Livingston, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Livingston, New Jersey
Township
Montage: Livingston Town Center (top row), Town Hall (left row 2), street sign (right row 2), St. Barnabas Medical Center (row 3), Historic Force Homestead (left row 4) and Livingston Mall (right row 4)
Township Logo
Location of Livingston in Essex County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Essex County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
Census Bureau map of Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston, New Jersey Location in Essex County, New Jersey Show map of Essex County, New Jersey Livingston, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Livingston, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Essex
Incorporated	February 5, 1813
Named for	William Livingston
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act (council–manager)
• Body	Township Council
Area
• Total	14.12 sq mi (36.57 km2)
• Land	13.79 sq mi (35.70 km2)
• Water	0.33 sq mi (0.86 km2)  2.37%
Area rank	177th of 565 in state 2nd of 22 in county
Elevation	289 ft (88 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	31,330
• Estimate  (2023)	31,089
• Rank	75th of 565 in state 9th of 22 in county
• Density	2,272.8/sq mi (877.5/km2)
• Density rank	275th of 565 in state 17th of 22 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07039
Area code(s)	973
FIPS code	3401340890
GNIS feature ID	0882219

Livingston is a township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 31,330, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 1,964 (+6.7%) from 29,366 recorded at the 2010 census, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,975 (+7.2%) from the 27,391 counted in the 2000 census. In 2023, the Population Estimates Program by the United States Census Bureau calculated that the township had a population of 31,089.

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). Portions of the original township were later taken to form Fairmount (March 11, 1862, now part of West Orange) and Roseland (March 10, 1908).

The township was named for William Livingston, the first Governor of New Jersey; his family's coat of arms served as the township's seal for many years.

The community has been one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the American Community Survey for 2013–2017, township residents had a median household income of $153,381, ranked 14th in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide median of $76,475.

History

Livingston's history dates back to 1699 when 101 settlers from Newark wanted to move westward. They set up a committee to negotiate with Lenni Lenape Native Americans for the purchase of the Horseneck Tract which today includes Livingston and eight other municipalities in northern Essex County. Between 1698 and 1702, the rules for property ownership were unclear. There were many disputes between settlers and the English proprietors. For some unknown reasons, the Newark settlers did not obtain a grant from the proprietors before negotiating with the native tribes. They finally obtained the deed directly from Lenni Lenape in 1702 for £130. The settlements began until around the 1740s as the dispute between the proprietors and the settlers continued.

The dispute came to a breaking point in September 1745 when the East Jersey proprietors began to evict a settler only six months after a house fire in Newark completely destroyed the original deed, which was the only evidence of the purchase. During that period, William Livingston who was one of the few landed aristocrats joined the settlers against the proprietors. Livingston owned land around today's south western corner of the Township of Livingston. His land, like other settlers, was levied with quit rents in the amount 40 shillings per acre. He defended many settlers who were jailed for refusing to pay the quit rents.

This series of events caused the settlers, led by Timothy Meeker, to form a group to riot against the British government. The Horseneck Riots lasted for 10 years from 1745 to 1755. The group was also one of the first colonial militia which had periodic battles for 32 years leading up to the Revolutionary War as the group joined the Continental Army in 1776.

After the American Revolutionary War, more permanent settlements took place with the first school built in 1783. In 1811, a petition was filed to incorporate the township from about 100 people who lived in seven distinct areas: Centerville (separated to become Roseland, 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 (now Livingston Center), and Washington Place (now near the border with Millburn). On February 5, 1813, the township was officially incorporated. The first town meeting was held on the same day and they decided to run the township by a Township Committee system.

During the 1800s, lumber and farming were major industries in the town. Shoemaking and dairy farming became major industries during and after the Civil War. However, the population grew slowly because it was not easily accessible. Mt. Pleasant Avenue—which was one of the first turnpikes in New Jersey—was the only primary access to the town through stagecoaches.

The population grew quickly after the 1920s when automobiles became more accessible. As a suburb of Newark, the town experienced many housing developments especially after World War II with its peak in 1970 of more than thirty thousand residents. During this growth period, many services were organized including public library in 1916, volunteer Fire Department in 1922, first regular police chief in 1923, an ambulance unit in 1937 which became first aid squad in 1949. Some major relocations took place during this period of growing population shift. Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (formerly Saint Barnabas Medical Center) and Newark Academy moved from Newark to Livingston in 1964.

