New Brunswick is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

.New Jersey County Map
, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed July 10, 2017. A regional commercial hub for

Central New Jersey Central Jersey, or Central New Jersey, is the middle region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation Central Jersey is a distinct administrative division, administrative toponymy, toponym. While New Jersey is often divided into North Je ...

, the city is both a

college town A college town or university town is a town or city whose character is dominated by a college or university and their associated culture, often characterised by the student population making up 20 percent of the population of the community, bu ...

(the main campus of

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

, the state's largest university) and a

commuter town A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

for residents commuting to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

within the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

. New Brunswick is on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of

. The city is located on the southern banks of the

Raritan River The Raritan River is a river of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its Drainage basin, watershed drains much of the mountainous areas in the North Jersey, northern and Central Jersey, central sections of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay near ...

in the heart of the Raritan Valley Region. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 55,266, an increase of 85 (+0.2%) from the 2010 census count of 55,181, which in turn reflected an increase of 6,608 (+13.6%) from the 48,573 counted in the 2000 census. The Census Bureau's

Population Estimates Program The Population Estimates Program (PEP) is a program of the U.S. Census Bureau that publishes annual population estimates and estimates of birth, death, and international migration rates for people in the United States. In addition to publishing t ...

calculated a population of 55,846 for 2023, making it the 719th-most populous municipality in the nation.Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 20,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2023 Population: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, released May 2024. Accessed May 30, 2024. Note that townships (including Edison, Lakewood and Woodbridge, all of which have larger populations) are excluded from these rankings. Due to the concentration of medical facilities in the area, including Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...

, and Saint Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick is known as both the ''Hub City'' and the ''Healthcare City''. The corporate headquarters and production facilities of several global

pharmaceutical companies The pharmaceutical industry is a Medicine, medical industry that discovers, develops, produces, and markets pharmaceutical goods such as medications and medical devices. Medications are then administered to (or Self-medicate, self-administered b ...

are situated in the city, including Johnson & Johnson and

Bristol Myers Squibb The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Trade name, doing business as Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), is an American multinational pharmaceutical company. Headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, BMS is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies ...

. New Brunswick has evolved into a major center for the sciences, arts, and cultural activities. Downtown New Brunswick is developing a growing

skyline A skyline is the wikt:outline, outline or shape viewed near the horizon. It can be created by a city's overall structure, or by human intervention in a rural area, rural setting, or in nature that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the ...

, filling in with new high-rise towers. New Brunswick is noted for its ethnic diversity. At one time, one-quarter of the Hungarian population of New Jersey resided in the city, and in the 1930s one out of three city residents was Hungarian. The Hungarian community continues as a cohesive community, with the 3,200 Hungarian residents accounting for 8% of the population of New Brunswick in 1992. Growing Asian and

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

communities have developed around French Street near Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

History

Etymology

The area around present-day New Brunswick was first inhabited by the

Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...

Native Americans, whose Minisink Trail intersected the

and followed a route that would be taken by later colonial roads. The first European settlement at the site of New Brunswick was made in 1681. The settlement here was called ''Prigmore's Swamp'' (1681–1697), then known as ''Inian's Ferry'' (1691–1714). In 1714, the settlement was given the name New Brunswick, after the city of

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( ; from Low German , local dialect: ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...

(''Brunswick'' in

Low German Low German is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language variety, language spoken mainly in Northern Germany and the northeastern Netherlands. The dialect of Plautdietsch is also spoken in the Russian Mennonite diaspora worldwide. "Low" ...

), in the state of

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...

, now located in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Braunschweig was an influential and powerful city in the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...

and was an administrative seat for the Duchy of Hanover. Shortly after the first settlement of New Brunswick in colonial New Jersey, George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Elector of Hanover, became King George I of Great Britain. Alternatively, the city gets its name from King

George II of Great Britain George II (George Augustus; ; 30 October / 9 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Electorate of Hanover, Hanover) and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Em ...

, the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

Colonial and Early American periods

Centrally located between

and

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

along an early thoroughfare known as the ''King's Highway'' and situated along the

, New Brunswick became an important hub for Colonial travelers and traders. New Brunswick was incorporated as a town in 1736 and chartered as a city in 1784. It was incorporated into a town in 1798 as part of the Township Act of 1798. It was occupied by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

in the winter of 1776–1777 during the Revolutionary War. The ''

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

'' received one of its first public readings, by Colonel John Neilson in New Brunswick on July 9, 1776, in the days following its promulgation by the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

. A bronze statue marking the event was dedicated on July 9, 2017, in Monument Square, in front of the Heldrich Hotel. The Trustees of Queen's College (now

), founded in 1766, voted by a margin of ten to seven in 1771 to locate the young college in New Brunswick, selecting the city over Hackensack, in

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Matthew Leydt, and several freshmen at a tavern called the 'Sign of the Red Lion' on the corner of Albany and Neilson Streets (now the grounds of the Johnson & Johnson corporate headquarters); Leydt would become the university's first graduate in 1774 when he was the only member of the graduating class. The Sign of the Red Lion was purchased on behalf of Queens College in 1771, and later sold to the estate of Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh in 1791. Classes were held through the American Revolution in various taverns and boarding houses, and at a building known as ''College Hall'' on George Street, until Old Queens was completed and opened in 1811. It remains the oldest building on the Rutgers University campus."Old Queens Reigns at Rutgers for 200 Years The university celebrates the state's oldest, intact higher education building"
, ''Rutgers Today'', April 27, 2009. Accessed December 12, 2019. "The cornerstone of Old Queens was laid April 27, 1809. The building originally housed the university's preparatory school, college and theological seminary as well as residential units for faculty. Old Queens is now occupied by Rutgers’ central administrative offices." The Queen's College Grammar School (now Rutgers Preparatory School) was established also in 1766, and shared facilities with the college until 1830, when it located in a building (now known as

Alexander Johnston Hall Alexander Johnston Hall is a historic building located on the corner of Somerset Street and College Avenue, New Brunswick, New Jersey, New Brunswick in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, New Jersey and is the second oldest building on ...

) across College Avenue from Old Queens. After Rutgers University became the state university of New Jersey in 1945, the Trustees of Rutgers divested itself of Rutgers Preparatory School, which relocated in 1957 to an estate purchased from

Colgate-Palmolive The Colgate-Palmolive Company, commonly known as Colgate-Palmolive, is an American multinational corporation, multinational consumer products company headquartered on Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The company specializes in ...

in Franklin Township in neighboring Somerset County. The New Brunswick Theological Seminary, founded in 1784 in New York, moved to New Brunswick in 1810, sharing its quarters with the fledgling Queen's College. (Queen's closed from 1810 to 1825 due to financial problems, and reopened in 1825 as Rutgers College.)''2016–17 Academic Catalog''
, New Brunswick Theological Seminary. Accessed August 29, 2017. "In 1796, the school moved to Brooklyn and in 1810 to New Brunswick, to serve better the church and its candidates for ministry. Since 1856, New Brunswick Seminary has carried on its life and work on its present New Brunswick campus." The Seminary, due to overcrowding and differences over the mission of Rutgers College as a secular institution, moved to a tract of land covering located less than to the west, which it still occupies, although the land is now in the middle of Rutgers University's College Avenue Campus. New Brunswick was formed by

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

on December 30, 1730, within other townships in

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

and

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

counties and was reformed by royal charter with the same boundaries on February 12, 1763, at which time it was divided into north and south wards. New Brunswick was incorporated as a city by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...

