Brick Township is a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, ...

in Ocean County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

. As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, the township had a population of 73,620, making it the state's 13th-largest municipality and the third most populous municipality in Ocean County behind Lakewood Township and

Toms River, New Jersey Toms River is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. Its mainland portion is also a census-designated place of the same name, which serves as the county seat of Ocean County.2010 census. A majority of Brick Township is located on the mainland. Ocean Beaches I, II, and III are situated on the

Barnegat Peninsula The Barnegat Peninsula, also known as the Island Beach Peninsula or Barnegat Bay Island and colloquially as "the barrier island", is a long, narrow barrier peninsula located on the Jersey Shore in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, that div ...

, a long, narrow barrier peninsula that separates Barnegat Bay from the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. The mainland and beach area of the town are not geographically adjacent. Brick Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...

on February 15, 1850, from portions of both Dover Township (now Toms River Township) and Howell Township. The township was named after Joseph Brick, the owner of Bergen Iron Works located on the Metedeconk River. Portions of the township were taken to form Point Pleasant Beach (May 18, 1886),

Bay Head Bay Head is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 968,Lakewood Township (March 23, 1892),

Mantoloking Mantoloking is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough had a total population of 296,Point Pleasant (April 21, 1920).Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 201. Accessed January 22, 2012. In 1963, voters rejected a referendum that would have changed the township's name to "Laurelton". The Havens Homestead Museum is dedicated to the Havens family that originally settled in the Laurelton/Burrsville section of Brick. The museum is the original Havens home which lies on a small plot of farmland. The museum has a gift shop and runs tours of the property daily. After hovering for years in the top five, in 2006, the township earned the title of "America's Safest City", out of 371 cities included nationwide in the 13th annual Morgan Quitno survey. Since the year 2000, Brick Township has been the safest "city" (population over 75,000) in New Jersey. In 2003 and 2004, Brick Township was ranked as the second safest city in the United States, after

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of ...

. In 2005, Brick Township had dropped down to the fifth safest "city" (population over 75,000) in the United States, before it rebounded to the top in 2006. Brick Township has also been in the news for a claimed autism epidemic, in which 40 children out of over 6,000 surveyed were found to be autistic, though Brick's autism rate is statistically near the national average. Many of the children found to be autistic were born in Northern New Jersey and other parts of the country. There is no evidence that the levels of autism are linked to any specific environmental factor in Brick. Parents of children diagnosed with autism have moved to the township in order to make use of the special education programs offered by the school district. Brick has been affected by the heroin epidemic. According to the state's statistics, in 2012 Brick was ranked sixth in the state with 550 reported incidents of heroin or opiate abuse, behind Newark, Jersey City, Paterson,

Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

and Camden. In 2017, Brick improved to 438 reported heroin abuse cases, ranked ninth in the state. During the

December 2010 North American blizzard The December 2010 North American blizzard was a major nor'easter and historic blizzard affecting the Contiguous United States and portions of Canada from December 22–29, 2010. From January 4–15, the system was known as ''Windstorm Benjamin'' ...

, Brick Township received of snow, the highest accumulation recorded in the state. In October 2012, parts of Brick were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Barrier island and other waterfront properties were particularly hard hit. Homes and such buildings as the Shore Acres Yacht Club sustained major damage; some buildings had to be demolished.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the township had a total area of 32.22 square miles (83.44 km²), including 25.61 square miles (66.34 km²) of land and 6.61 square miles (17.11 km²) of water (20.50%). Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Adamston, Arrowhead Village, Breton Woods, Burrsville, Cedar Bridge, CedarCroft, Cedarwood Park, Cherry Quay, Greenbriar, Havens Cove, Havens Point, Herbertsville, Herring Island, Lanes Mills, Laurelton, Mandalay Park, Mardells Neck, Metedeconk, Metedeconk Neck, Osbornville, Playground Beach, Riviera Beach, Seaweed Point, Shore Acres, Sloop Point, Swan Point, West Mantoloking and West Osbornville. The communities of Herbertsville and Parkway Pines are located close to exit 91 of the Garden State Parkway, near the Monmouth County border, and are geographically distant from the rest of the township. Bayberry Court and Maypink Lane are two streets that are not accessible from any other Brick roads, and are served by the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

as ZIP Code 07731 with Howell Township. The township borders

Bay Head Bay Head is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 968,Lakewood Township,

Mantoloking Mantoloking is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough had a total population of 296,Point Pleasant and Toms River Township in Ocean County; and the Monmouth County municipalities of Brielle, Howell Township and Wall Township.

