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Secaucus, New Jersey
Town
Town of Secaucus
The Frank R. Lautenberg station at Secaucus Junction is a major rail hub for NJ Transit Rail.
The Frank R. Lautenberg station at Secaucus Junction is a major rail hub for NJ Transit Rail.
Nickname(s): 
"The Jewel of the Meadowlands"
Location of Secaucus within Hudson County and the state of New Jersey
Location of Secaucus within Hudson County and the state of New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Secaucus, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus, New Jersey is located in Hudson County, New Jersey
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus, New Jersey
Location in Hudson County, New Jersey
Secaucus, New Jersey is located in New Jersey
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Secaucus, New Jersey is located in the United States
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus, New Jersey
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Hudson
Incorporated March 12, 1900 (as borough)
Reincorporated June 5, 1917 (as town)
Government
 • Type Town
 • Body Town Council
Area
 • Total 6.54 sq mi (16.95 km2)
 • Land 5.83 sq mi (15.09 km2)
 • Water 0.72 sq mi (1.86 km2)  10.96%
Area rank 248th of 565 in state
4th of 12 in county
Elevation
7 ft (2 m)
Population
 • Total 16,264
 • Estimate 
(2019)
21,893
 • Rank 155th of 566 in state
8th of 12 in county
 • Density 2,793.7/sq mi (1,078.7/km2)
 • Density rank 226th of 566 in state
12th of 12 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes
07094, 07096
Area code(s) 201
FIPS code 3401766570
GNIS feature ID 0885392

Secaucus ( see-KAW-kəs) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 16,264, reflecting an increase of 333 (+2.1%) from the 15,931 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,870 (+13.3%) from the 14,061 counted in the 1990 Census.

Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, it is the most suburban of the county's municipalities, though large parts of the town are dedicated to light manufacturing, retail, and transportation uses, as well as protected areas.

Secaucus is a derivation of the Algonquian words for "black" (seke or sukit) and "snake" (achgook), or "place of snakes", or sekakes, referring to snakes.

History

Sikakes, once an island, was part of the territory purchased by Director-General of New Netherland, Peter Stuyvesant in 1658. The territory was part of what is considered to be the oldest municipality in the state of New Jersey which was first chartered in 1660 as Bergen in the province of New Netherland and, in 1683, became Bergen Township.

Settlement had begun by at least 1733 by the Smith family, whose namesake Abel I. Smith Burial Ground is part of the lore of Secaucus.

Secaucus was originally formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 12, 1900, from portions of North Bergen. On June 7, 1917, Secaucus was incorporated as a town, replacing Secaucus borough, based on the results of a referendum held on June 5, 1917.

Secaucus was originally an agricultural community specializing in flowers. It later became known for its pig farms in the first half of the 20th century. In the early 1900s the town was home to approximately 55 pig farms, which housed nearly 250,000 pigs, which outnumbered humans 16 to 1. These farms served the meat demands of Newark and New York, and made the farmers wealthy. Many of them were local politicians, most notably pork peddler Henry B. Krajewski, who ran for New Jersey senator, three times for governor and twice for U.S. President. The town's pig farms, rendering plants, and junk yards gave the town a reputation for being one of the most odorous in the New York metropolitan area. In the 1950s the pig farms began to dwindle, partially due to construction on the New Jersey Turnpike, which would carry tourists who would not appreciate the odor. In 1963, debris from the demolition of Pennsylvania Station was dumped in the Secaucus Meadowlands. In later decades Secaucus became more of a commuter town. In a non-binding referendum in 1969, 90% of voters in Secaucus chose to leave Hudson County and join Bergen County, as that county was more similar in character and had lower taxes. However, only the state has the authority to change county lines, so it never came to fruition. Today it remains the most suburban town in Hudson County.

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Secaucus as its 182nd best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey, after ranking the borough 11th in its 2008 rankings.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 6.599 square miles (17.090 km2), including 5.822 square miles (15.078 km2) of it is land and 0.777 square miles (2.012 km2) of water (11.77%) is water.

At the southern end of Secaucus is Snake Hill (officially known as Laurel Hill), an igneous rock diabase intrusion jutting up some 150 feet (46 m) from the Meadowlands below, near the New Jersey Turnpike.