The last surviving Harrison Cider Apple tree, the most famous of the 18th century Newark cider apples was rescued from extinction in 1976 in Livingston.

Today, around 30,000 people live in this suburban community, which lies around an hour from New York City. Its school system—which has been nationally recognized since 1998—and other programs have been drawing new residents to the town. Its population has maintained a level of diversity while the residents continue the tradition of community volunteerism.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 14.12 square miles (36.57 km²), including 13.79 square miles (35.7 km²) of land and 0.33 square miles (0.86 km²) of water (2.37%). Livingston is in the New York metropolitan area. It is in southwestern Essex County. Within Essex County it is bordered by Roseland to the north, West Orange to the east, and Millburn/Short Hills to the south. To the west it is bordered by Morris County communities Florham Park and East Hanover. The western border is the Passaic River.

Localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Cedar Ridge, Cheapside, Moorehoustown, Northfield, Washington Place and West Livingston.

Demographics

According to the 2002 results of the National Jewish Population Survey, there were 12,600 Jews in Livingston, approximately 46% of the population, one of the highest percentages of Jews in any American municipality. The neighboring towns of South Orange and Millburn also have high Jewish populations.

In a report performed by the United Way of Northern New Jersey based on 2012 data, around 14% of Livingston households were classified as "Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed" households (below a threshold of $50,000 for households below 65, below $35,000 for those over 65), struggling with basic necessities, such as housing, childcare, food, health care, and transportation, compared to 38% statewide and 47% in Essex County.

2020 census

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 29,366 people, 9,990 households, and 8,272 families in the township. The population density was 2,132.8 per square mile (823.5/km²). There were 10,284 housing units at an average density of 746.9 per square mile (288.4/km²). The racial makeup was 76.17% (22,367) White, 2.26% (663) Black or African American, 0.07% (20) Native American, 19.21% (5,642) Asian, 0.02% (5) Pacific Islander, 0.86% (254) from other races, and 1.41% (415) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.06% (1,192) of the population.

Of the 9,990 households, 41.5% had children under the age of 18; 73.5% were married couples living together; 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 17.2% were non-families. Of all households, 15.2% were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.24.

27.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.1 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $129,208 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,377) and the median family income was $143,429 (+/− $10,622). Males had a median income of $100,075 (+/− $11,306) versus $71,213 (+/− $7,102) for females. The per capita income for the township was $60,577 (+/− $3,918). About 1.1% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.6% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Shopping and dining

Although largely a bedroom community, there are many stores and restaurants located in Livingston, in three main shopping areas. The first area is located in the center of the town. It stretches along Livingston Avenue from Route 10 to Northfield Avenue. Historically, the area has been dominated by small local stores, but retains some national chain stores. With the addition of Livingston Town Center, classified as mixed-use development, new restaurants have opened as well, adding to the large number of locally owned establishments.

The second area is the Livingston Mall located at the south-western corner of the town. Macy's occupies one of the original three wings the mall. Sears, the original anchor in the second wing, announced its closure in February 2020, while Lord & Taylor, the third original anchor, shut down on December 29, 2020. The fourth wing, added in 2008, is home of Barnes & Noble.

The third shopping area begins the Route 10 shopping corridor that extends to East Hanover. It includes the Route 10 Farmer's Market and Panevino Ristorante.

Corporate residents

Many office parks are located along Eisenhower Parkway on the western side of the town. There are a few headquarters of major companies including former CIT Group corporate headquarters, Inteplast Group headquarters, The Briad Group headquarters, and customer service and support center of Verizon New Jersey.

There are varieties of other services in the township. The Westminster Hotel is located on the western side of the town. Fitness facilities include West Essex YMCA. A Jewish Community Center with fitness center also exists just over the border in West Orange.

Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, a 597-bed hospital established in 1865, is located in the southern side of the town near West Orange and Millburn.

Livingston also has a local Public-access television station (Livingston TV on Comcast TV-34 and Verizon FiOS 26), which is maintained by Livingston High School Students as well as the LPBC (Livingston Public Broadcasting Committee).

