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}}Template:Main other Perth Amboy is a city in northeastern Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York Metro Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 55,436.<ref name=Census2020/><ref name=LWD2020/> Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to its location adjoining Raritan Bay.<ref name=NYT2001/><ref>Reyes, Raul A. "How A Local New Jersey Latina Became Mayor, Rising Political Star", NBC News, November 16, 2015. Accessed December 18, 2019. "Perth Amboy, N.J. – To spend a morning with Mayor Wilda Diaz in this “City by the Bay” is to understand the meaning of local celebrity."</ref>

The earliest residents of the area were the Lenape Native Americans, who called the point on which the city lies "Ompoge". Perth Amboy was settled in 1683 by Scottish colonists and was called "New Perth" after James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth; the native name was eventually corrupted and the two names were merged. Perth Amboy was formed by Royal charter in 1718, and the New Jersey Legislature reaffirmed its status in 1784, after independence. The city was a capital of the Province of New Jersey from 1686 to 1776. During the mid-1800s, the Industrial Revolution and immigration grew the city, developing a variety of neighborhoods which residents from a diverse range of ethnicities lived in. The city developed into a resort town for the Raritan Bayshore near it, but the city has grown in other industries since its redevelopment starting in the 1990s. Its residents are mostly Hispanic.<ref name="Record2011" />

Perth Amboy borders the Arthur Kill and features a historic waterfront. The Perth Amboy Ferry Slip was once an important ferry slip on the route south from New York City; it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The Raritan Yacht Club, one of the oldest yacht clubs in the United States, is located in the city. Perth Amboy is connected to the Staten Island borough of New York City via the Outerbridge Crossing.

HistoryEdit

NameEdit

The Lenape Native Americans called the point on which the city is built "Ompoge", meaning "level ground"<ref name=NYT2001>Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In/Perth Amboy; A Waterfront City Planning a Comeback", The New York Times, December 2, 2001. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The City by the Bay, as Perth Amboy calls itself, has a proud history. Founded in 1683, it was the first city in New Jersey to be chartered by the Crown, in 1718.... The name Perth Amboy comes from the Earl of Perth, one of the proprietors of New Jersey under the royal grant, and the Leni Lenape Indian word 'ompage', meaning 'level ground.'"</ref> or "standing or upright".<ref>The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, May 1945, p. 26. Accessed December 18, 2019.</ref> When settled in 1683, the new city was dubbed "New Perth" in honor of James Drummond, Earl of Perth, one of the 12 associates of a company of Scottish proprietors; Drummond has been honored with a statue located outside of city hall.<ref name=CN2018>Makin, Bob. "Walking guide to Perth Amboy's Colonial, Revolutionary War history", Courier News, June 28, 2018. Accessed December 18, 2019. "Outside city hall is a statue of James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth, a Scottish statesmen who partnered with William Penn in the settlement of East Jersey in 1681. In 1683, he and Penn were among the 12 Proprietors who established the city as a port, fishery and trading post. Perth Amboy is named in the Earl’s honor, Amboy being an Anglicizing of the Lenape word for valley, 'ompoge.'"</ref> The Algonquian language name persisted, corrupted to Ambo, or Point Amboy, and eventually a combination of the native and colonial names emerged, also appearing in South Amboy.<ref name=WPA>Compiled by the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Project Administration Project for the State of New Jersey New Jersey A Guide to Its Past and Present, p. 362. Works Project Administration, reprinted by US History Publishers, 2007. Template:ISBN. Accessed August 8, 2014.</ref><ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 17, 2015.</ref><ref>Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 243. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed September 17, 2015.</ref>

Scottish colonyEdit

Perth Amboy was settled by Scottish colonists around 1683 who had been recruited to inhabit the share of the East Jersey colony owned by Robert Barclay, a Quaker who would later become the absentee governor of the province.<ref>DeAngelo, Walter A. The History Buff's Guide to Middlesex County Template:Webarchive, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The City of Perth Amboy (originally known as Scottish Colony) was founded by Robert Barclay in 1683 (Perth Amboy received a Royal City Charter in 1718)."</ref><ref>Klett, Joseph R. "Using the Records of East and West Jersey Proprietors", New Jersey State Archives, 2014. Accessed April 9, 2015. "Scottish Colony, 1683 – Following the purchase of a share of East Jersey by Scottish Quaker and later Governor Robert Barclay, Scottish settlers were recruited and began to arrive in Perth Amboy and surrounding areas beginning in 1683. Most were not Quakers, but rather Calvinists from Edinburgh, Montrose, Aberdeen and Kelso. Settlers and their servants were granted lots in Perth Amboy and areas of Monmouth County. Perth Amboy became the capital of East New Jersey in 1686."</ref>

Charter and incorporationEdit

Perth Amboy was formed by Royal charter on August 4, 1718, within various townships and again by the New Jersey Legislature on December 21, 1784, within Perth Amboy Township and from part of Woodbridge Township. Perth Amboy Township was formed on October 31, 1693, and was enlarged during the 1720s to encompass Perth Amboy city. Perth Amboy Township was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships through the Township Act of 1798 on February 21, 1798. The township was replaced by Perth Amboy city on April 8, 1844.<ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 172. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref>

Provincial capitalEdit

Elizabeth (then known as Elizabethtown) was designated in 1668 as the first capital of New Jersey.<ref>Was Trenton NJ's only capital? If not what other city was?, New Jersey History's Mysteries, updated July 14, 2011. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The very first capital of New Jersey was Elizabethtown (now Elizabeth) named in 1668 when the original Proprietors, Lord Berkeley and George Carteret, send Philip Carteret to govern their new possession. Later they moved the capital to Perth Amboy in 1686, and when New Jersey was divided into East and West Jersey, Burlington became the capital of the latter, and Perth Amboy remained the capital of the former. In 1702, New Jersey became a Royal Colony, but both towns remained capitals and the Royal Governors split time between the two (when they didn't govern from New York City, but that is another story)."</ref> In 1686, Perth Amboy was designated as the capital of East Jersey, while Burlington was the capital of West Jersey. After the two were united as a royal colony in 1702, the two cities alternated as the capital of the Province of New Jersey until November 1790, when Trenton was designated as the unified state capital, chosen based on its location midway between New York City and Philadelphia.<ref>Stansfield, Charles A. A Geography of New Jersey: The City in the Garden, p. 79. Rutgers University Press, 1998. Template:ISBN Accessed December 18, 2019. "Until the Revolution, the royal governor and legislature migrated back and forth from East Jersey's capital, Perth Amboy, to Burlington, capital of West Jersey."</ref><ref>Ryan, Joe. "Looking Back: Lawmakers call Trenton home", The Star-Ledger, November 25, 2007, updated April 2, 2019. Accessed December 18, 2019. "On Nov. 25, 1790, the New Jersey Legislature ended its years of wandering and named Trenton the state capital.... Elizabeth was the first Colonial capital, followed by Perth Amboy and Burlington as the capitals of East and West Jersey in 1676. Trenton, named for Philadelphia merchant William Trent, was well positioned on the Delaware River, roughly halfway between New York and Philadelphia."</ref>

