Central Jersey

This article is about a region in the United States. For the central part of the island of Jersey, see Geography of Jersey.

Central Jersey, or Central New Jersey, is the middle region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation Central Jersey is a distinct administrative toponym.^[3][4] While New Jersey is often divided into North Jersey and South Jersey, many residents recognize Central Jersey as a distinct third entity.^[5] As of the 2020 census, Central Jersey has a population of 3,580,999.

Central Jersey
With 15 travel lanes and six shoulder lanes, Driscoll Bridge on the Garden State Parkway in Central Jersey is one of the world's widest and busiest motor vehicle bridges; the bridge crosses Raritan River near Raritan Bay.[2]
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
Largest municipalities by population	Elizabeth Lakewood Woodbridge Edison Middletown Old Bridge Franklin Township Piscataway New Brunswick Perth Amboy Howell Plainfield
Population  (2020)	3,580,999

All descriptions of Central Jersey include Middlesex County, the population center of New Jersey, and most include much of nearby Monmouth, Mercer, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties. The inclusion of adjacent areas of Union and Ocean are a source of debate.^[6][7][8] In 2015, New Jersey Business magazine defined Central Jersey more narrowly as the five counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth and Somerset.^[9]

In 2022, legislation was proposed in the New Jersey Legislature to establish distinct geographic areas for tourism in the state. Bill A4711 was sponsored by Assemblymembers Roy Freiman, Sadaf Jaffer, and Anthony Verrelli in the New Jersey General Assembly.^[10] This included an official designation of the region of Central Jersey, which the legislation defines more broadly as the seven counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Union.^[11][12] The New Jersey Senate version of this legislation passed by a vote of 36-1 on June 20, 2023.^[13] On August 24, 2023, Gov. Murphy signed legislation officially designating Central Jersey including, at a minimum, the counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset.^[14]

Trenton, the seat of Mercer County and the state capital of New Jersey, is located in Central Jersey. New Jersey's geographic center is in Hamilton, Mercer County. In 2011, the population center of the state was in the western portion of East Brunswick, in Middlsex County.^[15] The two busiest highways in New Jersey, the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, intersect in Woodbridge, Middlesex County.^[16] Princeton University and Rutgers University, the two most prominent institutions of higher education in the state, are situated in Central Jersey.

Geographic area

The counties of Central Jersey highlighted in green: Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Somerset, and Hunterdon; Union and Ocean counties are sometimes also included within the region's geographic parameters.

The Delaware and Raritan Canal in Lambertville, connects the Delaware and Raritan rivers in Central Jersey.

The region lies roughly at the geographic heart of the Northeast megalopolis and is wholly in the New York metropolitan area, the nation's largest metropolitan area.

The Delaware Valley is another area that is associated with some parts of Central Jersey, specifically Mercer County. Yet despite the County’s close geographic proximity to Philadelphia's combined statistical area, Mercer County is considered part of the New York Combined Metropolitan Statistical Area as defined by the United States Census Bureau.^[17][18][19] Some but not all regions of Hunterdon County associate themselves with the Delaware Valley and the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

The Raritan Valley is the region along the middle reaches of the Raritan River and its North Branch and South Branch. The Raritan Valley includes the communities of Branchburg, Bridgewater, Somerville, Raritan, Hillsborough, Franklin Township, Green Brook, North Plainfield, Bound Brook, and South Bound Brook, all in Somerset County; Dunellen, Middlesex, Piscataway, South Plainfield, Highland Park, New Brunswick, East Brunswick, Edison, and Metuchen, all in the northern and central portions of Middlesex County; and Plainfield in southwestern Union County.^{[20][21][22][23][24]}

The Raritan Bayshore is used to describe the region in Middlesex and Monmouth Counties, located along the coastline of the Raritan Bay, from the mouth of the Raritan River in the west to the barrier island of Sandy Hook bordering the Atlantic Ocean in the east.^[25] The Raritan Bayshore includes the communities of Sayreville, Woodbridge, Perth Amboy, South Amboy, and Old Bridge, all in northeastern Middlesex County; Aberdeen, Matawan, Keyport, Union Beach, Hazlet, Keansburg, Holmdel, Middletown, Atlantic Highlands, and Highlands, all in northern Monmouth County.^[26][27]

The telephone area codes 732 and 848 includes Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset, Union, and northern Ocean counties. While area codes 609 and 640 includes southern Ocean, Hunterdon, and Somerset counties, as well as Mercer County.^[28]

Colonial era

Further information: Colonial history of New Jersey

The since discarded regions of West New Jersey (in yellow) and East New Jersey (in green) that existed from 1674 to 1702 during the colonial era of New Jersey; the map also indicates location of the Keith Line (in red) and the Coxe and Barclay Line (in orange).