Demographics

2010 Census

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways ...

was $65,129 (with a margin of error of +/− $2,969) and the median family income was $81,868 (+/− $2,081). Males had a median income of $60,769 (+/− $1,755) versus $41,361 (+/− $1,655) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the township was $33,258 (+/− $891). About 4.1% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

As of the

2000 U.S. census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

, there were 76,119 people, 29,511 households, and 20,775 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 32,689 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 95.81%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.99%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.10% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.85% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any nationality were 3.85% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Brick township, Ocean County, New Jersey

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

. Accessed January 22, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Brick township, Ocean County, New Jersey

. Accessed December 25, 2012. There were 29,511 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. Of all households, 25.0% were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.07. In the township, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males. The median income for a household in the township was $52,092, and the median income for a family was $61,446. Males had a median income of $44,981 versus $31,020 for females. The

for the township was $24,462. About 3.1% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the

, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Sports

The Brick Pop Warner Little Scholars Mustangs finished the 2006 season with a perfect 9–0 record and won the Jersey Shore B Division. In 2003, and from 2006 to 2009, the Pop Warner Brick Mustang cheerleaders competed against other teams from across the nation in Disney World. In 2003, the junior peewee Mustang cheer squad won the national title. Brick is home of the Ocean Ice Palace, built in 1960, which hosts the Brick Hockey Club. The

ice rink An ice rink (or ice skating rink) is a frozen body of water and/or an artificial sheet of ice created using hardened chemicals where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The ...

is also home to the Brick Stars, a special needs hockey team who has home games and practices.

Parks and recreation

Brick Township Reservoir The 120-acre Brick Township Reservoir site, located on Herbertsville and Sally Ike Roads is a source of municipal water for towns in Ocean County, New Jersey and is owned by the Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority. The reservoir, while of ...

, with parts located in both Brick and Wall Township, covers and is encircled by a trail. Fishing is permitted on the reservoir. The reservoir can hold up to of water, which is pumped in from the Metedeconk River. The township also maintains nearly a dozen community parks, a multi-sports facility at the Drum Point Sports Complex and three oceanfront beaches as well as Windward Beach Park on the Metedeconk River.

Government

Local government

The township operates within the

Faulkner Act The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act (, et seq.) provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H. Faulkner, former mayor ...

(formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the Mayor-Council plan 2

form of government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

, as implemented on January 1, 1990, based on direct petition. The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the seven-member Township Council, whose members are elected to serve four-year terms of office, with either three seats (and the mayoral seat) or four seats up for election

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

in partisan elections held on a staggered basis in odd-numbered years as part of the November general election.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 53. The mayor is elected for a four-year term without limitation as to the number of terms. In November 1988, the voters approved a referendum which returned the township to the partisan system of government, with township elections held as part of the November general election (rather than in May). The mayor is the township's chief executive and administrative officer and is responsible for administering local laws and policy development. The mayor makes various appointments, prepares the township's budget, and approves or vetoes ordinances adopted by the Township Council (which may be overridden by a ⅔ vote of the Township Council). The mayor appoints, with the advice and consent of the Township Council, the business administrator, the township attorney, and the directors of the Departments of Public Safety, Engineering and Public Works. , the mayor of Brick Township is Democrat John G. Ducey, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2025.Mayor's Office
Township of Brick. Accessed April 15, 2022. Members of the Township Council are Council President Vincent Minichino (D, 2023), Council Vice President Lisa Crate (D, 2023), Perry Albanese ( R, 2025), Arthur Halloran (D, 2023), Heather deJong (D, 2025), Marianna Pontoriero (D, 2025) and Andrea Zapcic (D, 2023).Township of Brick

