverty rate out of any neighborhood in Perth Amboy. [edit] Hall AvenueHall Avenue is a neighborhood centered on Hall Avenue east of the New Jersey Transit train tracks. The street, Hall Avenue, itself is not the commercial strip it used to be. Still, although the street has a few pedestrians, it is not deserted. In addition, there is a recently built strip mall on the corner of Hall Avenue and State Street called the "Firehouse Plaza." However, Hall Avenue is now primarily residential. Most of the homes are aging apartments but there are also some newly constructed homes. Hall Avenue also remains the traditional Puerto Rican neighborhood and it hosts the city's annual Puerto Rican Day Festival, which is held on the same day of the historic Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City. North of Route 440 in the neighborhood is Rudyk Park which features the Roberto Clemente baseball field and an industrial park. [edit] Southwestern sectionThe southwestern section is a mainly working-class residential neighborhood with some light industry. The city's largest strip mall is located here. This neighborhood has a large and diversified Hispanic neighborhood with many Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and the more recent South Americans. Much of the city's Mexican population also lives in this section. Before, this section of Perth Amboy used to have a large Irish population and the neighborhood was once named "Dublin." After, the Irish came the Eastern Europeans, primarily Polish and Hungarian. Most of the housing consists of small one or two family houses. The main commercial strip is Smith Street, west of the New Jersey Transit train tracks. [edit] Western section of the WaterfrontThe western section of the waterfront is west of Kearny Avenue. It is an overwhelmingly blue-collar Hispanic neighborhood. Most of the homes are over 100 years old and many are modest row houses. Sadowski Parkway Park lines through the southern end of the neighborhood and has a walkway with a beach. The beach however is no longer in use for swimming. The park also hosts the Dominican festival and other festivals during the summer. [edit] State StreetState Street is a neighborhood east of the NJ Transit train tracks, north of Fayette Street, and south of Harbortown. Like the southwestern section of Perth Amboy, it is predominantly working-class Hispanic. In addition, this neighborhood had many industries and factories before they moved overseas. The neighborhood is mainly Caribbean Hispanic. This section also once had a visible Cuban community. The State and Fayette Gardens, an apartment complex in the neighborhood, was at one point considered to be "The Cuban Buildings." The Landings at Harborside redevelopment project is being constructed in this neighborhood. [edit] Amboy AvenueAmboy Ave is a quasi-suburban, working to middle-class neighborhood. It is also referred to as the "Hospital section" or the "High School section" due to the fact that these places are located in the neighborhood. Although today it is mostly Hispanic, Amboy Avenue once had a strong Italian population. [edit] MaurerMaurer is mainly working to middle-class neighborhood that lies in the northern part of Route 440. It is heavily industrial with many oil refineries and brownfields. Like Amboy Avenue, it is quasi-suburban. [edit] ChickentownChickentown is a neighborhood in the western part of Route 35 south of Spa Springs, just south of Route 440. It shares many of the same characteristics of Spa Springs but to a lesser extent. The city's largest park, Washington Park, is located here. [edit] Spa SpringsAlong with the waterfront, Spa Springs, which is in the northwestern part of the city, remains one of the most attractive and middle-class areas of the city. In this neighborhood, the population is older. Spa Springs is also the wealthiest neighborhood in town and is the most suburban with single family houses and garages. [edit] Government[edit] Local governmentThe City of Perth Amboy is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government.[16] The current mayor of Perth Amboy is Wilda Diaz, the first latina mayor in the history of the state of New Jersey. She succeeds former mayor and current 19th legislative district Assemblyman Joseph Vas, who served as mayor for 18 years. [edit] Federal, state and county representationPerth Amboy is in the Thirteenth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 19th Legislative District.[17] 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 19th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph Vitale (D, Woodbridge) and in the Assembly by Joseph Vas (D, Perth Amboy) and John S. Wisniewski (D, Sayreville).[18] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[19] Middlesex County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis. As of 2008, Middlesex County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director David B. Crabiel (Milltown), Freeholder Deputy Director Stephen J. "Pete" Dalina (Fords), Camille Fernicola (Piscataway), H. James Polos (Highland Park), Ronald Rios (Carteret), Christopher D. Rafano (South River) and Blanquita B. Valenti (New Brunswick).[20] [edit] Transportation
The Outerbridge Crossing, a cantilever bridge over the Arthur Kill, connects Perth Amboy with Staten Island. Known locally as the "Outerbridge", it is part of a popular route on NY-440/NJ-440 from the south and west to New York City and Long Island. Despite the assumption that the name is derived from its location as the southernmost bridge in New York State and Staten Island, the Outerbridge Crossing was named in honor of Eugenius H. Outerbridge, first Chairman of the Port Authority. The bridge clears the channel by 145 feet (44 m), providing passage for some of the largest of ships. The Victory Bridge carries Route 35 over the Raritan River, connecting Perth Amboy on the north with the borough of Sayreville to the south. The Perth Amboy station provides service on the North Jersey Coast Line to Newark Penn Station, Hoboken Terminal, Secaucus Junction and Pennsylvania Station in Midtown Manhattan. New Jersey Transit buses serve the Port Authority Bus Terminal on the 116 route, Newark on the 62 line, with local service available on the 813, 815, and 817 bus routes.[21] Perth Amboy also has at least three taxi companies. [edit] EducationPublic schools in Perth Amboy are operated by Perth Amboy Public Schools, serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide.[22] Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[23]) are Early Childhood Center at St. Mary's (300 students) and Ignacio Cruz School (729) for preschool; Anthony V. Ceres School (588), James J. Flynn School (749), Edward J. Patten Elementary School (811), Dr. Herbert N. Richardson 21st Century School (540) and Robert N. Wilentz School (789) for grades K-4; Samuel E. Shull Middle School (1,173) and William C. McGinnis Middle School (1,449) for grades 5-8; and Perth Amboy High School (2,123) for grades 9-12. 9.7% of adults over the age of 25 in Perth Amboy have a bachelor's degree or higher, a percentage significantly below the state average.[citation needed] Holy Trinity School used to sit on the corner of Lawrie & Penn Street. [edit] CommercePortions of Perth Amboy 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).[24] [edit] Notable residentsNotable current and former residents of Perth Amboy include:
[edit] Miscellaneous Information
[edit] Sister Cities[edit] References
[edit] External links
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