Red Bank, New Jersey
|
Map of Red Bank in Monmouth County |
The
Borough of Red Bank is a
Borough in
Monmouth County,
New Jersey incorporated in 1908. As of the
United States 2000 Census, the borough had a population of 11,844.
Red Bank is located at (40.347492, -74.067081).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 5.6
km² (2.2
mi²). 4.6 km² (1.8 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (17.13%) is water.
Red Bank is located on the southern bank of the
Navesink River, in northern Monmouth County, New Jersey. It is 46 miles (74 km), or 20
nautical miles (37 km) if traveling by waterway, nearly due south of
New York City. Red Bank is bordered by
Middletown Township and the Boroughs of
Tinton Falls,
Fair Haven,
Shrewsbury, and
Little Silver.
Originally part of "Shrewsbury Towne", Red Bank was named in 1736, "when Thomas Morford sold Joseph French 'a lot of over three acres (12,000 m²) on the west side of the highway that goes to the red bank.'" Borough of Red Bank,
History,
supra. Red Bank was settled in the 17th century, but was not populous until approximately 1809. By 1844, Red Bank had become a commercial center, focused on
textiles,
fur,
tanning, and
manufacturing goods for sale in
Manhattan. With the dredging of the
Navesink River, about 1845, Red Bank became a port from which steamboats transported commuters to Manhattan. Red Bank grew in size as a result of this and the laying of rails in the town by the
Raritan and Delaware Bay Railroad, about 1860.
During the 20th century, Red Bank was a strong cultural, economic, and political center in Monmouth County, New Jersey, until it was hindered by the
economic recession that began in 1987. During this time, Red Bank's economy, based largely on
retail commerce, was in decline, leading local pundits and urban planners to refer to the town as "Dead Bank." Beginning in approximately 1991, under the
New Jersey Development and Redevelopment Law, the town authorized the creation of an organization to manage redevelopment in what was designated a Special Improvement District. This organization is known as the
Red Bank RiverCenter. RiverCenter retains authority over the management and redevelopment of an agreed-upon "downtown business district."
The downtown district includes Broad Street from the post office to Marine Park and from Maple Avenue to one block east of Broad Street. The district that was originally proposed was much larger. It originally included the commercial areas west of Maple Avenue, including the antique buildings, the Galleria, and Shrewsbury Avenue. However, some property owners in this area were opposed to the idea because they did not want to pay the assessment. Plans for the larger district advanced but opposition became more rigorous. Therefore the proposed district was amended to exclude those who were opposed, and the district that was adopted stops at Maple Avenue.
As of the
census of 2000, there were 11,844 people, 5,201 households, and 2,501 families residing in the borough. The
population density was 2,569.1/km² (6,639.1/mi²). There were 5,450 housing units at an average density of 1,182.2/km² (3,055.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 68.19%
White, 20.05%
African American, 0.35%
Native American, 2.19%
Asian, 0.08%
Pacific Islander, 6.73% from
other races, and 2.41% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 17.11% of the population.
There were 5,201 households out of which 18.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.2% were
married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.9% were non-families. 42.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the borough the population was spread out with 17.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $47,282, and the median income for a family was $63,333. Males had a median income of $45,922 versus $34,231 for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $26,265. About 6.3% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Red Bank is governed by a
mayor and a six-member borough council. The mayor of the Borough of Red Bank serves a four-year term. Councilmembers serve three-year terms. As of 2006, the mayor and council members are
[Borough of Red Bank: Mayor and Council, accessed June 25, 2006]:
*Mayor Edward J. McKenna, Jr., Esq. (term ends
December 31 2006)
*Council President Pasquale Menna, Esq. (2006)
*Councilman Robert Bifani (2007)
*Councilman John Curley (2008)
*Councilwoman Kay Ernst (2008)
*Councilwoman Sharon Lee (2007)
*Councilman Arthur Murphy III (2006)
Federal, state and county representation
The Borough of Red Bank is in the Sixth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 12th Legislative District.
