East Orange, New Jersey

East Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population was 64,270, reflecting a decline of 5,554 (-8.0%) from the 69,824 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 3,728 (-5.1%) from the 73,552 counted in the 1990 Census. The city was the state's 20th most-populous municipality in 2010, after having been the state's 14th most-populous municipality in 2000.

East Orange was originally incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 4, 1863, from portions of Orange town, and was reincorporated as a city on December 9, 1899, based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 3.924 square miles (10.164 km²), all of it land.

East Orange shares borders with Newark to the east and south, South Orange to the southwest, Orange to the west, and Glen Ridge and Bloomfield to the north.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Ampere and Brick Church.

Neighborhoods

East Orange is officially divided into five wards, but is also unofficially divided into a number of neighborhoods.

• Ampere: Anchored by the now defunct train station of the same name, The Ampere section was developed on land owned by Orange Water Works, after the construction of the Crocker Wheeler Company plant spurred development in the area. The station was named in honor of André-Marie Ampère, a pioneer in electrodynamics and reconstructed as a new Renaissance Revival station in 1907 and 1908. Roughly bounded by Bloomfield to the North, Lawton Street & Newark to the east, 4th Avenue to the south, and North Grove Street to the West.
• Greenwood (Teen Streets): So named after Greenwood avenue and the "teen" streets that run through it. It is often grouped together with Ampere. This area was severely disturbed by the construction of Interstate 280 and the Garden State Parkway. The Grove Street Station of the former DL & W Railroad was located here at Grove and Main Streets. Roughly bounded by 4th Avenue to the North, North 15th Street/Newark to the East, Eaton Place/NJ Transit Morris & Essex Lines, and North Grove Street to the West.
• Presidential Estates: Recently designated due to the streets in this area being named after early presidents of the United States. There are many large houses situated on streets lined with very old, very large shade trees in this neighborhood that are characteristic of the northern section of the city. Roughly Bounded by Bloomfield to the North, Montclair-Boonton Line and North Grove Street to the East, Springdale Avenue to the South and the Garden State Parkway to the West.
• Elmwood Located in the southeastern part of the city. Elmwood Park serves this section of the city, with 7 tennis courts on Rhode Island Avenue, a basketball court on the corner of Elmwood Avenue and Oak Street, a swimming pool with a pool house, a walking track, a baseball field, a softball field and a renovated field house. The area holds one of the surviving Carnegie Libraries, the Elmwood Branch of the East Orange Public Library, opened in 1912.
• Doddtown (Franklin): Named after John Dodd who founded and surveyed the area of the "Watsessing Plain". The former campus of Upsala College is located here, which has been turned into the new East Orange Campus High School on the east side of Prospect Street, and a new subdivision on the East side. Roughly bounded by Bloomfield to the North, the Garden State Parkway to the south, Park Avenue to the South and Orange to the west.

Demographics

2010 Census

At the 2010 United States Census, there were 64,270 people, 24,945 households, and 14,742 families residing in the city. The population density was 16,377.1 per square mile (6,323.2/km²). There were 28,803 housing units at an average density of 7,339.5 per square mile (2,833.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 4.13% (2,657) White, 88.51% (56,887) Black or African American, 0.39% (248) Native American, 0.72% (465) Asian, 0.06% (38) Pacific Islander, 3.69% (2,370) from other races, and 2.50% (1,605) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 7.93% (5,095) of the population.

There were 24,945 households, of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.3% were married couples living together, 29.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. 35.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% 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 3.33.

In the city, 25.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.0 years. For every 100 females there were 81.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.4 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006â€"2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $40,358 (with a margin of error of +/- $1,873) and the median family income was $50,995 (+/- $2,877). Males had a median income of $38,642 (+/- $1,851) versus $39,843 (+/- $2,187) for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,298 (+/- $746). About 17.8% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.5% of those under age 18 and 16.4% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 69,824 people, 26,024 households, and 16,082 families residing in the city. The population density was 17,776.6 people per square mile (6,859.8/km²). There were 28,485 housing units at an average density of 7,252.0 per square mile (2,798.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.46% Black or African American, 3.84% White, 0.25% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 2.14% from other races, and 3.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.70% of the population.

