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Red Bank, New Jersey

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Red Bank, New Jersey
Borough
Map of Red Bank in Monmouth County. Inset: Location of Monmouth County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Map of Red Bank in Monmouth County. Inset: Location of Monmouth County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Red Bank, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Red Bank, New Jersey
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
CountyMonmouth
IncorporatedMarch 10, 1908
Government
 • TypeBorough
 • MayorPasquale Menna, Esq.
Area
 • Total
2.2 sq mi (5.6 km2)
 • Land1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2)
 • Water0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2)
Elevation
[1]
43 ft (13 m)
Population
 (2006)[2]
 • Total
11,850
 • Density6,639.1/sq mi (2,563.4/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
07701-07704
Area code732
FIPS code34-62430Template:GR
GNIS feature ID0885366Template:GR
Websitehttp://www.redbanknj.org

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.

Waterfront Park facing the river and to the West.

Red Bank was originally formed as a Town on March 17, 1870, from portions of Shrewsbury Township. On February 14, 1879, Red Bank became Shrewsbury City, a portion of Shrewsbury Township, but this only lasted until May 15, 1879, when Red Bank regained its independence. On March 10, 1908, Red Bank was formed as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature and was set off from Shrewsbury Township.[3]

Alongside Asbury Park and Long Branch the town is considered to be one of the three "artistic" communities of the Jersey Shore.

Geography

File:May 21 056.jpg
Overview of the Red Bank metropolitan area.

Red Bank is located at 40°20′51″N 74°4′1″W / 40.34750°N 74.06694°W / 40.34750; -74.06694Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (40.347492, -74.067081)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.6 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.6 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) 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 about 24 miles due south of the tip of Manhattan and about 25 nautical miles (29 miles) to the tip of Manhattan if traveling by water along the Navesink River and through the Raritan Bay. Red Bank is bordered by Middletown Township and the Boroughs of Tinton Falls, Fair Haven, Shrewsbury, and Little Silver.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
193011,622—
194010,974−5.6%
195012,74316.1%
196012,482−2.0%
197012,8472.9%
198012,031−6.4%
199010,636−11.6%
200011,84411.4%
2006 (est.)11,850[2]
Population 1930 - 1990.[4]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 11,844 people, 5,201 households, and 2,501 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,639.1 people per square mile (2,569.1/km²). There were 5,450 housing units at an average density of 3,055.0/sq mi (1,182.2/km²). 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.

Government

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 of office and are elected on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year. As of 2008, the mayor and council members are:[5]

  • Mayor Pasquale Menna, Esq. (term ends December 31, 2010)
  • Council President Sharon Lee (2010)
  • Kathleen Horgan (2010)
  • Mary Grace Cangemi (serving unexpired term to 2008)
  • John Curley (2008)
  • Michael DuPont (2009)
  • Arthur Murphy III (2009)

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.[6]

For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 6th congressional district is represented by Frank Pallone (D, Long Branch).[7][8] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and Andy Kim (Moorestown, term ends 2031).[9][10]

For the 2024-2025 session, the 12th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Owen Henry (R, Old Bridge Township) and in the General Assembly by Robert D. Clifton (R, Matawan) and Alex Sauickie (R, Jackson Township).[11] Template:NJ Governor

Template:NJ Monmouth County Freeholders

Education

The Red Bank Borough Public Schools serve students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[12]) are Red Bank Primary School (with 450 students in Pre-Kindergarten through fourth grade) and Red Bank Middle School (with 310 students in fourth through eighth grades.

For grades nine through twelve, public school students attend Red Bank Regional High School, which also serves students from the boroughs of Little Silver, Red Bank, Shrewsbury, Union Beach and Interlaken.[13]

Red Bank Charter School is a public school that accepts students and receives its funding from property taxes of the town, like a typical public school. It does not charge tuition and operates independently of the public school system, with a separate school board. Students are selected to enroll in the charter school based on an annual lottery, which is open to all Red Bank residents of school age.

Other schools in Red Bank include Red Bank Catholic High School, and St. James Elementary School which are Catholic schools affiliated with Saint James parish. Some students from Red Bank attend private and county sponsored schools in the area.

Transportation

New Jersey Transit train service on the North Jersey Coast Line connects the Red Bank train station to Penn Station in New York City and to other locations in New Jersey.

Red Bank is two miles (3 km) east of Interchange 109 of the Garden State Parkway.

Major streets

  • Broad Street is one of the central streets in the bohemian community. The street can be seen in the film Chasing Amy. Broad Street has also become famous for its lavish Christmas decorations, which appear on the street during the Holiday Season. They are lit on Black Friday, during which the street is closed to traffic for a free concert by Holiday Express, after which the lights are all lit. The event is always well-attended, with 2006's[14] performance featuring the largest turnout, with people lining the streets all the way from in front of Red Bank Catholic High School to the beginning of Monmouth Street. Up to 7,000 people attend the shows annually. [15]

History

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.

