Union Beach is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

Raritan Bay Raritan Bay is a bay located at the southern portion of Lower New York Bay between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey and is part of the New York Bight. The bay is bounded on the northwest by New York's Staten Island, on the west b ...

and the northern

Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore, commonly called the Shore by locals, is the coast, coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The term encompasses about of shore, oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Perth Amboy in the n ...

in Monmouth County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

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 ...

. The borough is a small coastal

bedroom suburb A bedroom or bedchamber is a room situated within a residential or accommodation unit characterized by its usage for sleeping. A typical Western world, western bedroom contains as bedroom furniture one or two beds, a clothes closet, and bedsid ...

of New York City in 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 ...

, with views of

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

visible in the distance from the bayfront beach. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 5,723, a decrease of 522 (−8.4%) from the 2010 census count of 6,245, which in turn reflected a decline of 404 (−6.1%) from the 6,649 counted in the 2000 census. Union Beach was formed as a borough 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 March 16, 1925, from portions of Raritan Township (now Hazlet), based on the results of a referendum held on April 16, 1925.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 186. Accessed May 30, 2024. A farm in the future borough was owned by the Poole family since the days of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. Following the development of the

Central Railroad of New Jersey Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

, the Poole Farm became the site of the Union Subdivision in 1908,Cheslow, Jerry
"If You're Thinking of Living In/Union Beach, N.J.; Waterfront Borough Making a Comeback"
''

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 ...

'', May 5, 2002. Accessed October 13, 2015. "The arrival in the 1890s of the Central Railroad of New Jersey gave the community a boost, leading to the sale and subdivision of nearly all of the large farms. The 100-acre Poole farm became the Union Subdivision starting in 1908. The borough of Union Beach was formed in 1925 when it split off from Middletown Township.... MOST Union Beach students go on to the 523-student Keyport High School in the neighboring borough of Keyport. A handful of students are accepted into Red Bank Regional High School, after passing admissions tests to its three specialized programs: visual and performing arts; information technology; and finance." while an area that had been called East Point Beach Estates was renamed Union Beach by developer Charles Carr in 1920. Union Beach was part of the Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan, an effort by nine municipalities in northern Monmouth County to reinvigorate the area's economy by emphasizing the traditional downtowns, dense residential neighborhoods, maritime history, and the natural beauty of the Raritan Bayshore coastline. The plan has since been integrated into the county's 2016 master plan.

Geography

Union Beach is 16.1 miles from Staten Island's Outerbridge. According to the

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 ...

, the borough had a total area of 1.88 square miles (4.87 km²), including 1.78 square miles (4.61 km²) of land and 0.10 square miles (0.26 km²) of water (5.32%). Union Beach has undergone extensive restoration of its beach front, which offers a view of the

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 ...

skyline and the Verrazano Bridge. However, due to the flood mitigation project, the view is no longer seen from the street and you must be on the beach. The extremely tall beach berms have mixed community reviews. This restoration has occurred in phases and was performed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District. A monument to the victims of the

September 11 terrorist attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

, constructed of black stone and dedicated in June 2002, is positioned to allow visitors to see past the memorial towards the location where the World Trade Center towers were visible from the borough. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names within the borough include Lorrillard Beach, Natco, Union Gardens and Van Marters Corner. The borough borders the Monmouth County municipalities of Hazlet, Keansburg (maritime border) and Keyport.

History

Hurricane Sandy

On October 28, 2012, at 4:00pm, the mayor issued a mandatory evacuation for the borough in preparation for

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...

—the second-costliest hurricane in United States history. When the hurricane arrived, approximately one third of the borough's 6,200 residents had left. By the morning of October 29, of the estimated 2,143 households in the borough, approximately 200 homes and businesses were damaged, 400 took on more than of water, and 62 were "completely missing". An additional 100 that had shifted off foundations and were no longer habitable. The borough's police department borrowed several police cruisers from other municipalities such as Wilmington, NC and

Clay County, Florida Clay County is a County (United States), county located in the First Coast, northeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida along the west bank of the St. Johns River. As of 2020, the population was 218,245 and in 2023, that number increased to ...

. Most cars were destroyed when flooding reached police headquarters. Former residents from around the country mobilized and organized relief efforts: sending relief supplies; including advising and assisting public servants in acquiring replacements of lost emergency vehicles. In total, the borough lost 14 police cars, three ambulances and four fire trucks. Madison Township and Wanaque each gave repurposed police cruisers fully decaled with Union Beach logos, as well as other relief. Some local agencies sold old police cruisers for one dollar each or donated police cars, and donations of two cars each came from North Carolina and Florida. EMS and fire trucks were also donated from near and far. Jakeabob's Bay, a restaurant and waterfront

tiki bar A tiki bar is a themed drinking establishment that serves elaborate cocktails, especially rum-based mixed drinks such as the Mai Tai and Zombie cocktails. Tiki bars are aesthetically defined by their tiki culture décor which is based upon a rom ...