on September 1, 1784.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 171. Accessed May 30, 2024. Old Queens, New Brunswick, NJ - looking north, 2014.jpg, Old Queens, the oldest building at Rutgers University New Brunswick 393262530.jpg, Building the Streetcar line, Raritan River, New Brunswick, New Jersey (1903).jpeg, Albany Street Bridge, 1903 Aero view of New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1910 (cropped).png, Aerial view of New Brunswick, 1910

African-American community

Slavery in New Brunswick

The existence of an African-American community in New Brunswick dates back to the 18th century, when racial slavery was a part of life in the city and the surrounding area. Local slaveholders routinely bought and sold African American children, women, and men in New Brunswick in the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century. In this period, the Market-House was the center of commercial life in the city. It was located at the corner of Hiram Street and Queen Street (now Neilson Street) adjacent to the Raritan Wharf. The site was a place where residents of New Brunswick sold and traded their goods which made it an integral part of the city's economy. The Market-House also served as a site for regular slave auctions and sales. By the late-eighteenth century, New Brunswick became a hub for newspaper production and distribution. ''The Fredonian'', a popular newspaper, was located less than a block away from the aforementioned Market-House and helped facilitate commercial transactions. A prominent part of the local newspapers were sections dedicated to private owners who would advertise their slaves for sale. The trend of advertising slave sales in newspapers shows that the New Brunswick residents typically preferred selling and buying slaves privately and individually rather than in large groups. The majority of individual advertisements were for female slaves, and their average age at the time of the sale was 20 years old, which was considered the prime age for childbearing. Slave owners would get the most profit from the women who fit into this category because these women had the potential to reproduce another generation of enslaved workers. Additionally, in the urban environment of New Brunswick, there was a high demand for domestic labor, and female workers were preferred for cooking and housework tasks. The

passed An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery in 1804. Under the provisions of this law, children born to enslaved women after July 4, 1804, would serve their master for a term of 21 years (for girls) or a term of 25 years (for boys), and after this term, they would gain their freedom. However, all individuals who were enslaved before July 4, 1804, would continue to be slaves for life and would never attain freedom under this law. New Brunswick continued to be home to enslaved African Americans alongside a growing community of free people of color. The 1810 United States census listed 53 free Blacks and 164 slaves in New Brunswick.''New Jersey's African American Tour Guide''
, New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission. Accessed December 17, 2014. "At the southern edge of the Gateway Region is New Brunswick, a town with much culture to offer and African American history to explore. African Americans were living here as far back as 1790, and by 1810, the Census listed 53 free Blacks—and 164 slaves—out of the 469 families then living in town. One of the state's oldest Black churches, Mt. Zion A.M.E., at 25 Division Street, was founded in 1825."

African American spaces and institutions in the early 19th century

By the 1810s, some free African Americans lived in a section of the city called Halfpenny Town, which was located along the

by the east side of the city, near Queen (now Neilson) Street. Halfpenny Town was a place populated by free blacks as well as poorer whites who did not own slaves. This place was known as a social gathering for free blacks that was not completely influenced by white scrutiny and allowed free blacks to socialize among themselves. This does not mean that it was free from white eyes and was still under the negative effects of the slavery era. In the early decades of the nineteenth century, White and either free or enslaved African Americans shared many of the same spaces in New Brunswick, particularly places of worship. The First Presbyterian Church, Christ Church, and First Reformed Church were popular among both Whites and Blacks, and New Brunswick was notable for its lack of spaces where African Americans could congregate exclusively. Most of the time Black congregants of these churches were under the surveillance of Whites. That was the case until the creation of the African Association of New Brunswick in 1817. Both free and enslaved African Americans were active in the establishment of the African Association of New Brunswick, whose meetings were first held in 1817. The African Association of New Brunswick held a meeting every month, mostly in the homes of free blacks. Sometimes these meetings were held at the First Presbyterian Church. Originally intended to provide financial support for the African School of New Brunswick, the African Association grew into a space where blacks could congregate and share ideas on a variety of topics such as religion, abolition and colonization. Slaves were required to obtain a pass from their owner in order to attend these meetings. The African Association worked closely with Whites and was generally favored amongst White residents who believed it would bring more racial peace and harmony to New Brunswick. The African Association of New Brunswick established the African School in 1822. The African School was first hosted in the home of Caesar Rappleyea in 1823. The school was located on the upper end of Church Street in the downtown area of New Brunswick about two blocks away from the jail that held escaped slaves. Both free and enslaved Blacks were welcome to be members of the School. Reverend Huntington (pastor of the First Presbyterian Church) and several other prominent Whites were trustees of the African Association of New Brunswick. These trustees supported the Association which made some slave owners feel safe sending their slaves there by using a permission slip process. The main belief of these White supporters was that Blacks were still unfit for American citizenship and residence, and some trustees were connected with the American Colonization Society that advocated for the migration of free African Americans to Africa. The White trustees only attended some of the meetings of the African Association, and the Association was still unprecedented as a space for both enslaved and free Blacks to get together while under minimal supervision by Whites. The African Association appears to have disbanded after 1824. By 1827, free and enslaved Black people in the city, including Joseph and Jane Hoagland, came together to establish the Mount Zion

African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Methodist denomination based in the United States. It adheres to Wesleyan theology, Wesleyan–Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, connexional polity. It ...

and purchased a plot of land on Division Street for the purpose of erecting a church building. This was the first African American church in Middlesex County. The church had approximately 30 members in its early years. The church is still in operation and is currently located at 39 Hildebrand Way. The street Hildebrand Way is named after the late Rev. Henry Alphonso Hildebrand, who was pastor of Mount Zion AME for 37 years, which is the longest appointment received by a pastor at Mount Zion AME. Records from the April 1828 census, conducted by the New Brunswick Common Council, state that New Brunswick was populated with 4,435 white residents and 374 free African Americans. The enslaved population of New Brunswick in 1828 consisted of 57 slaves who must serve for life and 127 slaves eligible for emancipation at age 21 or 25 due to the 1804 Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery. Free and enslaved African Americans accounted for 11% of New Brunswick's population in 1828, a relatively high percentage for New Jersey. By comparison, as of the 1830 United States census, African Americans made up approximately 6.4% of the total population of New Jersey.

Jail and curfew in the 19th century

In 1824, the New Brunswick Common Council adopted a curfew for free people of color. Free African Americans were not allowed to be out after 10 pm on Saturday night. The Common Council also appointed a committee of white residents who were charged with rounding up and detaining free African Americans who appeared to be out of place according to white authorities. New Brunswick became a notorious city for slave hunters, who sought to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Strategically located on the Raritan River, the city was also a vital hub for New Jersey's Underground Railroad. For runaway slaves in New Jersey, it served as a favorable route for those heading to New York and Canada. When African Americans tried to escape either to or from New Brunswick, they had a high likelihood of getting discovered and captured and sent to New Brunswick's jail, which was located on Prince Street, which by now is renamed Bayard Street.