A few of the buildings from this early period can still be seen today.<ref name=CN2018/> Most notably, the Proprietary House, the home of William Franklin, the last Royal Governor of New Jersey and estranged son of Benjamin Franklin, still stands in the waterfront area of the city. Architect John Edward Pryor was hired in 1761 to design and construct the building, which was completed in September 1764, years late and over budget. Franklin preferred his alternate home in Burlington.<ref>Construction 1762 -1764, Proprietary House. Accessed December 18, 2019. "On March 25, 1761, the Board of the Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey (to give them their full title) proposed to construct a fine mansion worthy of serving as the residence of the Royal Governors. They hired the English architect and builder John Edward Pryor to design and build what they called the 'Proprietary House in Amboy.'... Troubled by cost overruns and delays that almost ruined Pryor, major construction was at last completed in September of 1764.... New Jersey's royal governor at the time was William Franklin. London was slow to support his plan to buy the mansion in Perth Amboy and he had heavily invested in a fine estate in Burlington, closer to Philadelphia where his family still resided."</ref> Franklin finally moved in 1774 into the Proprietary House. Franklin's father, Ben, tried unsuccessfully to convince his son to support the Colonial cause. William Franklin was arrested and detained at Proprietary House in 1776 until he was tried and convicted of treason.<ref>Royal Governor 1774 -1776, Proprietary House. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The Franklins didn’t move into Proprietary House until 1774. Their time there would be short but fateful. With the outbreak of hostilities between the colonies and Britain in 1775, high drama played out at the governor’s mansion when Ben Franklin visited and tried in vain to win his Loyalist son over to the cause of independence. But William remained loyal to the crown. The New Jersey Assembly ordered the Governor held under house arrest at Proprietary House in January 1776 and removed him for trial in June of the same year."</ref>

Perth Amboy City Hall was first built as a court house for Middlesex County in 1714, having been designated as the county seat the previous year. The building was later used as the home of the East Jersey Provincial Assembly. The building was destroyed by a major fire in 1731 and rebuilt in 1745. Another fire was deliberately set in 1764, forcing a rebuilding that was completed in 1767.<ref>National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form for Perth Amboy City Hall, National Park Service, received November 1980. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The Perth Amboy City Hall, believed to be the oldest municipal office still in use in the United States and constructed during the years 1713-1714, began its existence as a combination jail and court house. It was built in response to Perth Amboy's designation in 1713 by the Provincial Assembly (Legislature) of New Jersey as the location for the Middlesex County Court House and Jail. City Hall also became the meeting place of the Provincial Assembly when it sat in East Jersey (since Perth Amboy was its capital) and the site wherein New Jersey's Royal Governors were inaugurated. As such, City Hall was a seat of 'state' government at this time."</ref> It is the oldest city hall in continuous use in the United States.<ref>Martin, Antoinette. "In the Region/New Jersey; 'New Urbanism' Is Driving a Big Waterfront Project", The New York Times, April 18, 2004. Accessed November 28, 2011. "Perth Amboy is home to the only official Royal Governor's Palace still intact from colonial days, a mansion built for Governor William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin, who moved into the house in 1774. Perth Amboy is also home to the oldest City Hall in continuous use in the United States."</ref><ref name= CofPA>The History of Perth Amboy, City of Perth Amboy, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 13, 2011. Accessed December 18, 2019. "Perth Amboy is also home to the oldest City Hall in continuous use in the United States, built during 1714-1717 or 1718, to serve as the County courthouse and jail."</ref> On November 20, 1789, City Hall was the site where the New Jersey General Assembly met to ratify the Bill of Rights, becoming the first state in the nation to do so.<ref>Russell, Suzanne. "Veterans Day Celebration", Courier News, November 11, 2014. Accessed December 18, 2019. "In 1789 Perth Amboy was the capital of New Jersey. Members of the General Assembly of New Jersey met in the courthouse, now part of City Hall, to ratify the Bill of Rights. William Livingston was governor of New Jersey at that time and on Nov. 20, 1789 the Bill of Rights was ratified in Perth Amboy, officials said. The document became a part of the Constitution on Dec. 10, 1791."</ref>

Market Square, located across from City Hall, is a park that had been an outdoor marketplace during the Colonial era. Market Square includes a replica of the Liberty Bell, a statue of George Washington, and the Bill of Rights Arch, which commemorates the fact that New Jersey was the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.<ref>Assembly Resolution No. 63 State of New Jersey 217th LegislatureTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed December 18, 2019. "Whereas, It was in Perth Amboy City Hall that the State of New Jersey became the first state in the country to ratify the Bill of Rights on November 20, 1789, and this event is commemorated by the Bill of Rights Arch, located in Market Square Park; and Whereas, Market Square Park, commonly referred to as City Hall Park or City Hall Circle, celebrates and stands as a monument to the City of Perth Amboy’s historical significance, and contains the Bill of Rights Arch and an exact replica of the Liberty Bell"</ref>

St. Peter's Church, which held its first service in 1685 and received a royal charter in 1718, has been recognized as the first Episcopal congregation in the state. Its current building, dating from the 1850s, is surrounded by a graveyard of early inhabitants and displays a collection of stained-glass windows with religious scenes as well as early depictions of New Jersey receiving her charter and a meeting between William Franklin and his father, Ben.<ref>History, St. Peter's Church. Accessed December 18, 2019. "St. Peter’s is proud to be the oldest Episcopal parish in New Jersey. Historic records show that the first service was held in 1685. Our first rector arrived from England in 1698. In our history we have had twenty-six rectors, only four since 1914. Our royal charter was received in 1718, the same year as the city of Perth Amboy received its charter."</ref>

Perth Amboy was New Jersey's primary inbound port for African slaves.<ref>Secret History of a Northern Slave State Retrieved March 28, 2020</ref>

The Kearny Cottage is a remaining example of 18th-century vernacular architecture. Operated as a historic house museum and operated by the Kearny Cottage Historical Society. Built in 1781 on High Street, the house was moved to Sadowski Parkway in the 1920s, and was later relocated to its current site at 63 Catalpa Avenue, just inland from the mouth of the Raritan River.<ref>Kearny Cottage Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Historic Trust. Accessed December 18, 2019. "Constructed in 1781, Kearny Cottage is a rare surviving example of an eighteenth- century vernacular residence in urban Perth Amboy. Once home to the successful and influential Kearney family, the cottage has since served as Perth Amboy's sole museum and repository for local historical memorabilia since the 1920s."</ref><ref>Home Page, Kearny Cottage. Accessed December 18, 2019. "Built in 1781, the four-room cottage is a museum operated by Kearny Cottage Historical Society and serves as a repository for many items donated by citizens of Perth Amboy reflecting the maritime history of its owners and the city."</ref>