and one of the major employers in town, which survived

Hurricane Irene Hurricane Irene was a large and destructive tropical cyclone which affected much of the Caribbean and East Coast of the United States during late August 2011. The ninth tropical cyclone naming, named storm, first hurricane, and first major ...

in 2011, was destroyed in the hurricane. The storm surge completely washed through the building, pushing out tables, chairs, menus and displays. The restaurant owner, Gigi Liaguno-Dorr, organized the relief and rebuilding efforts for Union Beach. The building was razed when the insurance companies that covered the restaurant would not pay out. A new temporary restaurant was built but did not manage to renew its lease due to insurance disputes with the

Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

. Union Beach Memorial School, the borough's only school, was inundated with floodwaters and debris when the storm surge and extreme high tide swept through the borough. The school had been used as an evacuation center but began taking on water as the storm raged. Hundreds of library books and teaching materials were destroyed along with thousands of dollars worth of instruments. After several months of emergency repairs by volunteers, including students and teachers, the renovations including new floors, walls, desks and murals were finished prior to the end of the school year.

Demographics

2000 census

The 2010 United States census counted 6,245 people, 2,143 households, and 1,624 families in the borough. 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 3,461.5 per square mile (1,336.5/km²). There were 2,269 housing units at an average density of 1,257.7 per square mile (485.6/km²). The racial makeup was 91.05% (5,686)

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 ...

, 1.54% (96) Black or African American, 0.16% (10) Native American, 1.81% (113) Asian, 0.00% (0)

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 ...

, 3.09% (193) from other races, and 2.35% (147) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.98% (686) of the population. Of the 2,143 households, 34.5% had children under the age of 18; 56.0% were married couples living together; 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.2% were non-families. Of all households, 18.7% were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.32. 24.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 30.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 98.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.3 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 $61,347 (with a margin of error of +/− $10,084) and the median family income was $76,744 (+/− $15,912). Males had a median income of $55,000 (+/− $5,759) versus $36,002 (+/− $3,887) 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 $24,982 (+/− $1,875). About 3.1% of families and 4.9% 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 3.4% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 6,649 people, 2,143 households, and 1,722 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,229 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 94.45%

, 0.87%

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 ...

, 0.20% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 1.35% from other races, and 1.90% from two or more races.

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 ...

or Latino of any race were 8.09% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Union Beach borough, New Jersey

. Accessed December 25, 2011.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Union Beach borough, Monmouth County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed July 15, 2012. There were 2,143 households, out of which 43.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 15.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.44. In the borough the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males. in 2022, the median household income of the 1.99k households in Union Beach grew to $124,828 from the previous year's value of $114,028.

Government

Local government

Union Beach is governed under the

form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions 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 as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

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 ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 67. The borough form of government used by Union Beach is a " weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president (government title), president or monarch vetoes a bill (law), bill to stop it from becoming statutory law, law. In many countries, veto powe ...

ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. , the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Union Beach is Republican Charles W. Cocuzza, who was elected to serve a term of office ending December 31, 2023. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Albin J. Wicki (R, 2024), Louis S. Andreuzzi (R, 2023), Anthony Cavallo (R, 2025), Albert E. Lewandowski (R, 2025), Cherlanne Roche (R, 2023) and Eileen Woodruff (R, 2024).Mayor and Borough Council
Borough of Union Beach. Accessed May 2, 2023.General Election November 8, 2022 Official Results

Monmouth County, New Jersey Monmouth County () is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is bordered to its west by Mercer and Middlesex Counties, to its south by Ocean County, to its east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to its north ...

Clerk, updated December 27, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.November 2, 2021 General Election Official Results

, December 13, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.November 3, 2020 General Election Official Results

, updated November 3, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019 Official Results

Clerk, updated December 16, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. In May 2020, the borough council appointed Albin J. Wicki to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by Paul J. Smith Jr. until his death the previous month. In the November 2020 general election, Charles W. Cocuzza was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

Federal, state and county representation

Union Beach is located in the 6th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 13th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,782 registered voters in Union Beach, of which 887 (23.5%) were registered as Democrats, 667 (17.6%) were registered as Republicans and 2,228 (58.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties. 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 52.6% of the vote (1,109 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 46.3% (976 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (22 votes), among the 2,119 ballots cast by the borough's 3,857 registered voters (12 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 54.9%. In the 2008 presidential election, 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 ...

received 53.2% of the vote (1,490 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 43.9% (1,229 votes) and other candidates with 1.5% (41 votes), among the 2,802 ballots cast by the borough's 4,103 registered voters, for a turnout of 68.3%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

received 56.2% of the vote (1,569 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

with 42.0% (1,172 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (37 votes), among the 2,793 ballots cast by the borough's 4,114 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 67.9. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, 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) ...

received 73.6% of the vote (1,099 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 24.2% (362 votes), and other candidates with 2.1% (32 votes), among the 1,520 ballots cast by the borough's 3,642 registered voters (27 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 65.5% of the vote (1,152 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...

with 24.6% (432 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.7% (136 votes) and other candidates with 1.7% (30 votes), among the 1,759 ballots cast by the borough's 3,917 registered voters, yielding a 44.9% turnout.