Hungarian community

New Brunswick has been described as the nation's "most Hungarian city", with Hungarian immigrants arriving in the city as early as 1888 and accounting for almost 20% of the city's population in 1915. Hungarians were primarily attracted to the city by employment at Johnson & Johnson factories located in the city. Hungarians settled mainly in what today is the Fifth Ward and businesses were established to serve the needs of the Hungarian community that weren't being met by mainstream businesses. The immigrant population grew until the end of the immigration boom in the early 20th century. During the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

, the community was revitalized by the decision to process the tens of thousands refugees who came to the United States from the failed 1956 Hungarian Revolution at Camp Kilmer, in nearby Edison. Even though the Hungarian population has been largely supplanted by newer immigrants, there continues to be a Hungarian Festival in the city held on Somerset Street on the first Saturday of June each year; the 44th annual event was held in 2019. Many Hungarian institutions set up by the community remain and are active in the neighborhood, including: Magyar Reformed Church, Ascension Lutheran Church, St. Ladislaus Roman Catholic Church, St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church, Hungarian American Athletic Club, Aprokfalva Montessori Preschool, Széchenyi Hungarian Community School & Kindergarten, Teleki Pál Scout Home, Hungarian American Foundation, Vers Hangja, Hungarian Poetry Group, Bolyai Lecture Series on Arts and Sciences, Hungarian Alumni Association, Hungarian Radio Program, Hungarian Civic Association, Committee of Hungarian Churches and Organizations of New Brunswick, and Csűrdöngölő Folk Dance Ensemble. Several landmarks in the city also testify to its Hungarian heritage. There is a street and a park named after

Lajos Kossuth Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva (; ; ; ; 19 September 1802 – 20 March 1894) was a Hungarian nobleman, lawyer, journalist, politician, statesman and governor-president of the Kingdom of Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, r ...

, one of the leaders of the

Hungarian Revolution of 1848 The Hungarian Revolution of 1848, also known in Hungary as Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849 () was one of many Revolutions of 1848, European Revolutions of 1848 and was closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in ...

. The corner of Somerset Street and Plum Street is named Mindszenty Square where the first ever statue of Cardinal József Mindszenty was erected.Zinsmeister, James A
"New Brunswick Journal; Where Hungarian Pride Lives On"
, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', June 28, 1992. Accessed December 12, 2019. "On one corner, a statue of Josef Cardinal Mindszenty, the late, beloved primate of Hungary, rises amid flowers before a large blue spruce. Across the way, a small granite monument bears a newly burnished bronze plaque that commemorates the Hungarian revolution.... While it is difficult to determine precisely how many Hungarian-Americans live in New Brunswick, Dr. August Molnar, director of the Hungarian Heritage Center, estimates that 3,200 do. That represents about 8 percent of the city's population, down from nearly 10 percent in 1980." A stone memorial to the victims of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution stands nearby.

Latino community

In the 2010 Census, about 50% of New Brunswick's population is self-identified as Hispanic, the 14th highest percentage among municipalities in New Jersey. Since the 1960s, many of the new residents of New Brunswick have come from Latin America. Many citizens moved from Puerto Rico in the 1970s. In the 1980s, many immigrated from the Dominican Republic, and still later from Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and Mexico.

Demolition, revitalization, and redevelopment

New Brunswick Gateway Project construction

New Brunswick is one of nine cities in New Jersey designated as eligible for Urban Transit Hub Tax Credits by the state's Economic Development Authority. Developers who invest a minimum of $50 million within a half-mile of a train station are eligible for pro-rated

tax credit A tax credit is a tax incentive which allows certain taxpayers to subtract the amount of the credit they have accrued from the total they owe the state. It may also be a credit granted in recognition of taxes already paid or a form of state "dis ...

. New Brunswick contains a number of examples of

urban renewal Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...

in the United States. In the 1960s–1970s, the downtown area experienced

urban decay Urban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban decay. ...

as middle class residents moved to newer suburbs surrounding the city, an example of the phenomenon known as "

white flight The white flight, also known as white exodus, is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the Racism ...

." Beginning in 1975,

, Johnson & Johnson and the city's government collaborated through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to form the New Brunswick Development Company (DevCo), with the goal of revitalizing the city center and redeveloping neighborhoods considered to be blighted and dangerous (via demolition of existing buildings and construction of new ones). Johnson & Johnson announced in 1978 that they would remain in New Brunswick and invest $50 million to build a new world headquarters building in the area between Albany Street, Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, Route 18, and George Street, requiring many old buildings and historic roads to be removed. The Hiram Market area, a historic district that by the 1970s had become a mostly Puerto Rican and Dominican-American neighborhood, was demolished to build a

Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational corporation, multinational hospitality company headquartered in the 150 North Riverside, Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchise ...

hotel and conference center, and upscale housing. Johnson & Johnson guaranteed the investment made by Hyatt Hotels, as they were wary of building an upscale hotel in a run-down area. Devco, the hospitals, and the city government have drawn ire from both

historic preservation Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK) is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...

ists, those opposing

gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...

and those concerned with

eminent domain Eminent domain, also known as land acquisition, compulsory purchase, resumption, resumption/compulsory acquisition, or expropriation, is the compulsory acquisition of private property for public use. It does not include the power to take and t ...

abuses and tax abatements for developers. New Brunswick is home to the main campus of

and Johnson & Johnson, which in 1983 constructed its new

headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

in the city.Courtney, Marian
"Corporate Offices: New State Image"
, ''

'' October 23, 1983. Accessed December 12, 2019. "When Johnson & Johnson decided to build its new world headquarters in the city where it had been lodged for almost 100 years, it assumed a leadership role in New Brunswick Tomorrow, the government-industry alliance that is rebuilding a deteriorating central business district."Lane, Alexander
"Time to turn another corner; Next generation of builders has designs on New Brunswick"
'' The Star-Ledger'', June 30, 2002, backed up by the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

as of November 9, 2014. Accessed December 12, 2019. Both work with Devco in a

public–private partnership A public–private partnership (PPP, 3P, or P3) is a long-term arrangement between a government and private sectors, private sector institutions.Hodge, G. A and Greve, C. (2007), Public–Private Partnerships: An International Performance Revie ...

to redevelop downtown, particularly regarding transit-oriented development.Nurin, Tara
"Explainer: How Downtown New Brunswick Has Emerged from Its Doldrums"
, NJ Spotlight, January 13, 2015. Accessed December 13, 2019. "Now, however, Rutgers, the New Brunswick Development Corp. (Devco), the mayor's office, and influential private firms are redrawing the residential, academic and commercial landscape of the greater downtown area. They're building on the success of earlier urban-renewal projects; Rutgers’ rise in national academic and athletic standings; millennials’ desire for transit-friendly live-work-play destinations; and powerful economic incentives." Boraie Development, a real estate development firm based in New Brunswick, has developed projects using the incentives provided by Devco and the state.

Tallest buildings

Christ Church, originally built in 1742, was the tallest building at the time of construction. A steeple was added in 1773 and replaced in 1803. The six-story First Reformed Church, built in 1812, was long the city's tallest structure. One of the earliest tall commercial buildings in the city was the eight-story National Bank of New Jersey built in 1908. The four nine-story buildings of the New Brunswick Homes housing project, originally built in 1958, were demolished by implosion in 2000 and largely replaced by low-rise housing. While there are no buildings over , since the beginning of the new millennium, a number of high-rise residential buildings have been added to the city's

. clustered around the New Brunswick station have joined those built in the 1960s on the city's skyline.New Brunswick
, SkyscraperPage. Accessed December 13, 2019. Of the 16 buildings over , nine of them were built in the 21st century; several others are approved or proposed.

