Margate City is a city situated on the Jersey Shore on Absecon Island, within Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, on the Atlantic Ocean shoreline. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 5,317, Geographically, the city, and all of Atlantic County, is part of the South Jersey region of the state and of the Atlantic City-Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.

The city is located on Absecon Island, which stretches for and is also home of Atlantic City and Ventnor City to the northeast, and Longport on the southwest. The city stretches about eight blocks from the Atlantic Ocean to the bay at most points in town. Margate is a popular Jersey Shore destination, especially during the summer, and is the home of Lucy the Elephant, a -tall wooden and metal-clad elephant recognized as America’s Oldest Surviving Roadside Attraction and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976, and of Marven Gardens, of Monopoly board game fame.

History

Margate City was originally incorporated as the borough of South Atlantic City by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 7, 1885, from portions of Egg Harbor Township, based on the results of a referendum held on August 1, 1885. South Atlantic City was reincorporated as a city on April 23, 1897, and then reincorporated with the name Margate City on April 20, 1909. The city was named for Margate in Kent, England.

A boardwalk was constructed in 1906. The boardwalk was built close to the Atlantic Ocean, which left it more vulnerable to storm damage than the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Large chunks of the boardwalk were destroyed in the 1944 Great Atlantic hurricane, with the remaining portions lasting until the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962.

Geography

thumb|[[Panoramic map of Margate City (1925)]]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 1.63 square miles (4.22&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), including 1.42 square miles (3.67&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.22 square miles (0.56&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of water (13.19%).

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Margate City had a population of 5,317. The median age was 58.7 years. 11.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 37.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.8 males age 18 and over.

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

There were 2,651 households in Margate City, of which 13.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.9% were married-couple households, 18.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 3,984 households, out of which 16.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.67. kayaking, and hobie cat sailing.

The Margate beaches are narrower than beaches at many other places at the Jersey Shore. There are few dunes and those that do exist are artificial, having been created to protect beaches from nor'easters and hurricanes. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Margate voters will consider a referendum that would allow the city to participate in a program operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers under which dunes would be constructed on the city's beaches, which would be intended to alleviate beach erosion and provide storm protection to Margate and to adjoining Ventnor City, which has already had a beach protection program in place for the past ten years, under which dunes have already been constructed.

Margate City Beach Patrol operates lifeguard stands and beach patrol operations for the Margate beaches. Lifeguards are on duty during summer months from 10 am to 6 pm, with more limited hours in the late Spring and early Autumn months.

Margate beaches are not free beaches. Beachgoers must purchase a seasonal or weekly tag to enjoy the beach. Seasonal badges can be purchased preseason at a reduced rate. Veterans and active military members are offered free seasonal badges.

Marinas and fishing

Margate is host to many bayside docks providing the casual fisherman hours of enjoyment and relaxation. Local charter boats offer sport and deep sea fishing. Margate's many marinas offer docks for lease, equipment rentals, fuel stations and fishing charters.

Attractions

thumb|upright=1.3|Lucy the Elephant

Margate is the home of Lucy the Elephant, the "largest elephant in the world" and is the oldest remaining example of zoomorphic architecture left in the United States. Over 140 years old, a restoration of Lucy's exterior surface was completed in December 2022 at a cost of about $2.4 million using government funds and donor contributions. The National Historic Landmark is visited by 130,000 people each year.

The Margate farmers' market is held every Thursday during summer months. Shoppers can purchase local produce and a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Government

Local government

Margate City has operated under the Walsh Act commission form of municipal government since 1911. The city is one of 30 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use commission form of government. The governing body is comprised of three commissioners, who are elected at-large to four-year terms of office on a non-partisan basis as part of the May municipal election. Each commissioner is assigned a department to oversee and administer. The Mayor is then selected from among the three elected Commissioners by a vote between them and assigned to the office by resolution.

, members of the Margate City Commission are

Mayor Michael Collins (Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property),

Maurice "Maury" Blumberg (Commissioner of Revenue and Finance) and

Catherine Horn (Commissioner of Public Affairs and Public Safety), all of whom are serving concurrent terms of office that end May 16, 2027.

Federal, state and county representation

Margate City is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 2nd state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,984 registered voters in Margate City, of which 1,164 (23.4% vs. 30.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,019 (40.5% vs. 25.2%) were registered as Republicans and 1,798 (36.1% vs. 44.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the city's 2010 Census population, 78.4% (vs. 58.8% in Atlantic County) were registered to vote, including 91.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 76.6% countywide).

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In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 1,882 votes (54.1% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,534 votes (44.1% vs. 57.9%) and other candidates with 21 votes (0.6% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,479 ballots cast by the city's 5,109 registered voters, for a turnout of 68.1% (vs. 65.8% in Atlantic County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 2,061 votes (52.5% vs. 41.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,793 votes (45.7% vs. 56.5%) and other candidates with 32 votes (0.8% vs. 1.1%), among the 3,922 ballots cast by the city's 5,515 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.1% (vs. 68.1% in Atlantic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 2,160 votes (49.5% vs. 46.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 2,132 votes (48.9% vs. 52.0%) and other candidates with 26 votes (0.6% vs. 0.8%), among the 4,362 ballots cast by the city's 5,697 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.6% (vs. 69.8% in the whole county).

