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New Jersey-Elizabeth - We've got a newly-renovated one bedroom unit that has a great layout for roommates who need their privacy but also need a one-bedroom sized rent. In this apartment, we've put a door on the living room, so it can be used as a second bedroom. Studio apartments, lofts, and efficiency apartments also available. View More Listings -->
Elizabeth Information
Elizabeth is a City in Union County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of
the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 120,568, making it New
Jersey's fourth largest city (by population). According to a 2004 Census
Estimate, the population of Elizabeth is now 124,724. It is the county seat of
Union County.
Elizabeth was founded in 1664 by English settlers and was named for the wife of
Sir George Carteret, not Queen Elizabeth I as many people assume. Originally
called "Elizabethtown," and part of the Elizabethtown Tract, it was the first
English speaking community formed in the new colony. It was the first capital of
New Jersey. During the American Revolutionary War, Elizabeth was constantly
attacked by British forces based in Manhattan and Staten Island. In 1855,
Elizabeth received a charter by the New Jersey Legislature to become a city.
The first major industry, the Singer Sewing Machine Company came to Elizabeth
and employed as many as 2,000 people. Elizabeth grew in parallel to its sister
city of Newark for many years, but has been more successful in retaining a
middle class presence and was spared riots in the 1960s.
Since World War II, Elizabeth has seen its transportation facilities grow; Port
Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal is one of the busiest ports in the world (owing
to its proximity to New York City, without actually being part of it), as is
Newark Liberty International Airport, parts of which are actually in Elizabeth.
Elizabeth also features the Jersey Gardens Mall and IKEA, which generate
millions of dollars in revenue.
Together with Linden, Elizabeth is home to the Bayway Refinery, a ConocoPhillips
refining facility that helps supply petroleum-based products to the New York/New
Jersey area, producing approximately 230,000 barrels per day.
Portions of the city are covered by an Urban Enterprise Zone, which cuts the
sales tax rate to 3.5% (half of the 7% charged statewide) and offers other
incentives to businesses within the district. The Elizabeth UEZ has the highest
business participation rate in the state, with approximately 1,000 businesses
participating in — and benefiting from — the program. The UEZ has helped bring
in more than $1.5 billion in new economic development to the City and has
brought in over $50 million in sales tax revenue that has been reinvested in
funding for additional police, streetscape and other infrastructure
improvements.
The city's public schools are operated by Elizabeth Public Schools, an Abbott
District. Elizabeth High School is the largest high school in the state of New
Jersey and one of the largest in the United States.