Community Assessment of New Brunswick, New Jersey
Community characteristics
Geography
New Brunswick, also known as, “Hub City” or “The Healthcare City”, is a city located in Middlesex County in the eastern central part of the state of New Jersey. It is located on the southern bank of the Raritan River and about 30 miles west of New York City. New Brunswick is composed of eleven census tracts. The New Brunswick census tracts are surrounded by the following towns: Highland Park in the north, Edison in the northeast, Piscataway in the northwest, East Brunswick in the southeast, Vorhees in the southwest, North Brunswick in the south, and East Franklin in the west. State route 18 is the major highway that runs from the north to east side of
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This river flows west to east on the northern borders of New Brunswick (US Census Bureau, 2010). This is the only main geographic landform in the city because being an urban area, there is not much open space. It is mostly flat and occupied by buildings. The Raritan River is an asset to the community because it provides beautiful scenery and it is also used for physical activity. People are able to use the river for a number of water oriented activities. A great example of this is the Rutgers University Crew team uses the river to practice rowing. Along with water based activities, the river provides trails for hiking, biking, and walking. Although the trail can be used for these activities, not many people use it as this time. This is because many people are unaware these resources are available. Also, the river’s access points need to be improved and maintained and visitor amenities should be added. Unfortunately, this beautiful geographic feature can also pose a threat to the community because it has been known to flood. Rutgers University currently has an initiative in place called “The Sustainable Raritan River Initiative” and its goals include improving public access and recreational use of the river and also management of stormwater (Sustainable Raritan River Initiative, …show more content…
It was rechartered in 1770 when the first document had produced no results. Its first graduating class produced one graduate in 1774. On July 6, 1776, the third reading of the Declaration of Independence in the colonies took place in New Brunswick. Also, the Continental army took refuge at New Brunswick after their defeat at Fort Lee. George Washington and his army crossed the Raritan River on the retreat south across New Jersey that led to the Battle of Trenton. British and Hessian troops occupied the town from December 1776 to the following June. British troops forced Queens College out of town in 1777. In late spring 1777, Washington moved his troops to an area overlooking the Raritan valley; Howe was forced out. Thereafter the town experienced little direct warfare. Washington returned in 1778 on his way to a decisive victory over Cornwallis at Yorktown. Queens College returned in 1781 and closed in 1795 due to lack of interest (City-data,