Arts and culture

Performing arts

Livingston is home of several performing arts organizations:

• Livingston Symphony Orchestra is a group of community-based performers which was formed in 1960. The symphony orchestra is currently directed by Anthony LaGruth. It holds limited performances during each season.
• Livingston Community Players is a community-based theatre organization. There has been many productions in the recent years. The performers are from local community and other places in New Jersey. Past productions, including The Sound of Music, Oliver!, and Annie, received Perry Awards from New Jersey Association of Community Theatres.
• Children's Theatre of Livingston is a local organization that provides performance opportunities for Livingston children grades 2 to 8. The children are trained in acting roles and staging staff. It has annual performance since the first season in 2007.
• New Jersey Ballet is a major ballet company based in Livingston. The company is recognized nationally and internationally with tours in many countries in Europe, Asia and North America. Livingston is also the headquarters of New Jersey School of Ballet which offers many classes in Ballet, Jazz and Tap.

Fine arts

Livingston has many local artists in varied forms. Local artists have support from Livingston Arts Association, an organization formed in 1959 to promote art in the community including large scale exhibitions, demonstrations, and workshops. The organization is also a member of Arts Council of Livingston which has a gallery at Livingston Town Center. The Arts Association includes numerous organizations in addition to the Arts Council of Livingston, including the NJ State Opera Guild—West Essex Chapter and Livingston Camera Club. The Arts Council of Livingston regularly exhibits art at the Livingston Town Hall.

There are many studios at Riker Hill Art Park with more than 40 working artists in various media including pottery, fine metalwork, glass, jewelry, paintings, fine arts, sculpture and photography. Many studios offer art classes for adults and children.

Sports

From 1984 to 1989, Livingston was the site of the Grand Prix tennis circuit tournament, the Livingston Open, held at Newark Academy. The Grand Prix was the only professional circuit since 1985 before it was succeeded by the ATP Tour in 1990. The tournament was won by Andre Agassi in 1988, earning him the seventh title in his career.

Parks and recreation

Parks

There are more than 470 acres (1.9 km²) of wooded parks with passive hiking trails in Livingston. Additional 1,817 acres (7.35 km²) are zoned to be preserved in its natural state without public access. This brings to about 25% of total land in the town that is in its natural conditions with habitats of eight threatened or endangered species.

There are smaller parks and open space areas dedicated to recreation and sports, mostly centered around the town's public schools. These include two swimming pools, one of which, Northland Pool, is no longer open to the public, ten little league baseball diamonds, four full baseball diamonds, eight full soccer/lacrosse fields, one full football field, three basketball courts, sixteen tennis courts, eleven playgrounds, a jogging track, a dog park, and a fishing/ice skating pond. The township is planning to build inter-connected mixed-use paths, biking and hiking trails to connect those parks and open space throughout the township.

Livingston has an active open space trust fund that continues to acquire more lands for preservation and recreation. As of 2003^[update], there were 842 acres (9% of total land) that were protected from development. There were additional 2,475 acres (10.02 km²) that could be protected by the fund.

Riker Hill Complex

A radio tower in the Riker Hill Complex

Riker Hill Complex (also referred to as Riker Hill Art Park) is a 204-acre (0.83 km²) parkland located along the border of Livingston and Roseland, which was acquired between 1969 and 1977 through county funds and the state's Green Acres program. The complex is managed by the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs. It comprises three parks, Riker Hill Art Park—a former Nike Missile control area site on 42 acres (17 ha), Walter Kidde Dinosaur Park—a National Natural Landmark on 16 acres (6.5 ha) that is not publicly accessible, and the undeveloped Becker Park on 147 acres (59 ha). Although a large portion of the complex is located within Roseland, the county designated Livingston as the host community as the Riker Hill Art Park is the only functional and publicly accessible park at the present time. The art park located atop of the hill is home of many studios in multiple disciplines of art and craft.

Recreation

The recreation department under the Senior, Youth and Leisure Services program offers programs for residents ranging from pre-school courses, children games, crafts, and dance to youth and adult sports programs to special programming for seniors. Programming also grew during Covid to include various virtual exercise, meditation, and other types of programs and virtual events. The recreation department's variety of services and programs for adults ages 62+ includes educational, sports, special events, concerts, and locally available transportation via several new vans. The recreation department has proven innovative in working to provide programs and services safely throughout the pandemic. Prior to 2020, residents enjoyed two pools, Haines Pool and Northland Pool. Since then, Northland Pool has been mainly closed to residents. There are many independent sports organizations such as Livingston Little League, Livingston Jr. Lancers (football and cheerleading), Livingston Lacrosse Club, and Livingston Soccer Club.

