Gateway Region

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The Gateway Region is a marketing area of the State of New Jersey located in the Northern and Central part of the state. It is one of six marketing areas established by the New Jersey State Department of Tourism, the others being the Greater Atlantic City Region, the Southern Shore Region, the Delaware River Region, the Shore Region and the Skylands Region.[1]. The area encompasses Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Union and Middlesex counties. It is the most urban part of the state and home to most of its larger cities, with population of more than four million, though most housing was originally developed as suburbs. It is home to Ellis Island, the "gateway" through which many immigrants entered the United States, many of whom choose to stay in the region, which continues to be the port of entry and first home to many born abroad, making it one of the most ethnically diverse of the nation. It may also be the most economically diverse, with some of the biggest pockets of poverty and most exclusive of suburbs in the state. The designation has not caught on in local parlance, as the topography and social identity of the residents tend not to correspond to the collective name, though the term North Jersey is often heard. Central Jersey is definitely used to describe Middlesex County and is sometimes used to describe Union County.

Contents

[edit] Geography

George Washington Bridge and New Jersey Palisades
George Washington Bridge and New Jersey Palisades
Meadowlands from Route 7.
Meadowlands from Route 7.

The Gateway Region is home to New Jersey's six largest municipalities: Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, Woodbridge Township, and Edison. Major rivers and the bays they flow into are the Hudson River/Upper New York Bay, the Hackensack River and the Passaic River/Newark Bay, and the Raritan. The topography of the area is quite varied, with the Palisades and the Meadowlands in the northeast, the hills and valleys of the Watchung Mountains in the west, the Ramapo Mountains in the north, and tidal plains of the Raritan to the south. The confluence of roads and railways of the BosWash megalopolis and Northeast Corridor make the region very heavily travelled. Though there are broad distinctions between cities, suburbs, heavy industry, light manufacturing, recreational "green spaces", nature preserves, and retail, transportation, and maritime infrastructure, the landscape is characterized by their close proximity to each other, as is typical of urban sprawl.

[edit] History

[edit] The Lenape and The Netherlands

The Gateway Region was originally the territory of the Lenape Native Americans. Later called Delaware Indian, this collection of Algonquian-language speaking peoples is believed to have lived for more than 2,800 years on lands around and in-between the Hudson River and the Delaware River. The Lenape are recalled in the countless number of place names given by them to towns, hills, and bodies of water. Much of the land was "purchased" by Dutch and English from the Lenape, though the this concept of "ownership" was foreign to them. The Lenape retreated to the west as settlements grew, and "agreed" to re-locate in 1766 with the Treaty of Easton.

The first recorded European to explore the area was Henry Hudson, an Englishman sailing for the Dutch East India Company, who, in 1609, anchoring his ship the Halve Maen (Half Moon) at Sandy Hook, Harsimus, Weehawken Cove, and other spots established a Dutch claim. In June of 1623 the territory, called New Netherlands became a Dutch province, with headquarters in New Amsterdam. Settlement was sparse, and it was not until 1660, after series of confrontations with the Lenape, that the first permanent garrison/village was established on the west bank of the North River at Bergen Square. English and Dutch rivalry made the colony a pawn in European empire wars, and when the English entered New York Bay in 1664, a negotiated settlement (which guaranteed religious tolerance and protection of private property) was made to transfer control of the area to the British crown.

[edit] Colonial America

The Great Falls of the Passaic River in Paterson.
The Great Falls of the Passaic River in Paterson.

Elizabethtown was founded as the capitol and became the first officially English-speaking settlement, named after the wife of the province's proprietor, Sir George Cateret. In 1666, Newark was established by Puritans from Connecticut. By 1675, the region become the proprietary colony of East Jersey (establishing a border with New York State, which was formalized in 1738). It was partitioned into four counties for administrative purposes: Bergen County, Essex County, Middlesex County and Monmouth County. Settlement remained sparse, though some towns were created within farming communities and along rivers and bays. Among them are Hackensack (a Lenape/Dutch village) and Piscataway in 1693, Perth Amboy in 1684, and New Brunswick in 1736 (which later became home to Queens College). During the 18th century, increased migration to the southwest of Newark Bay by English speakers was predominate, while areas to the north and east retained a Dutch orientation. Slavery and indentured service were encourage to populate the area. The third public reading of The Declaration of Independence took place in New Brunswick, but many East Jerseyans became Tories. Several battles of American Revolution took place in the region including those at Connecticut Farms, Bound Brook, Paulus Hook, and Fort Lee.

[edit] Invention, Industry and Immigration

Ellis Island was the first stop for most immigrants from Europe.
Ellis Island was the first stop for most immigrants from Europe.

In 1791, Alexander Hamilton help found the Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures (S.U.M.), which encouraged the harnessing of the water power of the Great Falls of the Passaic and to secure economic independence from British manufacturers. Paterson, which was founded by the society, became the cradle of the industrial revolution in America, supported in part by the Morris Canal built in the 1820s. A century later Thomas Edison, the Wizard of Menlo Park, made his mark. Many discoveries and inventions, or application or mass production of them, were made in the Gateway Region including the steam engine, the revolver, the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, the rocket engine, and the electric railway. It is the site of the first automobile and first submarine in the United States. It can claim to the birthplace of baseball and the American film industry.