Being partly surrounded by the Hackensack Meadowlands, Secaucus provides opportunities to observe the recovery of natural marshes in the town's post industrial, post agricultural age. Some marsh areas in the northeast part of town have been filled to provide a new commercial area, and some to build footpaths for nature walks with signs illustrating birds and other wildlife to be seen there.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the town include:

  • County Avenue – from Municipal Building to Secaucus Junction
  • Harmon Cove – along the Hackensack River and Meadowlands Turnpike
  • Harmon Meadows, site of Mill Creek Mall and Meadowlands Convention Center
  • Laurel Hill
  • Little Snake Hill
  • North End – north of New Jersey Route 3, home Secaucus High School, Schmidt's Woods, and Mill Creek Marsh
  • Riverbend – a wetlands preserve at the meander in the Hackensack River
  • Secaucus Junction – NJ Transit's central rail hub
  • Secaucus Plaza Central Business District at Paterson Plank Road south of Route 3
  • Snake Hill – site of Laurel Hill County Park

Subsections

North End

Secaucus Rec Ctr jeh
Secaucus Recreation Center

As its name suggests, the North End in Secaucus, New Jersey, is the section of town north of New Jersey Route 3 and the Secaucus Plaza Central Business District, to which it is connected by Paterson Plank Road. The Hackensack River and its tributary Mill Creek create the other borders for the district.

The North End is one of the older, traditional residential neighborhoods of Secaucus which itself has been transformed to a commuter town and retail and outlet shopping area in the late 20th century. It is home to Secaucus High School, whose athletic fields are used by the Bergen County Scholastic League. Nearby Schmidt's Wood is one of the last original hardwood forests in urban North Jersey. As part of the New Jersey Meadowlands District, the areas along the river are characterized by wetlands preservation and restoration areas. Mill Creek Marsh is park administered by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and will eventually connect to the Secaucus Greenway. It southern counterpart is known as Riverbend. The Mill Creek Mall, also north of Route 3, but on the other side of Mill Creek close to New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur is part of Harmon Meadow

Harmon Cove

HarmonCoveHackensackRiverSecaucus
Hackensack River looking east

Harmon Cove is the western section of Secaucus, New Jersey along the Hackensack River, south of New Jersey Route 3. The name is portmanteau taken from Hartz Mountain, a corporation that owns much land in the New Jersey Meadowlands, which originally developed the area as a gated community in the 1970s with townhouses and highrise residential buildings. Part of the Hackensack RiverWalk Secaucus Greenway passes through the neighborhood, which is north of Anderson Marsh and Snake Hill, home to Hudson County's Laurel Hill Park.

NJ Transit maintained a Harmon Cove station from 1978 until the re-routing of the Bergen County Line and the opening of Secaucus Junction in August 2003. The HX Draw is used by the line to cross the river. NJ Transit bus 329 serves the area. The Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center and several hotels are located in Harmon Cove, whose main thoroughfare is Meadowlands Parkway, along which office and manufacturing buildings are found. The Harmon Cove Outlet Center is an outlet shopping district further inland from the Hackensack riverfront. Hartz Mountain Industries operates many facilities and properties in Harmon Cove.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 1,625
1910 4,740 191.7%
1920 5,423 14.4%
1930 8,950 65.0%
1940 9,754 9.0%
1950 9,750 0.0%
1960 12,154 24.7%
1970 13,228 8.8%
1980 13,719 3.7%
1990 14,061 2.5%
2000 15,931 13.3%
2010 16,264 2.1%
2019 (est.) 21,893 34.6%
Population sources: 1900–1920
1900–1910 1910–1930
1930–1990 2000 2010

About 20% of the town's employed residents commute to New York City to work.

2010 Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 16,264 people, 6,297 households, and 4,112 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,793.7 per square mile (1,078.7/km2). There were 6,846 housing units at an average density of 1,175.9 per square mile (454.0/km2)*. The racial makeup of the town was 68.40% (11,125) White, 4.11% (668) Black or African American, 0.20% (32) Native American, 20.40% (3,318) Asian, 0.04% (6) Pacific Islander, 4.38% (713) from other races, and 2.47% (402) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.60% (3,025) of the population.