Education

Public schools

The Livingston Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district consists of six elementary schools, grades Pre-K/K–5; one middle school for grade 6 and another middle school for grades 7 and 8, and one four-year high school. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised nine schools, had an enrollment of 6,151 students and 500.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.3:1. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Burnet Hill Elementary School (488 students in grades Pre-K–5), Collins Elementary School (462; K–5), Amos W. Harrison Elementary School (449; K–5), Hillside Elementary School (397; K–5), Mount Pleasant Elementary School (434; K–5), Riker Hill Elementary School (400; K–5), Mount Pleasant Middle School (507; Grade 6), Heritage Middle School (1,008; 7–8) and Livingston High School (1,945; 9–12).

For the 1997–98 school year, Livingston High School received the National Blue Ribbon Schools Award from the United States Department of Education, one of the highest honors that an American school can achieve. Livingston High School was ranked 24th in New Jersey in New Jersey Monthly's 2012 rankings, 9th in New Jersey high schools in Newsweek's 2013 rankings of "America's Best High Schools", and is ranked 605th in US News' 2020 national high school rankings.

Approximately 26.7% of the township's population 25 years and older have attained professional, Masters or Doctorate degrees. During 2007–2008 budget year, Livingston allocated 59.96% of local property tax toward the Livingston Public Schools. Additionally, a separate budget of 7% of all municipal services went toward the operation of its public library. According to library statistics collected by Institute of Museum and Library Services, Livingston Public Library was ranked 22 out of 232 municipal libraries in New Jersey based on total circulation in 2006.

Private schools

Founded as Saint Philomena School in 1952 and given its current name in 1987, Aquinas Academy is a private coeducational Roman Catholic school that serves students from preschool through eighth grade and operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.

Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy is a private coeducational Jewish day school that serves preschool through eighth grade, while Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School is a four-year yeshiva high school for grades 9–12. The Tzedek School is a non-sectarian co-educational school of Jewish Heritage and Hebrew Language serving the communities of Livingston and the surrounding area for students in grades K–12.

Newark Academy is a private coeducational day school founded in 1774, that serves grades 6–8 in its middle schools and 9–12 in the upper school.

Livingston Chinese School and Livingston Huaxia Chinese School are two weekend Chinese-language schools in Livingston which use facilities of Heritage Middle School and Mount Pleasant school.

Historic sites

The Ward–Force House and Condit Family Cook House are two building structures located at 366 South Livingston Avenue. These structures were jointly registered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, commonly known as the Old Force Homestead. Originally, Ward-Force House and Condit Family Cook House were built in separate properties. Ward-Force House was built as early as 1745 by Theophilus Ward. It was later purchased by Samuel Force for his son, Thomas Force. During the Revolutionary War, Thomas served as a patriot and was captured by the British. Thomas came back to live with his wife and children after the war and expanded the house. It was sold to the township in 1962. The Condit Family Cook House was built as a stand-alone summer kitchen of a farm home near the current location of Livingston Mall. When the mall was built during the 1970s, the Cook House was donated to the township and was moved to the current location at the rear of Ward-Force House. Currently, the Old Force Homestead is the headquarters of Livingston Historical Society and the Force Homestead Museum.

Dickinson House and Washington Place Schoolhouse are two other sites in the township that are registered in the New Jersey State Historic Site Program. Dickinson House is located at 84 Dickinson Lane. It was once visited by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt for a hunting trip. Washington Place Schoolhouse is located at 122 Passaic Avenue. It was a school house that was built around 1800.

Transportation

Interstate 280 eastbound in Livingston

The intersection of Livingston Avenue and Route 10 at night

Roads and highways

As of 2010, The township had a total of 136.05 miles (218.95 km) of roadways, of which 105.43 miles (169.67 km) are maintained by the municipality, 26.05 miles (41.92 km) by Essex County and 4.57 miles (7.35 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Livingston is located 21.9 miles (35.2 km) from New York City. Roads directly serving Livingston include Eisenhower Parkway, County Route 508, County Route 527, Interstate 280 and Route 10. Interstate 80, the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) are all accessible via I-280.

Public transportation

Bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal is available on the Community Coach #77 bus route. OurBus company also operates a commuter route to New York City serving Livingston and West Orange. NJ Transit offers bus service to Newark on the 70, 71 and 73 routes, with local service available on the 873 route.

