Surf City

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Surf City, New Jersey

Surf City is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 1,442. The borough borders the Atlantic Ocean on Long Beach Island.

What is now Surf City was originally formed as Long Beach City borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 19, 1894, from portions of Stafford Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. The borough was renamed Surf City by a resolution of the Borough Council as of May 26, 1899.

Geography

Surf City is located at (39.661385, -74.166633).

Surf City is 57 miles east-southeast of Philadelphia, PA and 71 miles south of New York, NY.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²), of which, 0.7 square miles (1.9 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (21.74%) is water.

History

Home to the first big boarding hotel on the New Jersey coast, called the Mansion of Health. The area surrounding this hotel was called "Buzby's Place" in the 1830s and 1940s, after one of the owners of the Mansion of Health, Hudson Buzby. The Mansion of Health burned down in 1874, but some old-timers still call the cove at the foot of South First Street on the bay side "Mansion Cove.

In 1875, the 20 or so permanent members of the area decided to call it Long Beach City, even though the area was still considered part of Stafford Township. But in 1894, Surf City became incorporated, changing its name to Surf City in 1899 after the United States Postal Service demanded a name change before the town could incorporate, preventing it from being confused with Long Branch in Monmouth County.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,442 people, 706 households, and 420 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,990.4 people per square mile (773.3/km²). There were 2,621 housing units at an average density of 3,617.9/sq mi (1,405.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.06% White, 0.14% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.42% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.94% of the population.

There were 706 households out of which 13.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.61.

In the borough the population was spread out with 12.4% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 34.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $38,190, and the median income for a family was $50,268. Males had a median income of $40,625 versus $25,208 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,632. About 5.6% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Media

Surf City is served primarily by Philadelphia television stations, Atlantic City and Philadelphia based radio stations and two daily newspapers, The Press of Atlantic City and Asbury Park Press.

Government

Local government

Surf City is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.

The Mayor of Surf City Borough is Leonard T. Connors, Jr. (R, term ends December 31, 2007), who also is the state senator from the 9th Legislative District. Borough Council members are Bettie Creevy (R, 2007), Charles L. Freitag (R, 2007), Francis R. Hodgson, Sr. (R, 2008) and William D. Hodgson (R, 2008), John H. Klose (R, 2009) and James B. Russell (R, 2009).

Federal, state and county representation

Surf City is in the Third Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 9th Legislative District.

Education

For grades K through 6, public school students attend the Long Beach Island Consolidated School District, which serves students from Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Township, Ship Bottom, and Surf City. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Ethel Jacobsen School in Surf City with 132 students in grades Kindergarten - 2 and Long Beach Island Grade School in Ship Bottom with 135 students in grades 3 - 6.

Public school students in grades 7 through 12 attend the Southern Regional Middle School (grades 7 and 8) and Southern Regional High School (grades 9–12). These schools are part of the Southern Regional School District, which serves the five municipalities in the Long Beach Island Consolidated School District, along with students from Beach Haven, Stafford Township and Ocean Township.. Both schools are in Manahawkin.

Landmarks

Surf City Yacht Club (SCYC). Here many sailors and swimmers ranging in age dedicate their summers to the Yacht Club. There are weekly races against other yacht clubs throughout the Island.

Surf City Beach Patrol (SCBP)

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Surf City include:

Gerry P. Little, served on the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders since 2003, and was elected to the Surf City Borough Council in 1995, where he served for eight years.