Secaucus, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Secaucus is a town
in Hudson County
, New Jersey
. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 16,264. 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 area
s.
words for "black" (seke or sukit) and "snake" (achgook), or "place of snakes. The town's name is pronounced "SEE-kaw-kus" (ˈsiːkɔːkəs), with the accent on the first syllable, not the second as often used by non-natives.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²), of which, 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (9.66%) is water.
At the southern end of Secaucus is Snake Hill
(officially known as Laurel Hill), an igneous rock
intrusion
jutting up some 150 feet (45.7 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.
Secaucus has different districts:
, Peter Stuyvesant
in 1658. The territory was part of what is considered to 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.
Before the 1950s, Secaucus was home to a number of pig
farms, rendering
plants, and junk yards, which gave the town a reputation for being one of the most odorous in the New York metropolitan area
. In 1963, debris from the demolition of Pennsylvania Station
was dumped in the Secaucus Meadowlands. In later decades Secaucus became more a commuter town
. In a non-binding referendum in 1969, voters in Secaucus choose to leave Hudson County and join Bergen County, being similar in character. Today it is the still the most suburban town in Hudson County.
New Jersey Monthly
magazine ranked Secaucus as its 11th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
According to the 2000 census
, there were 15,931 people, 6,214 households, and 3,945 families residing in the town. The population density
was 2,706.7 people per square mile (1,044.3/km2). There were 6,385 housing units at an average density of 1,084.8 per square mile (418.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 68.54% White, 14.45% African American, 0.11% Native American, 11.80% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.79% from other races
, and 2.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.26% of the population.
There were 6,214 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples
living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $59,800, and the median income for a family was $72,568. Males had a median income of $49,937 versus $39,370 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $31,684. About 3.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over. About 20% of the town's employed residents commute to New York City
to work.
form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Town Council made up of six council members elected from three wards. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters. The Town Council consists of six members elected to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis.
, the Mayor
of the Town of Secaucus is Michael Gonnelli. He succeeded Richard Steffens who stepped in to finish the term of Dennis Elwell
, who resigned amid corruption charges on July 28, 2009. The current members of the Secaucus Town Council are Deputy Mayor John Bueckner,
James Clancy,
Gary Jeffas,
Robert Constantino,
William McKeever and
Susan Pirro.
Secaucus is in the
Parts of the town are encompassed by either of Hudson County's 8th or 9th freeholder districts.
. The schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
) consist of two pre-K - 6 elementary schools —
Clarendon Elementary School with 566 students and Huber Street Elementary School with 498 students — Secaucus Middle School with 324 students in grades 7 and 8, and Secaucus High School
with 536 students in grades 9 - 12.
The athletic teams of Secaucus High School are nicknamed the "Patriots."
Immaculate Conception School
, the town's only Catholic
private
day school
, serving grades pre-K through 8th grade, closed in 2009.
The Nicholas G. Hayek Watchmaking School is also located in Secaucus.
(part of Interstate 95
), which runs north-south, with an interchange (16E/17) at NJ Route 3 and a new interchange 15X, near the Secaucus Junction Station , which opened in late 2005.
Because of this, 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.
Secaucus is also the site of New Jersey Transit
's Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction
train station, peculiarly named since there is no actual track junction
. As the station is in the south end of Secaucus, access from the rest of Secaucus is limited via County Avenue or Meadowlands Parkway or NJ Turnpike Interchange 15X.
Numerous New Jersey Transit bus operations
serve Secaucus, including the 124, 129, 190 and 320 buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal
in Midtown Manhattan
, the 78 to Newark
, the 2 and 85 to Jersey City
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 extent to which the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
will resurrect this service is undecided.
The closest airport with scheduled passenger service is Newark Liberty International Airport
, which straddles Newark
and Elizabeth
.
There are several large retail areas in Secaucus. Secaucus Plaza is the "downtown" area of Secaucus, just off of NJ-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 NJ-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 NJ 3 and Interchange 16E. Best Buy, Raymour & Flanigan
, Ashley Furniture, Home Depot and Daffy's are located on Paterson Plank Rd off Interchange 16E. National Retail Systems
is another large employer. Secaucus is home to several corporate headquarters, including My Network TV
's flagship station WWOR-TV
, Goya Foods
, The Children's Place
and Hartz Mountain.
