Linden

Linden is a city in southeastern Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located about 13 miles (21 km) southwest of Manhattan and bordering Staten Island, a borough of New York City, across the Arthur Kill. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 43,738. The city's name derives from linden trees brought from Germany. 13.1% of residents are of Polish origin and 15.6% of its residents five years old and above in the center of the city of Linden primarily speak the Polish language at home. Linden holds an annual Polish Heritage Day Festival to showcase local Polish cuisine, pottery, dance, traditional fashion and other Polish arts for visitors. In 2021, the mayor of Lindon hosted a state visit by Polands president Andrzej Duda and first lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda to the Polish community in Linden. In old pagan Slavic mythology, the tree for which the city is named, the lindan tree (lipa, as called in all Slavic languages) was considered a sacred tree. The 2010 United States census counted 40,499 people, 14,909 households, and 10,272 families in the city. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Bayway, Grasselli, Morses Mill, Tremley, Sunnyside, Vreeland Mills, Warners and Wheatsheaf.

Geography

Linden is the primary city name, but also Winfield Park are acceptable city names or spellings, Tremley, Tremley Point on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is City of Linden. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Bayway, Grasselli, Morses Mill, Tremley, Sunnyside, Vreeland Mills, Warners and Wheatsheaf. The city borders the municipalities of Clark, Cranford Township, Elizabeth, Rahway, Roselle and Winfield Township in Union County; Carteret and Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County; and Staten Island in New York City across the Arthur Kill tidal strait. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 11.42 square miles (29.56 km²), including 10.69square miles (27.68 km²) of land and 0.73sq miles (1.88sq km) of water (6.37%). The city is located on the Delaware River, which is a tributary of the East River. It is the only city in New Jersey with a population of more than 100,000, and the state's largest city is Newark. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city's population at 1,715,000. The state's population was 1,816,000 in 2010. The population of Staten Island, New York, was 2,716, and its largest city was Staten Island (1,813,000). The city's largest suburb is Staten Island-Lafayette, New Jersey, with a total population of 1,917,000 (1),816.

Polish and Polish-American community

13.1% of residents of Linden are of Polish origin. Polish language services are held at two Roman Catholic churches. Linden holds an annual Polish Heritage Day Festival to showcase local Polish arts and culture. In old pagan Slavic mythology, the linden tree (lipa) was considered a sacred tree. The city's Polish-American community is known as the "Polish diaspora" in the U.S. and around the world. The town's Polish community is also known as "The Polish diasporas" in Europe and the "Poles of the World" in North America, and "The Poles of the world" in South America and the Middle East. It is the only city in the United States with a Polish-speaking population of more than 10% of the population, and one of the few cities in the country with a large percentage of Poles in its population. It has a large Polish community, with many Poles living in the city, as well as a large number of non-Polish-speaking residents of the city. It also has a significant Polish community of its own, with more than 2,000 people living in and around Linden alone. The Polish community has a long history of immigration to the United State, and many of its residents are from Poland. It was founded in 1788 by the first Polish immigrant to America, who settled in Linden in the 17th century. The first Polish-Americans arrived in the 18th century and moved to the city in 1838.

Demographics

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 39,394 people, 15,052 households, and 10,084 families residing in the city. The 2010 U.S. census counted 40,499 people, 14,909 households,and 10,272 families. The median household income was $55,859 (with a margin of error of +/ $2,529) and the median family income was$64,439 (+/ $4,027) The per capita income for the borough was $27,011 (+ / $1,161) About 5.9% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 8.1%. The city's population was 66.08% White, 22.80% African American, 0.14% Native American, 2.35% Asian, 0,04% Pacific Islander, 4.88% from other races, and 3.71% from two or more races. The racial makeup of the city was 59.15% (23,957) White, 26.88%. (10,888) Black or African American, 0.29% (118) Native American, 2.71%. (1,099) Asian,0.02% (8) Pacific Islanders, 7.57% (3,066) from other Races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 24.93%. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.21.

Economy

The east side of Linden is located along the Arthur Kill, a navigable strait which plays an important role in bulk cargo transportation in the Port of New York and New Jersey. The Bayway Refinery, a Phillips 66 refining facility, helps supply petroleum-based products to the New York/New Jersey area. Linden, together with Rahway, is home to Merck & Co., one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. In 2003, the pharmaceutical company celebrated 100 years in Rahway and Linden. From 1937 to 2005, Linden was home to Linden Assembly, a General Motors manufacturing plant that produced Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Buick and other GM automobiles, but also produced planes during World War II. By early 2008 most of the plant has been torn down for redevelopment by Duke Realty Corporation, which purchased the 100 acres (40 ha) site for $76.5 million. The city's population is approximately 1.2 million, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. The town is located on the New Jersey Turnpike, which runs from New Jersey to New York City. It is also on the Delaware River, which connects New Jersey and New York. The New York-New Jersey border runs through Linden and Elizabeth, which is on the opposite side of the Delaware river. It has a population of about 1.3 million, the majority of whom live in New Jersey, New York or New York state. The borough's population was 1.4 million in the year 2000, and 1.6 million in 2010.

Sunnyside section of Linden and the Jewish community

Sunnyside is a residential area of Linden west of St. Georges Avenue. It borders on Clark, Cranford and Winfield on the west and Roselle on the east. It is home to the Modern Orthodox community of Anshe Chesed and the Hasidic community of Bobov, Rachmastrivka, Pupa, and Satmar. In 2022, Grand Rebbe Aaron Teitelbaum, chief rabbi of the Satmar community in Kiryas Joel, New York, attended a Satmar school opening in the Sunnysid section. The area's parks are known as the Shabbos park by the area's Modern Orthodox communities as a place where families meet on Saturday afternoons. An eruv links the SunNyside section to Rosellle, Warinanco Park, the Jewish Educational Center of Elizabeth, and Hillside. It also links the area to the Jewish community of Koson, which was founded in 1914, as well as the Bobov and Rach Mastrivka communities, which were founded in the 1980s and 1990s respectively. It was named for the former Sunnyfield Golf Club located in that area. It has a large modern building on St.Georges Avenue and its former synagogue building on Blancke Street was converted for use for community athletics. In recent years, members of the Koson congregation have moved to the Sun nyside area. The Koson community also has a Hasidics community in the area.

