Princeton Junction, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Princeton Junction
is also a New Jersey Transit
and Amtrak
station on the Northeast Corridor
line.
Princeton Junction is a census-designated place
and unincorporated area located within West Windsor Township
, in Mercer County
, New Jersey
. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 2,382.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 4.8 km2 (1.9 mi2), all land.
Princeton Junction's name comes from the train station of the same name
, now on the Amtrak
and New Jersey Transit
Northeast Corridor
. The station is the junction between this main line and a spur line (served by the "Dinky" train run by New Jersey Transit) to Princeton
itself.
living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.14.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 2,382 people, 842 households, and 681 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 491.8/km2 (1,276.9/mi2). There were 858 housing units at an average density of 177.2/km2 (460.0/mi2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.99% White, 2.02% African American, 0.13% Native American, 8.86% Asian, 0.76% from other races
, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.06% of the population.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $116,668, and the median income for a family was $127,617. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $58,750 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $44,113. None of the families and 1.5% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 5.3% of those over 64.
West Windsor is ranked 30th among the highest-income places with a population of at least 10,000 in the United States.
Forbes recently named West Windsor as the 15th most affluent neighborhood in the U.S., with a median household income of $134,353.[9]
AOL and NeighborhoodScout recently named West Windsor as the best neighborhood to raise kids for its school district (top 7% in New Jersey, top 3% nationwide), prevailing family type (families with school-aged children), and neighborhood safety (safer than 97% of neighborhoods).
references:
[9] Twenty Most Affluent US Neighborhoods, Forbes. Accessed December 29, 2008.
customers, always including a trademark nonpareil in the ice cream. Also, the family-owned Lucar Hardware store shut down due to competition with superstores like Home Depot and Lowe's
Hardware. Competition was not the only factor, however. The owners sought to retire, and the land had become more valuable. The site is now occupied by PNC Bank.
In 2008-2009 Princeton Junction saw the further closure of a number of businesses that had been longtime fixtures. Among the most significant is the closure of an Acme Supermarket, which has been an anchor tenant in the Windsor Plaza Shopping Center for 50 years. Other closures (of Chicken Holiday fast food shop, a paint store and an Asian restaurant) were prompted to make way for the construction of a new Rite Aid
store, but with the recession of 2008-2009 those plans were put on hold and the stores now stand empty.
Some observers blame the 'deterioration' of the central Princeton Junction area on a lack of political consensus.
Princeton Junction (NJT station)
Princeton Junction Station at West Windsor is a New Jersey Transit and Amtrak rail station on the Northeast Corridor located in Princeton Junction, an area within West Windsor Township in New Jersey, USA...
is also a New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
and Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
station on the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
line.
Princeton Junction is a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
and unincorporated area located within West Windsor Township
West Windsor Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of Census 2010, West Windsor had a population of 27,165. The median age was 39.6. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 54.9% White, 3.7% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 37.7% Asian, 1.0% some other race and 2.6% reporting two or more races...
, in Mercer County
Mercer County, New Jersey
As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...
, 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...
. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 2,382.
Geography
Princeton Junction is located at 40.316840°N 74.624622°W (40.316840, -74.624622).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 CDP has a total area of 4.8 km2 (1.9 mi2), all land.
Princeton Junction's name comes from the train station of the same name
Princeton Junction (NJT station)
Princeton Junction Station at West Windsor is a New Jersey Transit and Amtrak rail station on the Northeast Corridor located in Princeton Junction, an area within West Windsor Township in New Jersey, USA...
, now on the Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
. The station is the junction between this main line and a spur line (served by the "Dinky" train run by New Jersey Transit) to Princeton
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
itself.
Demographics
There were 842 households out of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.0% were married couplesMarriage
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, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.14.
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 2,382 people, 842 households, and 681 families residing in the CDP. 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 491.8/km2 (1,276.9/mi2). There were 858 housing units at an average density of 177.2/km2 (460.0/mi2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.99% White, 2.02% African American, 0.13% Native American, 8.86% Asian, 0.76% 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 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.06% of the population.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $116,668, and the median income for a family was $127,617. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $58,750 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 CDP was $44,113. None of the families and 1.5% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 5.3% of those over 64.