Between 1674 and 1702, in the early part of New Jersey's colonial period, the border between West Jersey and East Jersey ran diagonally across the middle part of the state. The Keith Line, as the demarcation is known, ran through the center of what is now Mercer County.^[29] This border remained important in determining ownership and political boundaries until 1745. Remnants of that division are seen today, notably as the Hunterdon-Somerset, Ocean-Burlington, and Monmouth-Burlington county lines.^[30] The division of the two provinces was cultural as well as geographical.^[31]

New Jersey's position between the major cities of New York and Philadelphia led Benjamin Franklin to call the state "a barrel tapped at both ends".^[32][33] Travel between the two cities originally included a ferry crossing.

Due to the obstacles created by the Meadowlands and the Hudson Palisades, passengers from New York would cross the North River and the Upper New York Bay by boat and then transfer to stagecoaches to travel overland through what is now Central Jersey. One route from Elizabethtown to Lambertville was known as Old York Road. Another route, from Perth Amboy through Kingston to Burlington, ran along a portion of the Kings Highway, These roads followed Lenape paths known respectively as the Naritcong Trail and the Assunpink Trail.

Raritan Landing, across from New Brunswick in today's Piscataway, became an important inland port and commercial hub for the region.^[34] Two of the nine Colonial Colleges, founded before the American Revolution, were the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), and Queens College (now Rutgers University).

Population

Municipalities with over 30,000 population

2017 Rank	Municipality	County	Population in 2017	Population in 2010	Municipal Type
1	Elizabeth	Union	130,215	124,969	City
2	Lakewood Township	Ocean	102,682	92,843	Township
3	Edison	Middlesex	102,450	99,967	Township
4	Woodbridge Township	Middlesex	101,965	99,585	Township
5	Toms River	Ocean	93,017	91,239	Township
6	Hamilton Township	Mercer	89,078	88,464	Township
7	Trenton	Mercer	84,964	84,913	City
8	Brick Township	Ocean	75,516	75,072	Township
9	Old Bridge Township	Middlesex	67,032	65,375	Township
10	Franklin Township	Somerset	66,734	62,300	Township
11	Middletown Township	Monmouth	65,603	66,522	Township
12	Piscataway	Middlesex	57,887	56,044	Township
13	New Brunswick	Middlesex	57,073	55,181	City
14	Jackson Township	Ocean	57,073	54,856	Township
15	Perth Amboy	Middlesex	52,823	50,814	City
16	Howell Township	Monmouth	52,476	51,075	Township
17	Plainfield	Union	51,327	49,908	City
18	East Brunswick	Middlesex	48,840	47,512	Township
19	South Brunswick	Middlesex	46,561	43,417	Township
20	Bridgewater Township	Somerset	45,414	44,464	Township
21	Monroe Township	Middlesex	45,332	39,132	Township
22	Sayreville	Middlesex	45,325	42,704	Borough
23	Manchester Township	Ocean	43,495	43,070	Township
24	Linden	Union	43,056	40,499	City
25	North Brunswick	Middlesex	42,641	40,742	Township
26	Berkeley Township	Ocean	41,747	41,255	Township
27	Marlboro Township	Monmouth	40,306	40,191	Township
28	Manalapan Township	Monmouth	40,013	38,872	Township
29	Hillsborough Township	Somerset	40,003	38,303	Township
30	Ewing Township	Mercer	36,549	35,790	Township
31	Freehold Township	Monmouth	35,053	36,184	Township
32	Lawrence Township	Mercer	33,161	33,472	Township
33	Long Branch	Monmouth	30,762	30,719	City
34	Westfield	Union	30,433	30,316	Town
35	Lacey Township	Ocean	30,131	27,346	Township