= Tallest buildings under construction, approved, and proposed

Geography

According to the

, the city had a total area of , including of land and of water (9.06%). New Brunswick is on the south side of Raritan Valley along with Piscataway, Highland Park, Edison, and Franklin Township. New Brunswick lies southwest of Newark and New York City and northeast of Trenton and

. New Brunswick is bordered by the municipalities of Piscataway, Highland Park and Edison across the Raritan River to the north by way of the Donald and Morris Goodkind Bridges, and also by North Brunswick to the southwest, East Brunswick to the southeast, all in Middlesex County; and by Franklin Township in Somerset County. While the city does not hold elections based on a ward system it has been so divided.Kratovil, Charlie
"New Brunswick 101: Your Source For Facts About The Hub City; A Comprehensive List of Every Neighborhood, Apartment Building, or Other Development in Hub City"
, New Brunswick Today, June 15, 2015. Accessed July 13, 2016. "Though New Brunswick does not use a system of neighborhood-based elections (and whether or not it should has been a contentious issue for more than a century), the city is still divided into five political subdivisions known as wards. There is no Third Ward, as most of that area was destroyed and redeveloped into a hotel and corporate headquarters in the 1980s." There are several neighborhoods in the city, which include the Fifth Ward, Feaster Park, Lincoln Park, Raritan Gardens, and Edgebrook- Westons Mills.

Climate

Under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, New Brunswick falls within either a hot-summer humid continental climate (''Dfa'') if the isotherm is used or a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Cfa'') if the isotherm is used. New Brunswick has humid, hot summers and moderately cold winters with moderate to considerable rainfall throughout the year. There is no marked wet or dry season. The average seasonal (October–April) snowfall total is around . The average snowiest month is February, which corresponds to the annual peak in

nor'easter A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below) is a large-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. Typically, such storms originate as a low ...

activity.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 55,181 people, 14,119 households, and 7,751 families in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 15,053 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 45.43% (25,071)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 16.04% (8,852) Black or African American, 0.90% (498) Native American, 7.60% (4,195) Asian, 0.03% (19)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 25.59% (14,122) from other races, and 4.39% (2,424) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 49.93% (27,553) of the population. Of the 14,119 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18; 29.2% were married couples living together; 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 45.1% were non-families. Of all households, 25.8% were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.36 and the average family size was 3.91. 21.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 33.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 12.2% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 105.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 105.3 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $44,543 (with a margin of error of +/− $2,356) and the median family income was $44,455 (+/− $3,526). Males had a median income of $31,313 (+/− $1,265) versus $28,858 (+/− $1,771) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $16,395 (+/− $979). About 15.5% of families and 25.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 25.4% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census, there were 48,573 people, 13,057 households, and 7,207 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 13,893 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 51.7%

, 24.5%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.2% Native American, 5.9% Asian, 0.2%

, 21.0% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. 39.01% of the population were

or Latino of any race.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for New Brunswick city, New Jersey
,

. Accessed November 23, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for New Brunswick city, Middlesex County, New Jersey

. Accessed November 23, 2012. There were 13,057 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.6% were married couples living together, 18.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.8% were non-families. 24.3% 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 3.23 and the average family size was 3.69. 20.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 34.0% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 11.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males. The

in the city was $36,080, and the median income for a family was $38,222. Males had a median income of $25,657 versus $23,604 for females. The

for the city was $14,308. 27.0% of the population and 16.9% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 25.9% were under the age of 18 and 13.8% were 65 or older.

Economy

Healthcare industry

City Hall has promoted the nickname "The

Health Care Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

City" to reflect the importance of the healthcare industry to its economy. The city is home to the world headquarters of Johnson & Johnson, along with several medical teaching and research institutions.We Are the Healthcare City
, City of New Brunswick. Accessed December 13, 2019. "To be a distinguished center of medicine, you need the winning combination of the best research, human talent, and teaching. Leading in all three, New Brunswick has earned the reputation of being the region's "Healthcare City." The city has five nationally-recognized hospitals, global biotechnology and pharmaceutical corporations, internationally-recognized medical research facilities, and is part of the country's largest medical school." Described as the first

magnet A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...

secondary school program teaching directly affiliated with a teaching hospital and a medical school, New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School is a public high school, that operates as part of the New Brunswick Public Schools, focused on

health sciences The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to health sciences: Health sciences – those sciences that focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. Health sciences relate to multiple a ...

Urban Enterprise Zone

Portions of the city are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. New Brunswick was selected in 2004 as one of two zones added to participate in the program. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125%

sales tax A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...

rate (half of the % rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in December 2004, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in December 2024.

Arts and culture

Theatre

The New Brunswick Performing Arts Center opened 2019. Three neighboring professional venues, Crossroads Theatre designed by Parsons+Fernandez-Casteleiro Architects from New York. In 1999, the Crossroads Theatre won the prestigious

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Crossroads is the first

theater to receive this honor in the 33-year history of this special award category. George Street Playhouse (founded in 1974) and the State Theatre (constructed in 1921 for vaudeville and silent films) also form the heart of the local theatre scene. Crossroad Theatre houses American Repertory Ballet and the Princeton Ballet School. Rutgers University has student-run companies such as Cabaret Theatre, The Livingston Theatre Company, and College Avenue Players which perform everything from musicals to dramatic plays to sketch comedy. New brunswick new jersey aerial george

Journalism

''New Brunswick Today'' is a print and digital publication launched in 2011 by Rutgers journalism alumnus Charlie Kratovil which uses the tagline "Independent news for the greater New Brunswick community." The publication has covered issues with the city's water utility among others and was featured on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. New Jersey alt-weeklies '' The Aquarian Weekly'' and ''NJ Indy'' cover music and arts in New Brunswick.

Museums

New Brunswick is the site of the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University (founded in 1966), Albus Cavus, and the Rutgers University Geology Museum (founded in 1872).

Fine arts

New Brunswick was an important center for avant-garde art in the 1950s–1970s with several artists such as

Allan Kaprow Allan Kaprow (August 23, 1927 – April 5, 2006) was an American performance artist, installation artist, painter, and assemblagist . He helped to develop the " Environment" and "Happening" in the late 1950s and 1960s, as well as their theory. ...

, George Segal, George Brecht, Robert Whitman, Robert Watts, Lucas Samaras, Geoffrey Hendricks, Wolf Vostell and

Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein ( ; October27, 1923September29, 1997) was an American pop artist. He rose to prominence in the 1960s through pieces which were inspired by popular advertising and the comic book style. Much of his work explores the relations ...

; some of whom taught at Rutgers University. This group of artists was sometimes referred to as the "New Jersey School" or the "New Brunswick School of Painting." The ''YAM Festival'' was a venue on May 19, 1963, for actions and

happening A happening is a performance, event, or situation art, usually as performance art. The term was first used by Allan Kaprow in 1959 to describe a range of art-related events. History Origins Allan Kaprow first coined the term "happening" i ...

s. For more information, see Fluxus at Rutgers University.

Music

New Brunswick's live music scene has been the home to many original rock bands, including some which went on to national prominence such as The Smithereens and

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley ...

as well as other notable New Brunswick bands. Rock band Looking Glass, who had the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number one hit " Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" in 1972, developed in the New Brunswick rock scene and dedicated their debut to "the people of New Brunswick." Filmmaker Paul Devlin's first documentary, ''Rockin’ Brunswick'' (1983), documented the New Brunswick rock scene of the 1980s. The city is in particular a center for local

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

and underground music.

Alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

, and hardcore music have long been popular in the city's live music scene. Many alternative rock bands got radio airplay thanks to Matt Pinfield who was part of the New Brunswick music scene for over 20 years at Rutgers University radio WRSU-FM and at

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

radio station WHTG-FM. Local pubs and clubs hosted many local bands, including the Court Tavern and the Melody Bar during the 1980s and 1990s. The city was ranked the number 4 spot to see indie bands in New Jersey. The independent record label Don Giovanni Records originally started to document the New Brunswick basement scene. In March 2017, NJ.com wrote that "even if Asbury Park has recently returned as our state's musical nerve center, with the brick-and-mortar venues and infrastructure to prove it, New Brunswick remains as the New Jersey scene's unadulterated, pounding heart." A number of well-known local bands formed in the city's live music scene, including

Thursday Thursday is the day of the week between Wednesday and Friday. According to the ISO 8601 international standard, it is the fourth day of the week. In countries which adopt the "Sunday-first" convention, it is the fifth day of the week. Name Th ...

and Ogbert the Nerd. Rutgers radio station WVPH 90.3 FM "The Core" hosts indie music festival " Corefest" on campus. A number of jazz organizations and jazz festivals are held in the city, including the Hub City Jazz Festival and the New Brunswick Jazz Project. The New Brunswick Jazz Project is dedicated to live jazz in the city and surrounding towns. New Brunswick also has a plethora of rappers including Trill Lik, Mello B and Amgjay and also GetBizzy Nino.

Film

New Brunswick is home to a number of film festivals, two of which are presented by the

film society A film society is a membership-based Club (organization), club where people can watch Public and private screening, screenings of films which would otherwise not be shown in mainstream Movie theater, cinemas. In Spain, Ireland and Italy, they are kn ...

, the Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center: the New Jersey Film Festival (1982) and the United States Super 8mm Film + Digital Video Festival (~1988). The Rutgers Jewish Film Festival was established 1999. The New Lens Film Festival is an event at the

Mason Gross School of the Arts Mason Gross School of the Arts ("Mason Gross" or "MGSA") is the arts conservatory at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Mason Gross offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in art, design, dance, filmmaking, music, and theater. Ma ...

Grease trucks

The " Grease trucks" were a group of truck-based food vendors located on the College Avenue Campus at Rutgers. They were known for serving " Fat Sandwiches," sub rolls containing fried ingredients. In 2013 the grease trucks were removed for the construction of a new Rutgers building and were moved into various other areas of the Rutgers-New Brunswick Campus.

Government

New Brunswick City Hall, the New Brunswick Free Public Library, and the New Brunswick Main Post Office are located in the city's Civic Square government district, as are numerous other city, county, state, and federal offices.

Local government

The City of New Brunswick is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government. The city is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the five-member City Council, all of whom are elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

on a partisan basis to four-year terms of office in even-numbered years as part of the November general election. The City Council's five members are elected on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election every other year and the mayor up for election at the same time that two council seats are up for vote. As the legislative body of New Brunswick's municipal government, the City Council is responsible for approving the annual budget, ordinances and resolutions, contracts, and appointments to boards and commissions. The Council President is elected to a two-year term by the members of the Council at a reorganization meeting held after election and presides over all meetings.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 81. , Democrat James Cahill is the 62nd mayor of New Brunswick; he was sworn in as mayor on January 1, 1991, and is serving a term that expires on December 31, 2026.Mayor's Office
City of New Brunswick. Accessed April 14, 2024. Members of the City Council are Council President Rebecca H. Escobar (D, 2026), Council Vice President John A. Anderson (D, 2024), Manuel J. Castañeda (D, 2024), Matthew Ferguson (D, 2026; appointed to serve an unexpired term), Glenn J. Fleming (D, 2024), Petra N. Gaskins (D, 2026) and Suzanne M. Sicora Ludwig (D, 2024).November 8, 2022 General Election Official Results
Middlesex County, New Jersey, updated November 22, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.Official Results of the 2020 General Election
Middlesex County, New Jersey. Accessed January 1, 2021. In January 2024, the city council appointed Matthew Ferguson to fill the seat expiring in December 2026 that had been held by Kevin Egan until he resigned earlier that month to take a seat in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

. Ferguson will serve on an interim basis until the November general election, when voters will choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office. In January 2023, the City Council expanded from five to seven members. Gaskins was sworn in as the first black woman and youngest in history, and Castañeda was elected as the first Latino man.

Emergency services

Police department

The New Brunswick Police Department has received attention for various incidents over the years. In 1991, the fatal shooting of Shaun Potts, an unarmed black resident, by Sergeant Zane Grey led to multiple local protests. In 1996, Officer James Consalvo fatally shot Carolyn "Sissy" Adams, an unarmed prostitute who had bit him. The Adams case sparked calls for reform in the New Brunswick Police Department, and ultimately was settled with the family. Two officers, Sgt. Marco Chinchilla and Det. James Marshall, were convicted of running a bordello in 2001. Chinchilla was sentenced to three years and Marshall was sentenced to four. In 2011, Officer Brad Berdel fatally shot Barry Deloatch, a black man who had run from police (although police claim he struck officers with a stick); this sparked daily protests from residents. Following the Deloatch shooting, sergeant Richard Rowe was formally charged with mishandling 81 Internal Affairs investigations; Mayor Cahill explained that this would help "rebuild the public's trust and confidence in local law enforcement."

Fire department

The current professional city fire department was established in 1914, but the earliest volunteer fire company in the city dates back to 1764. The department operates out of three stations, with a total of approximately 90 officers and firefighters. In 2014, the city received criticism and public attention after fire director Robert Rawls, whose driving record included dozens of accidents and license suspensions, had struck three children in a crosswalk while driving a city-owned vehicle.

Federal, state and county representation

New Brunswick is located in the 6th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report
, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 17th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011–2020 Legislative District
, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 22,742 registered voters in New Brunswick, of which 8,732 (38.4%) were registered as Democrats, 882 (3.9%) were registered as Republicans and 13,103 (57.6%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 25 voters registered to other parties. In the 2016 presidential election, Democrat

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

received 81.9% of the vote (8,779 cast), ahead of Republican

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

with 14.1% (1,516 votes), and other candidates with 4.0% (426 votes), among the 10,721 ballots cast. In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

received 83.4% of the vote (9,176 cast), ahead of Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

with 14.3% (1,576 votes), and other candidates with 2.2% (247 votes), among the 11,106 ballots cast by the township's 23,536 registered voters (107 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat

received 83.3% of the vote (10,717 cast), ahead of Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

with 14.8% (1,899 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (140 votes), among the 12,873 ballots cast by the township's 23,533 registered voters, for a turnout of 54.7%.2008 Presidential General Election Results: Middlesex County
, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed November 24, 2012. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 66.5% of the vote (2,604 cast), ahead of Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

with 31.2% (1,220 votes), and other candidates with 2.3% (92 votes), among the 3,991 ballots cast by the township's 23,780 registered voters (75 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 16.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 68.2% of the vote (4,281 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 20.9% (1,314 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.2% (387 votes) and other candidates with 2.0% (128 votes), among the 6,273 ballots cast by the township's 22,534 registered voters, yielding a 27.8% turnout.2009 Governor: Middlesex County
, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed November 24, 2012.