There were 26,024 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.0% were married couples living together, 28.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.37.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 81.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,346, and the median income for a family was $38,562. Males had a median income of $31,905 versus $30,268 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,488. About 15.9% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those ages 65 or over.

As part of the 2000 Census, 89.46% of East Orange's residents identified themselves as being Black or African American. This was one of the highest percentages of African American and Caribbean American people in the United States, and the second-highest in New Jersey (behind Lawnside, at 93.6%) of all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. East Orange also has a large Haitian American community, with 2,852 persons claiming Haitian ancestry in the 2000 Census.

Although still a small percentage of total residents, Orange and East Orange have the largest concentrations of Guyanese Americans in the country. In the 2000 Census, 2.5% of East Orange residents identified as being of Guyanese ancestry. While Queens and Brooklyn had larger populations in terms of raw numbers, Orange (with 2.9%) and East Orange had the highest percentage of people of Guyanese ancestry of all places in the United States with at least 1,000 people identifying their ancestry.

Economy

Portions of East Orange 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.

Government

East Orange is governed under the City form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a mayor and a city council made up of ten members, two representing each of the city's five geographic political subdivisions called wards. The mayor is elected directly by the voters. The ten members of the city council are elected to four-year terms on a staggered basis, with one seat in each ward coming up for election every other year.

The City Council performs the legislative functions of municipal government by enacting ordinances, resolutions or motions, and is responsible for review and adoption of the municipal budget that has been submitted by the Mayor.

As of 2015, the Mayor of East Orange is Lester E. Taylor, III, whose term of office ends December 31, 2017. Members of the City Council are:

• 1st Ward: Christopher D. James (2017) and Andrea D. McPhatter (2015)
• 2nd Ward: Romal D. Bullock (2017) and Jacquelyn E. Johnson (2015)
• 3rd Ward: Ted R. Green (2017) and Quilla E. Talmadge (2015)
• 4th Ward: Tyshammie L. Cooper (2017) and Sharon Fields (2015)
• 5th Ward: Alicia Holman (2017) and Lonnie Hughes (2015)

The first African-American Mayor of East Orange, New Jersey was William S. Hart, Sr., who was elected to two consecutive terms, serving in office from 1970 to 1978. Hart Middle School was named after him.

Federal, state and county representation

East Orange is located in the 10th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 34th state legislative district.

New Jersey's Tenth Congressional District is represented by Donald Payne, Jr. (D, Newark). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Cory Booker (D, Newark, term ends 2021) and Bob Menendez (D, Paramus, 2019).

The 34th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nia Gill (D, Montclair) and in the General Assembly by Thomas P. Giblin (D, Montclair) and Sheila Y. Oliver (D, East Orange). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Essex County is governed by a directly-elected County Executive, with legislative functions performed by the Board of Chosen Freeholders. As of 2014, the County Executive is Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. The county's Board of Chosen Freeholders consists of nine members, four elected on an at-large basis and one from each of five wards, who serve three-year terms of office on a concurrent basis, all of which end December 31, 2014. Essex County's Freeholders are Freeholder President Blonnie R. Watson (at large; Newark), Freeholder Vice President Patricia Sebold (at large; Livingston), Rufus I. Johnson (at large; Newark), Gerald W. Owens (At large; South Orange, filling the vacant seat after the resignation of Donald Payne, Jr.) Rolando Bobadilla (District 1 - Newark's North and East Wards, parts of Central and West Wards; Newark), D. Bilal Beasley (District 2 - Irvington, Maplewood and Newark's South Ward and parts of West Ward; Irvington), Carol Y. Clark (District 3 - East Orange, Newark's West and Central Wards, Orange and South Orange; East Orange) and Leonard M. Luciano (District 4 - Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Livingston, Millburn, North Caldwell, Roseland, Verona, West Caldwell and West Orange; West Caldwell), and Brendan W. Gill (District 5 - Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Montclair and Nutley; Montclair). Constitutional elected countywide are County Clerk Christopher J. Durkin (West Caldwell, 2015), Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura (2015) and Surrogate Theodore N. Stephens, II (2016).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 36,280 registered voters in East Orange, of which 21,646 (59.7%) were registered as Democrats, 396 (1.1%) were registered as Republicans and 14,228 (39.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 10 voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 98.5% of the vote (24,862 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1.3% (330 votes), and other candidates with 0.2% (46 votes), among the 25,375 ballots cast by the city's 39,668 registered voters (137 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 64.0%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 97.7% of the vote (24,718 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1.6% (408 votes) and other candidates with 0.1% (35 votes), among the 25,304 ballots cast by the city's 36,891 registered voters, for a turnout of 68.6%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 93.2% of the vote (19,447 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 5.9% (1,225 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (128 votes), among the 20,856 ballots cast by the city's 33,328 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 62.6.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 88.0% of the vote (9,413 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 11.3% (1,212 votes), and other candidates with 0.7% (75 votes), among the 11,269 ballots cast by the city's 41,016 registered voters (569 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 27.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 94.4% of the vote (12,554 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 2.9% (380 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 1.2% (153 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (63 votes), among the 13,295 ballots cast by the city's 36,157 registered voters, yielding a 36.8% turnout.

