Central Jersey

Central Jersey is an unofficial designation for the central region of the State of New Jersey in the United States of America. The two main portions of the region are separated by the Raritan River. The so-called Raritan Valley makes up the northern portion of Central Jersey and includes Somerset, and Hunterdon counties, as well as the northern portion of Middlesex County. [http://www.optimum.com/lineup.jsp?regionId=38 Optimum Online Television Service. Channel lineup for the Raritan Valley region, consisting of, "Bridgewater, Edison, North Brunswick, Old Bridge, Piscataway"] [http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/r0060.pdf Raritan Valley Line operated by NJ Transit. Covers Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex and Union Counties] [http://www.raritanval.edu/ Raritan Valley Community College in North Branch] [http://www.scarletknights.com/crew/camp/camp.asp Raritan Valley Rowing Camp. A program sponsored by Rutgers University in New Brunswick.] [http://www.raritanvalleyconference.com/index.php Raritan Valley Conference. A pop warner league covering Somerset and Middlesex Counties.] South of the Raritan are the shore and inland communities of Monmouth and Ocean counties, as well as the southern portion of Middlesex County and all of Mercer County [Martin, Antoinette. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/realestate/15njzo.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss "Demand for Offices, but Not Homes"] , "The New York Times", July 15, 2007.] [http://www.jerseyshorevacation.com/bayshore.htm Specific towns mentioned.] [http://www.bayshorewatershed.org/bw/Who%20We%20Are/About%20Us Area encompasses "Middlesex and Monmouth counties"] [Martin, Antoinette. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/realestate/15njzo.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss "Demand for Offices, but Not Homes"] , "The New York Times", July 15, 2007. "In central New Jersey, the vacancy rate remained higher — 18.1 percent. Nonetheless, Cushman’s analysts predicted “slow and steady growth” statewide for the rest of the year. This region takes in Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset and Union Counties."] All of Central Jersey is in the New York City Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Between 1674 and 1702, most of today's Central Jersey was a part of East Jersey, whose capital was in Perth Amboy.

Transportation

The Central Railroad of New Jersey once connected New York City with many Central Jersey towns. Much of that system is now included in New Jersey Transit rail operations to the Raritan Valley, Northeast Corridor, and the North Jersey Coast. A major mass transit commuter hub in Central Jersey is Metropark.

The Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike, Interstate 287, U. S. Route 1, U. S. Route 9, New Jersey Route 18, and New Jersey Route 35 are major automobile transport routes through Central Jersey that pass over the Raritan River at Perth Amboy and New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Newark Liberty International Airport is Central Jersey's largest airport. It is located off Exit 13A of the New Jersey Turnpike at US Route 9 in Newark and Elizabeth in Union County, New Jersey. Monmouth Executive Airport, formerly known as Allaire Airport, is a public-use airport located near Allaire State Park not far from Farmingdale, New Jersey.

Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal is the fifteenth busiest container port in the world. Like Newark Liberty, it is located in Newark and Elizabeth in Union County, New Jersey.

Geography

Center of population

New Jersey's center of population is currently located just south of the Raritan in East Brunswick in Middlesex County. [ [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-72330691.html "East Brunswick, N.J., Represents State's Population Center."] , "The Star-Ledger", March 27, 2001. Accessed May 5, 2008." And the center of New Jersey, according to 2000 census data, is a litter-strewn patch of woods on Milltown Road in East Brunswick. Demographers call it the "center of population," the place that would require the least amount of travel if all the state's 8.4 million residents were to converge on one spot.]

Economy

While Central Jersey partially serves as a bedroom community for New York City commuters, it also has robust local economies of its own. It is home to many pharmaceutical (Johnson and Johnson, Merck and Sanofi-Aventis) and telecommunications companies (Verizon Wireless, AT&T Communications Vonage, and Avaya). Regional tourist attractions include the Jersey Shore, Six Flags Great Adventure, Gateway National Recreation Area, Monmouth Park Racetrack and Asbury Park's boardwalk. The Raritan Bayshore offers marinas, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, and beaches. There are 48 fishable lakes in Monmouth County alone. [ [http://www.fishingworks.com/lakes/new-jersey/monmouth/ Fishingworks] ] All of the region's counties are ranked among the highest income counties in the United States, as measured by median household income. [ [http://www.bea.gov/regional/reis/pcpihigh.cfm 250 Highest Per Capita Personal Incomes of the 3111 Counties in the United States, 2006] , Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed May 2, 2008.]

Major shopping centers include Woodbridge Center, Menlo Park Mall, Bridgewater Commons, Monmouth Mall, Brunswick Square Mall, Freehold Raceway Mall, and Ocean County Mall.

Famous Central Jerseyans

*Dierks Bentley
*Bam Bam Bigelow
*Jon Bon Jovi
*Danny DeVito
*Ray Evernham
*Donald Fagen
*Tammy Lynn Sytch
*Ethan Hawke
*David DeJesus
*Dan Klecko
*Doug Lawrence
*Brittany Murphy
*Jim Nantz
*Jack Nicholson
*Jim Norton
*Irene Peterson
*Mark L. Polansky
*David Pollack
*Paul Robeson
*Richie Sambora
*Susan Sarandon
*Norman Schwarzkopf
*Kevin Smith
*Bruce Springsteen
*Jon Stewart
*Joe Theismann
*Ashley Tisdale

References

See also

* Central Jersey Regional Airport
* Central Jersey Riptide