Education

Public schools

The New Brunswick Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

. The district is one of 31 former

Abbott district ''Abbott'' districts are school districts in New Jersey that are provided remedies to ensure that their students receive public education in accordance with Constitution of New Jersey, the state constitution. They were created in 1985 as a resul ...

s statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the

New Jersey Supreme Court The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the supreme court, highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases cha ...

in ''Abbott v. Burke'' which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. The district's nine-member Board of Education is elected at large, with three members up for election on a staggered basis each April to serve three-year terms of office; until 2012, the members of the Board of Education were appointed by the city's mayor. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of 12 schools, had an enrollment of 9,690 students and 777.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.5:1.District information for New Brunswick School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed February 1, 2024. Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the

) are Lincoln Elementary School (578; K-4), Livingston Elementary School (342; K-5), Lord Stirling Elementary School (490; PreK-5), McKinley Community Elementary School (640; PreK-8), A. Chester Redshaw Elementary School (784; PreK-5), Paul Robeson Community School For The Arts (665; K-8), Roosevelt Elementary School (609; K-5), Blanquita B. Valenti Community School (opened 2023-24: 569 in grades 4–8), Woodrow Wilson Elementary School (373; PreK-8), New Brunswick Middle School (1,259; 6–8) and New Brunswick High School (2,477; 9–12). The community is also served by the Greater Brunswick Charter School, a K–8 charter school serving students from New Brunswick, Edison, Highland Park and Milltown. As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 399 students and 32.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.3:1. Eighth grade students from all of Middlesex County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Middlesex County Magnet Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at its schools in East Brunswick, Edison, Perth Amboy, Piscataway and Woodbridge, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.

Higher education

has three campuses in the city: College Avenue Campus (seat of the university), Douglass Campus, and Cook Campus, which extend into surrounding townships. (The university's other two campuses are in Piscataway, just across the

from New Brunswick.)0 Rutgers has also added several buildings downtown in the last two decades, both academic and residential. * New Brunswick is the site to the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, a seminary of the

Reformed Church in America The Reformed Church in America (RCA) is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 82,865 members. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed ...

, that was founded in New York in 1784, then moved to New Brunswick in 1810. *

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is a medical school of Rutgers University. It is one of the two graduate medical schools of Rutgers Health, together with New Jersey Medical School, and is closely aligned with Robert Wood Johnson University ...

, part of

, is located in New Brunswick and Piscataway. * Middlesex County College has some facilities downtown, though its main campus is in Edison.

Historic district

The Livingston Avenue Historic District is a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

located along Livingston Avenue between Hale and Morris streets. The district was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on February 16, 1996, for its significance in architecture, social history, and urban history from 1870 to 1929. With File:86–88 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ.jpg, John B. Drury House, Victorian style File:Roosevelt Intermediate School, New Brunswick, NJ.jpg, Roosevelt Intermediate School, Neo-Classical Revival style File:Ukrainian Catholic Church, New Brunswick, NJ.jpg, Ukrainian Catholic Church, Richardsonian Romanesque style

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the city had of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Middlesex County, by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. The city is crisscrossed a wide range of roads and highways. In the city is the intersection of U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey, US 1 and New Jersey Route 18, Route 18, and is bisected by New Jersey Route 27, Route 27. New Brunswick hosts less than a mile of the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95 in New Jersey, I-95). A few turnpike ramps are in the city that lead to Exit 9 which is just outside the city limits in East Brunswick. Other major roads that are nearby include the Garden State Parkway in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, Woodbridge and Interstate 287, I-287 in neighboring Edison, Piscataway and Franklin townships. The New Brunswick Parking Authority manages 14 ground-level and multi-story parking facilities across the city. CitiPark manages a downtown parking facility at 2 Albany Street.

Public transportation

New Brunswick is served by NJ Transit and Amtrak trains on the Northeast Corridor Line. NJ Transit provides frequent service north to New York Penn Station, and south to Trenton Transit Center, Trenton, while Amtrak's ''Keystone Service'' and ''Northeast Regional, New Jersey, Northeast Regional'' trains service the New Brunswick station, New Brunswick Station. The Jersey Avenue station, Jersey Avenue Station is also served by Northeast Corridor trains. For other Amtrak connections, riders can take NJ Transit to New York Penn Station or Newark Penn Station, Newark), Trenton Transit Center, Trenton, or Metropark station, Metropark. Local bus service is provided by NJ Transit's List of NJ Transit bus routes (800–880)#Middlesex County local routes, 810, 811, 814, 815, and 818 routes. Also available is the extensive Rutgers Campus Buses, Rutgers Campus bus network. Middlesex County Area Transit (MCAT) shuttles provide service on routes operating across the county, including the M1 route, which operates between Jamesburg, New Jersey, Jamesburg and the New Brunswick station, New Brunswick Train Station. DASH/CAT buses, operated by Somerset County on the 851 and 852 routes connect New Brunswick and Bound Brook, New Jersey, Bound Brook. Suburban Trails offers service to and from

on Route 100 between Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton and the Port Authority Bus Terminal; on Route 500 between New Brunswick and along 42nd Street (Manhattan), 42nd Street to the United Nations; and Route 600 between East Windsor, New Jersey, East Windsor and Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. Studies are being conducted to create the New Brunswick Bus Rapid Transit system. Intercity bus service from New Brunswick to Columbia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., is offered by OurBus, OurBus ''Prime''. New Brunswick was at the eastern terminus of the Delaware and Raritan Canal, Delaware & Raritan Canal, of which there are remnants surviving or rebuilt along the river. Until 1936, the city was served by the interurban Newark–Trenton Fast Line, which covered a route that stopped in New Brunswick as it ran between Jersey City, New Jersey, Jersey City and Trenton. The Raritan River Railroad ran to New Brunswick, but is now defunct along this part of the line. The track and Raritan River Freight Station, freight station still remain. Proposals have been made to use the line as a light rail route that would provide an option for commuters now driving in cars on Route 18. Old Bridge Airport in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey, Old Bridge supply short-distance flights to surrounding areas and is the closest air transportation services. The next nearest commercial airports are Princeton Airport (New Jersey), Princeton Airport located southwest (about 23 minutes drive); and Newark Liberty International Airport, which serves as a major hub for United Airlines and located north (about 31 minutes drive) from New Brunswick.

Healthcare

Saint Peter's University Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital,

, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital are all located in the city of New Brunswick. The city is aptly named the "Healthcare City" for its wide array of public and private healthcare services.

Popular culture

* On April 18, 1872, at New Brunswick, William Cameron Coup developed the system of transporting circus equipment, staff and animals from city to city using railroad cars. This system would be adopted by other railroad circuses and used through the golden age of railroad circuses until the 2017 closure of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. * The play and movie ''1776 (film), 1776'' discusses the Continental Army under General George Washington being stationed at New Brunswick in June 1776 and being inspected by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Chase of Maryland as members of the War Committee. * The 1980s sitcom, ''Charles in Charge'', was set in New Brunswick. * The 2004 movie ''Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle'' revolves around Harold and Kumar's attempt to get to a White Castle (restaurant), White Castle restaurant and includes a stop in a fictionalized New Brunswick. *The 2007 Pulitzer Prize winning novel ''The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao'' is primarily set in New Brunswick. *The 2013 novel ''Americanah'' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie features a taxi driver bragging about having a daughter on the dean's list at Rutgers. *Bands from New Brunswick include The Gaslight Anthem, Screaming Females, Streetlight Manifesto,

and Bouncing Souls. *The independent record label Don Giovanni Records was established in 2003 to document the music scene in New Brunswick. *The store run scene in the movie Little Man was filmed in New Brunswick.