Education

East Orange School District operates the public schools of East Orange. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide, 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.

As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's 20 schools had an enrollment of 9,709 students and 867.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a studentâ€"teacher ratio of 11.20:1. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Althea Gibson Early Childhood Academy (171 students; in grades PreK and K), Wahlstrom Early Childhood Center (167; PreK-K), Benjamin Banneker Academy (491; PreK-5), Edward T. Bowser, Sr. School of Excellence (719; PreK-5), George Washington Carver Institute of Science and Technology (417; PreK-5), Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Academy (254; K-5), Mildred Barry Garvin School (350; PreK-5), Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative & Performing Arts (436; PreK-8), Langston Hughes Elementary School (562; PreK-5), J. Garfield Jackson, Sr. Academy (288; K-5), Ecole Touissant Louverture (309 ; PreK-5), Gordon Parks Academy School of Radio, Animation, Film and Television (313; PreK-5), Cicely L. Tyson Community Elementary School (509 ; PreK-5), Dionne Warwick Institute of Economics and Entrepreneurship (453; PreK-5), Patrick F. Healy Middle School (420; 6), John L. Costley Middle School (453; 7), Sojourner Truth Middle School (459; 8), Cicely Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts (863 ; 6-12), East Orange Campus High School located on the former campus of Upsala College (1,876; 9-12), East Orange STEM Academy (199; 9-12), Fresh Start Academy Middle School - Glenwood Campus (6-8) and Fresh Start Academy High - Edmonson Alternative (9-12).

East Orange Community Charter School is a public charter school that operates independently of the school district under a charter granted by the New Jersey Department of Education.

The East Orange Public Library at one time included three of the original 36 Carnegie-funded libraries in New Jersey. It has a collection of 344,000 volumes and circulates about 319,000 items annually. from four locations.

Ahlus Sunnah School is a K-12 madrasah that has been in East Orange since 2005.

Transportation

Roads and highways

East Orange lies at the intersection of the Garden State Parkway and Interstate 280.

The Garden State Parkway passes through the city, connecting Newark in the south to Bloomfield in the north. The Parkway is accessible at Interchange 145 for Interstate 280 and at Interchange 147 for Springfield Avenue.

As of May 2010, the city had a total of 83.43 miles (134.27 km) of roadways, of which 73.27 miles (117.92 km) were maintained by the municipality, 6.30 miles (10.14 km) by Essex County and 1.52 miles (2.45 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 2.34 miles (3.77 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Public transportation

Local transportation around the city and into neighboring communities is provided by Coach USA bus routes 24 & 44 and multiple New Jersey Transit public bus lines, which includes routes 5, 21, 34, 41, 71, 73, 79, 90, 92, 94, and 97.

New Jersey Transit also runs two commuter rail train stations in East Orange, both located along the Morris & Essex Lines. The East Orange Station is found beside the westbound lanes of Interstate 280, directly across its parking lot from East Orange City Hall. Just one mile west up Main Street is Brick Church Station, the city's second rail stop and the more heavily used of the two. Both have seven-day service to Hoboken Terminal as well as Midtown Direct service to New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.

The city is 7.8 miles (12.6 km) from Newark Liberty International Airport in the nearby cities of Newark and Elizabeth.