There were 6,297 households out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town, the population was spread out with 19.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.2 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 90.5 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $82,289 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,523) and the median family income was $96,475 (+/- $10,189). Males had a median income of $58,902 (+/- $7,548) versus $54,665 (+/- $4,626) for females. The per capita income for the town was $38,375. About 4.7% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

2021-05-26 16 06 24 View north along Interstate 95 (New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur) from the overpass for the ramp to New Jersey State Route 495 (Lincoln Tunnel Approach) in Secaucus, Hudson County, New Jersey
The northbound New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) in Secaucus
Trolley Park jeh
Former trolley station, now a park

Secaucus contains a wide variety of road and rail transportation. Because of its central location, many shipping warehouses and truck freight transfer stations are located in Secaucus, both for shipping companies such as UPS and for numerous retailers. For example, Barnes & Noble's "same day delivery" service to Manhattan operates from a warehouse in Secaucus. The town also has a large rail yard and multimode terminal run by CSX and Norfolk Southern where loads are switched between trains or transferred to or from trucks.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the town had a total of 47.16 miles (75.90 km) of roadways, of which 38.08 miles (61.28 km) were maintained by the municipality, 2.56 miles (4.12 km) by Hudson County and 1.75 miles (2.82 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 4.77 miles (7.68 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

The town is roughly divided into four parts by the intersecting roads of Route 3, which runs east and west, and the Eastern Spur of the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95), which runs north–south. The Route 3 bridges cross the Hackensack River, connecting to East Rutherford; the eastbound bridge, constructed in 1934, was described by state transportation commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti in 2022 as being "in the worst condition of any in the state", and is part of $143 million replacement project. Two turnpike interchanges are located within the town: Exit 16E/17 for Route 3 and Route 495 (which leads to the Lincoln Tunnel), and Exit 15X for the Secaucus Junction station (which opened in late 2005).

Public transportation

Secaucus is the site of NJ Transit's Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction rail station, which connects NJ Transit's two commuter rail networks in northern New Jersey. As the station is in the south end of the town, access from the rest of Secaucus is limited via County Avenue, Meadowlands Parkway or NJ Turnpike Interchange 15X. The station opened in December 2003, with a 1,100-spot parking lot that allows commuters to park and ride. Discount curbside intercity bus service is also provided outside the station by Megabus, with direct service to Boston and Philadelphia, among other locations.

Numerous NJ Transit buses serve Secaucus, including the 124, 129, 190 and 320 buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, the 78 bus to Newark, the 2 route to Jersey City, the 85 route to Hoboken and local service provided on the 772 route. There is a bus park-and-ride at the northeast corner of Secaucus.

In the first half of the 20th century the Jersey City, Hoboken and Rutherford Electric Railway operated a trolley line through the then main business district of Secaucus, on Paterson Plank Road from Jersey City and across the Hackensack River to East Rutherford.

The closest airport with scheduled passenger service is Newark Liberty International Airport, which straddles Newark and Elizabeth. The nearest intercity rail station is Newark Penn Station, a one-seat ride from Secaucus Junction.

Economy

HarmonMeadow
Harmon Meadow Plaza

There are several large retail areas in Secaucus. Secaucus Plaza is the "downtown" area of Secaucus, just off of Route 3. The Outlets are a collection of outlet shops selling discounted name-brand merchandise in southwest Secaucus. Many factory retail outlets are scattered throughout the Harmon Cove industrial section, often located in warehouses or converted factories. Harmon Cove Outlet Center is the largest outlet mall, on Enterprise Avenue. The Mill Creek Mall is a mall on Route 3 on the west side of the Turnpike. Harmon Meadow Plaza is a large hotel, restaurant and shopping complex that features gyms, a pool hall, the Meadowlands Convention Center, a 14-screen Showplace Theatres and a Wal-Mart and Sam's Club located east of the New Jersey Turnpike, near Route 3 and Interchange 16E. Best Buy, Raymour & Flanigan, Ashley Furniture, Home Depot and Daffy's are located on Paterson Plank Road off Interchange 16E. National Retail Systems is another large employer. Secaucus is home to several corporate headquarters, including The Children's Place, FiberMedia, Hartz Mountain Industries and Quest Diagnostics.

Goya Foods previously had its headquarters there.