Ocean County, New Jersey Ocean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Its county seat is Toms River.Democratic Mayor Joseph C. Scarpelli resigned as of December 8, 2006, amid a federal corruption probe into township government. On January 8, 2007, Scarpelli pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges for accepting money from developers in exchange for using his official position to obtain approval for development projects. Township Clerk Virginia Lampman was appointed to fill the role of mayor until the Township Council could select a replacement. On December 17, 2007, former Scarpelli was sentenced in Federal Court in Newark to serve 18 months in prison and was fined $5,000, after admitting that he had accepted bribes from 1998 to 2003. On January 4, 2007, Daniel J. Kelly ( D), the Township's Planning Board chairman, was appointed the new mayor by a three-member township council subcommittee. On November 6, 2007, Stephen C. Acropolis defeated Kelly in a race to fill the remaining two years of Scarpelli's term.

Federal, state, and county representation

Brick Township is located in the 4th Congressional District2022 Redistricting Plan
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 10th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2010 Census, Brick Township had been part of the , a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 55, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015. Ocean County is governed by a

Board of County Commissioners A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...

comprised of five members who are elected on an

basis in partisan elections and serving staggered three-year terms of office, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization held in the beginning of January, the board chooses a Director and a Deputy Director from among its members. , Ocean County's Commissioners (with party affiliation, term-end year and residence) are: Commissioner Director John P. Kelly (R, 2022, Eagleswood Township), Commissioner Deputy Director

Virginia E. Haines Virginia E. "Ginny" Haines (born June 6, 1946) is an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey who serves on the Ocean County Board of County Commissioners. She had served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1992 to 1994 and had ...

( R, 2022, Toms River), Barbara Jo Crea (R, 2024, Little Egg Harbor Township) Gary Quinn (R, 2024, Lacey Township) and Joseph H. Vicari (R, 2023, Toms River). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Scott M. Colabella (R, 2025, Barnegat Light), Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy (R, 2022; Toms River) and Surrogate

Jeffrey Moran Jeffrey W. Moran (born December 23, 1946, Winfield Township, New Jersey) is an American Republican politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1986 to 2003, where he represented the 9th Legislative District. Biography Moran ...

(R, 2023, Beachwood).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 48,760 registered voters in Brick Township, of which 9,992 (20.5%) were registered as Democrats, 12,206 (25.0%) were registered as Republicans and 26,528 (54.4%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 34 voters registered to other parties.Voter Registration Summary - Ocean

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 25, 2012. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 65.0% (vs. 63.2% in Ocean County) were registered to vote, including 81.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 82.6% countywide). In the 2012 presidential election, Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts ...

received 55.9% of the vote (18,484 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

with 42.9% (14,184 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (387 votes), among the 33,328 ballots cast by the township's 51,117 registered voters (273 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 65.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two te ...

received 58.1% of the vote (21,912 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 39.9% (15,031 votes) and other candidates with 1.3% (489 votes), among the 37,704 ballots cast by the township's 50,742 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.3%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 60.9% of the vote (21,888 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

with 37.8% (13,596 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (363 votes), among the 35,954 ballots cast by the township's 48,235 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 74.5. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 74.4% of the vote (17,331 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 24.2% (5,633 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (332 votes), among the 23,830 ballots cast by the township's 50,398 registered voters (534 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 67.3% of the vote (17,822 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 25.2% (6,675 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.0% (1,336 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (272 votes), among the 26,479 ballots cast by the township's 49,529 registered voters, yielding a 53.5% turnout.

Education

The

Brick Public Schools The Brick Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Brick Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020–21 school year, ...

serve students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of 12 schools, had an enrollment of 8,414 students and 689.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...

of 12.2:1.District information for Brick Township Public School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district financ ...

