Brigantine, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Brigantine is an island city
City (New Jersey)
A City in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....

 in Atlantic County
Atlantic County, New Jersey
-National protected areas:* Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge * Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Recreational River -Demographics:...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 9,450.

What is now the City of Brigantine has passed through a series of names and reincorporations since it was first created. The area was originally incorporated as Brigantine Beach Borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
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 the Senate...

 on June 14, 1890 from portions of Galloway Township
Galloway Township, New Jersey
Galloway Township is a township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 37,349...

, based on the results of a referendum held on June 3, 1890. On April 23, 1897, the area was reincorporated as the City of Brigantine City. This name lasted until April 9, 1914, when it was renamed the City of East Atlantic City. On March 16, 1924, Brigantine was incorporated as a city, replacing East Atlantic City and incorporating further portions of Galloway Township.

New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...

magazine ranked Brigantine as its 36th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.

Geography

Brigantine is located at 39.402150°N 74.379074°W (39.402150, -74.379074).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 9.79 square miles (25.4 km²), of which, 6.43 square miles (16.7 km²) of it is land and 3.36 square miles (8.7 km²) of it (34.32%) is water. Brigantine is located on Brigantine Beach Island. The only road to and from Brigantine is New Jersey Route 87
New Jersey Route 87
Route 87 is a state highway located in Atlantic County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It runs , heading north from Atlantic City at an intersection with U.S. Route 30 to Brigantine, where it terminates at the end of the Brigantine Bridge over the Absecon Channel, continuing as County Route 638...

, locally known as Brigantine Boulevard.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census Bureau, there were 9,450 people, 4,294 households, and 2,520 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 87.3% White, 2.9% African American, 0.2% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 2.5% from another race, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.9% of the population.

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 12,594 people, 5,473 households, and 3,338 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,959.0 people per square mile (756.2/km2). There were 9,304 housing units at an average density of 1,447.2 per square mile (558.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.15% White, 3.94% African American, 0.18% Native American, 5.72% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.67% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 2.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.41% of the population.

There were 5,473 households out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,639, and the median income for a family was $51,679. Males had a median income of $40,523 versus $29,779 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $23,950. About 7.6% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Based on a vote of the electorate in 1989, the form of government in the City of Brigantine has been established as the Council-Manager
Faulkner Act (Council-Manager)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Council-Manager government.The council consists of 5, 7, or 9 members elected by the public...

 plan under the Faulkner Act
Faulkner Act (New Jersey)
The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H...

. The City of Brigantine is governed by a City Council consisting of a Mayor (elected at large), two at-large Council members and four ward Council members – each serving four-year terms. The Mayor presides over the meetings of City Council. The functions of the Council are, among others, to adopt the municipal budget and to enact ordinances to promote and ensure the security, health, government and protection of the City and its residents.

, the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Brigantine City is Philip J. Guenther. Members of the City Council are Frank Kern (at-large), Tony Pullella (at-large), Robert Solari (Ward 1), Steve Bonanni (Ward 2), Sam Storino (Ward 3) and Ken Schaffer (Ward 4).

Federal, state and county representation

Brigantine is in the Second Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 2nd state legislative district. The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission
New Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...

 based on the results of the 2010 Census.




Education

The Brigantine Public Schools
Brigantine Public Schools
The Brigantine Public Schools is a community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade from Brigantine, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The district is governed by the Brigantine Board of Education and operates as a Type 1 school district...

 serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The district is governed by the Brigantine Board of Education and operates as a Type 1 school district. The School Board consists of seven members who are appointed to three-year terms by the Mayor, the Council and the City Manager on a staggered basis.

Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...

) are
Brigantine Elementary School serves grades PreK-4 (471 students) and
Brigantine North Middle School serves grades 5-8 (342 students).

Students in public school for grades 9-12, along with those from Longport
Longport, New Jersey
Longport is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean shore of Absecon Island. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 895....

, Margate City
Margate City, New Jersey
Margate City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 6,354.Margate City was originally incorporated as the borough of South Atlantic City by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 7, 1885, from portions of Egg Harbor...

 and Ventnor City
Ventnor City, New Jersey
Ventnor City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 10,650....

, attend Atlantic City High School
Atlantic City High School
Atlantic City High School is a four-year public high school located in Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Atlantic City School District. The current school building opened in 1994 and holds approximately 2,500 students...

 in neighboring Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...

, as part of sending/receiving relationship
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 have grown as part of a historical relationship...

s with the Atlantic City School District
Atlantic City School District
Atlantic City School District is a comprehensive community public school district in Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States....

.

Points of interest

  • Brigantine Lighthouse
    Brigantine Lighthouse
    The Brigantine Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Brigantine, New Jersey, USA. It was built in 1926 by the Island Development Real Estate Company to attract people to Brigantine Beach Island and not as an operating lighthouse. Over the years, it has served as the headquarters for the Brigantine Police...

  • Marine Mammal Stranding Center
    Marine Mammal Stranding Center
    The Marine Mammal Stranding Center is a private non-profit organization located in Brigantine, New Jersey. The Stranding Center’s main goal is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release stranded marine mammals and sea turtles. They are the only marine stranding center in New Jersey...

    , where injured animals are treated and released
  • Part of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
    Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
    The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern New Jersey along the Atlantic coast north of Atlantic City, in Atlantic and Ocean counties. The refuge was created in 1984 out of two existing refuge parcels created to protect tidal...

     is located on the northern end of Brigantine Island. The Refuge provides crucial habitat for many different types of endangered or threatened birds, including the American Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon
    Peregrine Falcon
    The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...

    , American Black Duck
    American Black Duck
    The American Black Duck is a large dabbling duck. American Black Ducks are similar to Mallards in size, and resemble the female Mallard in coloration, although the Black Duck's plumage is darker...

    , and the Piping Plover
    Piping Plover
    The Piping Plover is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black ring around the neck...

    .

Notable residents

  • Mary Raith Holst (born 1910), moved to Brigantine in 1939 with her husband Wallace and was the first group of three female cheerleader at Atlantic City High School.
  • Carol Plum-Ucci
    Carol Plum-Ucci
    Carol Plum-Ucci is a young adult novelist and essayist. Plum-Ucci’s most famous work to date is The Body of Christopher Creed, for which she won a Michael L. Printz Award in 2002 and was named a Finalist to the Edgar Allan Poe Award...

     (born 1957), young adult novelist and essayist.
  • John Rosenbaum
    John Rosenbaum
    John Rosenbaum , was an American educator and kinetic sculptor, associated with the San Francisco Renaissance and the counterculture of the 1960s.-Biography:...

    , (born 1934), California artist and educator.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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