County Population

Rank	County	Population	County Seat	Area
1	Middlesex	829,685	New Brunswick	311 sq mi (805 km2)
2	Monmouth	621,354	Freehold Borough	472 sq mi (1,222 km2)
3	Ocean	601,651	Toms River	636 sq mi (1,647 km2)
4	Union	558,067	Elizabeth	103 sq mi (267 km2)
5	Mercer	369,811	Trenton	226 sq mi (585 km2)
6	Somerset	331,164	Somerville	305 sq mi (790 km2)
7	Hunterdon	124,714	Flemington	430 sq mi (1,114 km2)

Economy

The Bell Labs water tower in Holmdel was designed to resemble a transistor. Telecommunications remains an important industry in Central Jersey.

All of the region's counties are ranked among the highest income counties in the United States, as measured by median household income.^[35] It has been called the state's "wealth belt".^[36][37]

Manufacturing

For decades, Central Jersey was a hub for manufacturing in the eastern United States. Many industrial companies had major production facilities in and around the area, including Edison Assembly, Ford Motor Company's production plant for Rangers, Mustangs, Pintos, Mercurys, and Lincolns. Other notable companies include General Motors in Linden, Frigidaire's air-conditioner plant in Edison, Hess Corporation in Woodbridge, Siemens in Edison, and ExxonMobil Chemical.

Starting in the 2000s, manufacturing began to leave Central Jersey, and many facilities had closed and moved overseas.^{[38][39][40][41]}

Telecommunications and high technology

The Bell Labs Holmdel Complex has been the site of many innovations in telecommunications and is experiencing a renaissance as a business incubator for high-tech startup companies.^[42] Today Verizon Wireless, AT&T Communications, Vonage, Avaya, and Bell Labs are located in the region.

Healthcare and pharmaceuticals

Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold Township, with a gross leasable area of 1,671,000 sq ft (155,200 m²),^[43] is the third largest shopping mall in the state.

Central New Jersey is a global leader in the pharmaceuticals industry. New Brunswick is known as "the Healthcare City",^[44][45] due to the concentration of medical facilities in Central Jersey, including Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Saint Peter's University Hospital, as well as the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. University Medical Center of Princeton is located in Plainsboro. The campuses of the major pharmaceutical corporations Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Sanofi-Aventis are located in the region, as are major operations of Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and Aurobindo Pharma. Princeton University's Frist Campus Center^[a] is used for the aerial views of Princeton‑Plainsboro Teaching Hospital seen in the television series House.^[46][47]

Shopping malls

Nassau Hall, the oldest building at Princeton University in Princeton, was the largest academic building in the American colonies when it was built in 1756 and briefly served as the U.S. Capitol in 1783.^[48][49]

Major shopping centers include the Freehold Raceway Mall, Woodbridge Center, Menlo Park Mall, Bridgewater Commons, The Grove at Shrewsbury, Monmouth Mall, Brunswick Square Mall, Forrestal Village, Quaker Bridge Mall, Princeton Market Fair, Ocean County Mall, Jackson Premium Outlets, and Jersey Shore Premium Outlets.

Academia

Princeton University in Princeton is one of eight Ivy League universities and the nation, one of the world's most prominent research universities, and consistently ranked as one of the best universities in the world; in the 2023-24 issue of U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Ranking, Princeton University is ranked the best university in the nation.^[50] Rutgers-New Brunswick is the flagship university campus of the state New Jersey. Monmouth University, Rider University, and The College of New Jersey are located in Central Jersey as well. Each county maintains its own county college, with the exception of Hunterdon County - whose residents may attend either Raritan Valley Community College (located in Somerset County) or Mercer County Community College (located in Mercer County) at no additional cost. Monmouth County's residents have the choice of attending Brookdale Community College which was recently listed as one of the top three community colleges in the state. Thomas Edison State College in Trenton provides extensive on-line and adult education. Kean University is in Union County.

