Living in New Jersey

New Jersey - Liberty & Prosperity

History, Geography, Homes, and State Resources of New Jersey

New Jersey USA Map

If you reside in a rural community now, you have become familiar with the inconvenience of traveling a some distance to reach a shopping mall. This is true in numerous urban locations, shopping malls and smaller shopping centers are scarce; you still might need to drive some distance to find shopping which is appealing to you. Not the case in New Jersey. More shopping malls (along with diners) exist for every mile than in any other location in the U.S.. You just can not move to New Jersey and not run into stores waiting for you to leave some money on their counter. This should not be a surprise considering New Jersey's dense population. These people all have shopping needs. and those needs need to be met. For example, look at the little borough of Paramus. it boast 4 huge malls, and generates an annual revenue of $5 billion. That’s a whole bunch of shoes!

New Jersey's early colonial history was involved with that of New York (New Netherlands), of which it was a part. One year after the Dutch surrender to England in 1664, New Jersey was organized as an English colony under Gov. Philip Carteret

In 1676 the colony was divided between Carteret and a company of English Quakers who had obtained the rights belonging to John, Lord Berkeley. New Jersey became a united crown colony in 1702, administered by the royal governor of New York. Finally, in 1738, New Jersey was separated from New York under its own royal governor, Lewis Morris. Because of its key location between New York City and Philadelphia, New Jersey saw much fighting during the American Revolution.

Climate

Demography

Education

Among the original thirteen American colonies, New Jersey is unique in that it was the only colony in which two colleges were founded before the proclamation of independence was proclaimed in 1776. Of the nine colonial colleges, New Jersey owned the College of New Jersey, now called Princeton University, founded in 1746, and Queen's College, now known as Rutgers University (or officially as Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey), founded in 1766. Princeton was founded by the New Light Presbyterians founded. Rutgers was founded by ministers of the Dutch Reformed Church.

Economy

Flora and Fauna

New Jersey State Flower - Violet

New Jersey State Tree - Northern Red Oak

Common wild flowers include meadow rue, butterflyweed, black-eyed Susan, and the ubiquitous eastern (common) dandelion. Among rare plants are Candy's lobelia, floating heart, and pennywort. Six plant species were listed as threatened or endangered in 2003, including the American chaffseed and small whorled pogonia.

Among mammals indigenous to New Jersey are the whitetailed deer, black bear, gray and red foxes, raccoon, woodchuck, opossum, striped skunk, eastern gray squirrel, eastern chipmunk, and common cottontail.

The herring gull, sandpiper, and little green and night herons are common shore birds, while the red-eyed vireo, hermit thrush, English sparrow, robin, cardinal, and Baltimore oriole are frequently sighted inland. Anglers prize the northern pike, chain pickerel, and various species of bass, trout, and perch. Declining or rare animals include the whippoorwill, hooded warbler, eastern hognose snake, northern red salamander, and northern kingfish. Seventeen animal species were listed as threatened or endangered in 2003, including four species of turtle, the Indiana bat, bald eagle, shortnose sturgeon, roseate tern, and three species of whale.

Government

New Jersey State Capitol

The governor is the only statewide elected administrative official. Given broad powers by the state constitution, the governor appoints the heads or commissioners of the major state departments with the advice and consent of the senate; not subject to senate approval are more than 500 patronage positions. The governor is also commander in-chief of the state's armed forces, submits the budget to the legislature each January, presents an annual message on the condition of the state, and may grant pardons and, with the aid of the Parole Board, grant executive clemency.

Elected to a four-year term in the odd-numbered year following the presidential election, the governor may run for a second term but not for a third until four years have passed. A candidate for governor must be at least 30 years old and must have been a US citizen for 20 years and a New Jersey citizen for seven years in order to qualify for the ballot.

To vote in New Jersey, one must be at least 18 years old, a US citizen, and a New Jersey and county resident for at least 30 days prior to election day. Restrictions apply to those convicted of crimes in New Jersey or another state.

Attractions

Romer Shoal Light Station

Focal height and coordinates are taken from the 1907 United States Coast Guard Light List, while location and dates of activation, automation, and deactivation are taken from the United States Coast Guard Historical information site for lighthouses.

Amusement Parks

Casino Pier is an amusement park situated on a pier, in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. Casino Pier was partially destroyed, and indefinitely closed, on October 29, 2012, after part of the pier collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean because of Hurricane Sandy. Despite this, the park successfully rebuilt the pier's lower deck, and re-opened with limited rides in July of 2013. An expansion for the pier opened in 2017 which includes Hydrus (a Euro-Fighter roller coaster) and a Ferris wheel.

