Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey
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Borough
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| Borough of Point Pleasant Beach | |
Jenkinson's Boardwalk
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Map of Point Pleasant Beach in Ocean County. Inset: Location of Ocean County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
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Census Bureau map of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County |  Ocean |
| Incorporated | May 18, 1886 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Borough |
| • Body | Borough Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.74 sq mi (4.50 km2) |
| • Land | 1.42 sq mi (3.68 km2) |
| • Water | 0.32 sq mi (0.82 km2) 18.22% |
| Area rank | 429th of 565 in state 19th of 33 in county |
| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 4,665 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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4,551 |
| • Rank | 388th of 566 in state 15th of 33 in county |
| • Density | 3,270.1/sq mi (1,262.6/km2) |
| • Density rank | 202nd of 566 in state 7th of 33 in county |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) |
| ZIP Code |
08742
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| Area code(s) | 732 |
| FIPS code | 3402959910 |
| GNIS feature ID | 885358 |
| Website | |
Point Pleasant Beach is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,665, reflecting a decline of 649 (-12.2%) from the 5,314 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 202 (+4.0%) from the 5,112 counted in the 1990 Census.
Point Pleasant Beach was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 18, 1886, from portions of Brick Township, subject to the results of a referendum passed the previous day.
The borough is situated on the Barnegat Peninsula, a long, narrow barrier peninsula that divides the Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean at the Manasquan Inlet, and the borough derives its name from this location. Point Pleasant Beach is also the northern terminus of the East Coast's Intracoastal Waterway. It is near Point Pleasant borough, a municipality independent of Point Pleasant Beach.
The borough's boardwalk is approximately one mile long, spanning the coastline from the Manasquan Inlet at the north to New Jersey Avenue in the south. The central third of the boardwalk is largely amusement rides, the Jenkinson's Aquarium, the Jenkinsons Arcades, pizza joints, ice cream parlors, games-of-chance and miniature golf courses. There are fees of up to $10 per person age 12 or over to access the various beaches, as well as parking fees of up to $2.50 per hour or more.
It was ranked the eighth-best beach in New Jersey in the 2008 Top 10 Beaches Contest sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium.
Contents
History
The area that includes Point Pleasant Beach was first used by the Lenape Native Americans. On September 2, 1609, Henry Hudson and the crew of his ship, Half Moon, noticed the area on their way north to explore the Hudson River. Crew member Robert Juet noted in his journal, "This is a very good Land to fall with and a pleasant Land to see." The first European settlers were fisherman and farmers who first arrived in the 18th century. Summer tourism began in the early 19th century when Quaker Thomas Cook Jr. opened his farmhouse on the site of the current Antrim Elementary School to boarders, which began the trend that transformed the area into an oceanfront haven for visitors, a trend further established in the 1870 by Captain John Arnold, who built a roadway to the ocean, now known as Arnold Avenue. In 1875, he built the first bridge over the Manasquan River, linking the town to Brielle. He later convinced the Central Jersey Railroad to extend its service to Point Pleasant Beach, which it did beginning on July 3, 1880.
The Borough of Point Pleasant Beach was established on June 2, 1886.
The 1870s was an era of major tourism expansion, driven by developers who subdivided old farms for vacation home lots. Captain Arnold devised Arnold City between Central and what was to become Arnold Avenue. In 1877, the Point Pleasant Land Company bought the old Forman Farm, 250 acres (1.0 km2) on what is now Route 35 South, between Forman and Elizabeth Avenues and began selling lots. In 1878, it built the four-story, 200-guest Resort House, the largest building in town. It also began a horse-drawn trolley service to attract tourists. Other hotels were built before the turn-of-the-20th century, including the largest, the Leighton, as well as the Beacon, and Zimmerman's, though many of these, including the Resort House, burnt down, succumbed to changing tastes, or were dismantled for wood during World War II. Initially, visitors focused their attention on the Manasquan River, cedar groves and farmhouses, but their interest in the ocean led to development on the waterfront, beginning with the first beachfront pavilion on Atlantic Avenue in 1880. Ten years later, the first flimsy, portable boardwalk was built, but it washed away within two years.
The original amusement area was Clark's Landing, which opened on the Manasquan River in 1892. In 1897, the decision for privately owned beaches in Point Pleasant Beach was made when, as noted in the Council minutes of August 16, "Ownership of the Beach turned down by the Council because of the extreme cost to the Borough for maintenance." In 1915, the first permanent boardwalk was built between Philadelphia and Central Avenues, and eventually expanded along the entire length of Point Pleasant Beach, but shortened to its present length by a September 1938 hurricane that destroyed its southern portion. It evolved from a mere promenade for strolling to a more active amusement area, beginning with Charles Jenkinson's construction in the 1920s of Jenkinson's Pavilion and Swimming Pool. The boardwalk pavilion became the center of nightlife, featuring sophisticated dancing, well-known big bands, and occasional live nationally broadcast radio. Today it features a number of amusement rides, video arcades, and diverse cuisine, ranging from the traditional sausage sandwich to sushi. Point Pleasant Beach hosts an annual Seafood Festival in September.
On February 12, 1900, the steel-hulled, Scottish barque, County of Edinburgh was blown ashore at high tide and became stranded. The event became national news when it was extensively reported in The New York Times, illustrated by a high quality photograph that became the resource for a famous painting by Antonio Jacobsen. The undamaged vessel was successfully re-floated on the spring tide of February 14 and continued on her voyage from Cape Town to New York.
