Highlands, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Highlands is a borough
in Monmouth County
, New Jersey
, United States
. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,005. It is the home town of film maker, director, and comic book writer Kevin Smith
. The eastern part of the town is built on a high bluff that overlooks Sandy Hook
and the Atlantic Ocean
. Atop this bluff are the Navesink Twin Lights.
Highlands was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature
on March 22, 1900, from portions of Middletown Township
. Additional portions of Middletown Township were annexed in 1914.
Highlands is 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.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), of which 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), or 42.42%, is water.
of 2000, there were 5,097 people, 2,450 households, and 1,193 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 6,689.2 people per square mile (2,589.4/km2). There were 2,820 housing units at an average density of 3,700.9 per square mile (1,432.6/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.10% White, 1.59% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 0.59% from other races
, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.06% of the population.
There were 2,450 households out of which 19.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were married couples
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.3% were non-families. 41.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the borough the population was spread out with 18.8% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $45,692, and the median income for a family was $50,985. Males had a median income of $50,296 versus $31,265 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $29,369. About 11.5% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
form of New Jersey municipal government under the Small Municipality
(Plan B). The officials that head the government are a mayor and four council members, who are elected at large in partisan elections to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. The current form of government was adopted in 1956.
, members of the Highlands Borough Council are Mayor
Frank L. Nolan, Council President Richard O'Neil, Kevin Connelly, Christopher Francy and Rebecca Kane. David "Bruce" Hilling was the Borough Administrator beginning in April 2007, but was terminated on April 6, 2011.
serves public school students in Kindergarten through sixth grade. Highlands Elementary School had an enrollment of 167 students in the 2008-09 school year.
For grades 7-12, public school students attend Henry Hudson Regional High School
, a comprehensive six-year high school and regional public school district
that serves students from both Atlantic Highlands
and Highlands. The district served a total enrollment of 437 students in the 2008-09 school year.
, a 1240 feet (378 m) drawbridge
built in 1932, connected Highlands in the west to Sea Bright, New Jersey
in the east, across the Shrewsbury River
. The eastern terminus was at the entrance to Sandy Hook
. The span was part of Route 36. The bridge has been replaced with a fixed span instead of a drawbridge. The new bridge rises 65 feet (19.8 m) instead of the original span's 35 feet (10.7 m).
SeaStreak
offers ferry service to New York City
at Conner's Ferry Landing. There are three morning trips, which stop at Pier 11 near Wall Street
and then East 35th Street. Six ferry trips return each weekday evening.
Academy Bus
offers bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal
in Midtown Manhattan
and to Wall Street.NJT bus 834 travels to Red Bank
.
film Jersey Girl
is set in Highlands. In addition, Highlands' ZIP code (07732) is featured in the opening titles of Mallrats
, and is Dante's ZIP code in Clerks: The Animated Series
, although it is misattributed in the show to nearby Leonardo
.
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
in Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
, 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,005. It is the home town of film maker, director, and comic book writer Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
. The eastern part of the town is built on a high bluff that overlooks Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit along the Atlantic coast of New JerseySandy Hook may also refer to:-Places:United States* Sandy Hook , a village in the town of Newtown, Connecticut* Sandy Hook, Kentucky, a city in Elliott County...
and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Atop this bluff are the Navesink Twin Lights.
Highlands was incorporated as a 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 March 22, 1900, from portions of Middletown Township
Middletown Township, New Jersey
Middletown Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 66,522...
. Additional portions of Middletown Township were annexed in 1914.
Highlands is 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
Raritan Bayshore
The Raritan Bayshore region of New Jersey is the area around Raritan Bay from The Amboys to Sandy Hook, mostly in Monmouth County, including the towns from Keyport, New Jersey, "Pearl of the Bayshore", to Highlands, New Jersey. At Keansburg is a traditional amusement park while at Sandy Hook are...
coastline.
Geography
Highlands is located at 40.402308°N 73.987982°W (40.402308, -73.987982).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 borough has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), of which 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), or 42.42%, is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 5,097 people, 2,450 households, and 1,193 families residing in the borough. 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 6,689.2 people per square mile (2,589.4/km2). There were 2,820 housing units at an average density of 3,700.9 per square mile (1,432.6/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.10% White, 1.59% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 0.59% 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 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.06% of the population.
There were 2,450 households out of which 19.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% 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, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.3% were non-families. 41.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the borough the population was spread out with 18.8% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $45,692, and the median income for a family was $50,985. Males had a median income of $50,296 versus $31,265 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 borough was $29,369. About 11.5% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Highlands is governed by a Faulkner ActFaulkner 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...
form of New Jersey municipal government under the Small Municipality
Faulkner Act (Small Municipality)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Small Municipality form of government...