Clementon Park and Splash World is a mid-sized combination theme park and water park in Clementon, New Jersey, Also called Clementon Lake Park, it is one of the world's oldest operating amusement parks and is one of only thirteen trolley parks still operating in the United States. In 2007, the park was purchased by Adrenaline Family Entertainment and the New Era of Clementon Park began. Over the next three years, Adrenaline Family Entertainment made major renovations and added attractions bringing renewed life to the park. Laguna Kahuna, a large interactive water playland was added in 2008, followed by Ring of Fire and Thunder Drop in 2010, and Torpedo Rush in 2011. Big Wave Bay was added in 2012. On November 21, 2011,

One of Long Beach Island’s crown jewels. Boasting 19 amusement rides, games of all types, an arcade, food, an ice cream shop, a classic carousel, private parties, and so much more, Fantasy Island is a clean, safe amusement park that is fun for people ages 2 to 92.

The Land of Make Believe is a family amusement park & water park catering mostly to families and children under 13 years of age. Designed specifically for Parents to participate with their Children. Opened in 1954, it is on County Route 611, two miles from exit 12 off of Interstate 80. It centers itself around "Safe and wholesome recreation", with entertaining rides and attractions that are most appropriate for children under the age of thirteen, but also has many attractions for people of all ages but not so extreme that it scares off young children mixed in. Some of its most prominent attractions are the civil war train (which loops around most of the park), the Pirate's Wading Pool, largest in America with life size Pirate Ship and the Pirates Escape & Pirates revenge dual racing slides. The Land of Make Believe has many of the standard amusement park rides like a junior sized roller coaster, a Tilt-A-Whirl, Drop & Twist, Tornado, and Scream Machine 360 ultimate upside down thrill ride as well as more specialized attractions like a hay ride and a petting zoo. More of the water attractions include the Pirates Plunge, Blackbeard's Pirate Fort, The Sidewinder, Blackbeard's Action River Ride, and eight waterslides.

A classic seaside amusement park located on The Wildwoods' boardwalk in Wildwood and North Wildwood, New Jersey. The park has been family owned and operated since 1969 and is currently run by 2nd generation Morey Brothers, Will and Jack. Morey’s Piers has over 100 rides and attractions. It includes three amusement piers and two beachfront waterparks.

Six Flags Great Adventure is an amusement park located in Jackson, New Jersey, situated between New York City and Philadelphia, the park complex also contains the Hurricane Harbor water park. The park opened in 1974 under restaurateur Warner LeRoy. Six Flags took over ownership of the park in 1977. Today, the park contains eleven themed areas. In 2012, Six Flags combined its 160-acre Great Adventure Park with its 350-acre Wild Safari animal park to form the 510-acre Six Flags Great Adventure & Safari park, making it the second-largest theme park in the world, after Disney's Animal Kingdom. Many of Six Flags Great Adventure's most thrilling roller coasters have placed in Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards. Below is a table with coasters at Great Adventure and their highest ranking in the Golden Ticket Awards.

The Steel Pier is a 1,000-foot-long amusement park built on a pier of the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, across from the Trump Taj Mahal. Begun in 1898, it was one of the most popular entertainment venues in the nation for the first seven decades of the twentieth century, featuring concerts, exhibits, and an amusement park. It billed itself as the Showplace of the Nation and at its peak measured 2,298 feet.

National Parks

The Appalachian Trail is a 2,180+ mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by private citizens, and completed in 1937, today the trail is managed by the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies and thousands of volunteers.

From the heights of the Palisades at Fort Lee to the shores of the Delaware River at Red Bank Battlefield, the Crossroads of the American Revolution offers an unprecedented opportunity to understand and celebrate New Jersey’s rich history. Historic sites, preservation groups, schools, libraries, and museum work together to tell these unique stories.

addlers slip down the river between low forested mountains; anglers wade the trout streams; hikers scan the valley from the ridge or peer into the 1000-foot-deep Water Gap. The valley has known human hand and voice for 10,000 years. Floodplains nourished the Native farmer; waterfalls drew the Victorian vacationer. Today, a 70,000-acre park welcomes those who seek the outdoors close to home.

There are three geographic units: Sandy Hook, New Jersey; Jamaica Bay and Staten Island, New York City. The NYC units include Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Fort Tilden, Riis Park in Queens, Floyd Bennett Field and Canarsie Pier in Brooklyn. Staten Island has Great Kills Park, Miller Field and Fort Wadsworth. These sites and others make up the 27,000 acres of Gateway, one national park.

The largest free-flowing river in the eastern United States, the Delaware River runs past forests, farmlands, and villages, and it also links some of the most densely populated regions in America. In 2000, the National Wild and Scenic River System incorporated key segments of the lower Delaware River to form this unit of the National Park System.

Morristown National Historical Park commemorates the sites of General Washington and the Continental army’s winter encampment of December 1779 to June 1780, where they survived through what would be the coldest winter on record. The park also maintains a museum & library collection related to the encampments & George Washington, as well as items relating to pre- and post-Revolutionary America.

This is truly a special place. It's classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and in 1978 was established by Congress as the country’s first National Reserve. It includes portions of seven southern New Jersey counties, and encompasses over one-million acres of farms, forests and wetlands. It contains 56 communities, from hamlets to suburbs, with over 700,000 permanent residents.