During the colonial period and for a significant time thereafter, Perth Amboy was an important way-station for travelers between New York City and Philadelphia, as it was the site of a ferry that crossed the Arthur Kill to Tottenville, Staten Island. The first ferry operated in 1684 and regular service began operating in 1709. This ferry became less important when the Outerbridge Crossing opened in 1928, but continued to operate until 1963.<ref>"Staten Island Ferry facts and vintage photos", Staten Island Advance, October 21, 2016, updated January 3, 2019. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The Perth Amboy Ferry slip, located on Arthur Kill Road, was once a vital slip for vessels entering and exiting New York Harbor -- ferry service dates back to 1684, with regular service beginning in 1709. It was operational until 1963.... It became less important with the opening of the Outerbridge Crossing in 1928."</ref> In 1998, the Perth Amboy Ferry Slip was restored to its 1904 appearance.<ref>Laub, Donald. "New Jersey Side of the Tottenville Ferry", New York Public Library, February 7, 2008. Accessed August 18, 2013.</ref> A replica of the ticket office has been constructed and is used as a small museum.<ref name=CofPA/><ref name="Perth Amboy">Perth Amboy Tottenville Ferry Slip HS, Raritan-Millstone Heritage Alliance, backed up by the Internet Archive as of November 21, 2008. Accessed April 9, 2015.</ref>

On March 31, 1870, Thomas Mundy Peterson became the first African-American in the United States to vote in an election under the recently enacted provisions of the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.<ref>Ginxburg, Ralph. "Perth Amboy Church Is 302 And Counting", The New York Times February 15, 1987. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The first black man to vote in America, Thomas Mundy Peterson, was a member of St. Peter's and is buried in its graveyard. He voted in the Perth Amboy mayoral election of March 31, 1870, one day after adoption of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution."</ref> Peterson voted in an election to update the Perth Amboy city charter.<ref>"Thomas Peterson Casts the First Vote", University of Richmond. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The first African American to take advantage of the new right to vote was Thomas Mundy Peterson. Peterson cast his historic vote on March 31, 1870. The iconic vote was cast in a local election in Perth Amboy, New Jersey for the town’s charter. Gary Sullivan of the News Tribune stated, 'Exercising his right to vote in a local election on March 31, 1870. Peterson became the first black man in the United States to cast a ballot. The amendment had been ratified on February 3, 1870, and within just two months the Fifteenth Amendment was put to use.'"</ref>

Industrialization and immigrationEdit

By the middle of the 19th century, immigration and industrialization transformed Perth Amboy. Factories such as A. Hall and Sons Terra Cotta, Guggenheim and Sons and the Copper Works Smelting Company fueled a thriving downtown and employed many area residents. Growth was further stimulated by becoming the tidewater terminal for the Lehigh Valley Railroad and a coal shipping point.<ref>The Path of the Black Diamond; A history of one company’s undertaking to distribute Anthracite coal within New England. The Lehigh Valley Railroad & Bee Line Transportation Company, Sound Underwater Survey. Accessed December 18, 2019. "This competing action by the L&S necessitated a quick response by the LV, and resulted in the building of its extension eastward across New Jersey and the building of a salt water terminal by 1876. The line was built by acquiring the charters of two, as yet unbuilt railroads in New Jersey, and melding them into a single charter for a line titled Easton & Amboy Railroad (E&A). The eastern terminal was established at Perth Amboy, New Jersey, a salt water port at the confluence of the Arthur Kill and the Raritan River."</ref> Perth Amboy developed tightly-knit and insular ethnic neighborhoods such as Budapest, Dublin, and Chickentown.<ref>Wang, Paul W.; and Massopust, Katherine A. Perth Amboy, p. 19. Arcadia Publishing, 2009. Template:ISBN. Accessed September 22, 2016.</ref> Immigrants from Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Russia, and Austria quickly dominated the factory jobs.<ref name=WPA />

In 1903, the Perth Amboy Public Library, one of the first Carnegie libraries in the state, made possible through grants from Andrew Carnegie and donations by local philanthropists, opened to the public.<ref name=LibraryMission/><ref name=NYT1901>Staff. "Library for Perth Amboy; Mr. Carnegie Given $20,000 -- The City Secures a Site", The New York Times, March 14, 1901. Accessed September 8, 2018.</ref><ref name=CN2015/>

In 1914, Perth Amboy hosted a minor league baseball team called the Perth Amboy Pacers, who played as members of the Class D level Atlantic League. The Atlantic League folded after one season.<ref>1914 Perth Amboy Pacers, Baseball-Reference.com. Accessed April 9, 2015.</ref>

In late August 1923, an estimated 6,000 persons rioted, breaking through police lines after the Ku Klux Klan attempted to organize a meeting in the city.<ref>Staff. "Perth Amboy Mob In Anti-Klan Riot. Scores Are Beaten. Crowd of 6,000 Drive Ku Kluxers From Hall, Pummeling and Stoning Them. Police Tear Gas Futile. Fire Department Attempts to Halt Assault, but Rioters Cut Every Line of Hose.", The New York Times, August 31, 1923. Accessed September 8, 2018. "In the wildest disorder incident to Ku Klux Klan activities yet known in the East, a mob of 6,000 persons in Perth Amboy, N.J., last night overcame the combined police and fire departments of the town and broke up a meeting of 'Invisible Empire' subjects."</ref><ref>"The Battle of Perth Amboy (1923)", Stanley W. Rogouski, October 8, 2014. Accessed April 9, 2015.</ref>

The city was a resort town in the 19th century and early 20th century, located on the northern edge of the Raritan Bayshore. Since the early 1990s Perth Amboy has seen redevelopment. Small businesses have started to open up, helped by the city's designation as an Urban Enterprise Zone. The waterfront has also seen a rebirth. The marina has been extended, and there are new promenades, parks, and housing overlooking the bay.

The chapter "More Alarms at Night" in humorist James Thurber's biography My Life and Hard Times involves Perth Amboy. One night during his adolescence in Ohio, young Thurber is unable to go to sleep because he cannot remember the name of this New Jersey community. He wakens his father, demanding that he start naming towns in New Jersey. When the startled father names several towns with single-word names, Thurber replies that the name he is seeking is "two words, like helter skelter". This convinces his father that Thurber has become dangerously insane. Thurber also wrote the story later made into the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, about an "inconsequential guy from Perth Amboy, New Jersey".<ref name=Mitty>Staff. "Review: 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'", Variety, December 31, 1946. Accessed April 9, 2015. "Thurber's whole conception of Mitty was an inconsequential fellow from Perth Amboy, NJ, to whom nothing – but nothing – ever happened and who, as a result, lived a 'secret life' via his excursions into daydreaming."</ref> Perth Amboy's water pumping station is located in Old Bridge Township.<ref>Haydon, Tom. "Old Bridge seeks to pump own water from reservoir in effort to reduce costs", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 12, 2010. Accessed September 22, 2016. "Middlesex Water Company takes water from the large reservoir that Perth Amboy built on property the city purchased in Old Bridge in the 1920s. The city turned over operation of the reservoir, known as the Runyon Watershed, to the water company more than 10 years ago."</ref>

GeographyEdit

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 5.93 square miles (15.36 km2), including 4.66 square miles (12.07 km2) of land and 1.27 square miles (3.28 km2) of water (21.37%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

Perth Amboy, and South Amboy across the Raritan River, are collectively referred to as The Amboys. Signage for Exit 11 on the New Jersey Turnpike refers to "The Amboys" as a destination. The Amboys are the northern limit of the area informally referred to as the Bayshore.