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 had been located in town since 1973. After searching for a new location in New York, California, and Georgia the company announced it would relocate to Newark. Panasonic received an Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit of $102 million from the State of New Jersey for the relocation. The company also cited the environmental benefits possible by reducing the need of 1,000 employees to drive to work. Their Consumer Affairs Division, however, remains in Secaucus.
The warehouse at 10 Enterprise Avenue was used as the primary filming location for the short-lived hospital drama Mercy
, which aired on NBC
from 2009-2010.
, MLB Network
, NBA Entertainment
and the NBA Draft Lottery
. It is also home to men's soccer team Secaucus FC, which is part of the Garden State Soccer League, and was founded in 2003 by Nick Farinola.
Secaucus was the headquarters of Major League Lacrosse
for the first four seasons of the league. The headquarters have since moved to Boston, Massachusetts.
, Langston Hughes
and Charles Bukowski
has focused on the natural beauty of Secaucus. The three-stanza, free verse poem "Secaucus", published by Bukowski in 1981, is inscribed on a plaque in the main lobby of city hall.
Town (New Jersey)
A Town in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government...
in Hudson County
Hudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County is the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated in United States. It takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part of its eastern border. Part of the New York metropolitan area, its county seat and largest city is Jersey City.- Municipalities...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 16,264. Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands
New Jersey Meadowlands
New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeast New Jersey in the United States. The Meadowlands are known for being the site of large landfills and decades of...
, 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 area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
s.
Name
Secaucus is a derivation of the AlgonquianAlgonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
words for "black" (seke or sukit) and "snake" (achgook), or "place of snakes. The town's name is pronounced "SEE-kaw-kus" (ˈsiːkɔːkəs), with the accent on the first syllable, not the second as often used by non-natives.
Geography
Secaucus is located at 40.787600°N 74.061784°W (40.787600, -74.061784).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²), of which, 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (9.66%) is water.
At the southern end of Secaucus is Snake Hill
Snake Hill
Snake Hill is an igneous rock intrusion jutting some 150 feet up from the floor of the Meadowlands in Secaucus, New Jersey, USA. It was largely obliterated by quarrying in the 1960s that reduced its height by one-quarter and its base area by four fifths...
(officially known as Laurel Hill), an igneous rock
Igneous rock
Igneous rock is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava...
intrusion
Intrusion
An intrusion is liquid rock that forms under Earth's surface. Magma from under the surface is slowly pushed up from deep within the earth into any cracks or spaces it can find, sometimes pushing existing country rock out of the way, a process that can take millions of years. As the rock slowly...
jutting up some 150 feet (45.7 m) from the Meadowlands
New Jersey Meadowlands
New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeast New Jersey in the United States. The Meadowlands are known for being the site of large landfills and decades of...
below, near the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
.
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.
Secaucus has different districts:
- Secaucus Plaza Central Business District at Paterson Plank RoadPaterson Plank RoadPaterson Plank Road is a road that runs through Passaic, Bergen and Hudson Counties in northeastern New Jersey originally lain in the colonial era. The route, connecting the city Paterson and the Hudson River waterfront, still exists...
south of Route 3 - County Avenue - from Municipal Building to Secaucus JunctionSecaucus JunctionThe Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey...
- Harmon CoveHarmon CoveHarmon 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...
- along the Hackensack RiverHackensack RiverThe Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside New York City just west of the lower Hudson River,...
and Meadowlands Turnpike - Harmon MeadowsHarmon Meadow PlazaHarmon Meadow Plaza is a shopping complex in the Meadowlands of Secaucus, New Jersey, approximately six miles from New York City. It is owned by Hartz Mountain Industries, whose corporate offices are located in the Plaza...
, site of Mill Creek MallMill Creek MallThe Mall at Mill Creek, or Mill Creek Mall, is a one-story regional shopping mall located in Secaucus, New Jersey in the New Jersey Meadowlands. It is situated in the Harmon Meadow Plaza complex, approximately six miles from New York City, and is owned by Hartz Mountain Industries...
and Meadowlands Convention Center - Snake HillSnake HillSnake Hill is an igneous rock intrusion jutting some 150 feet up from the floor of the Meadowlands in Secaucus, New Jersey, USA. It was largely obliterated by quarrying in the 1960s that reduced its height by one-quarter and its base area by four fifths...
