Pleasantville, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pleasantville, New Jersey
City
City of Pleasantville
Old Studebaker car dealership
Map of Pleasantville in Atlantic County. Inset: Location of Atlantic County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Pleasantville, New Jersey
Pleasantville, New Jersey Location in Atlantic County, New Jersey Show map of Atlantic County, New Jersey Pleasantville, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Pleasantville, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Atlantic
Incorporated	January 10, 1889
Government
• Type	City
• Body	City Council
Area
• Total	7.28 sq mi (18.86 km2)
• Land	5.72 sq mi (14.82 km2)
• Water	1.56 sq mi (4.05 km2)  21.46%
Area rank	238th of 565 in state 16th of 23 in county
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population  (2020 Census)
• Total	20,629
• Density	2,833.7/sq mi (1,093.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes	08232
Area code	609
FIPS code	3400159640
GNIS feature ID	0885356
Website

Pleasantville is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 20,629.

Pleasantville was originally incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 10, 1889, from portions of Egg Harbor Township, based on the results of a referendum held on December 15, 1888. Pleasantville was incorporated as a city on April 14, 1914, replacing Pleasantville borough, based on the results of a referendum held that same day. the city was named by Dr. David Ingersoll for its surroundings.

The city had the eighth-highest property tax rate in New Jersey, with an equalized rate of 4.903% in 2020, compared to 2.560% in the county as a whole and a statewide average of 2.279%.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 7.298 square miles (18.901 km²), including 5.694 square miles (14.746 km²) of land and 1.604 square miles (4.154 km²) of water (21.98%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Mount Pleasant, Risleyville and Smiths Landing.

Demographics

2020 census

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2010 Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 20,249 people, 6,661 households, and 4,569 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,556.5 per square mile (1,373.2/km²). There were 7,219 housing units at an average density of 1,267.9 per square mile (489.5/km²)^*. The racial makeup of the city was 24.33% (4,926) White, 45.94% (9,303) Black or African American, 0.83% (168) Native American, 2.42% (490) Asian, 0.03% (6) Pacific Islander, 22.00% (4,454) from other races, and 4.45% (902) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.06% (8,314) of the population.

There were 6,661 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.3% were married couples living together, 26.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.53.

In the city, the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.0 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 87.2 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $39,560 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,092) and the median family income was $48,873 (+/- $5,405). Males had a median income of $32,494 (+/- $4,209) versus $29,961 (+/- $2,187) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $18,527 (+/- $1,356). About 12.2% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 32.3% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

The westbound Atlantic City Expressway in Pleasantville

Roads and highways

As of May 2010^[update], the city had a total of 68.28 miles (109.89 km) of roadways, of which 53.12 miles (85.49 km) were maintained by the municipality, 7.70 miles (12.39 km) by Atlantic County and 4.26 miles (6.86 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 3.20 miles (5.15 km) by the South Jersey Transportation Authority.

U.S. Route 9, U.S. Route 40, U.S. Route 322 and the Atlantic City Expressway pass through Pleasantville.

Public transportation

Pleasantville railroad stop in 1912-13

NJ Transit offers bus service to Atlantic City, New Jersey and other intermediate stations on routes 502 (from Atlantic Cape Community College), 507 (from Ocean City), 508 (from Hamilton Mall), 509 (from Ocean City), 553 (limited; from Upper Deerfield Township), 554 (from Lindenwold station) and 559 (from Lakewood Township).

Beginning in 1907, the old Atlantic City and Shore Railroad provided electric interurban service to Pleasantville on its Atlantic City–Ocean City line. The railroad discontinued operation in 1948.

Economy

Portions of the city are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. Pleasantville was selected in 1994 as one of a group of 10 zones added to participate in the program and one of four of those chosen based on a competition. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the UEZ, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the 6+5⁄8% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in March 1995, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in March 2026. By 2019, there had been 169 businesses that had been certified to participate in the city's UEZ program.