. Accessed February 15, 2022. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the

) are Herbertsville Preschool (147; PreK), Warren H. Wolf Preschool (277; PreK; created for 2014-15 school year from Primary Learning Center), Drum Point Elementary School (479; K-5), Lanes Mill Elementary School (560; K-5), Midstreams Elementary School (548; K-5), Osborneville Elementary School (402; K-5), Veterans Memorial Elementary School (647; K-5), Emma Havens Young Elementary School (732; K-5), Lake Riviera Middle School (861; 6-8), Veterans Memorial Middle School (965; 6-8), Brick Memorial High School (1,410; 9-12) and Brick Township High School (1,314; 9-12). Nonsectarian private schools include Cuddle Care Early Childhood Center and Ocean Early Childhood Center. St. Dominic Elementary School is a Roman Catholic private school overseen by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton, and St. Paul's Christian School, a Methodist private school, serve students in nursery through eighth grade.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Ocean County and by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...

and by the

New Jersey Turnpike Authority The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, which are two toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge T ...

. The Garden State Parkway is the most prominent highway passing through Brick. It traverses the western part of the municipality with three interchanges: Exits 91, 90, and 89. Three state routes also pass through: Route 70 Route 88, and Route 35. The major county routes that pass through are CR 528, and CR 549 (as well as its spur). The Laurelton Circle was located near the center of Brick Township. The

traffic circle A roundabout is a type of circular intersection (road), intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The N ...

was at the junction of Route 70, Route 88 and Princeton Avenue. It was converted to a

traffic light Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – known also as robots in South Africa are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control flows of traffic. Traffic light ...

regulated intersection in 1986, due to an increase in traffic and accidents. To reduce the need for left turns, a short portion of eastbound Route 88 was re-routed onto Princeton Avenue. Some other movements are controlled by jughandles and a two-way connection in the northwest corner.

Public transportation

NJ Transit offers bus service between the township and the

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 bus ...

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildi ...

on the 137 route, to Camden on the 317 and to Newark on the 67. Ocean Ride service is provided on route 3, 3A and 4. Orient Baptist Church

Media

WBGD WBGD (91.9 FM) was a high school radio station based in Brick Township, New Jersey, started at Brick Township High School and later broadcast from Brick Memorial High School. The station went on the air in the 1970s as a 10-watt educational li ...

91.9FM (Brick Green Dragons) went on the air in 1974, originally located at Brick Township High School. The station was later moved to Brick Memorial High School. The radio station was the brainchild of a teacher named Robert Boesch who taught electronics at Brick Township High School in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The station was a student-run operation and received its FCC license from the FCC for Educational Broadcasting. One of the most notable broadcasts was the first ever state high school football championship game played between Brick Township High School and Camden High School in December 1974. The Brick Green Dragons defeated Camden by a score of 21–20 on the last play of the game to win the title. In 2007, during routine roof maintenance and repair work, the broadcast tower was cut off the roof, and was never replaced or repaired. In 2010 WBGD's license was retired. The ''

Asbury Park Press The ''Asbury Park Press'' is a daily newspaper in Monmouth and Ocean counties of New Jersey and has the third largest circulation in the state. It has been owned by Gannett since 1997. Its reporting staff has been awarded numerous national ho ...

'' provides daily news coverage of the township, as does

WOBM-FM WOBM-FM (92.7 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station known as "Ocean County's Hometown Station," licensed to Toms River and serving Ocean County, New Jersey. It airs an adult contemporary radio format. From late November until December 25 each y ...

radio. The government of the township provides material and commentary to ''The Brick Times'', which is one of seven weekly papers from

Micromedia Publications ''Micromedia Publications'' is the publisher of seven weekly newspapers based in Monmouth/Ocean County, New Jersey. The newspapers cover Howell, Jackson, Toms River, Manchester, Brick, Berkeley Township, Lacey Township, Barnegat, Stafford T ...

