The city of Elizabeth, New Jersey is situated within the states Union County. Now, the city of Elizabeth has a population nearing 125,000 inhabitants, based on the newest 2010 census. By population numbers, it is the 4th biggest city within the state of New Jersey. From the 2000 Census population of 120,568 there was an increase of 4,401 residents or roughly 3.7% by 2010.
The city of Elizabeth was named amongst the "50 Greenest Cities in the USA" in the year 2008 by Popular Science magazine. It was the only city in the state of New Jersey to be selected.
When the town was initially settled during the year 1664 by its English settlers, the community was officially known as Elizabethtown. The name was selected to honor the wife of famous colonial proprietor, Sir George Carteret. The city was the original capital of New Jersey. The name officially changed to become the city of Elizabeth in the year 1855 upon its incorporation.
The first major industry in the area to support thousands of jobs was the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Ever since the Second World War, the city of Elizabeth has seen considerable growth in its transportation facilities. The Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, usually called Port Elizabeth, has become the main container ship facility serving North America's northeastern quadrant. Also, it is among the globe's busiest ports.
In Midtown Elizabeth, there are more than a dozen historical sites and landmarks, and in recent years, the Elizabeth Public Library has gone through significant upgrades. The structure was in fact a gift from Andrew Carnegie, dating back to the start of the 20th century. Boxwood Hall is one more historic place. This was the former home of the youngest person to sign the Constitution, Jonathan Dayton as well as the home of Elias Boudinot, President of the Continental Congress. Amongst the oldest and largest operating theatres in the state of New Jersey is the historic Ritz Theatre. This incredible structure dates back to 1926 and has much history attached.
The former house of Royal Governor Jonathan Belcher is nearby and is referred to as the Belcher Ogden Mansion. It is the last remaining original Royal Governor's mansion within the nation. There are a lot of parades and yearly festivals which celebrate the ethnic diversity of the city of Elizabeth. For example, the Elizabeth Latin Carnival is held at the beginning of the month of September on an annual basis and brings hundreds of thousands of tourists. Other famous events consist of the Pride Day in the Port, Portugal Day, Julyfest and Unity Day. The annual Tour De Elizabeth is held every Sunday prior to Memorial Day and it is a bike tour of the whole city.
The Newark Liberty International Airport is a really busy place and parts of it are really within the city of Elizabeth. Elizabeth also features the famous Little Jimmy's Italian Ices ever since the year 1932, Jersey Gardens outlet mall, the Elizabeth Center and Loews Theatre. All of these ventures bring millions in revenue each year.
The Bayway Refinery makes its home in Linden and Elizabeth. This is a ConocoPhillips refining facility which makes about 37,000m3 or 230,000 barrels on a daily basis, supplying petroleum based products to the New Jersey/New York regions.