Edison, NJ

Edison is a large township located in northern New Jersey. Originally called Raritan Township at the time of its incorporation in 1870, the township changed its name to Edison in the 1950s. The name change was inspired by inventor Thomas Edison, who lived in the Menlo Park neighborhood of Raritan during the 1870s; it was while living in Raritan that Edison invented the phonograph and the incandescent light bulb. Thanks to Edison's ingenuity, the town's Christie Street was the first street in the world to use electric lights. Edison was also once home to actresses Brittney Murphy and Susan Sarandon, as well as Bon Jovi keyboardist, David Bryan, and a host of athletes and politicians. In the year 2000, the township's population was roughly 98,000 residents, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Edison is comprised of mostly middle- and upper-class residents. At the same time, the township is extremely diverse, with over 75 ethnicities represented among its inhabitants. Edison is a suburban area without a traditional downtown, though in recent years the city has developed an area along Amboy Avenue as a historic district named for Clara Barton with brick-lined sidewalks and attractive stores. A senior housing development has opened in the neighborhood, a departure for Edison. Some key neighborhoods include South Edison, location of the Edison train station, a major commuter transit point, and the Raritan Center industrial park and convention center, south of I-95.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

The Raritan Center has around 13 million square feet of office, warehouse, distribution, and industrial space occupied by a variety of companies. Edison is the location of the Convention and Exposition Center, as well as regional offices for the United States Post Office and Federal Express.

FOR VISITORS

• Roosevelt Park encompasses roughly 217 acres of land and includes basketball and tennis courts, a softball field, walking and biking trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, and a lake where visitors can fish. During the winter, residents can enjoy the park's outdoor ice-skating rink; in the summer, Roosevelt Park also hosts the Plays in the Park.
• Thomas A. Edison Park is located on approximately 161 acres of grounds and is home to the Middlesex Park System's Sports Complex. This park has numerous lighted tennis courts, as well as several baseball fields and soccer fields. Additionally, this park offers a lighted quarter-mile track, natural jogging paths, and a flying field for model airplane enthusiasts.

EVENTS

Plays in the Park was the creation of a 1960s community theater group that was seeking a place to perform. Together with the township's cooperation, this theater group began to perform outdoors, and the tradition has existed ever since. Plays are held at Roosevelt Park during the summer months.

BEST BETS

• Menlo Park Museum commemorates the life and accomplishments of Thomas Edison. It is home to the world's largest light bulb, which stands roughly 13 feet high, weighs approximately eight tons, and glows bright every night. The museum is located in Edison Park and managed by the Parks and Recreations Department in partnership with the Edison Memorial Tower Corporation.
• New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center (located within the Raritan Center complex) consists of approximately 150,000 square feet of space for special events, trade shows, and banquets. Some events of note include the New Jersey Spring Camping and RV Show, the Winter Boat Show, and the Flower and Garden Show.

SHOPPING

Menlo Park Mall has over 1.2 million square feet of shopping space and is home to many retailers and restaurants.

EDUCATION

• Middlesex County College is an accredited 2-year college with over 11,000 full-time students. This college offers associates degrees in Arts, Fine Arts, Science, and Applied Science. Middlesex County also offers a number of certificate programs for those seeking continuing education. Joint admissions programs with the New Jersey Institute of Technology and duel degree programs with Rutgers University allow students to continue their educations beyond the offerings of Middlesex. The college also houses the Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Technologies, as well as the Middlesex County Vocation and Technical High School. These programs are free to all county high school students. Admissions are based on test scores.
• Lincoln Technical Institute offers programs in Criminal Justice, Medical Assisting, Medical Administration, Nursing, and Network Communications and Information Systems. The Institute also offers career placement services and scholarship programs.
• PC AGE Career Institute-Edison is an accredited career school offering degrees and certificates in Information Technology and Medical Programs.

GETTING AROUND

Edison is a major transportation hub with connections to New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Trenton. New Jersey Transit Trains operate out of Edison Station. The Edison Light Transit Commuter Shuttle provides service from Edison Station to locations throughout the city. Round trip service is available.

LOCAL MEDIA

AM radio stations in Edison include:

• WFAN 660 AMSports
• WOR 710 AMTalk
• WABC 770 AMNews
• WBBR 1130 AMBusiness
• WADO 1280 AMSpanish
• WCTC 1450 AMChristian Contemporary
• WQEW 1560 AMChildren's

Major FM radio stations in the township are

• WXRK 92.3 FMRock
• WPAT 93.1 FMSpanish
• WQHT 97.1 FMHip Hop
• WMGQ 98.3 FMAdult Contemporary
• WHTZ 100.3 FMTop-40
• WCBS 101.1 FMOldies
• WQCD 101.9 FMSmooth Jazz
• WKTU 103.5 FMDance

The township's newspaper is the East Sentinel Edison.