Red Bank is connected by rail to other urban centers.

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.

New office building construction on West Front Street.

During this time, Red Bank's economy, based largely on retail commerce, was in decline, due to a real estate scandal, 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.

Tourism

The Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank.

Red Bank is a noted social and commercial destination, filled with boutiques, designer clothing and home stores, parks, and restaurants. Many events such as the Kaboom fireworks on July, 3rd occur throughout the summer.

Theatres

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 Theater Company opened a large performance space on April 30, 2005, called the Two River Theater. Bruce Springsteen filmed his VH-1 Storytellers special at the Two River Theatre. The Marion Huber Theater, also operated by the Two River Theater Company, is also in Red Bank.

There have been several annual festivals held in Red Bank. See, e.g., Red Bank International Film Festival.

Events

Whenever the conditions are right ice boats appear on the Navesink.

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 and 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; in the winter, ice boats sail on the frozen Navesink. 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.

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.

Broadstreet facing south
The Molly Pitcher Inn. The opposite side of the hotel overlooks the Navesink River facing Middletown, New Jersey

Smith's production company, View Askew Productions, occupies a building on Broad Street in Red Bank. In addition, Smith opened a comic shop/novelty store, "Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash," located at 35 Broad Street, directly across the street from Jack's Music Shoppe, which was a location in Chasing Amy. 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 paraphernalia, including the "Buddy Christ". 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.

West Front Street facing east

Smith and View Askew host the annual Vulgarthon film marathon in various theaters around Red Bank.

Most of Smith's View Askewniverse movies also make reference to nearby Leonardo as well as Asbury Park, another community which is famous for being artistic in nature.

Smith's 1999 film Dogma had scenes set in Red Bank that were filmed in other locations.[16]

Kevin Smith has been known to appear, alongside other actors, inside his comic store. On announced dates, crowds of fans have been known to line the streets of Red Bank for blocks, hoping to meet Smith. [17]

Long Branch, another nearby town, is also known for its artistic vibe, and the three cities are collectively referred to as the "New Jersey Tricity." There is a local publication aiming at the artistic scene called Tricity News, as well as several other local music publications including the popular Upstage Magazine, which is published out of Asbury Park.

The popular Adult Swim cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force shown on the Cartoon Network makes reference to an address at "612 Wharf Avenue" in the episode "MC P. Pants". The address is an actual one, located in Red Bank. This stands to reason since the show is set in an unnamed locale on the New Jersey shore.

An early skit on the classic PBS children's series The Electric Company featured a game show whose winner would be "whisked to beautiful Red Bank, New Jersey" as a prize (illustrated with a still photograph).

The George Sheehan Classic began in 1981 as the Asbury Park 10K Classic and quickly became one of the major road running events on the national calendar. The race moved to Red Bank in 1994 and was renamed to honor the memory of Dr. George A. Sheehan, the prominent author, philosopher and area physician. “The Doc” has been called the “father of the running boom” in the United States. The Classic was named one of the Top 100 Road Races by Runner's World magazine, and the Best Memorial Race in New Jersey by The New York Times. Nearly 2,500 athletes participated in the 2006 Sheehan Classic.

Red Bank is home to Riverview Hospital, incorporated in 1928, began in a renovated boarding house on Union Street, with 29 beds, one operating room, a delivery suite, and facilities for six newborns. Today, Riverview is a 446-bed acute care hospital serving the northern region of Monmouth County.

Several tunes composed and/or made famous by Red Bank resident Count Basie name-check the town in their title, including Red Bank Boogie and The Kid from Red Bank.

In the essay Memoirs of a Drudge (The New Yorker, October 3rd, 1942), Humorist James Thurber recalls being sent to Red Bank by his newspaper's city editor on a tip that "Violets (are) growing in the snow over in Red Bank". Putting in a telephone call to that town's Chief of Police in advance, Thurber is told by a desk sergeant, "Ain't no violence over here", and nothing more.

Business

Red Bank is increasingly becoming a very high end shopping mecca, to the dismay of many local residents. Broad Street is lined with luxury boutiques and department stores including the infamous "Garmany" of Red Bank Department Store. Designers are coming to Red Bank, including Tiffany & Co., who opened a 6,000-square-foot (600 m2) boutique on Broad Street next to Garmany in November 2007.[18]

Nightlife

Whereas the town is not as well known for its nightlife as Asbury Park or Long Branch, Red Bank does house a variety of popular nightspots.

Community

Riverview Medical Center is a 476-bed acute care community hospital serving Red Bank since 1928.

During the 1990s, news media figure Geraldo Rivera was involved in developing a newspaper for the Red Bank area, The Two River Times. This newspaper and various others serve the Red Bank area.

Notable residents

File:Red Bank WTC Memoral.JPG
A memorial to all Red Bank residents who died on September 11.