Tourism and cultural attractions

New Brunswick, home to Rutgers University in Central Jersey

Popular tourist attractions in Central New Jersey include Six Flags Great Adventure, Gateway National Recreation Area, Monmouth Park Racetrack, Freehold Raceway, and the many boardwalks along the northern Jersey Shore, in Monmouth County and northern Ocean County.

Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson is the second-largest theme park in the world after Disney's Animal Kingdom in Central Florida.^[51] It is home to many famous rollercoasters, most notably being the Kingda Ka which, as of 2023, is the tallest roller coaster in the world.^[52]

The New Brunswick music scene has produced many successful indie bands. The city also is home to the New Jersey Folk Festival. In an early era, the Stone Pony and Asbury Park Convention Hall were important venues on the rock scene. Major music and theater venues in the region include PNC Bank Arts Center, the Trenton War Memorial, CURE Insurance Arena, the McCarter Theater, the Count Basie Theater, the George Street Playhouse and the Starland Ballroom.

East Jersey Olde Towne Village, the Road Up Raritan Historic District as well as those in Trenton, Lawrence, and Princeton recall the colonial era. The region saw a lot of action during the American Revolution due to the region's strategic importance between Philadelphia and New York City.^[53] As such, many important battles took place here. These battle sites have been converted into state parks, offering historic preservation of the important structures contingent to their respected battles. State parks include Washington Crossing State Park, Princeton Battlefield State Park, and Monmouth Battlefield State Park.^[54] The Middlebrook encampment in Bridgewater was where the first official flag of the United States was unfurled, after a law to adopt a national flag had been passed by Congress on June 14, 1777.^[55] Ocean Grove is one of the largest national historic sites in the United States.

Media markets and national sports

Depending on the location, different parts of Central Jersey fall into overlapping spheres of influence from New York media market and Philadelphia media market. Portions of Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex counties are located in both the New York City and the Philadelphia television markets, while the rest of the region belongs wholly to the New York City market.

The Star-Ledger, based in Newark, is the largest circulated newspaper in New Jersey. Four Central Jersey newspapers, Asbury Park Press, Home News Tribune, and two Trenton dailies, The Trentonian and The Times and several local papers are published in Central Jersey. New Jersey On-Line, MyCentralJersey.com and CentralJersey.com^[56] are online news services. During statewide political events like Gubernatorial or Senatorial election debates often held in Trenton, partner stations from both the New York and Philadelphia markets pool resources together to co-host the events and bring them to New Jersey homes.

Identification with sports teams is also affected by the region's location, and it is not uncommon to find fans of major sports teams of either city. For example, while residents of northern New Jersey root for New York teams, those in the southern part of the state root for Philadelphia teams.^[57][58][59] The distinction is less clear in Central Jersey.^[60] Central Jersey Riptide was a short-lived professional soccer club.^[61]

Transportation

Interstate 195, which travels from the state capital of Trenton to the Jersey Shore, is sometimes referred to as the Central Jersey Expressway.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) operates three divisions in the state: North, South, and Central, which encompasses Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Somerset counties and portions of Warren County. (Routes 22, 122, 173, 78 and including south of Route 57).^[62] Apart from Mercer County, which comes under the auspices of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, all counties in the region are part of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, a government partner which approves transportation projects for the state.

The United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company traversed the region in 1830, eventually becoming the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR). NJT's Northeast Corridor Line and the North Jersey Coast were once part of the PRR, as was Amtrak which serves the commuter hub at Metropark, New Brunswick, and the Trenton Transit Center. The Central Railroad of New Jersey once connected Jersey City (with connecting ferries to Manhattan) and many Central Jersey towns. Much of that system is now included in New Jersey Transit rail operations to the Raritan Valley. New Brunswick is known as the Hub City, and at one time was a regional transportation hub for streetcars which converged in the city.^[63] The Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line has been proposed for the region.

The Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike (I-95), I-287, US 1, US 9, Route 18, and Route 18 are major automobile routes through Central Jersey that pass over the Raritan River at Perth Amboy and New Brunswick. I-195 travels through Central Jersey (hence the name "Central Jersey Expressway") from the Trenton area towards Belmar.