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Brick Township, New Jersey has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(''Cfa''). Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature > 32.0 °F (> 0.0 °C), at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 71.6 °F (≥ 22.0 °C) and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months in Brick Township, a cooling afternoon

sea breeze A sea breeze or onshore breeze is any wind that blows from a large body of water toward or onto a landmass; it develops due to differences in air pressure created by the differing heat capacities of water and dry land. As such, sea breezes a ...

is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with

heat index The heat index (HI) is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity, in shaded areas, to posit a human-perceived equivalent temperature, as how hot it would feel if the humidity were some other value in the shade. The result is al ...

values ≥ 95 °F (≥ 35 °C). On average, the wettest month of the year is July which corresponds with the annual peak in

thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are some ...

activity. During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < 0 °F (< −18 °C). The plant hardiness zone at Brick Township Beach is 7a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 3.4 °F (−15.9 °C). The average seasonal (November–April) snowfall total is between and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in

nor'easter A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below), or an East Coast low is a synoptic-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. The original use o ...

activity.

Ecology

According to the

A. W. Kuchler August William Kuchler (born ''August Wilhelm Küchler''; 1907–1999) was a German-born American geographer and naturalist who is noted for developing a plant association system in widespread use in the United States. Some of this database has bec ...

U.S.

potential natural vegetation In ecology, potential natural vegetation (PNV), also known as Kuchler potential vegetation, is the vegetation that would be expected given environmental constraints (climate, geomorphology, geology) without human intervention or a hazard event ...

types, Brick Township, New Jersey would have two classifications; 1) a dominant vegetation type of Northeastern Oak/

Pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...

(''110'') with a dominant vegetation form of Southern Mixed Forest (''26'') just inland from the

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a na ...

s and

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of ...

s, and 2) a dominant vegetation type of Northern Cordgrass (''73'') with a dominant vegetation form of Coastal Prairie (''20'') on the

barrier island Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a ...

and near the bays and rivers.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Brick Township include: *

Joe Acanfora Joe Acanfora (born July 6, 1950, in Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American educator and activist. Acanfora, who is openly gay, fought to become an earth science teacher in the public schools in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the early 1970s. ...

(born 1950), educator and activist who fought to teach

earth science Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. This is a branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, and biological complex constitutions and synergistic linkages of Earth's four sphere ...

in public schools in the early 1970s but was dismissed based upon his acknowledged homosexuality * Jay Alders (born 1973), fine artist, photographer and graphic designer, who is best known for his original

surf art Surf art is visual art about or related to the sport of surfing, waves, and the culture that surrounds beaches. There is a strong connection between art and surf culture, which reaches back 3,000 years to Peru, where some of the world's first histo ...

paintings *

Harry Bernstein Harry Louis Bernstein (May 30, 1910 – June 3, 2011) was a British-born American writer. Bernstein lived in Brick Township, New Jersey.Rich, Motoko"Successful at 96, Writer Has More to Say" ''The New York Times'', April 7, 2007. Accessed June 22 ...

(1910–2011), author of ''The Invisible Wall'' * Hank Borowy (1916–2004),

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

All-Star pitcher who played for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

and

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

. He lived the majority of his life in Brick Township and died there at age 88 * John Catalano (born 1949), politician who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2020, where he represents the 10th Legislative District * Nick Catone (born 1981), mixed martial artist who participates in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

s * Andrew R. Ciesla (born 1953), politician who served in the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...

from 1992 to 2012, where he represented the 10th Legislative District * Jim Dowd, (born 1968), former player in the National Hockey League (NHL), won a Stanley Cup with the 1994-95 New Jersey Devils and last played for the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

* John Paul Doyle (born 1942), politician who served as

majority leader In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.

of the New Jersey General Assembly * Kirsten Dunst (born 1982), actress, grew up in the township before relocating to California *

Garrett Graham Garrett Graham (born August 4, 1986) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Wisconsin and was selected by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Early years Graham attended Brick Memorial ...

(born 1986), NFL tight end who plays for the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their home games at NR ...

* Jack Martin (1887–1980),

infielder who played for the 1912

(Highlanders), 1914

and

Boston Braves The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta. During it ...