- site of Laurel Hill County Park - North EndNorth End, SecaucusAs 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...
- north of New Jersey Route 3, home Secaucus High SchoolSecaucus High SchoolSecaucus High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Secaucus, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Secaucus Board of Education....
, Schmiddt's Woods, and Mill Creek Marsh - Secaucus JunctionSecaucus JunctionThe Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey...
- New Jersey TransitNew Jersey TransitThe New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
's central rail hub - Riverbend - a wetlands preserve at the meanderMeanderA meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
in the Hackensack RiverHackensack RiverThe Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside New York City just west of the lower Hudson River,...
History
Sikakes, once an island, was part of the territory purchased by Director-General of New NetherlandDirector-General of New Netherland
This is a list of Directors, appointed by the Dutch West India Company, of the 17th century Dutch province of New Netherland in North America...
, Peter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant , served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York...
in 1658. The territory was part of what is considered to the oldest municipality in the state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
which was first chartered in 1660 as Bergen
Bergen, New Netherland
Bergen was a part of the 17th century province of New Netherland, in the area in northeastern New Jersey along the Hudson and Hackensack Rivers that would become contemporary Hudson and Bergen Counties...
in the province of New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
and, in 1683, became Bergen Township.
Settlement had begun by at least 1733 by the Smith family, whose namesake Abel I. Smith Burial Ground
Abel I. Smith Burial Ground
The Abel I. Smith Burial Ground was a family burial plot in Hudson County, New Jersey.-Location:...
is part of the lore of Secaucus.
Secaucus was originally formed as a borough
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on March 12, 1900, from portions of North Bergen
North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township had a total population of 60,773. Originally founded in 1843, the town was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the Hudson Palisades, it is one...
. 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.
Before the 1950s, Secaucus was home to a number of pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
farms, rendering
Rendering (industrial)
Rendering is a process that converts waste animal tissue into stable, value-added materials. Rendering can refer to any processing of animal byproducts into more useful materials, or more narrowly to the rendering of whole animal fatty tissue into purified fats like lard or tallow...
plants, and junk yards, which gave the town a reputation for being one of the most odorous in the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
. In 1963, debris from the demolition of Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
was dumped in the Secaucus Meadowlands. In later decades Secaucus became more a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
. In a non-binding referendum in 1969, voters in Secaucus choose to leave Hudson County and join Bergen County, being similar in character. Today it is the still the most suburban town in Hudson County.
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine ranked Secaucus as its 11th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 16,264, an all-time high for the town.According to the 2000 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, there were 15,931 people, 6,214 households, and 3,945 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,706.7 people per square mile (1,044.3/km2). There were 6,385 housing units at an average density of 1,084.8 per square mile (418.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 68.54% White, 14.45% African American, 0.11% Native American, 11.80% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.79% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.26% of the population.
There were 6,214 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $59,800, and the median income for a family was $72,568. Males had a median income of $49,937 versus $39,370 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $31,684. About 3.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over. About 20% of the town's employed residents commute to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to work.
Local government
Secaucus is governed under the TownTown (New Jersey)
A Town in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government...
form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Town Council made up of six council members elected from three wards. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters. The Town Council consists of six members elected to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis.
, the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the Town of Secaucus is Michael Gonnelli. He succeeded Richard Steffens who stepped in to finish the term of Dennis Elwell
Dennis Elwell (politician)
Dennis P. Elwell served as Mayor of Secaucus, New Jersey from 2000 until July 28, 2009, when he resigned after allegations of political corruption.-Biography:...
, who resigned amid corruption charges on July 28, 2009. The current members of the Secaucus Town Council are Deputy Mayor John Bueckner,
James Clancy,
Gary Jeffas,
Robert Constantino,
William McKeever and
Susan Pirro.
Federal, state and county representation
Secaucus is in the 9th Congressional district.Secaucus is in the
Parts of the town are encompassed by either of Hudson County's 8th or 9th freeholder districts.
Education
Students in pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade are educated by the Secaucus Board of EducationSecaucus Board of Education
The Secaucus Public Schools are a public school district that serves students in pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade from Secaucus, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States....