From the Raritan Bayshore, SeaStreak catamarans travel to Pier 11 at Wall Street and East 34th Street Ferry Landing. NY Waterway ferries travel to Paulus Hook Ferry Terminal in Jersey City, Battery Park City Ferry Terminal, and West Midtown Ferry Terminal. As of 2018, there are plans to create ferry service from Carteret in Middlesex County.^[64]

Trenton-Mercer Airport is the only airport in Central New Jersey providing long-distance commercial service. Monmouth Executive Airport, formerly known as Allaire Airport, is a public-use airport located near Allaire State Park. Central Jersey Regional Airport is a privately owned, public airport in Somerset County. Linden Airport is a small general aviation airport located along U.S. Route 1&9 in Union County.

The Route 9 BBS, the New Brunswick BRT, and the Central Jersey Route 1 Corridor are projects in the region intended to expand the use of bus rapid transit in New Jersey.

Asian American population

Asian Indian population

Main article: Oak Tree Road

Indian cuisine is popular in Central Jersey.

Further information: Indians in the New York City metropolitan area

Central New Jersey, particularly Edison and surrounding Middlesex County, is prominently known for its significant concentration of Asian Indians. The world's largest Hindu temple was inaugurated in Robbinsville in 2014, a BAPS temple.^[65] The growing Little India is a South Asian-focused commercial strip in Middlesex County, the U.S. county with the highest concentration of Asian Indians, at nearly 20% as of 2020.^[66][67][68] The Oak Tree Road strip runs for about one-and-a-half miles through Edison and neighboring Iselin in Woodbridge Township, near the area's sprawling Chinatown and Koreatown, running along New Jersey Route 27.^[69] It is the largest and most diverse South Asian cultural hub in the United States.^[70][71] Monroe Township (nicknamed Edison South), in Middlesex County, has experienced a particularly rapid growth rate in its Indian American population, with an estimated 5,943 (13.6%) as of 2017,^[72] which was 23 times the 256 (0.9%) counted as of the 2000 Census; and Diwali is celebrated by the township as a Hindu holiday. Carteret's Punjabi Sikh community, variously estimated at upwards of 3,000, constitutes the largest concentration of Sikhs in the state.^[73] In Middlesex County, election ballots are printed in English, Spanish, Gujarati, Hindi, and Punjabi.^[74]

Indian pharmaceutical and technology companies are coming to Central New Jersey to gain a foothold in the United States. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, based in Hyderabad, set up its U.S. headquarters in Princeton, Mercer County.^[75] Pharmaceutical company Aurobindo, also headquartered in Hyderabad, has established its U.S. headquarters in the Dayton section of South Brunswick, Middlesex County, and has implemented a multimillion-dollar expansion of these Central New Jersey operations.^[76] In March 2023, Bengaluru-based technology services and consulting company Wipro opened its American international headquarters in East Brunswick, Middlesex, County.^[77]

Chinese population

Main article: Chinese in the New York City metropolitan area

Starting in the 2000s, highly educated suburbs in northern and central New Jersey, have received a large influx of Chinese immigrants, including many Taiwanese immigrants. Many Chinese American families send their children to Mandarin language schools in Edison. Some of these private schools include Edison Chinese School, located at John Adams Middle School, or Tzu Chi, located at Woodrow Wilson Middle School, both of which teach in Traditional Chinese, in addition to Huaxia Chinese School, which teaches in Simplified Chinese.

The Taiwanese airline China Airlines provides private bus service to John F. Kennedy International Airport from the Kam Man Food location in Edison to feed its flight to Taipei, Taiwan.^[78]

Korean population

Main article: Koreans in the New York City metropolitan area

Central Jersey is also home to a large Korean American population. In 2010, an H Mart opened in Edison.^[79] The area is also home to several Korean churches, including Praise Presbyterian Church (찬양교회) in Somerset, Bountiful United Methodist Church (가득한교회) in Martinsville, and Sebit Presbyterian Church (세빛교회) in Warren.

See also

Swaminarayan Akshardham (Devanagari: स्वामिनारायण अक्षरधाम) in Robbinsville, Mercer County, is the world's largest Hindu temple outside Asia.