In 2011, two companies announced that they would be leaving Secaucus. The Manischewitz Company announced that it would relocate its administrative offices to Newark after being located in Secaucus for seven years. Panasonic's North American headquarters, with 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2) of offices and 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2) of warehouse space, had been located in Secaucus since 1973. After considering new locations in New York, California and Georgia, the company announced it would relocate to Newark and would receive an Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit of $102 million from the State of New Jersey for the relocation 8 miles (13 km) from its Secaucus location. The company also cited the environmental benefits possible by reducing the need of 1,000 employees to drive to work.

Secaucus is home to 11 data centers due to its proximity to New York City and its more favorable costs and storm resiliency.

Sports

As of the 2014–15 NBA season, Secaucus became the official review headquarters of the NBA. All reviews of controversial calls and plays take place in the replay center. Referees consult the headquarters for guidance on the correct call. The high-tech center features over 94 HD televisions, with multiple feeds of every live NBA game.

Sports companies headquartered in Secaucus include Red Bull New York, Major League Baseball's MLB Network, National Hockey League's NHL Network, and NBA Entertainment/NBA TV (whose studios are also the site of the NBA Draft Lottery). It is also home to men's soccer team Secaucus FC, which is part of the Garden State Soccer League.

Secaucus was the headquarters of Major League Lacrosse for the first four seasons of the league. The headquarters have since moved to Boston.

Secaucus held a pre-Super Bowl "Winter Blast" party during the first weekend of February 2014 to celebrate Super Bowl XLVIII being played in New Jersey. The party featured a number of activities, including an ice skating rink. The town had planned for large crowds, even planning special court sessions in advance to handle the projected surge of potentially disruptive visitors. The turnout was much lower than expected, with Mayor Gonnelli citing the NFL's focus on activities in Manhattan aimed at visitors.

Education

Students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade are educated by the Secaucus Public Schools. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 2,229 students and 187.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.9:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Millridge School / Early Learning Center serving PreK, Clarendon Elementary School with 470 students in grades K-5, Huber Street Elementary School with 635 students in grades PreK-5, Secaucus Middle School with 514 students in grades 6-8 and Secaucus High School with 594 students in grades 9-12 The athletic teams of Secaucus High School are nicknamed the "Patriots".

For the 2018–19 school year, the Hudson County Schools of Technology moved High Tech High School from its previous location in North Bergen to a newly built 350,000 square feet (33,000 m2) school building in Secaucus constructed at a cost of $160 million on a 22-acre (8.9 ha) site. The former building was sold to the North Bergen School District to become the new home of North Bergen High School.

Immaculate Conception School, the town's only Catholic private day school, serving grades pre-K through 8th grade, closed in 2008.

The Nicholas G. Hayek Watchmaking School, established in 2005, offers a two-year training program that prepares students to service watches.

Notable people

See also (related category): People from Secaucus, New Jersey

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Secaucus include the following:(B) denotes that the person was born there.

  • Jerry Casale (1933-2019), former Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers.
  • Dave Draper (1942-2021), bodybuilder.
  • Dennis Elwell (born 1945), mayor of Secaucus from 2000 until 2009, when he resigned after allegations of political corruption.
  • Paul Iacono (born 1988), actor known for the 2009 film Fame, and the TV series The Hard Times of RJ Berger.(B)
  • Anthony Impreveduto (1948–2009), served on the Town Council from 1981 to 1992 and in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1987–2004 until he was forced to resign after pleading guilty to corruption charges.
  • Louis King (born 1999), college basketball player for the Oregon Ducks.
  • Henry B. Krajewski (1912–1966), pig farmer and frequent political candidate.
  • Margarita Levieva (born 1980), actress.
  • Mark Lukasiewicz (born 1973), former MLB pitcher who played two seasons for the Anaheim Angels.
  • Blaine Morris, cast member on the MTV drama Skins.
  • Vincent Prieto (born 1960), member of the New Jersey General Assembly since 2004 who was chosen as Assembly Speaker for the 2014–2015 Legislative Session.
  • Dan Resin (1931–2010), actor known as Dr. Beeper in the film Caddyshack and as the Ty-D-Bol man in toilet cleaner commercials.
  • Ian Roberts (born 1965), founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade improv troupe.
  • Bart Shatto, actor.
  • Seven Volpone (born 1972), entrepreneur, business executive, singer, songwriter and record producer.
  • The Wrens, indie rock band that named its 1996 album Secaucus for the town where they resided and worked for a decade.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Secaucus (Nueva Jersey) para niños

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