. The schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
) consist of two pre-K - 6 elementary schools —
Clarendon Elementary School with 566 students and Huber Street Elementary School with 498 students — Secaucus Middle School with 324 students in grades 7 and 8, and Secaucus High School
Secaucus High School
Secaucus High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Secaucus, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Secaucus Board of Education....
with 536 students in grades 9 - 12.
The athletic teams of Secaucus High School are nicknamed the "Patriots."
Immaculate Conception School
Immaculate Conception School (Secaucus)
Immaculate Conception School was a Catholic private day school in Secaucus, New Jersey. The school teaches grades Pre-K through 8th grade. Immaculate Conception School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The school's principal is Beverly Trotte...
, the town's only Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
private
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
, serving grades pre-K through 8th grade, closed in 2009.
The Nicholas G. Hayek Watchmaking School is also located in Secaucus.
Transportation
Secaucus has exceptionally good road and rail transportation. The town is divided into four by the intersecting roads of NJ 3, which runs east and west, and the eastern spur of the New Jersey TurnpikeNew Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
(part of Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in New Jersey
Interstate 95 is a major Interstate Highway that traverses the full extent of the East Coast of the United States, from Florida to Maine...
), which runs north-south, with an interchange (16E/17) at NJ Route 3 and a new interchange 15X, near the Secaucus Junction Station , which opened in late 2005.
Because of this, many shipping warehouses and truck freight transfer stations are located in Secaucus, both for shipping companies such as UPS
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
and for numerous retailers. For example, Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
's "same day delivery" service to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
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.
Secaucus is also the site of New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
's Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction
Secaucus Junction
The Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey...
train station, peculiarly named since there is no actual track junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
. As the station is in the south end of Secaucus, access from the rest of Secaucus is limited via County Avenue or Meadowlands Parkway or NJ Turnpike Interchange 15X.
Numerous New Jersey Transit bus operations
New Jersey Transit Bus Operations
New Jersey Transit Bus Operations is the bus division of New Jersey Transit, providing bus service throughout New Jersey along with service along one light rail line, with many routes going to New York City and Philadelphia.-History:...
serve Secaucus, including the 124, 129, 190 and 320 buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal
Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City...
in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
, the 78 to Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, the 2 and 85 to Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
and local service provided on the 772 route. There is a bus park-and-ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
at the northeast corner of Secaucus.
In the first half of the 20th Century the Jersey City, Hoboken and Rutherford Electric Railway
Jersey City, Hoboken and Rutherford Electric Railway
The Jersey City, Hoboken and Rutherford Electric Railway was incorporated 1893, and leased from 1894-1899 to New Jersey Electric Railway Company The line was operated by Jersey City, Hoboken and Paterson Street Railway. The track length was 18.57 miles....
operated a trolley line through the then main business district of Secaucus, on Paterson Plank Road
Paterson Plank Road
Paterson Plank Road is a road that runs through Passaic, Bergen and Hudson Counties in northeastern New Jersey originally lain in the colonial era. The route, connecting the city Paterson and the Hudson River waterfront, still exists...
from Jersey City and across the Hackensack River
Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside New York City just west of the lower Hudson River,...
to East Rutherford
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
. The extent to which the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
The Hudson–Bergen Light Rail is a light rail system in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Owned by New Jersey Transit and operated by the 21st Century Rail Corporation, it connects the communities of Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, Union City , and North Bergen.The system began...
will resurrect this service is undecided.
The closest airport with scheduled passenger service is Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
, which straddles Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and Elizabeth
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
.
Business and industry
Mill Creek Mall
The Mall at Mill Creek, or Mill Creek Mall, is a one-story regional shopping mall located in Secaucus, New Jersey in the New Jersey Meadowlands. It is situated in the Harmon Meadow Plaza complex, approximately six miles from New York City, and is owned by Hartz Mountain Industries...
is a mall on NJ-3 on the west side of the Turnpike. Harmon Meadow Plaza
Harmon Meadow Plaza
Harmon Meadow Plaza is a shopping complex in the Meadowlands of Secaucus, New Jersey, approximately six miles from New York City. It is owned by Hartz Mountain Industries, whose corporate offices are located in the Plaza...
is a large hotel, restaurant and shopping complex that features gyms, a pool hall, the Meadowlands Convention Center, a 14-screen Showplace Theatres
Kerasotes Theatres
Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, LLC is a movie-theatre operator in the Midwestern United States. Based in Chicago, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, LLC was the sixth-largest movie-theatre company in North America with 957 screens in 95 locations in California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio,...
