Previously known as "Perrytown" and "Unionville", Iselin received its current name after New York City investment banker and philanthropist Adrian Iselin, who established a finishing school in the 1870s for girls from wealthy New York families there.[15] Iselin additionally subsidized the erection of a new train station, which was later replaced by a newer station to the south known as Metropark.[16][17]
Geography
Iselin is in northeastern Middlesex County, in the northwest part of Woodbridge Township. It is bordered by the Woodbridge communities of Colonia to the north, Avenel to the northeast, Woodbridge to the southeast, and Menlo Park Terrace to the south, while to the west it is bordered by Edison Township. It is 9 miles (14 km) northeast of New Brunswick, the Middlesex county seat, and 14 miles (23 km) southwest of Newark.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Iselin has a total area of 3.13 square miles (8.1 km2), including 0.001 square miles (0.0026 km2) of water (0.03%).[1] It is drained to the northeast by the South Branch of the Rahway River
Downtown area
Iselin's downtown is centered on Little India (also known as "Oak Tree Road"), bound by the Garden State Parkway to the west and Route 27 (Lincoln Highway) to the southeast. Once home to a wide array of shops, eateries, services, and complemented by a single-screen 1920s movie palace, the area was in obvious decline in the 1980s. An influx of Asian Indian immigration beginning in the early 1990s led to the area's revitalization. Formerly vacant stores were tenanted, and additional retail spaces built as the area became known for its high quality Indian food, sweets, clothing (particularly saris), jewelry, music, and other goods.
An area known as Metropark, consisting primarily of office parks and large office buildings, lies in the southwestern corner of Iselin and spills over into neighboring Edison. NJ Transit and Amtrak's Metropark station is named for this area.
The 2010 United States census counted 18,695 people, 6,445 households, and 4,892 families in the CDP. The population density was 5,861.5 people per square mile (2,263.1 people/km2). There were 6,718 housing units at an average density of 2,106.3 units per square mile (813.2 units/km2). The racial makeup was 41.47% (7,753) White, 6.72% (1,257) Black or African American, 0.33% (62) Native American, 46.12% (8,623) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 2.26% (423) from other races, and 3.09% (577) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.12% (1,332) of the population.[14]
Of the 6,445 households, 33.2% had children under the age of 18; 62.4% were married couples living together; 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.1% were non-families. Of all households, 20.7% were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.39.[14]
21.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.8 males.[14]
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census[6] there were 16,698 people, 6,007 households, and 4,511 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,059.8 people/km2 (5,335 people/sq mi). There were 6,137 housing units at an average density of 757.0 units/km2 (1,961 units/sq mi). The racial makeup of the CDP was 64.65% White, 6.02% African American, 0.12% Native American, 25.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.75% from other races, and 2.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.47% of the population.[20]
There were 6,007 households, out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.24.[20]
In the CDP the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.[20]
The median income for a household in the CDP was $65,424, and the median income for a family was $71,913. Males had a median income of $50,145 versus $36,131 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $26,793. About 1.9% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.[20]
When it opened in 2018, Oak Tree Road School #29 was the first new public school in Woodbridge in nearly 50 years, although the building was formerly occupied by the St. Cecelia's Church parish school[35] (affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen).[36]
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Iselin include:
Tom DeSanto (born 1968), film producer and screenwriter best known for his work with long-time friend Bryan Singer, especially with his contributions to the first two X-Men movies[37]
Robbie E (born 1983), professional wrestler with Impact Wrestling on POP TV[38]
James Swann (born 1964), serial killer whose random drive-by shotgun shootings in Washington, D.C. in 1993 earned him the nickname "The Shotgun Stalker" in the press[40]
^Melisurgo, Len. "Here's the right way to pronounce 25 N.J. town names everyone botches", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 23, 2017. Accessed June 22, 2023. "Iselin (Middlesex County) Some outsiders think it's ICE-lin, but this section of Woodbridge Township is actually pronounced IZ-lin, with the 'iz' sounding like 'is.'"
^Andrew Jacobs. "The Census – A Region of Enclaves: Edison, N.J.; Amid Strip Malls, Indian Expansion", The New York Times, June 18, 2001. Accessed March 22, 2012. "Although Indians have settled in every part of the state, they have had a remarkable impact on Edison, a 32-square-mile township. The Asian population of Edison, most of it Indian, has grown to 29,000 from 2,200 in 1980. The adjacent hamlet of Iselin, part of Woodbridge Township, has had an even greater increase in its Asian population."
^Staff. "Pro Wrestler Robbie E.", Living In Media, September 21, 2016. Accessed July 4, 2018. "Some people laughed because I was thin and only 160 pounds when I was at John F. Kennedy High School in Iselin."
^Duggan, Paul. "Neighbors Say Suspect Was Troubled", The Washington Post, April 20, 1993. Accessed July 4, 2018. "Swann's address was listed as an apartment complex in Iselin, N.J., but Ritchie said he used to work as a security guard in this area.... According to New Jersey license information obtained from police sources, the plate is registered to Swann in Iselin, which is in Woodbridge Township."