(Plan B). The officials that head the government are a mayor and four council members, who are elected at large in partisan elections to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. The current form of government was adopted in 1956.
, members of the Highlands Borough Council are Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Frank L. Nolan, Council President Richard O'Neil, Kevin Connelly, Christopher Francy and Rebecca Kane. David "Bruce" Hilling was the Borough Administrator beginning in April 2007, but was terminated on April 6, 2011.
Federal, state and county representation
Highlands is in the 6th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 11th state legislative district.Education
The Highlands School DistrictHighlands School District
The Highlands School District is a community public school district that serves students in Kindergarten through sixth grade in Highlands, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States....
serves public school students in Kindergarten through sixth grade. Highlands Elementary School had an enrollment of 167 students in the 2008-09 school year.
For grades 7-12, public school students attend Henry Hudson Regional High School
Henry Hudson Regional High School
Henry Hudson Regional High School is a comprehensive regional public high school and school district which serves students in grades 7-12 from two communities in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States...
, a comprehensive six-year high school and regional public school district
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
that serves students from both Atlantic Highlands
Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey
Atlantic Highlands is a Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey in the Bayshore Region. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 4,385...
and Highlands. The district served a total enrollment of 437 students in the 2008-09 school year.
Transportation
The Highlands-Sea Bright BridgeHighlands-Sea Bright Bridge
The Highlands-Sea Bright Bridge was a 1,240-foot drawbridge, built in 1932, to connect Highlands, New Jersey in the west to Sea Bright, New Jersey in the east, across the Shrewsbury River. The eastern terminus is at the entrance to Sandy Hook. The span is part of Route 36. Between 2008 and 2011 it...
, a 1240 feet (378 m) drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
built in 1932, connected Highlands in the west to Sea Bright, New Jersey
Sea Bright, New Jersey
Sea Bright is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 1,412.Sea Bright was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 21, 1889, from portions of Ocean Township, based on the results of a...
in the east, across the Shrewsbury River
Shrewsbury River
The Shrewsbury River is a short stream and navigable estuary, approximately 8 mi long, in central New Jersey in the United States....
. The eastern terminus was at the entrance to Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit along the Atlantic coast of New JerseySandy Hook may also refer to:-Places:United States* Sandy Hook , a village in the town of Newtown, Connecticut* Sandy Hook, Kentucky, a city in Elliott County...
. The span was part of Route 36. The bridge has been replaced with a fixed span instead of a drawbridge. The new bridge rises 65 feet (19.8 m) instead of the original span's 35 feet (10.7 m).
SeaStreak
SeaStreak
SeaStreak is a private ferry system that provides high-speed commuter service between points in Manhattan and the Raritan Bayshore in Monmouth County, New Jersey, as well as special event and sightseeing excursions in New York Harbor.-History:...
offers ferry service to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at Conner's Ferry Landing. There are three morning trips, which stop at Pier 11 near Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
and then East 35th Street. Six ferry trips return each weekday evening.
Academy Bus
Academy Bus
Academy Bus Lines is a bus company in New Jersey providing local bus service in northern New Jersey, line run service to/from New York City from points in central New Jersey, and contract and charter service in the northeastern United States from Boston to Northern Virginia.-Under contract to NJ...
offers bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal
Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City...
in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
and to Wall Street.NJT bus 834 travels to Red Bank
Red Bank, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,844 people, 5,201 households, and 2,501 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,639.1 people per square mile . There were 5,450 housing units at an average density of 3,055.0 per square mile...
.
Pop culture
The Kevin SmithKevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
film Jersey Girl
Jersey Girl (2004 film)
Jersey Girl is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It stars Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Raquel Castro, George Carlin, Jason Biggs, Jennifer Lopez and Will Smith...
is set in Highlands. In addition, Highlands' ZIP code (07732) is featured in the opening titles of Mallrats
Mallrats
Mallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is the second to be set in Smith's View Askewniverse series of interlocking films set mostly in New Jersey, although the movie was filmed in Eden Prairie Center and Osowski's Flea Market which are located in Minnesota...
, and is Dante's ZIP code in Clerks: The Animated Series
Clerks: The Animated Series
Clerks is an American animated sitcom based on Kevin Smith's 1994 comedy of the same name. It was developed for television by Smith, Smith's producing partner Scott Mosier and former Seinfeld writer David Mandel with character designs by Stephen Silver.-Cast:- Broadcast history :Only two episodes...
, although it is misattributed in the show to nearby Leonardo
Leonardo, New Jersey
Leonardo is a census-designated place located within Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP population was 2,757...
.
External links
- Highlands Borough official website
- Highlands School District
- Data for Highlands School District, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe 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...
- Henry Hudson Regional High School
- Hudson Regional Alumni Association
- Data for Henry Hudson Regional High School, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe 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...
- Abandoned Mines of the New Jersey Highlands