and a Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
and Sam's Club
Sam's Club
Sam's Club is a chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. , the Sam's Club chain serves more than 47 million U.S. members...
located east of the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
, near NJ 3 and Interchange 16E. Best Buy, Raymour & Flanigan
Raymour & Flanigan
Raymour & Flanigan is an American furniture retail chain, based in the Northeastern United States.-Overview:Raymour’s Furniture Company, the predecessor of Raymour & Flanigan Furniture, was established by brothers, Bernard Goldberg and Arnold Goldberg in 1946. Raymour & Flanigan Furniture is one...
, Ashley Furniture, Home Depot and Daffy's are located on Paterson Plank Rd off Interchange 16E. National Retail Systems
National Retail Systems
National Retail Systems, Inc. , referred to as NRS, has developed a network of companies that have been driving supply chain solutions since 1953...
is another large employer. Secaucus is home to several corporate headquarters, including My Network TV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
's flagship station WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
, Goya Foods
Goya Foods
Goya Foods, Inc. is the manufacturer or distributor of a brand of foods sold in the United States and many Latin American countries, with company headquarters in Secaucus, New Jersey....
, The Children's Place
The Children's Place
The Children’s Place is an American specialty retailer of children’s apparel and accessories founded in 1969. They became publicly traded on the NASDAQ exchange in 1997 under the ticker symbol PLCE...
and Hartz Mountain.
In 2011, two companies announced that they would be leaving Secaucus. The Manischewitz Company
Manischewitz
Manischewitz is a leading brand of kosher products based in the United States, best known for their matzo and wine. Founded in 1888 and under family control until 1990, it is the world's largest matzo manufacturer and one of America's largest kosher brands....
announced that it would relocate its administrative offices to Newark after being located in Secaucus for seven years. Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
's North American headquarters had been located in town since 1973. After searching for a new location in New York, California, and Georgia the company announced it would relocate to Newark. Panasonic received an Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit of $102 million from the State of New Jersey for the relocation. The company also cited the environmental benefits possible by reducing the need of 1,000 employees to drive to work. Their Consumer Affairs Division, however, remains in Secaucus.
The warehouse at 10 Enterprise Avenue was used as the primary filming location for the short-lived hospital drama Mercy
Mercy (TV series)
Mercy is a medical drama which aired on NBC from September 23, 2009 to May 12, 2010. The series initially aired on Wednesday nights at 8/7c, as part of the 2009 fall season, but was pushed back to 9/8c in April....
, which aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from 2009-2010.
Sports
Sports companies headquartered in Secaucus include Red Bull New YorkRed Bull New York
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer team based in Harrison, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The team competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
, MLB Network
MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television specialty channel dedicated to professional baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball. Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have minority ownership of the new network, with MLB retaining a controlling two-thirds share...
, NBA Entertainment
NBA Entertainment
NBA Entertainment is the production arm of the National Basketball Association and produces numerous NBA-related films including team championship videos and blooper and entertainment reels. It was previously associated with CBS/Fox Video, but now distributes its films through Warner Bros....
and the NBA Draft Lottery
NBA Draft Lottery
The NBA Draft Lottery is an annual event held by the National Basketball Association in which the teams who had missed the playoffs in the previous season, or teams who hold the draft rights of another team that missed the playoffs in the previous season, participate in a lottery process to...
. It is also home to men's soccer team Secaucus FC, which is part of the Garden State Soccer League, and was founded in 2003 by Nick Farinola.
Secaucus was the headquarters of Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :...
for the first four seasons of the league. The headquarters have since moved to Boston, Massachusetts.
Notable residents
(B) denotes that the person was born in Secaucus.- Robert John Burck (born 1970), Times SquareTimes SquareTimes Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
street performer known as the Naked CowboyNaked CowboyRobert John Burck , better known as the Naked Cowboy, is an American street performer whose pitch is on New York City's Times Square...
. - Jerry CasaleJerry CasaleJerry Joseph Casale is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three different teams between 1958 and 1962. Listed at 6' 2", 200 lb., he batted and threw right-handed....
(born 1933), former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
starting pitcherStarting pitcherIn baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
for the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Los Angeles Angels and Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. - Dave DraperDave DraperDavid Draper bodybuilder, actor and author, nicknamed "The Blond Bomber."-Biography:Draper was born in Secaucus, New Jersey...