Points of interest

* Albany Street Bridge, a seven-span stone arch bridge dating to 1892 that was used as part of the transcontinental Lincoln Highway. It stretches across the Raritan River to Highland Park. * Bishop House (New Brunswick, New Jersey), Bishop House, located at 115 College Avenue, is an Italianate architecture mansion built for James Bishop and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. * The historic Old Queens, Old Queens Campus and Voorhees Mall at

– Old Queens, built in 1809, is the oldest building at Rutgers University. The building's cornerstone was laid in 1809. * Buccleuch Mansion in Buccleuch Park. Built in 1739 by Anthony White as part of a working farm and home overlooking Raritan Landing, the house and its adjoining of land were deeded to the City of New Brunswick to be used as a park in 1911. * Christ Church Episcopal Churchyard, New Brunswick, Christ Church Episcopal Churchyard had its earliest burial in 1754 and includes the grave sites of slaves. * The Henry Guest House, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, is a Georgian stone farmhouse built in 1760 by Henry Guest at Livingston Avenue and Morris Street that was moved in 1924 next to the New Brunswick Free Public Library after plans were made to demolish the building at its original site. * William H. Johnson House is an example of Italianate architecture built , when New Brunswick experienced a post-Civil War economic boom. Architectural components including the tall narrow windows with arched tops, double bays, cornice brackets and low pitched roofs exemplify the Italianate style. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in July 2006. * St. Peter the Apostle Church, built in 1856 and designed by Patrick Keeley, is located at 94 Somerset Street. * Delaware and Raritan Canal – Completed in 1834, the canal reached its peak in the 1860s and 1870s, when its primary use was to transport coal from Pennsylvania to New York City. Accessing the canal at Bordentown, New Jersey, Bordentown on the Delaware River, the main route covered to New Brunswick on the Raritan River. * Birthplace of poet Joyce Kilmer – Located on Joyce Kilmer Avenue, the building is where the poet and essayist was born on December 6, 1886. Acquired by a local American Legion post, the building and its second-floor memorial to Kilmer was sold to the state in the 1960s, which then transferred it to the ownership of the City of New Brunswick. * Site of Johnson & Johnson world headquarters * The Willow Grove Cemetery, New Brunswick, Willow Grove Cemetery – located behind the Henry Guest House and the New Brunswick Free Public Library, the site of the cemetery was acquired in the late 1840s, the cemetery association was incorporated in 1850 and a state charter was granted the following year. * Mary Ellis grave (1750–1828) stands out due to its location in the AMC Theatres parking lot on U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey, U.S. Route 1 downriver from downtown New Brunswick. * Lawrence Brook, a tributary of the

has a watershed covering that includes New Brunswick, as well as East Brunswick, Milltown, North Brunswick and South Brunswick, New Jersey, South Brunswick. * Elmer B. Boyd Park, a park running along the Raritan River, covering adjacent to Route 18, the park went through an $11 million renovation project and reopened to the public in 1999.

Places of worship

* Abundant Life Family Worship Church – founded in 1991. * Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple (Reform Judaism) – established in 1859. * Ascension Lutheran Church – founded in 1908 as The New Brunswick First Magyar Augsburg Evangelical Church. * Christ Church, Episcopal – granted a royal charter in 1761. * College Avenue Community Church, also known as Second Reformed Church (New Brunswick, New Jersey), Second Reformed Church, Reformed (RCA) * Ebenezer Baptist Church * First Baptist Church of New Brunswick, American Baptist Churches USA, American Baptist * First Presbyterian Church, New Brunswick, New Jersey, First Presbyterian, Presbyterian (PCUSA) * First Reformed Church of New Brunswick, First Reformed Reformed (RCA) * Kirkpatrick Chapel at Rutgers University (nondenominational) * Magyar Reformed, Calvinist * Mount Zion AME (African Methodist Episcopal) * Mt. Zion Ministries Family Worship Church * Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church *New Brunswick Islamic Center * Point Community Church * Saint Joseph, Byzantine Catholic * Saint Ladislaus, Roman Catholic * Saint Mary of Mount Virgin Church, Remsen Avenue and Sandford Street, Roman Catholic * Sacred Heart Church, Throop Avenue, Roman Catholic *Saint Peter the Apostle Church, Somerset Street, Roman Catholic * Sharon Baptist Church * United Methodist Church at New Brunswick * Voorhees Chapel (Rutgers), Voorhees Chapel at Rutgers University (nondenominational) File:Second Reformed Church, New Brunswick, NJ - area view.jpg, College Avenue Community Church File:Kirkpatrick Chapel, Rutgers University - looking north.jpg, Kirkpatrick Chapel

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the City of New Brunswick include: * David Abeel (1804–1846), Dutch Reformed Church missionary * Garnett Adrain (1815–1878), member of the United States House of Representatives * Charlie Atherton (1874–1934), major league baseball player * Jim Axelrod (born 1963), national correspondent for CBS News who is a reporter for the ''CBS Evening News'' * Catherine Hayes Bailey (1921–2014), plant geneticist who specialized in fruit breeding * Joe Barzda (1915–1993), race car driver * John Bayard (1738–1807), merchant, soldier and statesman who was a delegate for Pennsylvania to the

in 1785 and 1786, and later mayor of New Brunswick * John Bradbury Bennet (1865–1940), United States Army officer and brigadier general active during World War I * James Berardinelli (born 1967), film critic * James Bishop (Congressman), James Bishop (1816–1895), represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1855 to 1857 * Charles S. Boggs (1811–1877), Rear Admiral who served in the United States Navy during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War * PJ Bond, singer-songwriter * Jake Bornheimer (1927–1986), professional basketball player for the Philadelphia Warriors * James Bornheimer (1933–1993), politician who served in the

from 1972 to 1982 and in the New Jersey Senate from 1982 to 1984 * Brett Brackett (born 1987), football tight end * Derrick Drop Braxton (born 1981), record producer and composer * Sherry Britton (1918–2008), burlesque performer and actress * Gary Brokaw (born 1954), former professional basketball player who played most of his NBA career for the Milwaukee Bucks * Dana Brown (baseball), Dana Brown (born 1967), general manager (baseball), general manager of the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball * Jalen Brunson (born 1996), basketball player * William Burdett-Coutts (1851–1921), British Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons from 1885 to 1921 * Darhyl Camper (born 1990), singer-songwriter and record producer * Arthur S. Carpender (1884–1960), United States Navy Admiral (United States), admiral who commanded the Allied Naval Forces in the South West Pacific Area (command), Southwest Pacific Area during World War II * Lance Carter (musician), Lance Carter (1955–2006), jazz drumming, jazz drummer and percussionist * Jonathan Casillas (born 1987), linebacker for the NFL's New Orleans Saints and University of Wisconsin * Joseph Compton Castner (1869–1946), Army general * Chris Dailey (born 1959), women's basketball coach, who has been the associate head coach for the Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team since 1988 * David D. Demarest (1819–1898), author and theologian * Andre Dixon (born 1986), former professional football running back * Wheeler Winston Dixon (born 1950), filmmaker, critic and author * Michael Douglas (born 1944), actor * Kevin Egan (born 1964), politician who has represented the New Jersey's 17th legislative district, 17th legislative district in the