In October 2012, Point Pleasant Beach and numerous other Jersey Shore communities, such as Seaside Heights and Long Beach Island, were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Nearly 2,800 feet (850 m) of the borough's boardwalk was destroyed, with the cost of repairs estimated as up to $2 million.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.744 square miles (4.516 km2), including 1.427 square miles (3.695 km2) of land and 0.317 square miles (0.821 km2) of water (18.18%).
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Clark's Landing, Lovelandtown and Sunshine Harbor.
The borough borders Bay Head and Point Pleasant in Ocean County and both Brielle and Manasquan in Monmouth County.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 746 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,003 | 34.5% | |
| 1920 | 1,575 | 57.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,844 | 17.1% | |
| 1940 | 2,059 | 11.7% | |
| 1950 | 2,900 | 40.8% | |
| 1960 | 3,873 | 33.6% | |
| 1970 | 4,882 | 26.1% | |
| 1980 | 5,415 | 10.9% | |
| 1990 | 5,112 | −5.6% | |
| 2000 | 5,314 | 4.0% | |
| 2010 | 4,665 | −12.2% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 4,551 | −2.4% | |
| Population sources: 1900-2000 1900-1920 1900-1910 1910-1930 1930-1990 2000 2010 |
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Census 2010
As of the census of 2010, there were 4,665 people, 1,985 households, and 1,122 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,270.1 per square mile (1,262.6/km2). There were 3,373 housing units at an average density of 2,364.4 per square mile (912.9/km2)*. The racial makeup of the borough was 92.35% (4,308) White, 0.84% (39) Black or African American, 0.15% (7) Native American, 0.84% (39) Asian, 0.02% (1) Pacific Islander, 4.52% (211) from other races, and 1.29% (60) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.02% (421) of the population.
There were 1,985 households out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.5% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the borough, the population was spread out with 18.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 33.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.7 years. For every 100 females there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 103.6 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $57,792 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,541) and the median family income was $65,402 (+/- $16,995). Males had a median income of $54,327 (+/- $12,359) versus $39,076 (+/- $6,800) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $39,250 (+/- $5,121). About 5.8% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.0% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
Census 2000
As of the 2000 United States Census there were 5,314 people, 2,317 households, and 1,316 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,696.0 people per square mile (1,424.8/km2). There were 3,558 housing units at an average density of 2,474.7 per square mile (954.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.94% White, 0.53% African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.47% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.40% of the population.
There were 2,317 households, out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $51,105, and the median income for a family was $61,250. Males had a median income of $40,507 versus $37,500 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $27,853. About 5.0% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
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Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 29.66 miles (47.73 km) of roadways, of which 18.50 miles (29.77 km) were maintained by the municipality, 7.86 miles (12.65 km) by Ocean County and 3.30 miles (5.31 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
New Jersey Route 35 is the main highway serving Point Pleasant Beach. The highway traverses the borough north to south, connecting Point Pleasant Beach to Bay Head and Brielle. New Jersey Route 88 has its eastern terminus at Route 35 along the southwest edge of Point Pleasant Beach, from which point it heads west through Point Pleasant and onward to Lakewood.
Public transportation
NJ Transit trains stop at the Point Pleasant Beach station on Arnold Avenue with service on the North Jersey Coast Line north to Penn Station Newark, Hoboken Terminal, and Penn Station New York in Midtown Manhattan.
NJ Transit provides bus service between the borough and Philadelphia on the 317 route along with local service on the 830 route.
Ocean Ride local service is provided on the OC3A Brick - Point Pleasant and the OC4 Lakewood - Brick Link routes.
In popular culture
Composer Edward Manukyan, who lived in Point Pleasant Beach briefly in 2002, wrote the song "Point Pleasant Beach" about the borough.
Defunct
A kiddie train along the beach used to exist up until the early 1990s. In addition, a second Jenkinsons existed on the northern end of Point Pleasant Beach until the 1990s.
- Point Pleasant Beach School District's 2014–15 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
| Preceded by Manasquan |
Beaches of New Jersey |
Succeeded by Bay Head |
Education
The Point Pleasant Beach School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 763 students and 78.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.7:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are G. Harold Antrim Elementary School 384 students in grades PreK-8 and Point Pleasant Beach High School 367 students in grades 9-12.
In addition to the students of Point Pleasant Beach, the district also serves the students of Bay Head and Lavallette for grades 9-12 and those from Mantoloking for K-12, as part of sending/receiving relationships. Some outside students attend the district's schools on a tuition basis.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Point Pleasant Beach include:
- Evelyn Adams, two-time winner of the New Jersey Lottery.
- Jim Carone (born 1981), head coach of the Wagner Seahawks baseball team.
- Robert (born 1966) and Dean DeLeo (born 1961), bass guitarist and guitarist respectively, from the musical rock group Stone Temple Pilots, grew up in Point Pleasant Beach.
- Matt Farrell (born 1996), basketball player.
- Katelynn Flaherty (born 1996), former basketball player for the Michigan Wolverines, who is the school's all-time leading scorer in points, man or woman, with 2,776 career points.
- Alfred M. Gray Jr. (born 1928), 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps.
- Dickie Harris (born 1950), all-star defensive back who played for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.
- James W. Holzapfel (born 1944), member of the New Jersey Senate.
- Leonard Lomell (1920–2011), U.S. Army Ranger who played a pivotal role in destroying German gun emplacements on D-Day.
Images for kids
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The old Coast Guard Station on Manasqan Inlet, built in 1936 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
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A view of the beach in Point Pleasant Beach
See also
In Spanish: Point Pleasant Beach para niños