Sister city

East Orange is a sister city of:

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with East Orange include:

• John Amos (born 1939), actor.
• Jamal Anderson (born 1972), former NFL running back.
• James Blish (1921â€"1975), science fiction writer.
• Clyde Bradshaw (born 1959), basketball player who played for the DePaul Blue Demons.
• Robert L. Carter (1917â€"2012), civil rights leader and United States District Judge.
• Bill Chinnock (1947â€"2007), singer-songwriter and guitarist who was part of the Asbury Park music scene with Bruce Springsteen in late 1960s.
• Chino XL (born 1974), hip-hop lyricist.
• Troy CLE, pseudonym of Troy Tompkins, author of The Marvelous Effect (set in East Orange).
• William Joseph Fallon (born 1944), United States Navy Admiral who is the current Commander of United States Central Command.
• Franklin W. Fort (1880â€"1937), represented New Jersey's 9th congressional district from 1925 to 1931.
• Major Harold Geiger (1884â€"1927), pioneer in Army aviation and ballooning.
• Althea Gibson (1927â€"2003), tennis player.
• David Garrard (born 1978), quarterback who played for the NFL's New York Jets.
• Mary Jeanne Hallstrom (1924-2006), nurse and member of the Illinois House of Representatives, was born in East Orange.
• Slide Hampton (born 1932), jazz trombonist.
• Ann Harding (1902â€"1981), theatre, motion picture, radio, and television actress.
• Carolyn Gold Heilbrun (1926â€"2003), author who wrote mystery novels under the pen name of Amanda Cross.
• Frances Cox Henderson (1820â€"1897), wife of Governor James Pinckney Henderson of Texas, who established the Good Shepherd home for aged women after moving to East Orange following her husband's death.
• Brian Hill (born 1947), former coach of the Orlando Magic.
• Lauryn Hill (born 1975), singerâ€"songwriter, rapper, producer and actress.
• Whitney Houston (1963â€"2012), singer and actress.
• Janis Ian (born 1951), singer-songwriter.
• Monte Irvin (born 1919), Major League Baseball player inducted as a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame who was ranked #12 on the Sports Illustrated list of The 50 Greatest New Jersey Sports Figures.-
• Jarrod Johnson (born 1969), former professional football player who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers and the Sacramento Surge of the World League of American Football.
• Ernest Lester Jones (1876â€"1929), head of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1914 until his death.
• LeRoy J. Jones, Jr. (born 1957), member of the New Jersey General Assembly.
• Queen Latifah (born 1970), rapper and actress.
• Clara Maass (1876â€"1901), nurse who died as a result of volunteering for medical experiments to study yellow fever.
• Gordon MacRae (1921â€"1986), actor, singer, he was born in East Orange.
• Elliott Maddox (born 1947), Major League Baseball outfielder who played for both the New York Mets and New York Yankees.
• Naomi Long Madgett (born 1923), poet.
• Daniel F. Minahan (1877â€"1947), represented New Jersey's 6th congressional district from 1919 to 1921 and again from 1923 to 1925.
• Annie Oakley (1860â€"1926) and her husband Frank E. Butler (1852â€"1926) lived at 22 Eppirt Street between 1905 and 1908
• Naughty by Nature members Treach, Vin Rock, and Kay Gee.
• Naturi Naughton (born 1984), singer and actress who was a member of the early 2000s group, 3LW.
• Jonathan M. Parisen (born 1971), filmmaker.
• Eddie Rabbitt (1941â€"1998), singer-songwriter.
• Shareefa (born 1984), R&B singer.
• Tom Verducci (born 1960), sports journalist.
• Albert L. Vreeland (1901â€"1975), United States Representative from New Jersey.
• Dionne Warwick (born 1940), singer.
• Valerie Wilson Wesley (born 1947), mystery writer.
• George Whitman (1913â€"2011), proprietor of the Paris bookstore Shakespeare and Company.
• William H. Wiley (1842â€"1925), served on East Orange township committee from 1886 to 1888, president for one year; represented New Jersey's 8th congressional district from 1903-07 and 1909-11, co-founder of publishing company John Wiley & Sons.
• Bruce Williams (born 1932), radio host.

References

Further reading

• Hart, William. East Orange. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2006.
• Stuart, Mark A. A Centennial History of East Orange. East Orange, NJ: East Orange Centennial Committee, 1964.

External links

• East Orange website
• East Orange School District
• East Orange School District's 2012â€"13 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• School Data for the East Orange School District, National Center for Education Statistics
• East Orange Community Charter School website

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