Perth Amboy borders Woodbridge (adjacent by land to the north and west), Sayreville (to the southwest, across the Raritan River), South Amboy (south across the upper reaches of Raritan Bay, directly connected only by rail), and the New York City borough of Staten Island (east across the Arthur Kill).<ref>Areas touching Perth Amboy, MapIt. Accessed March 2, 2020.</ref><ref>Municipalities, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Accessed March 2, 2020.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Barber, Eagleswood and Florida Grove.<ref>Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2015.</ref>

Perth Amboy sits on a geological layer of clay several hundred feet thick. Consequently, clay mining and factories such as A. Hall and Sons Terra Cotta located in Perth Amboy in the late 19th century.<ref>Report of the Clay Deposits of Woodbridge, South Amboy and Other Places of New Jersey, Together With Their Uses for Fire Brick, Pottery, Etc., Geological Survey of New Jersey, 1878. Accessed December 18, 2019.</ref>

In its September 2005 issue, Golf Magazine named Perth Amboy the unofficial "Golf Capital of the U.S.", despite the fact that there are no golf courses within the city limits, citing the city's access to 25 of the magazine's Top 100 Golf Courses in the U.S., which can be found within Template:Convert of Perth Amboy.<ref>"The Golf Capital of the U.S.", Golf Magazine, backed up by the Internet Archive as of November 11, 2007. Accessed December 19, 2019. "Amboy, N.J. (perhaps best known as Bon Jovi's early stomping grounds) is an easy drive from a quarter of the best golf courses in the country, making it the unofficial golf capital of the United States. Exactly 25 of our Top 100 Golf Courses in the U.S. are found less than 150 miles from Perth Amboy -- creating a hub of great American golf."</ref>

File:Victorian homes in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.jpg
Typical Victorians on High Street
File:Perth Amboy waterfront Arthur Kill.jpg
Arthur Kill along waterfront walkway just south of Ferry Slip

WaterfrontEdit

Perth Amboy features a historic waterfront, which has gone through significant revitalization. Local attractions include the Perth Amboy Ferry Slip, two small museums, an art gallery, a yacht club, and a marina. Near the marina lies a park with a small bandshell. On Sunday afternoons in the summertime, Perth Amboy hosts the Concerts by the Bay in the park's bandshell. Every Thursday evening in the summer, Perth Amboy hosts the Mayor's Concert Series in Bayview Park. Perth Amboy also hosts an annual Waterfront Arts Festival. The waterfront is also characterized by a redbrick promenade near the water and many stately Victorian homes, some on hills overlooking the bay and tree lined streets with well-manicured lawns. The land rises steeply after two blocks. This hides the rest of the town, making the waterfront look like a quiet fishing village. Points of interest on the waterfront include St. Peter's Episcopal Church, and the Proprietary House, which is now the former governor's mansion and houses a museum and some offices. Kearny Cottage, which also has a museum, is here. This section of Perth Amboy once had a thriving Jewish community with yeshivas, synagogues, kosher butchers and bakers.<ref>Silverstein, Marilyn. "Rabbi hopes to bring renaissance to shul" Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Jewish News, June 17, 2004, accessed April 11, 2007. "'Once upon a time, Perth Amboy was the hub of a thriving Jewish community', observed Rabbi Israel Einhorn. 'Perth Amboy used to be the No. 1 shtetl in New Jersey. They had butchers, bakers, yeshivas,' Einhorn said as he sat in his office at Congregation Shaarey Tefiloh, an Orthodox shul on the waterfront in the economically depressed town."</ref> Today, however, there are only two synagogues left, each with only a few older members.

A project called 'The Landings at Harborside' was to have featured 2,100 residential units along with indoor parking, Template:Convert of retail space, a community center, and recreation amenities for the public as well.<ref>Top Projects Started 2003-2004: The Landings at HarborSide, New York Construction, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 1, 2011. Accessed December 19, 2019. "The Landings at HarborSide - one of the largest comprehensive redevelopment projects in the United States between a private developer and municipality - is a comprehensive, eight-year $600 million plan that incorporates residential and retail development, recreation, parks, marina and future hotel site."</ref> However, after meeting with Charles Kushner, the developer who spent two years in prison after being convicted of witness tampering, tax evasion and making illegal campaign contributions, Mayor Wilda Diaz endorsed a scaled-back design concept for the development, allowing Section 8 housing rentals instead of owner-occupied units as originally promised.<ref>Russell, Suzanne. "Perth Amboy's Landings at Harborside project takes new direction", Home News Tribune, September 16, 2011, backed up by the Internet Archive as of April 2, 2015. Accessed December 19, 2019.</ref>

The Raritan Yacht Club is the state's second-oldest and one of the oldest yacht clubs in the United States, founded in 1882 from the merger of two older clubs, one founded in 1865 and the other in 1874.<ref>Raritan Yacht Club, 1683 Society. Accessed December 19, 2019. "The Club itself was established in 1882 from two others, the Carteret Boat Club (1865) and the Perth Amboy Yacht Club (1874), making it the second oldest yacht club in New Jersey and one of the oldest in the country."</ref><ref>America's Oldest Yacht Clubs, Yachting Club of America. Accessed December 19, 2019.</ref> Also located on the waterfront and founded in 1917, St. Demetrios was one of the first Greek Orthodox churches in central New Jersey. Established by the Greek immigrants who came to the United States at the turn of the 19th century, this community has stood as a beacon of the Orthodox Faith and Hellenism in Middlesex County.<ref>Parish History, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church – Perth Amboy. Accessed December 19, 2019. Founded in 1917, St. Demetrios was one of the first Greek Orthodox churches in central New Jersey."</ref>

Downtown Perth AmboyEdit

File:PA Bank.jpg
The Perth Amboy National Bank Building at the Five Corners

Perth Amboy was settled by Europeans in 1683 and incorporated as a city in 1718. It was founded by English merchants, Scots seeking religious freedom, and French Protestants, who sought to make use of Perth Amboy's harbor to its full potential. Downtown is the main commercial district, and is centered on Smith Street. It is an Urban Enterprise Zone, and the reduced sales tax rate (half of the statewide rate) funds revitalization of Smith Street with newly planted trees, Victorian streetlights, benches, garbage cans, and redbrick sidewalks.<ref>Urban Enterprise Zone - An Invitation from the Chief Administrator Template:Webarchive, City of Perth Amboy. Accessed November 28, 2011.</ref><ref name=NJUEZ>Geographic & Urban Redevelopment Tax Credit Programs, State of New Jersey, backed up by the Internet Archive as of January 3, 2010. Accessed January 24, 2012.</ref> Smith Street is a shopping center seven blocks wide, with stores catering to working-class customers. The street is flanked by mainly two- to three-story buildings of varied architecture. It also has a lone bank skyscraper called 'Amboy Towers', 10 stories tall, located at Five Corners, the intersection of Smith Street, New Brunswick Avenue and State Street.<ref>Russell, Suzanne C. "City landmark to return to glory days" Template:Webarchive, Home News Tribune, February 17, 2005. Accessed November 28, 2011. "The Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency and Wilshire Enterprises, owners of Amboy Towers, also known as the Five Corners Building... He said the building, the tallest in Perth Amboy, is a city landmark."</ref> Once home to several department stores downtown, the largest storefront today is a discount retailer.

