INTRO/INDUSTRY Elizabeth is only about 5 miles south of Newark, the most populous city in New Jersey, but it has an identity all its own – many identities, in fact. Day-to-day life is hardly uniform: one can start at the west side suburban neighborhood of Elmora, head east across downtown and end up in the coastal neighborhood of Elizabethport. “Elizabeth is a very diverse city, with different levels of income and associated lifestyles,” says Mario Aristizabal, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Liberty. “It’s not a regular town, like Cranford where there’s a high-end section and a downtown but then it’s pretty much the same throughout,” he adds, speaking of the locality just five miles west. Still, there are some consistencies to Elizabeth that structure the experience of living here. “The heritage of Elizabeth as a whole is more industrial and utilitarian,” says Thomas Mosera, a Realtor with Premium One Realty. Indeed, the Singer Sewing Machine Company was one of the city’s founding businesses. Today, the Bayway Refinery is a top employer, as is the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal – one of the world’s busiest ports. City government, large retail centers and the public school system are also engines of the local economy. More than 140,000 people live here and the median age is 36. HOUSING Talk to just about any local realtor, and they’ll say Elmora on the west end is one of the most popular places to buy. When much of the city’s housing stock is multi-family, then a collection of single-owner homes just stands out. “It’s a convenient suburban neighborhood,” says Romina Scandroglio, a Realtor with Keller Williams Metropolitan. “You have Elmora Avenue which is filled with shops, businesses, a supermarket.” However, some homebuyers enjoy the historic appeal, especially because it gives the west side an eclectic look. “Remember that Elizabeth was one of the earliest New Jersey cities,” says Aristizabal. “There are 19th-century colonials, Tudors and other styles. Lawns are a point of pride for these owners, too. Very well-manicured and well kept.” Splitting the southern and northern sides of Elizabeth is often a handy way to navigate the housing market. “There are two sections to Elizabeth: south of Route 9, closer to the port, and north of Route 9,” says Aristizabal. “If you want new construction, go south more towards Elizabethport,” says Scandroglio, speaking of the coastal neighborhood. More realtors agree, and mention that homebuyers can continue searching along the Peterstown and Bayway neighborhoods for more new construction. “Soon as they come on the market, they tend to go under contract soon,” says Rosmena De Sa, a Realtor with RE/MAX New Millennium Group. But the north side is different. “North Elizabeth has a lot of big colonials, especially in the Westminster neighborhood,” Scandroglio says. Others share that way of explaining Elizabeth’s layout. “Westminster is composed of huge homes, it’s a historical neighborhood,” says Sagrario Javier, a Realtor with EXP Realty. Overall, homebuyers will likely not find anything below $400,000 whether they choose the single-owner or multi-family route. “Single-family homes range from $430,000 to $800,000 or even $900,000 while multi-families range from $600,000 to $1.2 million,” says Aristizabal. SCHOOLS Niche gives an overall B-minus grade to Elizabeth Public Schools, where over 28,000 students are in attendance across 37 schools. “We have some of the best schools in the state, and that’s one of the reasons people choose to move here,” says Aristizabal. “Over the past 10 to 15 years, the Board of Education has been focused on raising the level of schools. We have lots of charter academies in the district and college prep programs, so students can take classes with universities.” Kean University is another prominent educational feature of the city. It’s the fourth-largest university in the state, and is especially known for its research in the fields of science, technology and math. Liberty Hall on campus is of historic importance, having hosted visitors like George Washington and Ulysses Grant. TRANSPORTATION Route 9 not only divides north and south sides of Elizabeth, it’s also a reliable way to reach Newark, roughly five miles north. Anybody entering Elizabeth from the north will notice Newark International Liberty Airport, which is hugged by Route 9. This is the 13th-busiest airport in the country, with United Airlines and FedEx being the busiest tenants. Interstate 95 runs in parallel and is another option for exploring the region. Commuters can get to Lower Manhattan in about an hour. Those in the Bayway neighborhood can drive over the Goethals Bridge and reach Staten Island within minutes. There’s a train station on Broad Street near downtown, and the North Elizabeth station is on North Avenue, next to Kellog Park. Buses pass along key roads, like North Avenue, which connects with Kean University. PARKS AND REC “Warinanco Park is a very popular hangout, especially because it’s shared with the neighboring community of Roselle,” says Aristizabal. “People go there to run, play baseball, cricket, soccer.” Mattano Park is another crowd pleaser, because it offers views of the Elizabeth River and has diverse athletic facilities like a skate park and basketball courts. More waterfront fun can be found at Veterans Memorial Park, where the Elizabeth River empties into the bay. Activities include strolling the boardwalk, biking the throughway and watching boats dock at the marina. For a long hike, visitors can go to Elizabeth River Park on the north side near the Westminster neighborhood. Stretching up into Hillside Township, the park offers shade with plenty of trees. SHOPPING AND DINING Select eateries in Elizabeth have hit the social media jackpot, going viral and drawing visitors to their small storefronts. “Santillo’s has appeared on a Barstool review because they have such great pizza,” says Aristizabal. The Bayway neighborhood, home to Santillo’s, is next to the Peterstown neighborhood – which has its own sensation. “Di Cosmo’s on 2nd Avenue is amazing,” says Javier. “They have two flavors, and it’s all cash. Tiny place.” The two flavors are usually orange and lemon, although in recent years the owners have offered pineapple. Aristizabal notes that there’s a significant Hispanic and Latin American population in Elizabeth, and this presence shows up strongly in the dining scene. “The great thing about the diverse lifestyles here is that they bring so many different types of food,” he says. “We have great Colombian food. Some of those places have been open 50 years. Peterstown is heavily influenced by Italian and Portuguese culture. The entire city comes out for Peterstown Fest.” For shopping, people from around the region flock to Jersey Gardens, an outlet mall. The largest of its kind in the state, it features over 200 stores and restaurants. City officials have figured out a way to leverage it for Elizabeth’s economy even more. “There’s a shuttle going from the airport to the mall, that’s why it’s so successful,” says Aristizabal. “It’s not just because the locals go. If someone has a layover or a long stop, they’ll go to the mall, which is humongous.” CRIME AND ENVIRONMENT Elizabeth is known for having humid summers, and while winter can bring snow, it’s not as drastic as in Newark. The highest snowfall happens in January, on average around 6 inches. Crime stats paint a picture of an urban and suburban divide. “About 80% of the crime offenses happen in the downtown section,” says Aristizabal. According to police data, there were over 4,000 offenses reported in 2022 – by far the most of any city in Union County. Larceny contributed the bulk of cases at 2,430 offenses but auto theft came in second with 695 offenses. This also represented a spike in overall cases, because 2021 had 3,583 reported crimes. Learn more on the Elizabeth city guide.