LIVINGSTON, NEW JERSEY

'Livingston' is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 27,391.
Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township (now Fairfield Township) and Springfield Township (now in Union County, New Jersey). Portions of the township were taken to form Fairmount (March 11, 1862, now part of West Orange) and Roseland (March 10, 1908)."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 128.
Livingston was created by joining of seven distinct areas: Centerville (separated to become Roseland, New Jersey, in 1908), Cheapside (now Livingston Mall), Morehousetown (now Livingston Circle), Northfield (now Northfield Center), Squiretown (now the Cerebral Palsy Institute of New Jersey on Old Road), Teedtown, and Washington Place. The township was given its name in honor of William Livingston, the first Governor of New Jersey.^[3]

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Government

Local government

Township committees

Federal, state and county representation

Politics

Education

Transportation

The town

Noted residents

Notable events

References

External links

Geography

Livingston is located at (40.788733, -74.321340).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.4 km² (14.1 mi²). 35.9 km² (13.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (1.35%) is water.
The Township of Livingston is located in Essex County, in the Gateway Region. In the vicinity are the Passaic River, West Orange, Millburn, and the Grover Cleveland State Historic Site in West Caldwell. Livingston is part of the New York metropolitan area.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 27,391 people, 9,300 households, and 7,932 families residing in the town. The population density was 761.9/km² (1,973.1/mi²). There were 9,457 housing units at an average density of 263.1/km² (681.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 82.64% White, 14.54% Asian, 1.20% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.69% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.54% of the population.
According to the 2002 results of the National Jewish Population Survey^[4], there are 12,600 Jews in Livingston, approximately 46% of the population. This is one of the higher percentages of Jews in any American municipality.
There were 9,300 households out of which 41.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.0% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.7% were non-families. 13.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township is $98,869, and the median income for a family was $108,049. Males had a median income of $77,256 versus $41,654 for females. The per capita income for the town was $47,218. About 1.1% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Livingston's Township Council consists of five members. A Mayor and Deputy Mayor are selected by the Council from among its members. Members of the Township Council are Mayor Steve Santola, Deputy Mayor Lee Peyser, Charles "Buddy" August, Arlene Johnson and Gary Schneiderman.^[5]
The Township Manager is Michele Meade.^[6] She is the third Township Manager, preceded by Robert H. Harp (1954-1985) and Charles J. Tahaney (1985-2005).

Township committees

Committees and Boards run through the Township include:

★ Livingston Municipal Alliance Committee (LMAC)

★ Holiday Committees

★ Neighborhood Grievance Committee

★ Consumer Affairs Office

★ Planning Board

★ Zoning Board of Adjustment

★ Committee for Diversity

Federal, state and county representation

Livingston is split between the Eighth and Eleventh Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 27th Legislative District.^[7]

Politics

On the national level, Livingston leans toward the Democratic Party. In 2004, Democrat John Kerry received 54% of the vote, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 45%. Livingston has not elected a Republican on the local level since 1994.
Livingston was the home of one of New Jersey's most prominent political families, the Keans. Robert Kean served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1939 to 1958, when he ran for U.S. Senator; his son, Thomas Kean, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1968 to 1978 (and as Assembly Speaker in 1972-73, and Minority Leader 1974-77), as Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990, and as President of Drew University from 1990 to 2004. Thomas Kean Jr., elected to the State Assembly in 2001 and the State Senate in 2003, is the Republican nominee for United States Senator in 2006.
When Robert Kean ran for the Senate, losing to Harrison A. Williams in 1958, Livingtson's Congressman became George M. Wallhauser, a Republican. After the 1960 census, Livingston was moved into the district of Republican Congresswoman Florence P. Dwyer. After the 1970 census, Livingston went into Congressman Peter Frelinghuysen, Jr.'s district. He was the father of Livingston's current Congressman, Rodney P. Frelinghuysen. When Peter Frelinghuysen retired in 1974, he was succeeded by Millicent Fenwick, who beat Tom Kean in a Republican primary by about 80 votes. After the 1980 census, Livingston was moved to Congressman Joseph G. Minish's district. Minish was defeated by Dean Gallo in 1984 and served until his death in 1994. Rodney Frelinghuysen took his seat. The 2000 Census split the town, and now Congressman Bill Pascrell represents a portion of the community.
Some Essex County Freeholders from Livingston have included Reita Greenstone, James Cavanaugh, Patricia Sebold, and William Clark.