HarbortownEdit

File:Tottenville ferry pilings jeh.JPG
Looking across Arthur Kill to Harbortown (center)

Harbortown is a townhouse development on the waterfront which continues to be expanded since construction started in 1987. "Section 8" housing along with more affluent homes can be found in Harbortown, an economically and ethnically diverse townhouse development in the city.<ref>Deas, Wayne L. "Perth Amboy's Rebirth Tied To Project", The New York Times, August 16, 1987. Accessed July 14, 2012. "The massive Harbortown waterfront development will displace the old Union Carbide warehouse near State and Parker streets on Arthur Kill. The multi-million-dollar development is to consist of 2,250 town houses, a marina, lagoon and restaurant along 120 acres of the waterfront."</ref>

This area was the Lehigh Valley Railroad marshaling yards where coal was loaded onto barges for shipment to New York City and elsewhere until the LVRR went bankrupt in 1976.<ref>Heiss, Ralph A. Lehigh Valley Railroad Across New Jersey, Arcadia Publishing, 2009. Template:ISBN. Accessed December 19, 2019.</ref>

Hall AvenueEdit

Hall Avenue is a neighborhood centered on Hall Avenue east of the NJ Transit train tracks. The street itself, Hall Avenue, is no longer the commercial strip it once was. However, there is a recently built strip mall on the corner of Hall Avenue and State Street called the "Firehouse Plaza". There is also a "Banco Popular" branch of the bank headquartered in Puerto Rico. However, Hall Avenue is now primarily residential. Most of the homes are aging apartments, but there are also some newly constructed homes. Hall Avenue remains a traditional Puerto Rican neighborhood, and it hosts the city's annual Puerto Rican Day Festival, which is held on the same day of the historic Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City.<ref>Staff. "Puerto Rican Festival This Weekend", News Record, June 9, 2011. Accessed January 24, 2012.</ref> Rudyk Park is north of Route 440 and features the Roberto Clemente Baseball Field and an industrial park.

Southwestern sectionEdit

The southwestern section is a mainly working-class residential neighborhood with some light industry, once the site of Eagleswood Military Academy. The city's largest strip mall is located here. This neighborhood has a large and diversified Hispanic neighborhood with many Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and recently, South Americans. Much of the city's Mexican population also lives in this section. Previously, this section of Perth Amboy had a large Irish population and was once named "Dublin". Following the Irish came the Eastern Europeans, primarily Polish and Hungarian. Most of the housing consists of small one- or two-family houses. The main commercial strip is Smith Street, west of the NJ Transit train tracks.

Western sectionEdit

The western section of the waterfront is west of Kearny Avenue. It is an overwhelmingly blue-collar Hispanic neighborhood. Most of the homes are over 100 years old; many are modest row houses. Sadowski Parkway Park lines through the southern end of the neighborhood and has a walkway with a beach. The park also hosts the Dominican festival and other festivals during the summer.

State StreetEdit

State Street is a neighborhood east of the NJ Transit train tracks, north of Fayette Street, and south of Harbortown. Like the southwestern section of Perth Amboy, it is predominantly working-class Hispanic. In addition, this neighborhood had many industries and factories before they moved overseas. The neighborhood is mainly Caribbean Hispanic. This section once had a large Cuban community. The State and Fayette Gardens, an apartment complex in the neighborhood, were called "The Cuban Buildings" at one time. The Landings at Harborside redevelopment project is being constructed in this neighborhood.

Amboy AvenueEdit

Amboy Avenue is a quasi-suburban, working to middle-class neighborhood. It is also referred to as the "Hospital section" or the "High School section" due to the fact that these places are located in the neighborhood. Today most residents are Hispanic; Amboy Avenue once had a strong Italian population.

MaurerEdit

Maurer is a chiefly working to middle-class neighborhood that lies in the northern part of Route 440. It is heavily industrial with many oil refineries and brownfields. Like Amboy Avenue, it is quasi-suburban.

ChickentownEdit

Chickentown is a neighborhood in the western part of Route 35 south of Spa Springs, just south of Route 440. It shares many of the same characteristics of Spa Springs but to a lesser extent. The city's largest park, Washington Park, is located here. It received its name from all the chicken farms (hens and eggs) that were located here before World War II.

ClimateEdit

Perth Amboy has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) typical of New Jersey with hot, humid summers and cold, wet winters.

Template:Weather box

DemographicsEdit

Template:US Census population The city is one of many U.S. communities with a majority Hispanic population.

2010 censusEdit

The 2010 United States census counted 50,814 people, 15,419 households, and 11,456 families in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 16,556 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 50.26% (25,541) White, 10.54% (5,358) Black or African American, 1.10% (561) Native American, 1.69% (859) Asian, 0.05% (27) Pacific Islander, 30.77% (15,634) from other races, and 5.58% (2,834) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 78.10% (39,685) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/> The city's Hispanic population was the second-highest percentage among municipalities in New Jersey as of the 2010 Census, ranked behind Union City with 84.7%.<ref name=Record2011>Mascarenhas, Rohan. "Census data shows Hispanics as the largest minority in N.J.", The Star-Ledger, February 3, 2011. Accessed August 7, 2013.</ref>

Of the 15,419 households, 40.0% had children under the age of 18; 40.1% were married couples living together; 24.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 25.7% were non-families. Of all households, 20.3% were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.25 and the average family size was 3.65.<ref name=Census2010/>

27.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.3 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $47,696 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,644) and the median family income was $53,792 (+/− $2,943). Males had a median income of $38,485 (+/− $2,450) versus $30,078 (+/− $3,452) for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,162 (+/− $933). About 16.3% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.8% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Perth Amboy city, Middlesex County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 24, 2012.</ref>

2000 censusEdit

As of the 2000 United States census<ref name="GR2" /> there were 47,303 people, 14,562 households, and 10,761 families residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 15,236 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 46.41% White, 10.04% African American, 0.70% Native American, 1.53% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 35.59% from other races, and 5.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 69.83% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Perth Amboy city Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 24, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Perth Amboy city, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 13, 2012.</ref>

There were 14,562 households, out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 21.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.20 and the average family size was 3.63.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the city the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the city was $37,608, and the median income for a family was $40,740. Males had a median income of $29,399 versus $21,954 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,989. About 14.3% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In 2000, 27.79% of Perth Amboy residents identified themselves as being of Puerto Rican ancestry, the fifth highest concentration of Puerto Ricans on the U.S. mainland of those municipalities with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.<ref>Puerto Rican Communities Template:Webarchive, EPodunk. Accessed July 7, 2006.</ref> In the same census, 18.81% of Perth Amboy residents identified themselves as being of Dominican ancestry, the third highest concentration in the country of Dominicans in the United States after Haverstraw, New York, and Lawrence, Massachusetts, using the same criteria.<ref>Dominican Communities Template:Webarchive, EPodunk. Accessed July 7, 2006.</ref>

