'East Orange' is a
city in
Essex County,
New Jersey, USA. As of the
United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 69,824. The
United States Census Bureau's 2005 population estimate for East Orange was 68,190.
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.["The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 127.]
Geography
East Orange is located at (40.766050, -74.211699).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.2 km² (3.9 mi²), all land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 69,824 people, 26,024 households, and 16,082 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,859.8/km² (17,776.6/mi²). There were 28,485 housing units at an average density of 2,798.5/km² (7,252.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.46% 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.
An elegant pre-WWII apartment on South Munn Avenue in East Orange.
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 African American. This was one of the highest percentages of African 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.[2]
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 percentages of people of Guyanese ancestry as a portion of the total population of all places in the United States with at least 1,000 people identifying their ancestry.[3]
A sign of East Orange's former wealth. The Ambrose/Ward mansion was built in 1898 for a book manufacturer. It is now the home of the African-American Fund of New Jersey
Currently Empire View a luxury condominium located on 70 South Munn has been 80% occupied and is part of the redevelopment of the city. OneKey LLC has revitalized the building and sold many of the units to young professionals predominately from NYC (Brooklyn, Bronx) There are 150 units in the building a gym, a community room a 24 hour door man and an affidavit program with the city of East Orange Police Department to monitor the premises.
This wonderful community is growing daily and the face of East Orange is changing day by day for the better, with new developments such as Empire View. Other Developers are paying close attention to the progress of Empire View and are looking to bring more positive developments into the community.
Government
Local government
The East Orange City Council carries out the legislative duties of municipal government. This body enacts by ordinance, resolution or motion, the laws under which our city is governed. The City Council reviews and adopts the municipal budget that is prepared and presented to the legislative body by the Mayor. The City Council is comprised of ten members, two each representing the city's five geographical districts or wards. City Council members serve four-your terms on a staggered basis, with one seat in each ward coming up for election every two years.
The Mayor of East Orange is Robert L. Bowser. Mayor Bowser is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition[4], a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Members of the City Council are[5]:
★ '1st Ward': Thomas L. Brown (2007) and Joyce C. Goore (2009)
★ '2nd Ward': Jacquelyn E. Johnson (2007) and Virginia M. Cross (2009)
★ '3rd Ward': Chairwoman Quilla E. Talmadge (2007) and Ted R. Green (2009)
★ '4th Ward': Sharon Fields (2007) and William C. Holt (2009)
★ '5th Ward': Mary E. Patterson (2007) and Alicia Holman (2009)
Federal, state and county representation
East Orange is in the Tenth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 34th Legislative District.[6]
Politics
On the national level, East Orange leans strongly toward the Democratic Party. In 2004, Democrat John Kerry received 93% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 6%.
Education
East Orange School District operates the public schools of East Orange. EOSD is an Abbott District.
All of East Orange is served by East Orange Campus High School, which is on the site of the former Upsala College.
Transportation
East Orange lies at the intersection of the Garden State Parkway and Interstate 280. It is 7.8 miles from Newark Liberty International Airport in the nearby cities of Newark and Elizabeth.
Local transportation around the city and into neighboring communities is provided by multiple New Jersey Transit public bus lines. 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.
Notable residents
★ Jamal Anderson, former NFL running back
★ Troy CLE, pseudonym of Troy Tompkins, author of ''The Marvelous Effect'' (also set in East Orange)
★ Richard Codey, former Governor of New Jersey
★ Franklin W. Fort (1880-1937), represented New Jersey's 9th congressional district from 1925-1931.[7]
★ Althea Gibson, tennis player, died in East Orange and was interred in Rosedale Cemetery, Orange, New Jersey.
★ David Garrard, currently the starting quarterback for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.[8]
★ Slide Hampton, jazz trombonist.[9]
★ Carolyn Gold Heilbrun, author who wrote mystery novels under the pen name of Amanda Cross.
★ Monte Irvin, Major League Baseball player, member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ranked #12 on the ''Sports Illustrated'' list of ''The 50 Greatest New Jersey Sports Figures''.[10]
★ It is the birth place of Queen Latifah
★ Clara Maass (1876-1901), nurse who died as a result of volunteering for medical experiments to study yellow fever.[11]
★ Naomi Long Madgett, the African American poet, was raised in East Orange.
★ Daniel F. Minahan (1877-1947), represented New Jersey's 6th congressional district from 1919 to 1921 and again from 1923 to 1925.[12]
★ Marcus Toney-El, basketball player
★ Singer Dionne Warwick as well as her first cousin, Whitney Houston, were born in East Orange
★ Naughty by Nature, hip hop group.
★ Shareefa, an R&B singer
★ Albert L. Vreeland (1901-1975), was a United States Representative from New Jersey.[13]
★ William H. Wiley (1842-1925), served on the East Orange township committee from 1886 to 1888, and was president for one year. He represented New Jersey's 8th congressional district from 1903 to 1907 and from 1909 to 1911, and was a co-founder and former president of the publishing company John Wiley & Sons.[14]
References
1. , Geographic Names Information System, accessed July 11, 2007.
2. African American Communities, Epodunk. Accessed June 28, 2006.
3. Guyanese Communities, Epodunk. Accessed August 21, 2006.
4. Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members
5. Office of the City Council, City of East Orange. Accessed June 25, 2006.
6. New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 56. Accessed August 30, 2006.
7. Franklin William Fort, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 22, 2007.
8. AFC honors go to three first-time winners, NFL.com, December 6, 2006. "The East Orange, N.J., native directed the club on two drives of more than 90 yards, both resulting in touchdowns."
9. The State of Jazz: Meet 40 More Jersey Greats, ''The Star-Ledger'', September 28, 2004.
10. The 50 Greatest New Jersey Sports Figures, ''Sports Illustrated'', December 27, 1999.
11. Clara Louise Maass, Find A Grave. Accessed August 23, 2007.
12. Daniel F. Minahan, ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress''. Accessed July 16, 2007.
13. Albert Lincoln Vreeland biography, United States Congress. Accessed July 16, 2007.
14. William Halsted Wiley biography, United States Congress. Accessed July 11, 2007.
External links
★ East Orange website
★ East Orange School District
★
★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the East Orange School District
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