Union Beach is a borough on Raritan Bay and the northern Jersey Shore in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough is a small coastal bedroom suburb of New York City in the New York metropolitan area, with views of Manhattan 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.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
Union Beach was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature 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. Following the development of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, 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, 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.Burket, William H. Union Beach, p. 7. Arcadia Publishing, 1998. . Accessed October 13, 2015. "The property offered for sale in 1846 by the Florence & Keyport Co. was again offered for sale in 1915 as East Point Beach Estates and again in 1920 as Union Beach by Charles Carr."
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.2016 Monmouth County Master Plan, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed June 9, 2024.
Geography Union Beach is 16.1 miles from Staten Island's Outerbridge. According to the United States Census Bureau, 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 skyline and the Verrazano Bridge.Staff. "Grand opening for waterfront townhouses in Union Beach", Asbury Park Press, August 1, 2010. Accessed March 10, 2015. "Union Beach offers wonderful distant views of the New York City skyline in addition to the Verrazano Narrows Bridge connecting Brooklyn to Staten Island."
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, 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.Point-Du-Jour, Rodney. "Memorial honors the memory of Sept. 11 victims", Asbury Park Press, June 30, 2002. Accessed October 28, 2013. "A group of residents yesterday strengthened an intimate bond between their community and the site of World Trade Center towers, which once could be seen from this Bayshore town and is now a vacant space in the New York City skyline, with the dedication of a Sept. 11 memorial."Rafei, Roya. "Memorials rise around Shore as towns honor victims", Asbury Park Press, September 2, 2006. "In Union Beach, a 6-foot-high black stone monument has been diamond-etched with an outline of the New York City skyline and was positioned so that someone looking beyond the stone will see the exact site where the towers stood."
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names within the borough include Lorrillard Beach, Natco, Union Gardens and Van Marters Corner.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed March 10, 2015.
The borough borders the Monmouth County municipalities of Hazlet, Keansburg (maritime border) and Keyport.Areas touching Union Beach, MapIt. Accessed March 11, 2020.Regional Location Map, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed March 11, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
History
Hurricane Sandy On October 28, 2012, at 4:00pm, the mayor issued a mandatory evacuation for the boroughStaff. "Hurricane Sandy: N.J. county by county evacuations, flooding, closings", The Star-Ledger, October 28, 2012. Accessed July 24, 2015. "Union Beach - A mandatory evacuation has been issued for the whole community as of 4 p.m., said Michael Harriot, the community's emergency management coordinator." in preparation for Hurricane Sandy—the second-costliest hurricane in United States history.Staff. "Report: Sandy second-costliest hurricane in U.S. history", CBS News, February 12, 2013. Accessed June 25, 2017. When the hurricane arrived, approximately one third of the borough's 6,200 residents had left.Chesler, Caren. "Down by the Bayshore: Charting Raritan Bay's Recovery; Hurricane Sandy is just the latest calamity to strike the tough old towns along the Raritan Bay. From Keyport to Keansburg to Highlands, here's how they're bouncing back.", New Jersey Monthly, May 7, 2013. Accessed July 24, 2015.
By the morning of October 29, of the estimated 2,143 households in the borough, approximately 200 homes and businesses were damaged,Peskoe, Ashley. "Hurricane Sandy decimates Union Beach", NJ.com, October 31, 2012. Accessed June 25, 2017. "Nearly 200 homes were destroyed in Union Beach in one of the worst storms the state has seen." 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.Sagara, Eric. "Hurricane Sandy's destruction: Aerial assessment shows nearly 72K buildings damaged in N.J.", The Star-Ledger, November 28, 2012. Accessed June 25, 2017. "In Union Beach, 62 homes 'no longer exist,' Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Harriott said. An additional 100 homes, including those that shifted off foundations, are no longer habitable, he said. Some 400 houses took on 6 feet or more of water. Seen another way, Sandy wrecked one in five homes in the tiny working-class community." The borough's police department borrowed several police cruisers from other municipalities such as Wilmington, NC and Clay County, Florida. Most cars were destroyed when flooding reached police headquarters.Derricke, Dennis. "Residents Of Storm-Ravaged Union Beach, N.J. Working Hard To Rebuild", WCBS-TV, December 11, 2012. Accessed March 11, 2020. "Union Beach remains in such poor shape a month and a half after Superstorm Sandy that some say the cost to rebuild may be just too much." 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 and one of the major employers in town, which survived Hurricane Irene 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.Gurian, Scott. "With Insurance Settlements Still In Limbo, Sandy Victims Turn To Legal Remedies", NJ Spotlight, September 24, 2013. Accessed July 13, 2018. "Crews demolishing the remains of Jakeabob's Bay restaurant last March. Nearly a year after the storm, owner Gigi Liaguno-Dorr is still fighting with her insurance company." A new temporary restaurant was built but did not manage to renew its lease due to insurance disputes with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.Peskoe, Ashley. "Lack of post-Sandy funding causing Jakeabob's Off the Bay to close", NJ.com, March 6, 2014. accessed July 13, 2018. "Union Beach - A well-known restaurant that was destroyed in Hurricane Sandy, but opened a temporary location to continue serving the community until it could rebuild, will shut its doors at the end of the month. Jakeabob’s Off the Bay, the temporary location and community kitchen, will not renew its lease at the end of the month and March 28 will be the last day of business."
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.Muessig, Tracy Gauthier. "Union Beach looks to rebuild damageAlternative for students under consideration", Asbury Park Press, November 1, 2012. Accessed May 7, 2015.Staff. "Transforming a School, Rebuilding a Community After Hurricane Sandy", Points of Light, October 30, 2013. Accessed May 7, 2015. The school had been used as an evacuation center but began taking on water as the storm raged.Rundquist, Jeanette. "Hurricane Sandy aftermath: Some N.J. schools reopen with no heat, no lunch", the Star-Ledger, November 6, 2012. Accessed October 13, 2015. 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
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Union Beach had a population of 5,723. The median age was 40.9 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.5 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 2,036 households in Union Beach, of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.5% were married-couple households, 14.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.