EconomyEdit

Portions of the city are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. The city was selected in 1994 as one of a group of 10 zones added to participate in the program.<ref>Urban Enterprise Zone Tax Questions and Answers, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, May 2009. Accessed October 28, 2019. "In 1994 the legislation was amended and ten more zones were added to this successful economic development program. Of the ten new zones, six were predetermined: Paterson, Passaic, Perth Amboy, Phillipsburg, Lakewood, Asbury Park/Long Branch (joint zone). The four remaining zones were selected on a competitive basis. They are Carteret, Pleasantville, Union City and Mount Holly."</ref> In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the UEZ, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the Template:Frac% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants.<ref>Urban Enterprise Zone Program, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Accessed October 27, 2019. "Businesses participating in the UEZ Program can charge half the standard sales tax rate on certain purchases, currently 3.3125% effective 1/1/2018"</ref> Established in October 1994, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in October 2025.<ref>Urban Enterprise Zones Effective and Expiration Dates, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Accessed January 8, 2018.</ref> As of 2023, hundreds of millions of dollars were being invested in the redevelopment of Perth Amboy's waterfront area, in part related to its strategically-located industrial area.<ref name=PerthAmboyWaterfrontDRedevelopment>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

GovernmentEdit

Local governmentEdit

Template:Further The City of Perth Amboy is governed under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government under the Faulkner Act. The city is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the City Council, all of whom are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis. The city council includes five members, who are elected to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election in alternating even-numbered years. The mayor also serves a four-year term of office, which is up for election the same year that two council seats are up for vote.<ref name=DataBook>2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 87.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 10. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> In October 2010, the City Council voted to shift the city's non-partisan elections from May to November, with the first balloting held in conjunction with the General Election in November 2012.<ref>Stirling, Stephen. "Perth Amboy moves its non-partisan city elections to November", The Star-Ledger, October 31, 2010. Accessed May 10, 2013. "Perth Amboy's City Council voted 3-1 with 1 abstention to make the change at its Wednesday meeting and will hold its 2012 non-partisan general election in November."</ref>

Template:As of, the mayor of Perth Amboy is Helmin J. Caba, whose term of office ends December 31, 2024. Caba defeated former three-term mayor Wilda Diaz who had served 12 years in office from 2008 to 2020.<ref name=Mayor>Mayor, City of Perth Amboy. Accessed May 28, 2024.</ref> After trailing behind incumbent mayor Wilda Diaz by 33%-30% (a margin of more than 400 votes) in the November 2020 general election, he won the mayoral runoff election against Wilda Diaz on December 15, 2020.<ref>Pizarro, Max. "Diaz Loses in Perth Amboy", Insider NJ, December 18, 2020. Accessed July 19, 2022. "She and Caba both made the runoff on the strength of their Nov. 3rd performances but Caba eventually beat her in a dogfight: 4,748 to 4,118, with provisional ballots still pending but not enough."</ref> Members of the City Council are Hailey V. Cruz (2026), Rose B. Morales (2024), Kenneth Puccio (2026), Milady Tejeda (2026) and Bienvenido "BJ" Torres (2024).<ref>City Council, City of Perth Amboy. Accessed May 28, 2024.</ref><ref>2024 Municipal Data Sheet, City of Perth Amboy. Accessed May 28, 2024.</ref><ref name=Middlesex2022>November 8, 2022 General Election Official Results, Middlesex County, New Jersey, updated November 22, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Middlesex2020>Election Results 2020, Middlesex County, New Jersey, as certified on November 20, 2020. Accessed January 21, 2021.</ref>

In the November 2014 general election, Fernando Gonzalez came in third place, winning the final seat up for election ahead of Sergio Diaz by nine votes. In March 2015, a Superior Court judge ordered a special election between Diaz and Gonzalez after finding that votes had been illegally cast and that there was evidence of fraud in mail voting.<ref>Staff. "Special election in Perth Amboy after judge rules voter fraud", MyCentralJersey.com, March 25, 2015. Accessed April 9, 2015. "A special election will be held for a city council position here after a judge's ruling on Wednesday found voter fraud occurred during the November 2014 election. Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Heidi Currier ordered a new election to be held in 45 to 50 days, as required by law, thereby vacating the election of Fernando Gonzalez. Gonzalez defeated Sergio Diaz by nine votes in November."</ref> In the special election, Gonzalez beat Diaz by a 112-vote margin.<ref>Bichao, Sergio. "Perth Amboy do-over election ends with mayor's critic winning again", Courier News, May 13, 2015. Accessed July 13, 2016. "After a hotly-contested special election Tuesday for a seat on the City Council, voters backed Fernando Gonzalez — the same candidate who had won in November by just nine votes.... Diaz on Tuesday received 1,298 machine votes while Gonzalez received 1,273. But with the mail-in votes, Gonzalez had 1,488 votes to 1,376."</ref>

Federal, state and county representationEdit

Perth Amboy is located in the 6th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>Plan Components Report, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 19th state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>Districts by Number for 2011-2020, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref>

Template:NJ Congress 06 Template:NJ Senate

Template:NJ Legislative 19

Template:NJ Middlesex County Commissioners

PoliticsEdit

As of March 2011, there were a total of 22,737 registered voters in Perth Amboy, of which 9,212 (40.5%) were registered as Democrats, 1,022 (4.5%) were registered as Republicans and 12,500 (55.0%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered to either the Libertarian Party or the Green Party.<ref>Voter Registration Summary - Middlesex Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed November 25, 2012.</ref>

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 87.0% of the vote (11,774 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 12.3% (1,667 votes), and other candidates with 0.7% (100 votes), among the 13,869 ballots cast by the city's 24,253 registered voters (328 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 57.2%.<ref name=2012Elections>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 81.6% of the vote (10,999 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 16.8% (2,261 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (91 votes), among the 13,473 ballots cast by the city's 23,248 registered voters, for a turnout of 58.0%.<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Middlesex County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed November 25, 2012.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 71.0% of the vote (8,677 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 27.5% (3,359 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (79 votes), among the 12,223 ballots cast by the city's 21,686 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 56.4.<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Middlesex County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed November 25, 2012.</ref>

Presidential Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2024<ref name="2024Elections">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|44.5% 6,209 style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|53.3% 7,430 2.2% 268
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2020<ref name="2020Elections">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|27.7% 4,246 style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|71.3% 10,929 1.0% 104
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2016<ref name="2016Elections">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|16.2% 2,278 style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|81.2% 10,915 2.1% 281
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2012<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|12.3% 1,667 style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|87.0% 11,774 0.7% 100
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2008<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Middlesex County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed January 9, 2025.</ref> style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|16.8% 2,261 style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|81.6% 10,999 0.7% 91
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2004<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Middlesex County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed January 9, 2025.</ref> style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|27.5% 3,359 style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|71.0% 8,677 0.4% 79

