Lakewood Township, New Jersey

LAKEWOOD TOWNSHI P , NEW JERSEY LDC offers business loans and grants to certified UEZ businesses, as well as numerous other business encouragement incentives. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the zone, shoppers can take advantage of a sales tax rate at eligible merchants that is half the rate charged statewide. In April 2001, a $22 million baseball stadium built with UEZ funds, opened with the first game of the Lakewood Blue Claws, a Single-A, minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. By April 2003, the Lakewood Blue Claws drew one million people to its stadium, FirstEnergy Park, recording New Jersey’s and the South Atlantic League’s quickest baseball team to reach that mark in the shortest period of time. The newly-renovated 1,066-seat historic Strand Theater, designed by world-renowned theater architect Thomas Lamb, opened in 1922, and is listed on the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places. Offering year-round entertainment in plush air-conditioned surroundings, the Strand continues to be a perfect venue to showcase its seasons of comedians, musicals, dinner theater, stars from television and movies, and legendary musical entertainers. A new gallery for dinner-theater-in-the-round, smaller shows, and receptions include a catering facility, dance floor, and handicap-accessible rest rooms. Besides business opportunities, Lakewood abounds in leisure and cultural activities. There are 15 free municipal playgrounds, lakes, a township park, three county parks, two public golf courses, a private golf course, historical sites to visit, and many summer events. Its parks are popular for relaxation, picnics, and recreation of all kinds, from hiking, biking, and fitness trails to volleyball, basketball, tennis, and open playing field for almost every sport. Ocean County Park, once the 323-acre estate of John D. Rockefeller, has three lakes, including one for swimming and one for fishing. Many recreational activities surround Lake Carasaljo (named for the three daughters of Joseph Brick: