Hoboken, New Jersey

Hoboken is a city located in Hudson County, New Jersey. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 38,577.

Table of contents

1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 Character 4 Parking 5 Local attractions and institutions 6 Notable Hobokians

Geography

Hoboken is located at 40°44'41" North, 74°1'59" West (40.744851, -74.032941)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.1 km² (2.0 mi²). 3.3 km² (1.3 mi²) of it is land and 1.8 km² (0.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 35.35% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 38,577 people, 19,418 households, and 6,835 families residing in the city. The population density is 11,636.5/km² (30,239.2/mi²). There are 19,915 housing units at an average density of 6,007.2/km² (15,610.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 80.82% White, 4.26% African American, 0.16% Native American, 4.31% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 7.63% from other races, and 2.78% from two or more races. 20.18% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 19,418 households out of which 11.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.8% are married couples living together, 9.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 64.8% are non-families. 41.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 1.92 and the average family size is 2.73.

In the city the population is spread out with 10.5% under the age of 18, 15.3% from 18 to 24, 51.7% from 25 to 44, 13.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years. For every 100 females there are 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 103.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $62,550, and the median income for a family is $67,500. Males have a median income of $54,870 versus $46,826 for females. The per capita income for the city is $43,195. 11.0% of the population and 10.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 23.6% are under the age of 18 and 20.7% are 65 or older.

Character

In the 1960s and 1970s Hoboken sank from its earlier incarnation as a lively port town into a severely rundown condition and was often included in lists with other New Jersey towns and cities that had seen much better days, such as Paterson, Elizabeth and Camden. Then, in the early 1980s, it began a surprising rejuvenation that led to its becoming, by the mid-1990s, easily one of the area's most vibrant communities. It is one of the few New Jersey towns in which the automobile has not entirely replaced foot traffic outside of business lunch hours, and its prime placement on the Hudson across from Lower Manhattan, its often elegant old townhouse architecture, and its concentration of fine eating establishments and lively bars amply reward the walker. The high number of college and post-graduate age students, along with an unusual assortment of bi-nationals, older "artsy types" and well-to-do commuters to Manhattan, gives Hoboken a unique energy and a growing reputation as a town for "the beautiful people". The technology sector bust of 2001 hit the town hard, but as of late 2003 its footing remains solid, shown particularly in residential rental and sale prices which continue to rise. Indeed, the rising cost of living in Hoboken has already resulted in a significant exodus of the slightly bohemian ex-middle-class ex-suburbanites who began the turnaround of the 1980s, leaving Hoboken somewhat heavy on chic and light on substance.

Parking

The city has had something of a parking crisis in recent years, even with restrictions which prohibit long-term parking (more than four hours) by nonresidents. The cost of using a parking garage is currently about $7 for the first hour. There is no parking tax, unlike New York City.

Local attractions and institutions

• Stevens Institute of Technology
• Hoboken Terminal Waiting Room [1], built in 1906-7 with a high aesthetic sensibility.
• Site of the first brewery in the United States, Castle Point.
• Site of the first known baseball game between two different teams, Elysian Fields, between 10th and 11th Streets and Hudson Street.
• Site of the first demonstration of a steam railroad in the United States at 56 Newark Street at Hudson Street.
• Site of the first departure of an electrified train, driven by Thomas A. Edison from Hoboken Terminal to Montclair, NJ.
• Site of the first central air-conditioning unit, Hoboken Terminal.
• Site of the first wireless phone, Hoboken Terminal.
• World War I embarkation point, 1st and 2nd streets at River Street-- almost all American troops sent to Europe left from here.
• The Waterfront in general-- the western shore of the Hudson, from Newark St. to Stevens Tech., sandwiched by the Holland Tunnel to the south and Lincoln Tunnel to the north. It defined Hoboken as the archetypal port town and powered its economy from the mid-19th century to outbreak of World War I, when the federal government seized most of it under Eminent Domain. Control returned to the city in the early 1950s. 'On the Waterfront', consistently listed among the five best American films ever, was filmed here, dramatically highlighting the rough and tumble lives of dockworkers and the infiltration of unions by organized crime. Today the Waterfront is cherished for scenic views of the Hudson and Manhattan, accessible to all by magnificent parks built on the foundations of former piers.
• Frank Sinatra birthplace, 415 Monroe St.
• Alfred Stieglitz birthplace, just west of Sinatra park on the waterfront.
• Site of the accidental invention of soft ice-cream, 726 Washington St.
• Site of the first Blimpie's restaurant, Washington St.

Notable Hobokians

Born in Hoboken:

• Frank Sinatra
• G. Gordon Liddy, Watergate conspirator and rightist radio talkshow host.
• Michael Chang, pro tennis player.
• Dorothea Lange, outstanding portrait photographer.
• Alfred Stieglitz [1], leading figure of 19th and early 20th Century American photography.
• Alfred Kroeber, prominent 20th century anthropologist.
• Joe Pantoliano, actor.
• Pia Zadora, actress.
• Maria Pepe, first girl to play Little League baseball.

Active in Hoboken:

• Stephen Foster, master 19th century songwriter.
• Alexander Calder, leading 20th century sculptor and artist.
• Daniel Pinkwater, National Public Radio commentator and author.
• Mark Leyner, "postmodern" author.