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 63.1% of the vote (3,574 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 35.6% (2,014 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (74 votes), among the 5,915 ballots cast by the city's 24,593 registered voters (253 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 24.1%.<ref name=2013Elections>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 69.8% of the vote (4,645 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 24.2% (1,611 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 3.4% (228 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (50 votes), among the 6,654 ballots cast by the city's 22,185 registered voters, yielding a 30.0% turnout.<ref>2009 Governor: Middlesex County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed November 25, 2012.</ref>

TransportationEdit

Roads and highwaysEdit

File:Victory Bridge from US 9.JPG
Victory Bridge from US 9

Template:As of, the city had a total of Template:Convert of roadways, of which Template:Convert were maintained by the municipality, Template:Convert by Middlesex County, Template:Convert by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and Template:Convert by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.<ref>Middlesex County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, March 2019. Accessed January 18, 2021.</ref>

The city is crisscrossed by many many major roads and highways.<ref>Middlesex County Road Map, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed December 1, 2019.</ref> Major roads in the city include Route 35<ref>Route 35 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated March 2016. Accessed December 19, 2019.</ref> Route 184,<ref>Route 184 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated April 2016. Accessed December 19, 2019.</ref> Route 440,<ref>Route 440 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated May 2016. Accessed December 19, 2019.</ref> CR 501<ref>Middlesex County Route 501 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated June 2011. Accessed December 19, 2019.</ref> and CR 616.<ref>Middlesex County Route 616 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated January 2014. Accessed December 19, 2019.</ref>

The Outerbridge Crossing, which opened to traffic on June 29, 1928, is a cantilever bridge over the Arthur Kill that connects Perth Amboy with Staten Island. Known locally as the "Outerbridge", it is part of a major route on NY-440 / NJ-440 from the south and west to New York City and Long Island. Despite the assumption that the name is derived from its location as the southernmost bridge in New York State and Staten Island, the Outerbridge Crossing was named in honor of Eugenius H. Outerbridge, first Chairman of the Port Authority.<ref>Outerbridge Crossing History, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Accessed December 19, 2019.</ref> The bridge clears the channel by Template:Convert, providing passage for some of the largest ships entering the Port of New York and New Jersey.<ref>Outerbridge Crossing Facts & Info, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Accessed December 19, 2019.</ref>

File:Perth Amboy Station.jpg
Main entrance of Perth Amboy Station

The Victory Bridge carries Route 35 over the Raritan River, connecting Perth Amboy on the north with Sayreville to the south. From the time of its construction in 1926 until the Edison Bridge was completed in 1939, all traffic heading across the Raritan River was funneled through the Victory Bridge, whose original single-span swing bridge was replaced under a project completed in 2005 that provides two spans of traffic, including a Template:Convert main span that was the longest precast cantilever segmental construction in the United States at the time of its construction.<ref>Victory Bridge, Preservation New Jersey. Accessed December 24, 2019. "Until the completion of the Thomas Edison Bridge in 1939, the Victory Bridge served as the sole north–south crossing of the Raritan River on the eastern side of the state and carried all of the automobile traffic for what are the present-day routes 9, 34, and 35."</ref><ref>Lettiere announces completion of Route 35 Victory Bridge and Victory Circle Project, New Jersey Department of Transportation press release dated October 27, 2005. Accessed December 24, 2019. "The original Route 35 Victory Bridge was built in 1926, connecting the municipalities of Perth Amboy City and Sayreville Borough in Middlesex County. The 360-foot structure was the longest swing span bridge in New Jersey at the time it was built.... The Route 35 Victory Bridge provides a vital highway link over the Raritan River in Middlesex County. Its traffic volume currently exceeds 20,000 vehicles per day and is projected to exceed 25,000 vehicles per day by 2015. A combined 350,000 cars travel over the Raritan River each day via the Parkway, Route 35 and Route 9."</ref><ref>Figg, Linda; and Pate, W. Denney. "Precast Concrete Segmental Bridges -- America's Beautiful and Affordable Icons", PCI Journal, September–October 2004. Accessed December 24, 2019. "In 2004, the record for a balanced cantilever span length in America was broken again. With a fully match-cast, precast concrete main span of 440 ft (134.1 in), the current record holder is the new twin-span Victory Bridge in northern New Jersey. The 3971 ft (1210 m), $109 million precast concrete segmental bridge will carry traffic 110 ft (33.5 m) above the Raritan River between Perth Amboy and Sayreville, replacing a 1927 steel swing bridge."</ref>

Public transportationEdit

The city has NJ Transit train service at Perth Amboy Station.<ref>Perth Amboy station Template:Webarchive, NJ Transit. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref> The station provides service on the North Jersey Coast Line to Newark Penn Station, Hoboken Terminal, Secaucus Junction, New York Penn Station and the Jersey Shore.<ref>North Jersey Coast Line Template:Webarchive, NJ Transit. Accessed July 17, 2014.</ref>

NJ Transit buses serve the Port Authority Bus Terminal on the 116 route, Elizabeth on the 48 line, with local service available on the 813, 815, and 817 bus routes.<ref>Middlesex County Bus/Rail Connections, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 22, 2009. Accessed November 27, 2011.</ref><ref>Middlesex County Transit Guide, Middlesex County. Accessed April 1, 2023.</ref>

Bicycle regulationEdit

Since 1939, legal use of a bicycle in Perth Amboy requires a license issued by the Perth Amboy police department. The purchase and sale of used bicycles must be reported to the Perth Amboy police department. Any person operating a business engaged in the sale or purchase of new or used bicycles must file a daily report with the Chief of Police detailing the particulars of all transactions.<ref>City of Perth Amboy, NJ / Part II: General Legislation / Chapter 158 Bicycles Accessed April 20, 2021.</ref> There is at least one bicycle shop in Perth Amboy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

EducationEdit

Public schools in Perth Amboy are operated by Perth Amboy Public Schools, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.<ref>Perth Amboy Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 29, 2022. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Perth Amboy School District. Composition: The Perth Amboy School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Perth Amboy."</ref> The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke<ref>What We Do: History, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022. "In 1998, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in the Abbott v. Burke case that the State must provide 100 percent funding for all school renovation and construction projects in special-needs school districts. According to the Court, aging, unsafe and overcrowded buildings prevented children from receiving the "thorough and efficient" education required under the New Jersey Constitution.... Full funding for approved projects was authorized for the 31 special-needs districts, known as 'Abbott Districts'."</ref> which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority.<ref>What We Do, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022.</ref><ref>SDA Districts, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022.</ref>