Education

The Livingston Public Schools consists of six elementary schools, for grades K-5 (
Burnet Hill School,
Collins Elementary School,
Harrison Elementary School,
Hillside Elementary School,
Mount Pleasant Elementary School and
Riker Hill Elementary School),
two middle schools (Mount Pleasant Middle School for grade 6 and Heritage Middle School for grades 7 and 8) and Livingston High School for grades 9-12.
For the 1997-98 school year, Livingston High School received the Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve.^[8] Livingston High School was the 14th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in ''New Jersey Monthly'' magazine's September 2006 cover story on the state's ''Top Public High Schools''.^[9]
Livingston's schools participate in many county, interschool, state, and national competitions. Some of these include the popular "Cognetics" program, Math Counts, various national, state, and county math contests, debate contests, Academically Speaking (a county competition to test broad knowledge), Knowledge Master Open (KMO, a national computer-based contest to test broad knowledge), and many more.
Aquinas Academy is a private coeducational Roman Catholic school that serves students from preschool through eighth grade. Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy is a private coeducational Jewish day school that serves preschool through eighth grade. Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School is a four-year yeshiva high school for grades 9-12. Newark Academy is a private coeducational day school for grades 6-12.

Transportation

Livingston is located about 20 miles from New York City. There is a Coach USA (Community Coach) bus to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and a New Jersey Transit bus service to Newark Penn Station running through the center of Livingston. New Jersey Transit train service and PATH can be reached by car or taxi.
In and near Livingston are Eisenhower Parkway, County Route 508, County Route 527, Interstate 280, Route 10 and the Morristown and Erie Railway.

The town

Although largely a bedroom community, there are numerous stores and restaurants located in Livingston. They include chain stores such as Barnes & Noble, Borders, Old Navy, and restaurants such as The Original SoupMan[1], as well as department stores in the Livingston Mall (e.g., Macy's, Lord & Taylor, the Gap). Additionally, there are many local, independent stores. Construction on the new walkable town center and the housing complex next to it has been completed. Livingston has a cable television station (TV-34), which is maintained by Livingston High School Students as well as the LPBC (Livingston Public Broadcasting Committee).

Noted residents

★ Jason Alexander (1959-, originally Jay Greenspan), actor best known for his role as George Costanza of the long-running television show, ''Seinfeld,''.^[10]

★ Martin Brodeur (1972-), goalie for the New Jersey Devils, lived in Livingston but moved after about a year and a half.

★ Christopher J. Christie, who serves as the United States Attorney for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, and before that as a Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

★ Harlan Coben, ''The New York Times'' best-selling author of ''Promise Me'', ''Tell No One'' and ''No Second Chance''.^[11]

★ Faith Evans also had a brief stay in the town as she rented a home there while a new house of hers was being renovated.

★ James Florio (1937-), former Governor of New Jersey.

★ Justin Gimelstob (1977-), professional tennis player who won 13 doubles titles and reached 1 final in singles.^[12]

★ Chelsea Handler (1975-), American stand-up comedian and star of the Chelsea Handler Show on E!.^[13]

★ Chris Jacobs, swimming medalist at the 1988 Summer Olympics.^[14]

★ The Keans: Robert Kean (Congress 1939-1950), Thomas Kean (Assembly 1968-78, Speaker 1971-72, Governor, 1982-90), Tom Kean Jr. (Assemblyman 2001-03; State Senate 2003-date; 2006 G.O.P. failed nominee for U.S. Senate.

★ Brevin Knight (1975-), professional basketball player on the Charlotte Bobcats who was born in Livingston and went to school at Seton Hall Preparatory School and then Stanford University.

★ Leslie Kritzer, Broadway actress in '' and ''The Great American Trailer Park Musical''.^[15]

★ Charles Kushner, a real estate mogul and Democratic fundraiser who pleaded guilty in 2004 to tax violations and charges related to witness tampering.^[16]

★ Julia Montgomery was an actress who appeared in ''Revenge of the Nerds''.

★ Tommy Page (1970-), American singer known for his song, ''I'll Be Your Everything'', in collaboration with ''New Kids on the Block''. He is a graduate of Livingston High School. Page's brother, James, is also a Mathematics teacher at Livingston High School.

★ Claudio Reyna (1973-), professional soccer player who played for European premier teams and is currently on the World Cup squad since 1994, was born in Livingston.

★ Glenn K. Rieth, who is the Adjutant General of New Jersey in Governor Jon Corzine's cabinet.

