East Newark, New Jersey

East Newark is a borough in the western part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough, a suburb of Newark, which sits across the Passaic River, is the second-smallest municipality by total area in the state.

The Borough of East Newark was established on July 2, 1895, from portions of Kearny lying between the Erie Railroad's Newark Branch right of way and Harrison, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day.

As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 2,594,

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.13 square miles (0.32 km2), including 0.10 square miles (0.27 km2) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.06 km2) of water (16.92%).

The Clark Thread Company Historic District is located in the borough.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+East Newark borough, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|1,058

|668

|style='background: #ffffe6; |511

|44.51%

|27.76%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |19.70%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|22

|17

|style='background: #ffffe6; |54

|0.93%

|0.71%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.08%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2

|0.13%

|0.08%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.08%

|Asian alone (NH)

|59

|188

|style='background: #ffffe6; |257

|2.48%

|7.81%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |9.91%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.04%

|0.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

|Other race alone (NH)

|42

|30

|style='background: #ffffe6; |82

|1.77%

|1.25%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.16%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|62

|24

|style='background: #ffffe6; |69

|2.61%

|1.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.66%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|1,130

|1,477

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,619

|47.54%

|61.39%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |62.41%

|Total

|2,377

|2,406

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,594

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, East Newark had a population of 2,594. The median age was 35.2 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 10.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.1 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 889 households in East Newark, of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.3% were married-couple households, 22.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 15.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census, there were 2,377 people, 767 households, and 605 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 799 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 67.02% White, 1.68% African American, 0.50% Native American, 2.52% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 20.99% from other races, and 7.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 47.54% of the population.

As of the 2000 Census, 10.1% of East Newark's residents identified themselves as being of Peruvian American ancestry. This was the highest percentage of Peruvian American people in any place in the United States. In the same census, 6.2% of East Newark's residents identified themselves as being of Brazilian American ancestry, which was the highest percentage of Brazilian American people in any place in the United States. As of the 2000 Census, 7.67% of East Newark's residents identified themselves as being of Ecuadorian ancestry, which was the highest of any municipality in New Jersey and the third highest percentage of Ecuadorian people in any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.

There were 767 households, out of which 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.1% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.40. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by East Newark is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

, the Mayor of East Newark is Democrat Dina M. Grilo, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027; Mayor Grilo is the first woman to serve as East Newark's mayor, having defeated Democratic-turned-Republican incumbent mayor Joseph Smith in the 2019 local election. Members of the East Newark Borough Council are Chair Christopher Reis (D, 2025), Jessica Diaz (D, 2025), Rose M. Evaristo (D, 2027), Kenneth J. Graham (D, 2027), Acacio De Oliveira (D, 2026) and Jeanne Zincavage (D, 2026).

Federal, state and county representation

East Newark is located in the 8th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 29th state legislative district.

Politics

As of November 2024, there are a total of 1,105 registered voters in East Newark.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 82.3% of the vote (400 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 16.5% (80 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (6 votes), among the 492 ballots cast by the borough's 844 registered voters (6 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 58.3%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 76.0% of the vote (414 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 22.6% (123 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (4 votes), among the 545 ballots cast by the borough's 904 registered voters, for a turnout of 60.3%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 71.2% of the vote (337 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 26.4% (125 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (6 votes), among the 473 ballots cast by the borough's 800 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 59.1.

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"

|+ Presidential Elections Results

!Year

!Republican

!Democratic

!Third Parties

| style="text-align:center;" |2024

| style="text-align:center;" |45.7% 258

| style="text-align:center;" |51.3% 290

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |3.0% 14

| style="text-align:center;" |2020

| style="text-align:center;" |31.7% 201

| style="text-align:center;" |64.4% 408

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |3.9% 10

| style="text-align:center;" |2016

| style="text-align:center;" |24.6% 135

| style="text-align:center;" |71.4% 392

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |3.8% 21

| style="text-align:center;" |2012

| style="text-align:center;" |16.5% 80

| style="text-align:center;" |82.3% 400

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.2% 6

| style="text-align:center;" |2008

| style="text-align:center;" |22.6% 123

| style="text-align:center;" |76.0% 414

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |0.7% 4

| style="text-align:center;" |2004

| style="text-align:center;" |26.4% 125

| style="text-align:center;" |71.2% 337

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |0.8% 6

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 64.9% of the vote (148 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 32.9% (75 votes), and other candidates with 2.2% (5 votes), among the 232 ballots cast by the borough's 884 registered voters (4 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 26.2%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 71.8% of the vote (234 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 21.8% (71 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 4.0% (13 votes), among the 326 ballots cast by the borough's 765 registered voters, yielding a 42.6% turnout.

Education

The East Newark School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 240 students and 19.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend Harrison High School in Harrison, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Harrison Public Schools. As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 784 students and 53.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.8:1.

Public safety

East Newark is protected by a volunteer fire department. There are approximately 34 firefighters who staff one ladder and two engines, one of which is a spare. The department also has shared use of a hazmat mass decontamination trailer unit with the Kearny and Harrison Fire Departments. The fire department has mutual aid agreements with all Hudson County departments and is also a member of the Southern Bergen County Mutual Aid Association.

East Newark has a police department, led by Public Safety Director Al Bringa.

Transportation

Roads and highways

thumb|right|Westbound Sherman Avenue in East Newark

thumb|right|View west along [[Interstate 280 (New Jersey)|Interstate 280 in East Newark, just before crossing the Stickel Bridge]]

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Hudson County.

Interstate 280 passes through the southern portion of the borough. The entrances to interchange 16 lie in adjacent Harrison, and those for interchange 15B lie in Newark across the William A. Stickel Memorial Bridge over the Passaic River, which is crossed by the Clay Street Bridge.

Public transportation

NJ Transit bus service is available to Newark on the 30 and 76 routes.

The closest NJ Transit rail station to East Newark is the Newark Broad Street Station, with connections to the Montclair-Boonton Line and both branches of the Morris & Essex Lines. The station is also served by the Newark Light Rail. The closest rapid transit service is the PATH's Harrison station, a few blocks south of East Newark.

The closest airport with scheduled passenger service is Newark Liberty International Airport, located south in Newark and Elizabeth. John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport are in Queens, New York City.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with East Newark include:

Davey Brown (1898–1970), professional soccer player inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1951
Jimmy Douglas (1898–1972), soccer goalkeeper who spent his career in the first American Soccer League
Philip Kearny (1815–1862), United States Army officer, notable for his leadership in the Mexican–American War and American Civil War
Ken Kelsch (1947–2023), cinematographer whose films included Bad Lieutenant
Cornelius Augustine McGlennon (1878–1931), represented from 1919 to 1921 and was Mayor of East Newark from 1907 to 1919
Erika Vogt (born 1973), sculptor, printmaker and video artist

References

External links

Borough of East Newark official website
East Newark Public School
School Data for the East Newark Public School, National Center for Education Statistics