Cotton & silk for clothing; locomotives for travel; paper for books & writing letters; airplanes, & more. What do they have in common? They all came from the same place - Paterson, NJ. In 1791, Paterson, America's first planned industrial city, was established, centered around the Great Falls of the Passaic River. From humble mills would rise industries that changed the face of the United States.

In 1781, General Rochambeau’s French Army joined forces with General Washington’s Continental Army to fight the British Army in Yorktown, Virginia. With the French Navy in support, the allied armies moved hundreds of miles to become the largest troop movement of the American Revolution. The effort and cooperation between the two sides led to a victory at Yorktown and secured American independence.

Sports

The New York metropolitan area's two National Football League teams, the New York Giants and the New York Jets, both play in East Rutherford, at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Completed at a cost of approximately $1.6 billion, it is one of the most expensive stadiums ever built. On February 2, 2014, MetLife Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLVIII, the first Super Bowl played outside in a cold-weather city

Taxes

• Income tax: 1.4% - 8.97%
• Sales tax: 6.625%
• Property tax: 2.40% average effective rate
• Gas tax: 14.50 cents per gallon

Transportation

Aviation

Newark Liberty International Airport Photo by Beyer Blinder Belle

Atlantic City's Atlantic City International Airport receives more than a million passengers annually. The airport is disabled-friendly and places a high value on customer satisfaction. For this reason, it has an assistance cab to assist customers when needed. The amenities at this airport include news and gift shops, snack bars, easy to reach airport car hire and ATMs.

The airlines serving this airport are Spirit Airlines and Delta Connection Comair. Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark is the fifth largest international airport in the US. The airport has many amenities and offers good customer service. In the airport building there are many restaurants and souvenir shops. There are also retail stores selling jewelry and books. There are also shoe stores, music shops, spas and lifestyle stores. Apart from these, the airport has currency exchange, ATMs, a chapel, wireless Internet access and conference rooms.

Ferries

Port of New York and New Jersey

On the Delaware Bay, the Delaware River and Bay Authority operates the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, carrying both passengers and vehicles from New Jersey to Deleware. The agency also operates the Forts Ferry Crossing for passengers across the Delaware River. The Delaware River Port Authority operates the RiverLink Ferry between the Camden waterfront and Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.

Rail

NJ Transit also operates three light rail systems in the state. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail connects Bayonne to North Bergen, through Hoboken and Jersey City. The Newark Light Rail is partially underground, and connects downtown Newark with other parts of the city. The River Line connects Trenton and Camden.

The PATH is a rapid transit system consisting of four lines operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It links Hoboken, Jersey City, Harrison and Newark with New York City. The PATCO Speedline is a rapid transit system that links Camden County to Philadelphia. Both the PATCO and the PATH are two of only six rapid transit systems in the United States to operate 24 hours a day.

Amtrak operates numerous long-distance passenger trains in New Jersey, both to and from neighboring states and around the country. In addition to the Newark Airport connection, other major Amtrak railway stations include Trenton Transit Center, Metropark, and the historic Newark Penn Station.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA, has two commuter rail lines that operate into New Jersey. The Trenton Line terminates at the Trenton Transit Center, and the West Trenton Line terminates at the West Trenton Rail Station in Ewing.

AirTrain Newark is a monorail connecting the Amtrak/NJ Transit station on the Northeast Corridor to the airport's terminals and parking lots.

Some private bus carriers still remain in New Jersey. Most of these carriers operate with state funding to offset losses and state owned buses are provided to these carriers, of which Coach USA companies make up the bulk. Other carriers include private charter and tour bus operators that take gamblers from other parts of New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, and Delaware to the casino resorts of Atlantic City.

Roads

The Garden State Parkway, or simply "the Parkway," carries relatively more in-state traffic than interstate traffic and runs from New Jersey's northern border to its southernmost tip at Cape May. It is the main route that connects the New York metropolitan area to the Jersey Shore and is consistently one of the safest roads in the nation. With a total of 15 travel and 6 shoulder lanes, the Driscoll Bridge on the Parkway, spanning the Raritan River in Middlesex County, is the widest motor vehicle bridge in the world by number of lanes as well as one of the busiest.

New Jersey is connected to New York City via various key bridges and tunnels. The double-decked George Washington Bridge carries the heaviest load of motor vehicle traffic of any bridge in the world, at 102 million vehicles per year, across fourteen lanes. It connects Fort Lee, New Jersey to the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, and carries Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 across the Hudson River. The Lincoln Tunnel connects to Midtown Manhattan carrying New Jersey Route 495, and the Holland Tunnel connects to Lower Manhattan carrying Interstate 78. New Jersey is also connected to Staten Island by three bridges — from north to south, the Bayonne Bridge, the Goethals Bridge, and the Outerbridge Crossing.

New Jersey Housing

New Jersey Cities, & Towns

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