West Windsor is ranked 30th among the highest-income places with a population of at least 10,000 in the United States.
Forbes recently named West Windsor as the 15th most affluent neighborhood in the U.S., with a median household income of $134,353.[9]
AOL and NeighborhoodScout recently named West Windsor as the best neighborhood to raise kids for its school district (top 7% in New Jersey, top 3% nationwide), prevailing family type (families with school-aged children), and neighborhood safety (safer than 97% of neighborhoods).
references:
[9] Twenty Most Affluent US Neighborhoods, Forbes. Accessed December 29, 2008.
Local Businesses
At the turn of the century two of Princeton Junction's landmark retailers closed. One was Lick-It ice cream, a tiny kiosk-like yellow building that served ice cream to walk-in and drive-throughDrive-through
A drive-through, or drive-thru, is a type of service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars. The format was first pioneered in the United States in the 1930s but has since spread to other countries. The first recorded use of a bank using a drive...
customers, always including a trademark nonpareil in the ice cream. Also, the family-owned Lucar Hardware store shut down due to competition with superstores like Home Depot and Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
Hardware. Competition was not the only factor, however. The owners sought to retire, and the land had become more valuable. The site is now occupied by PNC Bank.
In 2008-2009 Princeton Junction saw the further closure of a number of businesses that had been longtime fixtures. Among the most significant is the closure of an Acme Supermarket, which has been an anchor tenant in the Windsor Plaza Shopping Center for 50 years. Other closures (of Chicken Holiday fast food shop, a paint store and an Asian restaurant) were prompted to make way for the construction of a new Rite Aid
Rite Aid
Rite Aid is a drugstore chain in the United States and a Fortune 500 company headquartered in East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, near Camp Hill. Rite Aid is the largest drugstore chain on the East Coast and the third largest drugstore chain in the U.S....
store, but with the recession of 2008-2009 those plans were put on hold and the stores now stand empty.
Some observers blame the 'deterioration' of the central Princeton Junction area on a lack of political consensus.
Noted residents
- Kevin BarryKevin Barry (baseball player)Kevin Thomas Barry is a right-handed pitcher who is currently a free agent.Barry grew up in West Windsor Township, New Jersey and is a graduate of West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South....
- baseball player - Doug ForresterDoug ForresterDouglas Forrester is an American businessman in New Jersey. He was the 2002 Republican nominee for New Jersey U.S. Senator and the 2005 Republican nominee for Governor of New Jersey. Forrester was defeated by his two Democratic opponents, Frank Lautenberg and then-U.S. Senator Jon Corzine,...
- former gubernatorial candidate - Ethan HawkeEthan HawkeEthan Green Hawke is an American actor, writer and director. He made his feature film debut in 1985 with the science fiction movie Explorers, before making a supporting appearance in the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society which is considered his breakthrough role...
- actor - Ben H. LoveBen H. LoveBen H. Love was the eighth Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America serving from 1985 to 1993.-Scouting professional:...
, the eighth Chief Scout ExecutiveChief Scout ExecutiveThe Chief Scout Executive is the top professional of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America. In most similar non-profit organizations, this is equivalent to the position of executive director....
of the Boy Scouts of AmericaBoy Scouts of AmericaThe Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
serving from 1985 to 1993. - Christopher McQuarrieChristopher McQuarrieChristopher McQuarrie is an American screenwriter, producer and director. His screenplays include The Usual Suspects, for which he won the 1996 Academy Award, The Way of the Gun and Valkyrie....
- screenwriter - James Murphy - DJ, electronic musician (as LCD SoundsystemLCD SoundsystemLCD Soundsystem was a prominent American dance-punk band from New York City. It was fronted by American singer-songwriter and producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records...
) - John NashJohn Forbes NashJohn Forbes Nash, Jr. is an American mathematician whose works in game theory, differential geometry, and partial differential equations have provided insight into the forces that govern chance and events inside complex systems in daily life...
- mathematician - Bryan SingerBryan SingerBryan Singer is an American film director and film producer. Singer won critical acclaim for his work on The Usual Suspects, and is especially well-known among fans of the science fiction and superhero genres for his work on the X-Men films and Superman Returns.-Early life:Singer was born in New...
- film director, writer, producer and uncredited actor.