Beth Medrash Govoha (Hebrew: בית מדרש גבוה), in Lakewood Township, Ocean County, is the world's largest yeshiva outside the State of Israel, right. Asian Indians and Orthodox Jews constitute the fastest-growing segments of New Jersey's population, and both are highly represented in central New Jersey.^[80][81]

• North Jersey
• South Jersey

References

1. "Garden State Parkway opens world's widest bridge - 15 lanes". TOLLROADSnews, Peter Samuel. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
2. "Garden State Parkway opens world's widest bridge - 15 lanes". TOLLROADSnews, Peter Samuel. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
3. Stirling, Steven (April 17, 2015). "Help us figure out the boundaries of North, Central and South Jersey once and for all (Interactive Map)". NJ Advance Media. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
4. Stirling, Steven (April 24, 2015). "Here are the North, Central and South Jersey borders as determined by you (Interactive)". NJ Advance Media. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
5. "Gov. Phil Murphy declares Central Jersey exists.", Courier News, December 10, 2019
6. Jean Mikle (March 31, 2008). "An invisible boundary divides N.J." Home News Tribune. Archived from the original on January 8, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2010.("Of course, part of the problem with understanding New Jersey's enduring regional tension is that few residents can agree on where the northern half of the state ends and the southern half begins.")
7. North Versus South, Jersey Style; A shared sense of place hard to find in the Garden State (PDF), Monmouth University Polling Institute, March 8, 2008, archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2013, retrieved February 15, 2012
8. Hiembuch, Jeff (May 19, 2009), "North Vs South Vs Central - Where Do YOU Live?", nj.com, retrieved February 5, 2012
9. Saliba, George N. "Central New Jersey’s Success The low-down on economic developments within this five-county region.", New Jersey Business, March 16, 2015. Accessed December 4, 2019. "While New Jersey’s onerous tax structure and an uncertain economic climate have often been headline news, perhaps unsung is the fact that portions of the Garden State are steadily thriving, including much of Central New Jersey, which is comprised of: Somerset County, Monmouth County, Mercer County, Hunterdon County and Middlesex County."
10. New Jersey Legislature. Bill A4711 Session 2022 - 2023], New Jersey Legislature, introduced October 11, 2022. Accessed February 18, 2023. "The Division of Travel and Tourism shall re-draw the State tourism map to create a 'Central Jersey' region comprised, at a minimum of the counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset, and to incorporate the 'Central Jersey' region in all regional marketing activities, including in publications and on the VisitNJ.org website."
11. Mitman, Hayden."New Bill Looks to Establish ‘Central Jersey': In support of tourism, a New Jersey lawmaker has proposed an official 'central' region that would include Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties", NBC 10: Philadelphia, Published February 17, 2023. Accessed February 18, 2023.
12. Sobko, Katie."Central Jersey exists, and NJ lawmakers have defined it in a bill that just advanced", mycentraljersey.com, Trenton Bureau, Published February 17, 2023. Accessed February 18, 2023.
13. Redmond, Kimberly (June 21, 2023). "Senate advances bill to officially put Central Jersey on the map". NJBIZ. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
14. "The Official Website of Governor Phil Murphy". nj.gov. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
15. Stirling, Stephen (March 31, 2011). "U.S. Census shows East Brunswick as statistical center of N.J." The Star-Ledger. Retrieved November 7, 2012. if all 8.8 million residents of the state were to stand on a giant table supported by a single leg, Nenninger Lane would be the fulcrum point keeping it balanced
16. Peter Genovese (November 14, 2016). "11 reasons why Central Jersey is better than North or South Jersey (slide 4)". New Jersey On-Line LLC. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
17. 1999 State-based Metropolitan Areas Maps, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 2, 2022.
18. New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 2, 2022.
19. Combined Statistical Areas of the United States and Puerto Rico – March 2020, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 2, 2022.
20. "Optimum Online Television Service. Channel lineup for the Raritan Valley region, consisting of, "Bridgewater, Edison, North Brunswick, Old Bridge, Piscataway"". Optimum.com. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