Education

The Union Beach School System serves public school students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through eighth grade at Union Beach Memorial School. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 640 students and 61.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 10.4:1.District information for Union Beach Public 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 April 1, 2021. Public school students in

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

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 ...

s attend Keyport High School in Keyport, as part of a

sending/receiving relationship A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts hav ...

with the Keyport Public Schools. As of the 2019–20 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 373 students and 36.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 10.2:1. Students have the choice to apply for Red Bank Regional High School for admission into its specialized programs. High school students also have the option to apply to one of the career academies in the Monmouth County Vocational School District.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Monmouth County and by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transport ...

. Route 36 runs along the borough's southern border with Hazlet Township.

Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...

local bus service is available on the 817 route. to Perth Amboy. Direct to NYC bus service is in town on the Academy bus route named “Route 36 to Port Authority”. Academy bus also runs direct to Wall Street in town with a route 36/Union Ave stop. “Route 36 to Wall Street” service. Train service: Closest train station is in neighboring Hazlet which is on the North Jersey Coastline service line. Ferry options: Seastreak: EAST SIDE NYC ROUTE: Highlands, NJ Atlantic Highlands, NJ Pier 11 East 35th St., NYC WEST SIDE NYC ROUTE: Belford, NJ (Middletown) Pier 11 Brookfield Place, NY Paulus Hook, NJ West 39th St., NYC Airport Travel: Union Beach is 29 miles (33 mins) from

Newark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport is a major international airport serving the New York metropolitan area. The airport straddles the boundary between the cities of Newark, New Jersey, Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and E ...

in Newark / Elizabeth. Boating The distance by water from Staten Island, New York, to Union Beach is approximately 2 to 3 nautical miles, depending on the specific starting and ending points you consider within Staten Island and Union Beach, respectively. This distance translates roughly to 2.3 to 3.5 miles in standard land measurements. The water route generally follows the Raritan Bay, which separates Staten Island from the New Jersey shoreline.

Controversy

Union Beach made national news for its opposition to a wind turbine proposed by the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority that would be constructed in close proximity to residential houses, sensitive bird habitats, and protected wetlands. The agency received approval in October 2009 from the

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution. NJDEP now has a staf ...

for the turbine, which would stand high. The case was brought to the

Supreme Court of New Jersey 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 ...

, which in September 2014 upheld a state law disallowing local ordinances from preventing the development of certain wind power projects in New Jersey.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Union Beach include: * Paul Bacon (born 1923), designer of book and album covers *

Skip O'Brien Bernard Francis "Skip" O'Brien (August 20, 1950 – April 6, 2011) was an American actor. Although he appeared in such films as 1997's '' Liar Liar'' and 2007's '' The Hitcher'', he is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Detective R ...

(1950–2011), actor who had a recurring role on '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''

In popular culture

Union Beach was used in the movie “Space Cadet” very quickly- The production shot scenes at JakeaBob’s Bay Bar (525 Front Street, Union Beach), where Rex worked in the film. The bar is in the opening scene. Union Beach appears both indoors (at the bar) and outdoors (at the real beach/waterfront) multiple times, playing the role of Cocoa Beach in Space Cadet. Movies and TV Shows Filmed in Union Beach, NJ • Down the Shore (2011) Filmed scenes at and around the Union Beach Police Department building and the waterfront. Stars James Gandolfini and Famke Janssen. • Running on Empty (1988) Directed by Sidney Lumet and starring River Phoenix. Some scenes were shot on location in Union Beach. • She-Devil (1989) This dark comedy starring Meryl Streep and Roseanne Barr had partial filming in Union Beach. • Private Parts (1997) The Howard Stern biopic included scenes filmed in and around Union Beach. • Space Cadet (2024/2025) Used Union Beach as a stand-in for Cocoa Beach, Florida. Scenes were shot at Jakeabob’s Bay Bar and along the waterfront. • Emergence (2019–2020, ABC series) While primarily filmed in Keyport and other shore towns, some street and waterfront scenes included Union Beach. Union Beach was also used as the eighth checkpoint of the titular race in the seventh part of the popular manga series,

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1987 to 2004, and was transferred to the monthly manga magazine ''Ultra Jum ...

References

External links

Union Beach information and community calendar

Union Beach School District
*
School Data for the Union Beach School District

{{Authority control 1925 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in New Jersey Boroughs in Monmouth County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1925 Raritan Bayshore