Notable current and former residents of Red bank include:

This is alluded to in the Neal Hefti tune, "The Kid from Red Bank".

References

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Borough of Red Bank, Geographic Names Information System, accessed December 16, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Census data for Red Bank borough, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  3. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 184.
  4. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  5. ^ Mayor and Council, Borough of Red Bank. Accessed February 12, 2008.
  6. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 63. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  7. ^ Directory of Representatives: New Jersey, United States House of Representatives. Accessed January 3, 2019.
  8. ^ Biography, Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Frank Pallone, Jr., was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, where he grew up and still resides."
  9. ^ U.S. Sen. Cory Booker cruises past Republican challenger Rik Mehta in New Jersey, PhillyVoice. Accessed April 30, 2021. "He now owns a home and lives in Newark's Central Ward community."
  10. ^ https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/andy-kim-new-jersey-senate/
  11. ^ Legislative Roster for District 12, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Data for the Red Bank Borough Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed June 4, 2008.
  13. ^ Red Bank Regional High School 2007 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 3, 2008. "Red Bank Regional High School is a comprehensive secondary school that offers a wide array of academic and extra-curricular program offerings for the student body which numbers 1,200. The constituent sending districts include Little Silver, Red Bank Borough and Shrewsbury."
  14. ^ http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061125/NEWS01/611250387/1004
  15. ^ http://www.upstagemagazine.com/articles/getarticle-new.php?ID=3883&wherefrom=search
  16. ^ Kevin Smith on New Jersey, fatherhood and 'Dogma', CNN, November 12, 1999.
  17. ^ A YouTube video showing Kevin Smith fans in Red Bank
  18. ^ Tiffany to Open Store on Red Bank’s Historic Broad Street, press release dated March 22, 2007, accessed April 29, 2007.
  19. ^ Count Basie "One More Time!", accessed November 28, 2006.
  20. ^ Assemblywoman Beck's Legislative Website, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed August 1, 2007.
  21. ^ Horner, Shirley. "ABOUT BOOKS", The New York Times, October 3, 1993. Accessed December 19, 2007. "Timothy Thomas Fortune, a pioneering black journalist, who went on to start The New York Age, once the nation's leading black newspaper, moved to Red Bank in 1901. His Red Bank home, Maple Hill, is a National Historic Landmark."
  22. ^ Ward, John -- "I... WILL... DRIVE PAST YOUR HOUSE...", Red Bank Green, June 1, 2006. Accessed February 12, 2008. " It seems the frontwoman for Blondie has a house on The Green. Records on file in Freehold show that Harry paid $1 million for a 2.1-acre property on Shadow Lake in the River Plaza section of Middletown in April, 2003. The seller was the Edwin J. Dobson III Trust." River Plaza is serviced by the Red Bank Post Office.
  23. ^ Drape, Joe. "COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Penn State Batters Buckeyes to Win", The New York Times, October 17, 1999. Accessed December 29, 2007. "Three quarters later, after being pinballed about by McCoo, a native of Red Bank, N.J., they looked as if they were rooted in the Beaver Stadium grass and McCoo was watering them."
  24. ^ Assembly Member Michael J. 'Mike' Panter, Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 9, 2007.
  25. ^ Stravelli, Gloria. "Drawing children into the magic of Christmas: Red Bank artist and author’s story has become a holiday classic", Examiner, December 26, 2002. Accessed December 29, 2007. "Red Bank author and illustrator Elise Primavera has created a way for children to check their status at the North Pole through a Web site which she created to accompany her two Christmas Auntie Claus picture books."
  26. ^ Lustig, Jay. "Revisiting E Street: Ex-Springsteen sideman looks forward to Shore gig", The Star-Ledger, July 15, 2005. Accessed July 30, 2007. "Sancious grew up in Asbury Park and Belmar. The E Street Band was named after the address of his mother's Belmar home, where they sometimes practiced. Sancious lived in Red Bank in the late '70s, before relocating to his current hometown, Woodstock, N.Y."
  27. ^ Natalie Schafer from TV.com, accessed November 28, 2006.
  28. ^ Chanko, Kenneth M. "A Lot Happens at a Convenience Store", The New York Times, October 16, 1994. Accessed December 16, 2007. "Because of the film, Mr. Smith has become a local hero. Earlier this month, the film maker, who recently moved into an apartment in Red Bank, returned to Leonardo to shoot a music video for Soul Asylum's "Can't Even Tell," a song that appears on the "Clerks" soundtrack."
  29. ^ Menand, Louis. "Missionary: Edmund Wilson and American culture.", The New Yorker, August 8, 2005. Accessed August 9, 2007. "He liked to say that he was a man of the nineteenth century —he was born in 1895, in Red Bank, New Jersey—and to explain that his values and assumptions, his whole understanding of literary and intellectual life, were products of a particular moment."

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