21. "Raritan Valley Line operated by NJ Transit. Covers Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex and Union counties" (PDF). NJTransit.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 7, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
22. "Raritan Valley Community College". raritanval.edu.
23. "Raritan Valley Rowing Camp. A program sponsored by Rutgers University in New Brunswick". ScarletKnights.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
24. "Raritan Valley Conference". raritanvalleyconference.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2008.
25. Bowes, Karen E. (August 30, 2006). "Blueprint complete for improved Rt. 36: County to vote on Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan". Holmdel Independent. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
26. Bowes, Karen E. (August 30, 2006). "Blueprint complete for improved Rt. 36: County to vote on Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan". Holmdel Independent. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
27. "Visit Monmouth". Strategic and Long Range Planning.
28. Newman, Andy. "New Area Codes Introduced", The New York Times, June 2, 1997. Accessed January 23, 2008.
29. "Historic Preservation in Princeton Township. A Brief History of Princeton". Office of Historic Preservation. Princeton Township. Archived from the original on August 20, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
30. "Where was the West Jersey/East Jersey line?". westjersey.org.
31. "How a man named Keith took a long walk and defined N.J. forever". NJ.com. June 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
32. Fairall, Herbert (1885). The World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, New Orleans, 1884-1885. p. 225. Google Book Search. Retrieved on December 4, 2009. "Dr. Benjamin Franklin once perpetrated the witticism 'that New Jersey was like a beer barrel tapped at both ends, with all the live beer running into Philadelphia and New York.'"
33. Soderlund, Jean R. (October 15, 1996). Wacker, Peter O.; Clemens, Paul G. E. (eds.). ""A Barrel Tapped at Both Ends": New Jersey and Economic Development". Reviews in American History. 24 (4): 574–578. doi:10.1353/rah.1996.0107. JSTOR 30030707. S2CID 143847945.
34. "Recovering Raritan Landing The Archeology of a Forgotten Town". New Jersey Department of Transportation. 2002. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
35. 250 Highest Per Capita Personal Incomes of the 3111 Counties in the United States, 2006, Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed May 2, 2008. Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
36. Garbarine, Rachelle (September 26, 1999). "In the Region /New Jersey; 'Living Large' in the State's New 'Wealth Belt'". The New York Times.
37. "'Wealth-belt' of state shows big population gains". USA Today. March 9, 2001.
38. Attrino, Anthony (October 5, 2012). "Edison's ExxonMobil to close Middlesex County plant in 2014". NJ.com.
39. Fisher, Janon (February 27, 2004). "With Last 50 Pickups, Ford Ends 56 Years of Work in Edison". The New York Times.
40. Siwolop, Sana (January 26, 2005). "Edison Hopes to Transform Old Factory Sites, Smartly". The New York Times.
41. Coyne, Kevin (December 5, 2008). "Fear in the Land of Vanished Auto Plants". The New York Times.
42. Shawn Marsh (August 7, 2016). "Former N.J. Bell Labs site seeks to inspire new inventors". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
43. "Macerich | Properties | Freehold Raceway Mall". www.macerich.com. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
44. 7:30 a.m. -- Filling cracks in the HealthCare City, from the Home News Tribune, September 23, 1999. "With two major hospitals and a medical school, New Brunswick proclaims itself The Healthcare City."
45. A wet day in the Hub City, Home News Tribune, September 23, 1999. "A few days short of 60 years, on Wednesday, Sept. 16, a dreary, drizzly day just ahead of the deluge of Hurricane Floyd, the Home News Tribune sent 24 reporters, 9 photographers and one artist into the Hub City, as it is known, to take a peek into life in New Brunswick as it is in 1999."
46. Holtz, Andrew (2006). The Medical Science of House, M.D. Berkley Trade. pp. 50–52. ISBN 978-0-425-21230-1. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
47. "Excerpt from New Book: The Medical Science of House, M.D. Holtz, Andrew". Oncology Times. 28 (20): 50–52, 54–55, 58. October 25, 2006. doi:10.1097/01.COT.0000295295.97642.ae.
48. Orange Key Virtual Tour. Stop 8 "Front Campus" (including Nassau Hall) on the Princeton University website. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
49. United States. Embassy. Department of State. Buildings of the Department of State. Web. 2012. https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/buildings/section8
50. "Best National University Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
