Lakewood Township, New Jersey

AT A GLANCE LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY WHAT: A town of 102,000 WHERE: Ocean County, in northeast New Jersey WEBSITE: www.lakewoodnj.gov THE GARDEN SPOT OF THE GARDEN STATE L akewood is a township of 25 square miles in Ocean County, New Jersey. It was incorporated as a township in 1892, from portions of Brick Township. Portions of Howell Township in Monmouth County were annexed to Lakewood Township in 1929. Lakewood Township is the most populous township in Ocean County; as of 2017, the municipality had a population of approximately 102,682 residents, making it the 5th largest municipality in the state. According to the Star-Ledger, “Lakewood, New Jersey’s fastest- growing town is defined by its diversity. The 54 percent population increase from 2000 to 2010, according to residents and community leaders in Lakewood, was fueled by growth in the Jewish community, the Latino community, and a third group, senior citizens.” Lakewood Township is also going through a business boom. It is situated near several major roads, including the Garden State Parkway, and is within an hour and a half of New York City, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and the state capital of Trenton, and only a few miles from beaches, boardwalks, and malls. Thus, its central location in the state, and its access to major roads, has continued to spur on major building projects, touching all aspects of life in the community. The old Lakewood was a sleepy little town, a well-known resort for the wealthy and a retreat for presidents and the celebrated of a Gilded Age, when, at the turn of the 20th century, it is was one of the New York City region’s winter resorts. This was