The
Red Bank Borough Public Schools serve students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. Schools in the district (with 2004-05 enrollment data from the
New Jersey Department of Education's School Report Cards) are
Red Bank Primary School (with 486 students in Pre-Kindergarten through fourth grade) and
Red Bank Middle School (with 307 students in fourth through eighth grades).
For grades nine through twelve, students attend
Red Bank Regional High School, which serves students from the boroughs of
Little Silver,
Red Bank,
Shewsbury and
Interlaken.
New Jersey Transit train and bus service connects Red Bank to
New York City and to other locations in New Jersey. Train service operates on the
North Jersey Coast Line. Red Bank is two miles east of Exit 109 of the
Garden State Parkway.
Red Bank is a noted social and commercial destination, filled with boutiques, designer clothing and home stores, parks, and restaurants. The
Count Basie Theatre hosts nationally known performers, including
David Sedaris,
James Brown,
Bill Cosby,
Bob Newhart,
Foreigner,
Andy Williams,
Brian Setzer,
B.B. King, and others. The
Two River Theatre Company opened a large performance space on
April 30,
2005.
There have been several annual festivals held in Red Bank.
See, e.g.,
Red Bank International Film Festival and the
Two River Film Festival.
Filmmaker
Kevin Smith lived in Red Bank while working as an up-and-coming director. His films
Chasing Amy,
Dogma, and
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back partly took place in the town, primarily on Broad Street.
In addition, Smith opened a comic shop/novelty store, "Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash," on Broad Street directly across the street from Jack's Music Shoppe, which was a location in
Chasing Amy. Regular actors from his film series work and/or make appearances in the store, as many of his fans travel from all across the country to frequent it and buy film-related merchandise.
Smith and his production company
View Askew also host the annual
Vulgarthon film marathon in various theaters around Red Bank.
There is an annual fireworks display (called "
KaBoom! Fireworks on the Navesink") held on July 3 that is popular with those residing in the Metropolitan New York Area. Each summer, Red Bank hosts the
Red Bank Jazz and Blues Festival in partnership with the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Society. "
First Night," a
New Year's Eve arts & entertainment festival, is a Red Bank event designed to provide an alternative to alcohol-related events.
Boating,
sculling,
sailing, and
fishing are popular outdoor activities in Red Bank. The Monmouth Boat Club, Marine Park, and the slips of the
Molly Pitcher Inn provide access to the Navesink and, from there, the
Atlantic Ocean.
Red Bank was the birthplace of:
*
jazz pianist and bandleader
Count Basie (1904-1984)
*literary critic
Edmund Wilson (1895-1972),
*Daniel J. O'Hern, Esq. (b. 1930), Associate Justice of the
New Jersey Supreme Court.
*During the 1990s, news media figure
Geraldo Rivera was involved in developing a newspaper for the Red Bank area,
The Two River Times. *Musician
Bruce Springsteen, who grew up in nearby
Freehold, New Jersey and was often involved in Red Bank-related events.
*Red Bank is often associated with
filmmaker and
actor Kevin Smith (b. 1970), who was born in the nearby
Borough of Highlands. Smith filmed parts of his
1997 film
Chasing Amy at locations in Red Bank, along with other nearby towns. His
1999 film
Dogma had scenes set in Red Bank that were filmed in other locations. Currently, his comic book store
Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, named after two characters who appear in most of his films, and his film production company,
View Askew Productions, occupy a building on Broad Street in Red Bank. A scene in
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, was filmed in the store, but for the film, the sign was temporarily removed and replaced with a sign that read "Brodie's Secret Stash", due to the fact that the character Brodie owned the store in the movie. That sign now hangs inside the store on display, along with other View Askew Paraphenalia, including the "Buddy Christ".
*
Official Website of Red Bank, New Jersey*
Red Bank website*
Red Bank Borough Public Schools*
Red Bank Regional High School*
Red Bank, New Jersey history*
Battle of Red-Bank*
Blog Covering Verizon's Application for a cable TV franchise in Red Bank*
Red Bank RiverCenter.