since 2024 * Hallie Eisenberg (born 1992), actress * Linda Emond (born 1959), actress * Jerome Epstein (politician), Jerome Epstein (born 1937), politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 1972 to 1974 and later went to federal prison for pirating millions of dollars worth of fuel oil * Anthony Walton White Evans (1817–1886), engineer * Robert Farmar (1717–1778), British Army officer who fought in the Seven Years' War and served as interim governor of British West Florida * Mervin Field (1921–2015), pollster of public opinion * List of people who have walked across the United States#Louis Michael Figueroa, Louis Michael Figueroa (born 1966), arguably the most prolific transcontinental journeyman * Charles Fiske (1868–1942), bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York from 1924 to 1936 * Haley Fiske (1852–1929), lawyer who served as President of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company * Kevin Friedland (born 1981), association football, soccer Defender (association football), defender who played for Minnesota United FC (2010–2016), Minnesota United FC * Margaret Kemble Gage (1734–1824), wife of General Thomas Gage, who led the British Army in Massachusetts early in the American Revolutionary War and who may have informed the revolutionaries of her husband's strategy * Morris Goodkind (–1968), chief bridge engineer for the New Jersey State Highway Department from 1925 to 1955 (now the New Jersey Department of Transportation), responsible for the design of the Pulaski Skyway and 4,000 other bridges * Vera Mae Green (1928–1982), anthropologist, educator and scholar, who made major contributions in the fields of Caribbean, Caribbean studies, interethnic studies, black family studies and the study of poverty and the poor * Alan Guth (born 1947), theoretical physicist and cosmologist best known for his theory of inflation (cosmology), cosmological inflation * Augustus A. Hardenbergh (1830–1889), represented New Jersey's 7th congressional district from 1875 to 1879, and again from 1881 to 1883 * Mel Harris (born 1956), actress * Mark Helias (born 1950), jazz bassist / composer * Susan Hendricks (born 1973), anchor for HLN (TV network), HLN and substitute anchor for CNN * Laurie Hernandez (born 2000), artistic gymnast representing Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics * Sabah Homasi (born 1988), mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight (MMA), welterweight division * Christine Moore Howell (1899–1972), hair care product businesswoman who founded Christine Cosmetics * Adam Hyler (1735–1782), privateer during the American Revolutionary War * Bill Hynes (born 1972), professional auto racing driver and entrepreneur * Jaheim (born 1978, full name Jaheim Hoagland), R&B singer * Dwayne Jarrett (born 1986), wide receiver for the University of Southern California football team 2004 to 2006, current WR drafted by the Carolina Panthers * James P. Johnson (1891–1955), pianist and composer who was one of the original stride piano masters * William H. Johnson House, William H. Johnson (1829–1904), painter and wallpaper hanger, businessman and local crafts person, whose home () was placed on the State of New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places in 2006 * Robert Wood Johnson I (1845–1910), businessman who was one of the founders of Johnson & Johnson * Robert Wood Johnson II (1893–1968), businessman who led Johnson & Johnson and served as mayor of Highland Park, New Jersey * Woody Johnson (born 1947), businessman, philanthropist, and diplomat who is currently serving as United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom * Frederick Barnett Kilmer (1851–1934), pharmacist, author, public health activist and the director of Scientific Laboratories for Johnson & Johnson from 1889 to 1934 * Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918), poet * Littleton Kirkpatrick (1797–1859), represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1853 to 1855, and was mayor of New Brunswick in 1841 and 1842 * Ted Kubiak (born 1942), MLB player for the Oakland Athletics, Kansas City/Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, and the San Diego Padres * Jerry Levine (born 1957), actor and director of television and theater, best known for appearing on ''Will & Grace'' and in the films ''Teen Wolf'' and ''Casual Sex?'' * Roy Mack (director), Roy Mack (1889–1962), director of film shorts, mostly comedies, with 205 titles to his credit * Floyd Mayweather Jr. (born 1977), multi-division winning boxer, currently with an undefeated record of 50–0; he grew up in the 1980s in the Hiram Square neighborhood * Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (born 1999), hurdler and sprinter who competes in the 400 meters hurdles and is the world record holder in that event * Jim Norton (comedian), Jim Norton (born 1968), comedian * Anna Oliver (1840–1892), American preacher * Robert Pastorelli (1954–2004), actor known primarily for playing the role of the house painter on ''Murphy Brown'' * Judith Persichilli (born 1949), nurse and health care executive who has served as the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health * Hasan Piker (born 1991), Twitch (service), Twitch Online streamer, streamer and Political criticism, political commentator * Stephen Porges (born 1945), Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill * Franke Previte (born 1946), composer * Paul Reale (1943–2020), composer and pianist * Mary Lea Johnson Richards (1926–1990), heiress, entrepreneur and Broadway producer, who was the first baby to appear on a Johnson's Baby, Johnson's baby powder label * Miles Ross (1827–1903), Mayor of New Brunswick, U.S. Representative and businessman * Mohamed Sanu (born 1989), American football wide receiver who has played in the NFL for the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers * Gabe Saporta (born 1979), musician and frontman of bands Midtown (band), Midtown and Cobra Starship * Robert J. Sexton, director, producer, and former musician * Jeff Shaara (born 1952), historical novelist * Gerald Shargel (1944–2022), defense attorney known for his work defending mobsters and celebrities * Dustin Sheppard (born 1980), retired professional association football, soccer player who played in MLS for the MetroStars * Brian D. Sicknick (1978–2021), officer of the United States Capitol Police who Death of Brian Sicknick, died following the January 6 United States Capitol attack * George Sebastian Silzer (1870–1940), served as the List of Governors of New Jersey, 38th Governor of New Jersey. Served on the New Brunswick board of aldermen from 1892 to 1896 * James H. Simpson (1813–1883), U.S. Army surveyor of western frontier areas * Robert Sklar (1936–2011), historian and author specializing in the history of film * Arthur Space (1908–1983), actor of theatre, film, and television * Larry Stark (born 1932), theater reviewer and creator of Theater Mirror * Matt Taibbi (born 1970), author and journalist * Norman Tanzman (1918–2004), politician who served in the

from 1962 to 1968 and in the New Jersey Senate from 1968 to 1974 * Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (born 1969), guitarist, musician, composer * Joe Theismann (born 1949), former professional quarterback who played in the NFL for the Washington Redskins and former commentator on ESPN's ''Monday Night Football'' * John Tukey (1915–2000), mathematician * William Henry Vanderbilt (1821–1885), businessman * John Van Dyke (politician), John Van Dyke (1807–1878), represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1847 to 1851, and served as Mayor of New Brunswick from 1846 to 1847 * Tony Vega (jockey), Tony Vega (1961–2013), Thoroughbred horse jockey and community activist * George Veronis (1926–2019), geophysics, geophysicist * Paul Wesley (born 1982), actor, known for his role as "Stefan Salvatore" on The CW show ''The Vampire Diaries'' * Samuel Merrill Woodbridge, Rev. Samuel Merrill Woodbridge (1819–1905), minister, author, professor at Rutgers College and New Brunswick Theological Seminary * Eric Young Sr., Eric Young (born 1967), former Major League Baseball player who is currently the first base coach for the Atlanta Braves * Eric Young Jr. (born 1985), Major League Baseball player

Sister cities

New Brunswick's Sister city, sister cities are:Sister Cities
, City of New Brunswick. Accessed May 5, 2021. * Debrecen, Hungary * Fukui (city), Fukui, Fukui Prefecture, Japan * County Limerick, Ireland * Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan

Notes

References

External links

Official website

New Brunswick information

* {{Authority control New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1730 establishments in New Jersey Cities in New Jersey Cities in Middlesex County, New Jersey County seats in New Jersey Faulkner Act (mayor–council) Hungarian-American culture in New Jersey New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zones Populated places established in 1730