As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of 12 schools, had an enrollment of 10,786 students and 898.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Perth Amboy Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Perth Amboy Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.</ref>) are Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center<ref>Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref> (with 667 students in Pre-K), Edmund Hmieleski Jr. Early Childhood Center<ref>Edmund Hmieleski Jr. Early Childhood Center, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref> (362; Pre-K), School #7 Early Childhood Center<ref>School #7 Early Childhood Center, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref> (NA; Pre-K), Anthony V. Ceres Elementary School<ref>Anthony V. Ceres Elementary School, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref> (581; K–4), James J. Flynn Elementary School<ref>James J. Flynn Elementary School, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref> (550; K–4), Rose M. Lopez Elementary School<ref>Rose M. Lopez Elementary School, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref> (812; K–3), Edward J. Patten Elementary Elementary School<ref>Edward J. Patten Elementary Elementary School, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref> (660; K–4), Dr. Herbert N. Richardson 21st Century Elementary School<ref>Dr. Herbert N. Richardson 21st Century Elementary School, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref> (491; K–4), Robert N. Wilentz Elementary School<ref>Robert N. Wilentz Elementary School, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref> (637; K–4), Dual Language School<ref>Dual Language School, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref> (397; 4–8), William C. McGinnis Middle School<ref>William C. McGinnis Middle School, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref> (1,398; 5–8), Samuel E. Shull Middle School<ref>Samuel E. Shull Middle School, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref> (1,410; 5–8) and Perth Amboy High School<ref>Perth Amboy High School, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref> (2,547; 9–12).<ref>Our Schools, Perth Amboy Public Schools. Accessed March 30, 2022.</ref><ref>School Performance Reports for the Perth Amboy Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 1, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for Perth Amboy Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>

Based on data from the 2013–2017 American Community Survey, 14.5% of adults over the age of 25 in Perth Amboy have a bachelor's degree or higher, a percentage significantly below the state average of 38.9% and the 42.7% of those in Middlesex County.<ref>QuickFacts for Perth Amboy city, New Jersey; Middlesex County, New Jersey; New Jersey from Population estimates, July 1, 2019, (V2019), United States Census Bureau. Accessed May 21, 2020.</ref>

The Academy for Urban Leadership Charter High School is a public high school serving grades 7–12 open since September 2010, operating independently of the Perth Amboy Public Schools under the terms of a charter granted by the New Jersey Department of Education. The school opened with one hundred 9th graders, with plans to add a class of 100 students each year until it reached its goal of 400 students in grades 9–12 by the 2013–2014 school year and has since added grades 7 and 8.<ref>Our School, Academy for Urban Leadership Charter High School. Accessed December 19, 2019. "The Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School is a public school that operates under a charter granted by the State Commissioner of Education on September 8, 2010. As of September 2016, AUL will be serving 500 students in grades 8-12, one hundred students per grade. In September 2017, AUL will be serving an additional one hundred students in grade 7."</ref> As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 414 students and 39.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.6:1.<ref>District information for Academy For Urban Leadership Charter School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref>

Eighth grade students from all of Middlesex County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Middlesex County Magnet Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at its schools in East Brunswick, Edison, Perth Amboy, Piscataway and Woodbridge Township, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.<ref>Heyboer, Kelly. "How to get your kid a seat in one of N.J.'s hardest-to-get-into high schools", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 23, 2019. Accessed February 8, 2025. "Middlesex County has two stand-alone career academies for high-achieving students: the Academy for Science, Math and Engineering Technology, located on the campus of Middlesex County College in Edison, and the Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences in Woodbridge. How to apply: Students must attend a mandatory information session and submit an application by November of their 8th grade year."</ref><ref>About Our Schools, Middlesex County Magnet Schools. Accessed February 8, 2025. "These high schools are free public schools that offer hands-on, integrated learning opportunities for students in grades 9-12 interested in all types of careers as well as higher education. Any student who resides anywhere in Middlesex County's 25 municipalities student may apply to the school district. If accepted, the home school district will permit the student to attend and will organize daily transportation at no cost to the student's family."</ref>

Assumption Catholic School (Pre-K–8)<ref>About Us, Assumption Catholic School. Accessed December 19, 2019.</ref> and Perth Amboy Catholic Primary School / Upper School (Pre-K–8)<ref>About Us, Perth Amboy Catholic School. Accessed December 19, 2019. "Since its inception in 1987, PACS has had the privilege of educating children from Perth Amboy and the surrounding area, as we live out our Mission Statement"</ref> operate under the supervision of Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.<ref>Schools in the Diocese of Metuchen Listed by County Template:Webarchive, Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Accessed December 19, 2019.</ref>

In 1903, the Perth Amboy Public Library became the first Carnegie library in the state, made possible through a grant of $20,000 from Andrew Carnegie Foundation and donations from local philanthropists, which were supplemented in 1914 by an additional $30,000 in Carnegie grants to pay for two additional reading rooms.<ref name=LibraryMission>Our Story, Perth Amboy Free Public Library. Accessed December 20, 2019. "Our Library was built on its present site on Jefferson Street, in 1901, on land donated by J. C. Mc Coy, of the Raritan Copper Works and constructed with the aid of a $20,000 grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, a $1,000 donation from Adolph Lewisohn to purchase new books, and an agreement by the City to provide for the Library's upkeep. On December 9, 1903, the building, the first in New Jersey to be the beneficiary of Mr. Carnegie's generosity, was opened to the Public. The growth of the Library from that time was so marked, that in 1914, the Carnegie Corporation donated an additional $30,000 for the creation of two reading rooms."</ref><ref name=NYT1901/> The library reopened in 2015 after a $2 million renovation project that kept the library closed for more than two years.<ref name=CN2015>Russell, Suzanne. "Renovations completed at Perth Amboy Public Library", Courier News, October 19, 2015. Accessed December 19, 2019. "More than two years after the Perth Amboy Public Library closed its doors in 2013 for a much-needed $2 million renovation, residents will be welcomed back to the Jefferson Street building Saturday, Oct. 24, to tour the restored 112-year-old structure and sign up for library cards.... 'We're still making repairs. The majority of the work has been done, but it's still a work in progress,' said Diaz, noting a stair tower, to provide handicap accessibility, has yet to be completed on the structure which opened in 1903 with funding from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation."</ref><ref>Hazard, Sharon. "A Gift That Keeps on Giving: NJ's Carnegie Libraries - Industrialist Andrew Carnegie built 36 libraries in New Jersey — each an architectural gem. Thanks to preservation efforts and creative reuse, most still serve their communities.", New Jersey Monthly, April 8, 2013. Accessed December 19, 2019. "Perth Amboy’s library, dedicated in 1903, is in the process of being enlarged to meet the growing needs of its community while maintaining its architectural integrity."</ref>

Notable peopleEdit

Template:Category see also People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Perth Amboy include:

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"Vida Guerra: libre e independiente en Playboy", El Heraldo, June 8, 2006. Accessed October 23, 2007. "Nacida en Bauta, pueblo cercano a La Habana, en marzo de 1980, Vida fue traída por sus padres an Estados Unidos cuando contaba apenas seis años, pero no ha perdido ni el idioma ni sus costumbres latinas, ya que se ha mantenido oscilando entre las dos culturas desde su hogar en Perth Amboy, Nueva Jersey."</ref>

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Sister citiesEdit

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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Template:Perth Amboy, New Jersey Template:Middlesex County, New Jersey Template:US state navigation box Template:Raritan Valley navigation Template:Raritan River Template:Raritan Bayshore Template:Jersey Shore region Template:New York metropolitan area Template:Authority control