(born 1942), bodybuilder. - Dennis ElwellDennis Elwell (politician)Dennis P. Elwell served as Mayor of Secaucus, New Jersey from 2000 until July 28, 2009, when he resigned after allegations of political corruption.-Biography:...
(born 1945), mayor of Secaucus from 2000 until 2009, when he resigned after allegations of political corruption. - Paul IaconoPaul IaconoPaul Stanley Iacono is an American actor. He appeared in the 2009 remake of Fame and was also the star of the show The Hard Times of RJ Berger on MTV.-Early life:...
(born 1988), actor known for the 2009 film FameFame (2009 film)Fame is a 2009 musical film and a loose remake of the 1980 film of the same title. It was directed by Kevin Tancharoen and written by Allison Burnett. It was released on September 25, 2009 in the USA, Canada, Ireland, and the UK.-Freshman year:...
, and the TV series The Hard Times of RJ BergerThe Hard Times of RJ BergerThe Hard Times of RJ Berger is a United States television comedy series created by David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith for MTV. The show's central character is RJ Berger an unpopular sophomore at the fictional Pinkerton High School in Ohio who has an exceptionally large penis...
.(B) - Anthony ImprevedutoAnthony ImprevedutoAnthony Neil Impreveduto was an American educator and Democratic Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1988 until 2004, when he resigned following a guilty plea to corruption charges that involved use of campaign funds for personal purposes.-Biography:Impreveduto grew...
(c. 1948-2009), served on the Town Council from 1981 to 1992, when he lost to Dennis Elwell, and served in the New Jersey General AssemblyNew Jersey General AssemblyThe New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
from 1987-2004. - Henry B. KrajewskiHenry B. KrajewskiHenry B. Krajewski was an American politician who ran for the United States Presidency in 1952 and in 1956 . He was also an American Third Party candidate for the United States Senate from New Jersey in 1954...
, pig farmer and frequent political candidate. - Blaine Morris, cast member on the MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
drama SkinsSkins (North American TV series)Skins is an American teen drama. It is an adaptation of the original British teen drama of the same name. The show premiered on January 17, 2011 on MTV in the U.S. and on Movie Central and The Movie Network in Canada... - Dan ResinDan ResinDan Resin was an American actor.-Early life:Resin was born in South Bend, Indiana. He was three years old when his parents divorced. Resin met his future wife in the seventh grade. He graduated from Indiana University in 1954. While at Indiana University, Resin became a member of the Alpha Iota...
(1931–2010), actor known as Dr. Beeper in the film CaddyshackCaddyshackCaddyshack is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis, and Douglas Kenney. It stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, Cindy Morgan, and Bill Murray...
, and as the Ty-D-Bol man in toilet cleaner commercials.Maurer, Mark. "Dan Resin, at 79; 'Caddyshack' actor did TV commercials"] The Jersey Journal; August 3, 2010; Page 24 (An online version of the same article appears at NJ.com)
In media
Secaucus has been the subject of numerous artistic works. Poetry by Walt WhitmanWalt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
, Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
and Charles Bukowski
Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles...
has focused on the natural beauty of Secaucus. The three-stanza, free verse poem "Secaucus", published by Bukowski in 1981, is inscribed on a plaque in the main lobby of city hall.
See also
- Secaucus ReporterSecaucus ReporterThe Secaucus Reporter is a weekly community newspaper serving Secaucus, in Hudson County, New Jersey. The paper is one of nine weekly publications produced by The Hudson Reporter Assoc., L.P. The company's main office is located in Hoboken....
- Philippine FiestaPhilippine FiestaThe Philippine Fiesta is a Filipino cultural festival and trade show held every August at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. The two-day Philippine Fiesta is one of the biggest indoor gathering of Filipino Americans in the East Coast...
, an annual two-day event celebrating Philippine trade and culture, held at Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
External links
- Secaucus Town website
- Secaucus Board of Education
- Data for the Secaucus Board of Education, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Secaucus FC Website
- Secaucus Community website
- Secaucus Engine Company #1 website
- Secaucus Engine Company #4 Ladder Company #1 website
- ESecaucus.com Secaucus(NJ) news, politics, blog, shopping, entertainment and more Website