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

|+ Presidential elections results

|- bgcolor=lightgrey

! Year

!Republican

!Democratic

!Third Parties

|-

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

| style="text-align:center;" |51.6% 1,826

| style="text-align:center;" |47.0% 1,665

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.4% 38

|-

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

| style="text-align:center;" |50.7% 1,945

| style="text-align:center;" |48.6% 1,865

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |0.7% 27

|-

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

| style="text-align:center;" |51.0% 1,480

| style="text-align:center;" |45.9% 1,332

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |3.1% 89

|-

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

| style="text-align:center;" |54.1% 1,882

| style="text-align:center;" |44.1% 1,534

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |0.6% 21

|-

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

| style="text-align:center;" |52.5% 2,061

| style="text-align:center;" |45.7% 1,792

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |0.8% 32

|-

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

| style="text-align:center;" |49.5% 2,160

| style="text-align:center;" |48.9% 2,132

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |0.6% 26

|}

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,850 votes (68.9% vs. 60.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 712 votes (26.5% vs. 34.9%) and other candidates with 36 votes (1.3% vs. 1.3%), among the 2,687 ballots cast by the city's 5,127 registered voters, yielding a 52.4% turnout (vs. 41.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,466 votes (52.7% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,145 votes (41.1% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 123 votes (4.4% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 16 votes (0.6% vs. 1.2%), among the 2,784 ballots cast by the city's 5,173 registered voters, yielding a 53.8% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).

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Education

For kindergarten through eighth grade, public school students attend the Margate City Schools, together with students from Longport Borough, who attend as part of a sending/receiving relationship. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 317 students and 48.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 6.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

William H. Ross III Elementary School 184 students in grades K–4 and

Eugene A. Tighe Middle School with 133 students in grades 5–8. In 2017, Eugene A. Tighe Middle School was one of nine public schools recognized in 2017 as Blue Ribbon Schools by the United States Department of Education.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students from Margate attend Atlantic City High School in Atlantic City, which also serves students from Brigantine and Ventnor City who attend the school as part of sending/receiving relationships. As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,699 students and 144.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.7:1.\

City public school students are also eligible to attend the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township or the Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts, located in Somers Point.

Blessed Sacrament Regional School was a Catholic school serving students in grades pre-kindergarten through eighth grade that had been operated in connection with the Blessed Sacrament Church, but was closed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden in June 2008 and merged with St. James of Ventnor to form Holy Family Regional School. Those who wish to attend a Catholic high school choose from Holy Spirit High School, located in Absecon, St. Augustine College Preparatory School located in Richland or Our Lady of Mercy Academy located in Newfield.

Transportation

thumb|right|[[County Route 563 (New Jersey)|County Route 563 northbound in Margate City]]

Roads and highways

, the city had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Atlantic County.

No Interstate, U.S. or state highways directly serve Margate City. The most significant roadways are county roads. County Route 563 begins in Margate City and follows Jerome Avenue over the Downbeach Express, a privately owned and operated toll-bridge which connects Margate to the mainland, towards Egg Harbor Township and Northfield. County Route 629 follows Ventnor Avenue northeast toward Ventnor and Atlantic City, and southwest towards Longport and Somers Point.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service on the 505 route between Longport and Atlantic City. Beginning April 1, 2023, bus service on the 504 route between Atlantic City and Ventnor Plaza was extended to Margate.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Margate City has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with hot, moderately humid summers, cool winters and uniform, year-round precipitation. Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature above , at least four months with an average mean temperature at or above , at least one month with an average mean temperature at or above and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months in Margate City, a cooling afternoon sea breeze is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur, with heat index values at or above . During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur, with wind chill values below . The plant hardiness zone at Margate City Beach is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of . The average seasonal (November–April) snowfall total is , and the average snowiest month is February, which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity.

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Margate City would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Cordgrass (73) with a dominant vegetation form of Coastal Prairie (20).

In the 2009 film (500) Days of Summer, Margate is the hometown of the male lead character, Tom Hansen, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. One of the screenplay's co-writers, Scott Neustadter, grew up in Margate.

The movie Duane Hopwood was filmed at Eugene A. Tighe Middle School and at Maynards Cafe in 2004.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Margate City include:

  • John F. Amodeo (born 1950), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2008 to 2014, where he represented the 2nd Legislative District
  • Chris Arena (born 1987), singer-songwriter
  • Colin Bell (born 1981), member of the New Jersey Senate who represented the 2nd Legislative District
  • David Brog (born 1965/1966), former executive director of Christians United for Israel
  • Tim Cavanaugh (born 1967), Los Angeles Times editor who is a Margate native and was an MCBP lifeguard
  • Micaela Diamond (born 1999), Broadway actor best known for originating the role of Babe (Cher) in The Cher Show
  • Nancy Falkow (born 1970), singer / songwriter
  • Vince Fumo (born 1943), former member of the Pennsylvania State Senate who was convicted in 2009 on federal corruption charges
  • Milton W. Glenn (1903–1967), politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1957 to 1965
  • Zulfi Hoxha (born 1992), jihadi, ISIS fighter
  • Walter S. Jeffries (1893–1954), politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district from 1939 to 1941, and was mayor of Margate City from 1931 to 1935
  • Red Klotz (1920–2014), former NBA point guard who created the Washington Generals as the team that plays against and tours with the Harlem Globetrotters
  • Mary Lacity (born 1963), Walton Professor of Information Systems and Director of the Blockchain Center of Excellence at the University of Arkansas
  • Pete Latzo (1902–1968), boxer who was welterweight champion in the 1920s
  • Thomas C. McGrath Jr. (1927–1994), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 1967
  • Scott Neustadter (born 1977), Hollywood screenwriter who co-wrote (500) Days of Summer
  • Steven P. Perskie (born 1945), former New Jersey Superior Court judge who served in the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey Senate
  • Ralph L. Sacco (1957–2023), neurologist, who served as president of the American Heart Association
  • Jessica Savitch (1947–1983), television broadcaster and reporter
  • Claire Swift (born 1974), politician who has represented 2nd Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since taking office in 2022

References

  • Margate City official website
  • Marvelous Margate
  • Margate City Public Library