Local media

The City of Linden shares news and events via its official website. Linden also has its own channel, LindenTV, which is available to cable and Verizon FiOS television subscribers. Life in Linden is published by Renna Media, located on Walnut Street in Cranford, NJ. The Courier News, a daily newspaper based in Bridgewater Township, and The Star-Ledger and the Suburban News based in Newark are the remaining newspapers in the city. The city also has a radio station, the Linden Radio Network, and a television station, The Linden TV Network, which airs on cable and FiOS TV subscribers. The City ofLinden has a Facebook page and a Twitter account, as well as a blog and a YouTube channel. The town has a number of community newspapers, including The Union News Daily, which has a dedicated Linden section, and Life inLinden, which covers the city and surrounding areas. The Star Ledger and The Suburban news are both multi-community newspapers based in New Jersey, and are published by Worrall Community Newspapers of Union County, New Jersey. TAPInto Linden, a local digital news site covering Linden news exclusively, is part of the TAPinto network of news in Central and Northern New Jersey and covers Union County news. The Union County News Daily is a local news outlet covering Union County and the surrounding areas, covering Union and Passaic County news, including Linden and Union County. It is also part of LocalSource.

Parks and recreation

Hawk Rise Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary created by the City of Linden and the New Jersey Audubon Society. John Russell Wheeler Park is home to the Linden Skatepark for skateboarders. Peach Orchard Park sits at Dill Avenue, Hussa Street and Cranford Avenue, behind School #4. Warinanco Park's Park Drive entrance connects the park to Linden. The Rahway River Parkway runs through the center of the city. The city's parks and recreation system is one of the largest in New Jersey, with more than 2,000 acres of park space. The park system was created in the 1960s to improve the quality of the local water supply. It is the largest park system in the state, with a population of more than 1,000,000. It also serves as a gateway to the city's downtown area, which has more than 100,000 residents. The parks are located along Morses Creek, a tributary of the Rahway, and along the New York-New Jersey border. The New Jersey Turnpike, which runs through Linden, runs through several of the parks, including the Garden State Parkway, which connects the city to New York and New York City. It was built in the 1970s to help connect the city with the East River and its tributaries, the Raritan River and the Hackensack River, and to provide a route between New Jersey and the rest of New Jersey. The Garden State Park System was established in the 1980s to reduce traffic in the area.

Government

Linden is located in the 7th and 10th Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 22nd state legislative district. The city is one of 15 (of the 564) municipalities statewide that use this traditional form of municipal government. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and an 11-member City Council. The mayor and council president are elected at-large to four-year terms of office, while the other 10 members are elected from wards to three-year term of office on a staggered basis. New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark) and Bob Menendez (Harrison) and in the New Jersey Legislature by Nicholas Scutari (Linden) and Linda S. Carter (Plainfield) Linden is governed by a Board of Commissioners, whose nine members areelected at- Large to three year terms with three seats coming up for election each year in a 3-year cycle. Linden's mayor is Democrat Derek Armstead, whose term ends December 31, 2022. As of 2022, the City Council is made up of members from the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Wards. The City Council president is Michele Yamakaitis, who took office in January 2019 as Council President. In June 2022, Christine Ann Hudak was appointed to fill the 10th Ward seat that had become vacant following the resignation of Gretchen M. Hickey. In the November 2019 voting, Garret Blaine was elected to serve the balance of theterm of office.

Education

The Linden Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 202021 school year, the district, comprised of 11 schools, had an enrollment of 6,159 students and 555 classroom teachers. School No. 5 was one of nine schools in New Jersey honored in 2020 by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, which recognizes high student achievement. Saints Mary and Elizabeth Academy was a Catholic school serving students in Pre-K through 8th grade that operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark until its closure at the end of the 2013-2014 school year due to declining enrollment. Sinai Christian Academy serves grades Pre-k through 12th grade. The district's high school isLinden High School (1,729; 912). The district has 11 public schools and one private school. The school district has a student-to-teacher ratio of 11.1:1, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. It has a population of 2,816, with a population growth rate of 1.7% in the last five years. It is one of the largest school districts in the state, with 1,814 students in the 2011-2012 school year. It also has the highest per-student enrollment rate in the United States, with 2,715 students in 2011-12. It was the second-largest school district in the New Jersey school district, after Newark, New Jersey.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Linden, Union County, New Jersey = 2.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 13. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Linden = 3.8 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 2,231 individuals with a median age of 39.9 age the population dropped by -0.30% in Linden, Union County, New Jersey population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 4,092.3 residents per square mile of area (1,580.0/km²). There are average 2.66 people per household in the 14,644 households with an average household income of $51,510 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 11.10% of the available work force and has dropped -3.41% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 22.08%. The number of physicians in Linden per 100,000 population = 225.4.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Linden = 46.2 inches and the annual snowfall = 26.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 125. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 203. 87 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 23.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 47, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Linden, Union County, New Jersey which are owned by the occupant = 54.94%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 53 years with median home cost = $252,150 and home appreciation of -11.80%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $25.06 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $8,643 per student. There are 13.4 students for each teacher in the school, 1534 students for each Librarian and 614 students for each Counselor. 5.13% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 9.66% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 4.49% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).