Sports

In 1945, the Boston Red Sox held their spring training at Ansley Field in Pleasantville, rather than in Florida, due to travel restrictions related to World War II. The New York Yankees were based at Bader Field in Atlantic City and the two clubs played a series of eight exhibition games against each other with wartime restrictions in intercity travel in place.

Laoma Byrd's Gym, formally known as the South Jersey Athletic Club, operated professionally from the mid-1940s to 1960s. This gym, which was located on West Wright Street, became a tourist destination after it was adapted as a boxing gym by top amateurs and pro fighters. Many noted boxers had trained there, including Ezzard Charles, Jersey Joe Walcott, Sonny Liston, Johnny Bratton, Johnny Saxton, Ike Williams, Ernie Terrell, and numerous professional fighters from the local area.

Education

Students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade are educated by the Pleasantville Public Schools. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke 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 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of seven schools, had an enrollment of 3,757 students and 314.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Decatur Avenue Early Childhood Center with NA students in grade PreK, Leeds Avenue School with 625 students in grades PreK-5, North Main Street School with 372 students in grades PreK-5, South Main Street School with 491 students in grades PreK-5, Washington Avenue School with 425 students in grades K-5, Pleasantville Middle School with 760 students in grades 6-8 and Pleasantville High School with 828 students in grades 9-12. Students from Absecon attend the district's high school for ninth through twelfth grades as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Absecon Public School District. Absecon has sought to end its agreement with Pleasantville and send its students to Absegami High School under a new sending/receiving relationship with the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District that Absecon argues would give its students a better education at a lower cost, without negatively impacting the demographics in Pleasantville High School. About 10% of Absecon's graduating students have been choosing to attend Pleasantville High School, for which the Absecon district has been paying $18,000 per student each year.

City public school students are also eligible to attend the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township or the Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts, located in Somers Point.

On September 6, 2007, the FBI arrested five members of the Pleasantville school board as part of a federal corruption case that included several state lawmakers and other public officials. Included in the arrest sweep were Assemblymen Mims Hackett and Alfred E. Steele, and Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera. Indictments were filed against four sitting members of the Board of Education, charging that they had accepted bribes to steer insurance or roofing business from the district. Charged were Jayson Adams (accused of accepting $15,000 in bribes), James McCormick ($3,500), James Pressley ($32,200) and Rafael Velez ($4,000). Former board member Maurice 'Pete' Callaway, a member of the Pleasantville City Council, was accused of accepting $13,000 in bribes as part of the scheme.

Notable people

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

• Nia Ali (born 1988), track and field athlete, who specializes in the 100 m hurdles, heptathlon and other events.
• Ellen Bass (born 1947), poet and author.
• Sonora Webster Carver (1904–2003), first female horse diver.
• Walter Evans Edge (1873–1956), politician who served as a United States Senator representing New Jersey from 1919 to 1929 and as Governor of New Jersey, from 1917 to 1919 and again from 1944 to 1947.
• Dino Hall (born 1955), former American football running back and return specialist who played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns.
• Gene Hart (1931-1999), sports announcer for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League and the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League.
• Ty Helfrich (1890–1955), former major league baseball player.
• Rodney Jerkins (born 1977), Grammy Award-winning songwriter, record producer, and musician.
• Amy Kennedy (born 1978), educator, mental health advocate and politician who is the Democratic Party nominee in the 2020 elections seeking to represent New Jersey's 2nd congressional district.
• Simon Lake (1866–1945), mechanical engineer and naval architect.
• Max Manning (1918-2003) pitcher in Negro league baseball who played for the Newark Eagles between 1938 and 1949.
• Osun Osunniyi (born 1998), college basketball player for the St. Bonaventure Bonnies of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
• Ralph Peterson Jr. (born 1962), jazz drummer and bandleader.
• Blue Raspberry (born 1972 as Candi Lindsey), singer affiliated with Wu-Tang Clan.
• Dave Vonner (born 1972), toy designer.

See also

In Spanish: Pleasantville (Nueva Jersey) para niños