Rail service is accessible via the NJ Transit Morristown Line, which has several stops in adjacent communities such as Short Hills, Millburn, and South Orange. The stations are about 5 to 7 miles (8.0 to 11.3 km) from most of Livingston, accessible by car or taxi. The township provides a fee-based direct shuttle service called Livingston Express Shuttle for a 15-minute ride between Livingston Mall and South Orange station for Morristown Line trains to Midtown Manhattan and Hoboken.

Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, for inter-city rail transit in the Northeastern United States, and the Port Authority's PATH service local rapid transit system are available 10 miles away at Newark Penn Station.

Notable events

• On May 22, 1992, Democratic Presidential candidate and eventual Presidential elect Bill Clinton visited Livingston High School on a campaign stop to announce his support for Governor James Florio's NJ welfare proposal.
• On June 18, 1996, the Olympic Torch made a stop in Livingston while en route to Atlanta, Georgia.
• On November 16, 1999, Livingston High School hosted sitting Governor Christine Todd Whitman and her cabinet for a town hall meeting with a conversation focusing on the state's diversity.
• On January 13, 2008, Livingston High School hosted a crowd of 900 at the first of New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine's all-state county forum tour of Jersey to promote and explain his new toll hike proposal to finance state road maintenance. The town hall meeting featured a PowerPoint by Corzine and then a Q and A session where many attendees inquired about a new school financing proposal more so than the toll issue.
• On June 30, 2015, Chris Christie launched his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination at Livingston High School.

Notable people

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

Jared Kushner

Shiva Ayyadurai

Paul E. Olsen

Roger Tsien

Jason Alexander

Chelsea Handler

Harlan Coben

Chris Christie

Lennie Friedman

Justin Gimelstob

Dan Kellner

Byron Scott

Academia

• Shiva Ayyadurai (born 1963), MIT systems scientist and entrepreneur who controversially claims to have developed email in 1979 when he was a student at Livingston High School
• Denise J. Jamieson (born c. 1965), gynecologist who is the James Robert McCord Chair in Gynecology and Obstetrics at Emory University and former medical officer in the United States Public Health Service
• Pamela Nadell (born 1951), historian, researcher, author and lecturer focusing on Jewish history
• Paul E. Olsen (born 1953), paleontologist, elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences, helped in getting Riker Hill Fossil Site in Roseland registered as a National Natural Landmark when he was a teenager
• Suzanne Steinbaum (born c. 1968), cardiologist and director of Women's Heart Health at the Heart and Vascular Institute at Lenox Hill Hospital
• Roger Y. Tsien (1952–2016), chemist who was awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry He also won first prize in the Westinghouse talent search at age 16 when he attended Livingston High School with a project investigating how metals bind to thiocyanate.

Artists

• Val Britton (born 1977), artist known for her collage work

Business

• Elvina Beck (born 1985), founder of the co-living company PodShare
• Frank Biondi (1945–2019), former President and CEO of Viacom, and former Chairman and CEO of Universal Studios
• Robert E. Grady (born 1959), venture capitalist, investment banker and government official
• Barry Halper (1939–2005), baseball memorabilia collector and businessman, who was once a limited partner in the Yankees' ownership with George Steinbrenner
• Charles Kushner (born 1954), real estate mogul and Democratic fundraiser who pleaded guilty in 2004 to tax violations and charges related to witness tampering
• Joshua Kushner (born 1985), businessman and investor
• David Tepper (born 1957), founder of the hedge fund Appaloosa Management

Entertainment

Literature

• Mona Charen (born 1957), conservative political columnist who grew up in Livingston, where she was close friends with future Washington Post journalist Ruth Marcus
• Harlan Coben (born 1962), The New York Times best-selling author of Promise Me, Tell No One and No Second Chance
• Susie Fishbein (born 1968), Orthodox Jewish author of the best-selling Kosher By Design kosher cookbook series published by ArtScroll
• Ariel Horn (born c. 1979), novelist and teacher
• Jack Ketchum (pseudonym of Dallas Mayr, 1946–2018), author of The Girl Next Door and Off Season, who is a five-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Fiction
• Ruth Marcus (born 1958), liberal op-ed columnist for The Washington Post who grew up in Livingston, where she was close friends with future political (and politically-opposite) columnist Mona Charen
• Wendy Mass (born 1967), author of books for children, including A Mango-Shaped Space

Sports

Others

• Ruggiero "Richie The Boot" Boiardo (1890–1984), alleged capo of the Genovese crime family and mafiosa of Newark, New Jersey, in the early 1900s

See also

In Spanish: Livingston (Nueva Jersey) para niños