, who lived out his twilight years in Brick Township and is the namesake of Jack Martin Boulevard * Tom McCarthy (born 1968), television announcer for the

* Gregory P. McGuckin (born 1961), politician who has represented the 10th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2012 *

Melanie McGuire Melanie Lyn McGuire (''née'' Slate; born October 8, 1972) is an American former nurse who was convicted of murdering her husband on April 28, 2004, in what media dubbed the "suitcase murder". She was sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007, ...

(born 1972), murderess convicted of killing and dismembering her husband * Eli Mintz (1904–1988), actor * Daniel F. Newman (1935–2009), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly and as Mayor of Brick Township * Nick Piantanida (1932–1966), amateur parachute jumper who reached with his ''Strato Jump II'' balloon on February 2, 1966 *

John Sadak John Sadak (born September 15, 1979) is an American TV/radio sports announcer with the Cincinnati Reds, CBS Sports, Westwood One radio, CBS Sports Network, the ESPN family of networks and Fox Sports 1. Personal life Sadak is a two-time Rowan Univ ...

(born 1979, class of 1996), television announcer for the Cincinnati Reds, radio/TV sports announcer with Westwood One radio,

CBS Sports Network CBS Sports Network (a.k.a. CBSSN) is an American pay television network owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. When it launched in 2002 as the National College Sports Network (later College Sports Television also known ...

, the

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

family of networks,

Fox Sports 1 Fox Sports 1 (FS1) is an American pay television channel owned by the Fox Sports Media Group, a unit of Fox Corporation. FS1 replaced the motorsports network Speed on August 17, 2013, at the same time that its companion channel Fox Sports 2 ...

and the Triple-A affiliate of the

, the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the ...

* Betsy Sholl (born 1945), poet who was

poet laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...

from 2006 to 2011 *

George Tardiff George F. Tardiff (October 2, 1936 – September 21, 2012) was an American football coach at the collegiate and high school level. He served as the head football coach at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas from 1974 to 1976 and Washburn Univ ...

(1936–2012),

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

head coach at Benedictine College and

Washburn University Washburn University (WU) is a public university in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,10 ...

Ja'Sir Taylor Ja'Sir Taylor (born January 8, 1999) is an American football cornerback for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Wake Forest and was drafted by the Chargers in the sixth round of the 2 ...

(born 1999),

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...

for the Los Angeles Chargers of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

* Art Thoms (born 1947), NFL

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the l ...

for the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...

(1969–1975) and

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

(1977) *

Scott Thomsen Scott Thomsen (born December 31, 1993) is a former American professional soccer player who played for USL League One club Richmond Kickers as a defender. Career Early career Thomsen attended Christian Brothers Academy during high school and ...

(born 1993),

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player who plays as a defender for the Richmond Kickers in the

United Soccer League United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues currently organized are the ...

George Wirth George Wirth is a singer-songwriter who lives in Brick, New Jersey.Warren Wolf (1927–2019), long-time football coach for Brick Township High School who served on the Brick council as freeholder and in the state assemblyWall, Karen E
"The gray ghost wishes he could be invisible"
, ''

'', November 18, 1999. "He also served as mayor of Brick from 1971-75, was an Ocean County freeholder from 1975-81, a state Assemblyman from 1981-83, and served on the Brick Township Council from 1982 until his defeat in the mayoral race in 1993." * David W. Wolfe (born 1942), politician who represented the 10th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1992 until 2020Larsen, Erik
"Longtime NJ assemblyman from Brick will not seek re-election"
''

'', January 23, 2019. Accessed July 22, 2020. "Wolfe, 76, of Brick, represents the 10th Legislative District, which includes Bay Head, Brick, Island Heights, Lakehurst, Lavallette, Manchester, Mantoloking, Point Pleasant Beach, Seaside Heights and Toms River.... He was elected to the Brick Township Council in 1975 and served on that municipal body until his election to the Assembly in 1991."

References

External links

Brick Township websiteBricktown Online – Community Information PortalBrick Township Historical Society
{{Authority control 1850 establishments in New Jersey Faulkner Act (mayor–council) Jersey Shore communities in Ocean County Populated places established in 1850 Townships in Ocean County, New Jersey