Community Profile
Raritan Valley Baptist Church is located in central New Jersey in Edison, which is in Middlesex County. Our church family is multi-cultural. Most of our members live in Middlesex County.
Edison Township was previously known as Raritan Township. In 1954, the town’s name was changed to honor inventor Thomas A. Edison. Edison Township has a population of approximately 100,000. It encompasses 30.7 miles. It is comprised of a mixture of residential, commercial and industrial areas. There are churches of various faiths.
Ethnicity
Edison is the home of a variety of ethnic groups. As of the 2000 census, its racial makeup is:
| Caucasian | 59.49% |
| African American | 6.89% |
| Native American | 0.14% |
| Asian | 29.27% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.04% |
| Other Races | 2.02% |
| Two or more races | 2.15% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.37% |
Age Groups
| Under 18 | 22.9% |
| 18-24 | 7.8% |
| 25-44 | 34.0% |
| 45-64 | 23.4% |
| 65 or older | 11.9% |
Households
There are 35,136 households in Edison. They are categorized as follows:
| Children under 18 living with them | 34.3% |
| Married couples living together | 61.1% |
| Female householder with no husband present | 9.1% |
| Non-families | 26.3% |
| Individuals | 21.1% |
| Living alone age 65 or older | 7.2% |
History
Edison is rich in history. Our namesake, Thomas Alva Edison, resided here and operated the world’s first organized research laboratory and invention factory. He patented many inventions. His favorite invention was the phonograph, which he lovingly referred to as “my baby”. The Thomas Edison Menlo Park Museum is a small museum located at 37 Christie Street (off of Route 27). Christie Street was the first street to use electric lights for illumination. This location also hosts the Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and The Thomas Alva Edison Information Trail, which is an area that Mr. Edison enjoyed walking through to find peace. Placards along the trail detail various aspects of his life. Approximately 16,000 visitors come to the museum each year, according to its Director and Curator, Jack Stanley. For more information on the museum, visit their website at www.menloparkmuseum.com.
Schools
Edison is the home of Middlesex County College. Rutgers, The State University, the University of Medicine & Dentistry, DeVry University, Princeton University and Princeton Seminary are located within close proximity of Edison. Edison has an excellent public schools system. The Edison Township School District is a K-12 district. Edison has a student population of over 13,000. Edison strives to maintain a classroom size under 25 students. John P. Stevens High School has been recognized as one of the top 50 high schools in New Jersey, and Edison High School, in the top 75. For more information on Edison public schools, visit their website at www.edison.k12.nj.us/.
Medical Facilities
John F. Kennedy Medical Center is a major medical facility. Other exceptional area hospitals are Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and St. Peter’s Memorial Hospital, both in nearby New Brunswick, New Jersey. Edison has hospital ministries located at JFK Hospital through Haven Hospice, which is a terminal cancer program; Roosevelt Hospital, which is a county facility for the chronically ill and is primarily a long-term care facility; and the New Jersey Disabled Veterans Home, which is a live-in center for disabled veterans.
Transportation
Edison Township is a major transportation hub. The Edison train station services New York, Trenton and points in between. The Metuchen train station is also within close proximity. The Metropark station, which is located a short distance beyond the Edison borderline in nearby Woodbridge, New Jersey, is frequented by Edison commuters and utilizes Amtrak in addition to NJ Transit train service. Bus service is available in our area. Newark Airport is located off of exit 13A of the New Jersey Turnpike. For more information on transportation, visit co.middlesex.nj.us/transportation/index.asp, NJTransit.com or Amtrak.com
Parks
Roosevelt Park is a recently renovated park. It is bordered by Grandview Avenue, Route 1, Parsonage Road and Route 27. It has a scenic lake, jogging trails, ice skating rink, level playing fields for baseball and hockey games, basketball and tennis courts, a playground, Plays In The Park (a theater where plays are performed during the summer months), and Kiddie Keep Well Camp. It is a nice place to go to relax.
There are 25 municipal parks in Edison, which includes many smaller parks in town, such as the Thomas H. Paterniti Park, which is located on Vineyard Road, within close proximity to the parsonage.
Activities
The Edison Municipal Complex on Municipal Blvd. (off of Route 27) hosts various activities, such as car shows, fireworks displays, etc. Lake Papaianni is located within the complex. Fishing is permitted. The lake is dedicated to fallen Patrolman Frank J. Papaianni, Jr., who was killed in the line of duty on September 16, 1971. For more information on Edison Township/activities, visit their website at www.edisonnj.org.
The Raritan Exposition Center is located in Raritan Center off of Woodbridge Avenue. It hosts a variety of activities, such as dog shows, car shows, boat shows, craft shows, etc.
There are also a variety of shopping centers in Edison. Menlo Park Mall is located in Edison and Woodbridge Center is a mall located in nearby Woodbridge, New Jersey.
There are several movie theaters in the area.
The State Theatre in New Brunswick highlights various types of entertainment at reasonable prices.
Great Adventure is located off of Exit 7A of the New Jersey Turnpike, in Jackson, New Jersey.
New York City is an exciting destination. The Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall, theater district and Rockefeller Center are all fantastic attractions, and are accessible by train.
Last, but not least, the Jersey shore is always a great place to visit, and within reasonable driving distance.