★ Rick Saphire, popular local entertainer in the 1950s and 1960s was always closely associated with Jerry Lewis. Today, Saphire is a well known celebrity manager and is Personal Representative to Jerry Lewis among other notables.

★ Larry Ripley, (who once lived on Fellswood Dr.), was a replacement musician with the 1910 Fruitgum Company

★ Byron Scott (1961-), the former coach of the New Jersey Nets once lived in Livingston. However, he left after becoming the coach of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets.

★ David Tepper (1957-), founder of the hedge fund Appaloosa Management, lives in Livingston. Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business is named after him.

★ Nina Mitchell Wells, Secretary of State of New Jersey since 2006.State of New Jersey biography for Nina Mitchell Wells, State of New Jersey. Accessed July 11, 2007. "Secretary Wells and her husband, Ted Wells, Esq. reside in Livingston, NJ and have two grown children, Teresa and Phillip."

★ Ted Wells, criminal defense lawyer.

★ Jason Zimbler (1977-), the actor who played the role of Ferguson Darling on the Nickelodeon television show ''Clarissa Explains It All'', has lived in Livingston since his late childhood.

★ Richie Zisk (1949-), who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and other major league baseball teams.^[17]

Notable events

On March 29, 2005, comedian Mitch Hedberg was found dead by his wife in a Livingston hotel room. A medical examiner's report found traces of cocaine and heroin in his system.^[18]

References

1. Contact Us. Accessed April 17, 2007.
2. , Geographic Names Information System. Accessed April 16, 2007.
3. About Livingston. Accessed March 9, 2007.
4. Jewish Population in the United States, 2002, National Jewish Population Survey. Accessed May 11, 2006.
5. Livingston Township Officials 2006. Township of Livingston. Accessed March 13, 2007.
6. Township Council 2007 Organization Meeting, Township of Livingston. Accessed July 11, 2007.
7. 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 60. Accessed August 30, 2006.
8. Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
9. Top Public High Schools in New Jersey, ''New Jersey Monthly'', September 2006.
10. Weinraub, Bernard. "At the Movies", ''The New York Times'', October 22, 1999. Accessed July 10, 2007. 'I was born in 1959 and grew up in Livingston, N.J., but I felt I knew these people very well,'' said Mr. Alexander (above)."
11. Kennedy, Mark. "Talking With: Harlan Coben", ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'', September 16, 2006. Accessed July 10, 2007. "Born in Newark and raised in Livingston, Coben is a Jersey boy through-and-through, having moved only to attend Amherst College in Massachusetts, where he met his wife, Anne, a pediatrician."
12. "Justin falls in tourney - Gimelstob loses to Devvarman", ''The Record (Bergen County)'', July 14, 2007. Accessed August 6, 2007. "Gimelstob, who was born in Livingston, has been a pro since 1996 and has been a familiar figure at major tournaments."
13. Shattuck, Kathryn. "Column: WHAT'S ON TONIGHT", ''The New York Times'', March 9, 2007. Accessed August 6, 2007. "10 P.M. (Comedy Central) COMEDY CENTRAL PRESENTS Chelsea Handler, the youngest of six children, was born in Livingston, N.J., to a Jewish father and a Mormon mother."
14. Litsky, Frank. " THE SEOUL OLYMPICS; Swimmer Outraces His Past", ''The New York Times'', September 18, 1988. Accessed June 8, 2007. "At the age of 12, Chris Jacobs of Livingston, N.J., tried cocaine for the first time."
15. Gans, Andrew. "DIVA TALK: Chatting with LuPone at Les Mouches's Leslie Kritzer Plus Rogers' Evita on Disc", ''Playbill'', September 22, 2006. Accessed May 29, 2007. "Kritzer: I was born in Manhattan, and I was raised in Livingston, New Jersey."
16. Kelly, Mike. "Kushner proves rich not smarter than rest of us", ''The Record (Bergen County)'', July 14, 2004. Accessed May 29, 2007. "Kushner nodded slightly as his attorneys agreed to million in bail secured by Kushner's home in Livingston and beach house in Elberon."
17. "Encouraging words always work the best", ''Charlotte Sun'', July 19, 2005. Accessed August 6, 2007. "As I was just starting my Little League career in Livingston, N.J., Richie was just finishing his and already showing his long-ball potential."
18. Mitch Hedberg: Cocaine, heroin detected in his system, MTV.com, December 28, 2005.

External links

★ Official township website

★ Livingston Public Schools

★

★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the Livingston Public Schools

★ A guide to Livingston

★ A history of Livingston

★ Map of Livingston