The latter half of the 19th century saw an expolison of the population (German farmers and entrepreneurs and Irish fleeing the famine a large part of the growth), The laying of rail lines which still cross-cross the region, and the development of the shipping industry at the Hudson River waterfront, Newark Bay, and Kill van Kull, making it one of the nation's economic powerhouses. The Bayway Refinery, the nation's northernmost, and one of its largest oil refineries is in Linden, along the corridor with other heavy industry.

[edit] The World Wars

Industrial "backyard" east of Elizabeth
Industrial "backyard" east of Elizabeth

[edit] Pre-/Post Millennium

[edit] Transportation

The Gateway Regions has an extensive network of national highways, state freeways, and toll roads; commuter and long distance trains; an expanding light rail system; local and interstate bus routes; and is home to one of the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area's three major airports. Much of the rail and surface transit systems is operated by New Jersey Transit and is mostly oriented to commuters travelling to downtown Newark, lower and midtown Manhattan, and increasingly, the Hudson Waterfront. Outside of the most "city-like" areas of Greater Newark/Elizabeth, Hudson County, and Greater Paterson, the automobile remains the most common means of intra-regional travel.

[edit] Rail

AirTrain Newark
AirTrain Newark

[edit] Air

Commercial scheduled passenger service:

General aviation:

Seaplane

[edit] Hubs

A toll ticket received at Exit 15W on the New Jersey Turnpike
A toll ticket received at Exit 15W on the New Jersey Turnpike

[edit] (Interstate) Crossings

[edit] (Major) Highways

CRRNJ Terminal in Liberty State Park, Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty ferry slips in foreground.
CRRNJ Terminal in Liberty State Park, Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty ferry slips in foreground.

[edit] Water

[edit] Seaports

Containers at Port Elizabeth.
Containers at Port Elizabeth.


The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey operates The Auto Marine Terminal in Bayonne and Jersey City and the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, which was the first in the nation to containerize,[2]

[edit] Media

[edit] Newspapers

Many places have local newspapers specific to their towns, while others have a broader readership and are commonly available in retail shops and for delivery.

[edit] Television

The Gateway is part of the Greater New York City market, with some stations located in and broadcasting from it.

VHF stations (analog)
VHF stations (digital)
  • Channel 8: WNJB - (PBS) - New Brunswick - "N.J. Public Television"
UHF stations (analog)
UHF stations (digital)

[edit] See also

[edit] Annual Events

Events of national or international prominence include:

  • Black Maria Film and Video Festival
  • Cherry Blossom Festival (Spring), in Branch Brook Park
  • Hambletonian, the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown, at Meadowlands Racetrack
  • Hudson County Film and Video Festival
  • Hudson River Waterfront Marathon
  • Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks, on New York Bay
  • Newark Black Film Festival (August)
  • New Jersey Jewish Film Festival, spring
  • New Jersey Film Festival (Spring), New Brunswick
  • Oktoberfest, (Fall), North Bergen, Clark
  • Passion Play, (Spring), Park Theater, Union City
  • State Fair Meadowlands, (June), Meadowlands

[edit] Environmental Centers

Meadowlands Environment Center
Meadowlands Environment Center

[edit] Historic Sites

The Gateway Region is home to many Registered Historic Places, including historic districts, private homes, places of worship, train stations, civic buildings, industrial architecture, and others including:

The New Jersey Historical Society
The New Jersey Historical Society

[edit] Historical Exhibitions

Many municipalities and counties have historical societies and museums specific to the local area. Other thematic exhibitions include:

[edit] Horticulture

Presby Memorial Iris Gardens
Presby Memorial Iris Gardens


[edit] National Natural Landmarks

[edit] Parks, Reserves, and Forests

Branch Brook Park during the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Branch Brook Park during the Cherry Blossom Festival.

[edit] Performing Arts

Kasser Theater
Kasser Theater

There are many theater and dance companies throughout the region, some of whom have there own performance spaces. Other theaters, whose programming mostly includes touring shows or new productions include:

Stanley Theater
Stanley Theater
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center

[edit] Science and Natural History

Liberty Science Center before its 2006 re-construction
Liberty Science Center before its 2006 re-construction
Interior of Prudential Center
Interior of Prudential Center

[edit] Sport Venues

[edit] Universities and Colleges

Dickson Hall (left)and University Hall (right), Montclair State University
Dickson Hall (left)and University Hall (right), Montclair State University
Old Queens, the oldest building at Rutgers University in New Brunswick built between 1808–1825.
Old Queens, the oldest building at Rutgers University in New Brunswick built between 1808–1825.
Stevens Institute
Stevens Institute

[edit] Visual Arts

[edit] Zoos

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Visitor Information - Regional Tourism.
  2. ^ Doig, Jameson W. (2001). "Epilogue", Empire on the Hudson. Columbia University Press. 

[edit] External links

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