51. Snibbe, Kurt (June 11, 2016). "A close-up look at Shanghai Disneyland: the newest Disney Park". Orange County Register. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
52. Reiss, Fraidy. "Feeling adventurous?", Asbury Park Press, March 31, 2007, accessed April 18, 2007. "Elsewhere in the park, Kingda Ka looms 456 feet high. It remains the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, said park president Kane."
53. . American Revolution Destinations in Central & Southern New Jersey. Accessed January 17, 2022.
54. . New Jersey and the Revolution. Accessed January 17, 2022.
55. Staff. "Patriotic Reading Again Saves Site", The New York Times, July 4, 1970. "Middlebrook Heights, N. J., July 3 (UPI) A reading of the Declaration of Independence tomorrow will preserve for another year the historic campsite here where George Washington is believed to have first flown the 13-star flag officially before his troops."
56. CentralJersey.com
57. "In Blue New Jersey, Red Spots May Be Sign of the Past - The New York Times". July 14, 2012.
58. Cohen, Micah (July 14, 2012). "In Blue New Jersey, Red Spots May Be Sign of the Past". New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
59. "Here are the results of the N.J. NHL fan border battle (Interactive)". NJ.com. June 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
60. "Which baseball team are you supporting in our N.J. border battle?". NJ.com. April 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
61. Gale, Dennis E. (2006), Greater New Jersey Living in the Shadow of Gotham, University of Pennsylvania Press, ISBN 978-0-8122-1957-9
62. "Directory". New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
63. "The Trolleys and Trains That Made New Brunswick the Hub City". NewBrunswickToday.com. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
64. 5 things to know about Central Jersey's proposed fast ferry to N.Y.
65. Frances Kai-Hwa Wang (July 28, 2014). "World's Largest Hindu Temple Being Built in New Jersey". NBC News. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
66. Genovese, Peter (November 16, 2012). "Big business in Little India: Commerce flourishes in vibrant ethnic neighborhood". nj.com.
67. "Eat Street: Oak Tree Road, Iselin, N.J." SAVEUR. March 31, 2011.
68. Joseph Berger (April 27, 2008). "A Place Where Indians, Now New Jerseyans, Thrive". The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
69. Shaftel, David (March 9, 2017). "Indo-Chinese Food Is Hard to Find, Except in New Jersey". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
70. King, Kate (September 25, 2017). "'Little India' Thrives in Central New Jersey". Wall Street Journal – via www.wsj.com.
71. Burke, Monte. "How Indo-Americans Created The Ultimate Neighborhood Bank". Forbes.
72. DP05: ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Monroe township, Middlesex County, New Jersey Archived February 13, 2020, at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 11, 2019.
73. Kevin Coyne (June 15, 2008). "Turbans Make Targets, Some Sikhs Find". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
74. "State of New Jersey Department of State". State of New Jersey. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
75. "Global Offices – USA". Dr. Reddy's Laboratories. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
76. "Aurobindo Pharma India – Contact Details". Aurobindo Pharma India. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
77. Brad Wardlow (March 11, 2023). "East Brunswick welcomes international tech firm's Americas HQ to township". mycentraljersey.com. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
78. Airport Shuttle Bus Archived March 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, China Airlines, September 15, 2015. Accessed September 17, 2017.
79. "H Mart opens as anchor of Tops plaza in Edison - Central Jersey Archives". December 15, 2010.
80. Steve Strunsky (April 16, 2019). "Lakewood yeshiva looks to use old golf course for new campus". New Jersey On-Line LLC. Retrieved April 19, 2019. Beth Medrash Gohova is said to be the world's largest Jewish-affiliated university outside of Israel.
81. Stephen Stirling (August 3, 2017). "10 ways Lakewood is unlike anywhere else in N.J." NJ Advance Media. Retrieved April 19, 2019. The sea change can be pinned to one event: The founding of the Beth Medrash Govoha yeshiva in the mid-20th century. The Orthodox Jewish community has set down roots en masse around the religious school, which is now the largest yeshiva in North America.

Further reading

• Strauss, Robert (July 13, 2008). "North Jersey or South? A Search for the Line". The New York Times.
• Sullivan, S. P. (May 30, 2014). "Jersey's Mason-Dixon line: Mapping the Taylor Ham vs. pork roll divide". NJ.com.

40.4361°N 74.875°W / 40.4361; -74.875