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32-514: The Menlo Park Shopping Center opened in September 1959, as an open-air complex. It was developed and constructed by Abraham Sommer and Sigmund Sommer, developers from Iselin, New Jersey . It was named after the Menlo Park area of Edison, also the site of Thomas Edison 's former laboratory location. The structure was fully enclosed between June 1966 and December 1967. After the remodeling, it

64-466: A finishing school in the 1870s for girls from wealthy New York families there. Iselin additionally subsidized the erection of a new train station, which was later replaced by a newer station to the south known as Metropark . 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

96-444: 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. 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

128-517: 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. 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

160-409: A large business park – "the first Edge City in the world to grow from a parking lot" – soon grew near the station. Commuter trains continued to use Iselin station, half a mile east. The station was officially renamed Harrison A. Williams Metropark Station on July 30, 1979, in recognition of Senator Williams' support for its construction. After his 1981 conviction for bribery and conspiracy in

192-570: A multi-story parking facility that is open at all times. The station, built by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and the United States Department of Transportation , opened on November 14, 1971, as Garden State Metropark . It was built as a suburban park-and-ride stop for the then-new high-speed rail Metroliners . Metropark was one of two park-and-ride infill stations proposed in

224-580: Is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Woodbridge Township , in Middlesex County , in the U.S. state of New Jersey . As of the 2020 United States census , Iselin's population was 20,088, up from 18,695 in 2010 . Previously known as "Perrytown" and "Unionville", Iselin received its current name after New York City investment banker and philanthropist Adrian Iselin , who established

256-603: Is drained to the northeast by the South Branch of the Rahway River 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

288-840: The Abscam scandal, local officials campaigned to have his name removed from the station, though it remained until at least 1984. Northbound on- and off-ramps were added to the Garden State Parkway at Exit 131A in November 1986 to improve station access. In January 2007, NJ Transit announced a nearly $ 30 million renovation plan for the station, to be completed by 2010. Reconstruction was completed by Anselmi & DeCicco, Inc. of Maplewood, NJ in summer 2009, and cost $ 47 million. Climate-controlled shelters and LCD train information systems were installed, platforms were extended to accommodate 12-car trains, canopies were lengthened and

320-508: The Northeast Corridor bypass the station via the inner tracks, as do some NJ Transit express trains. Until 2005, the eastbound Pennsylvanian also stopped at Metropark. Amtrak trains skip most other stations between Trenton and Newark Penn Station , but many trains stop at Metropark despite having to switch to the outside (local) tracks to do so. Pairs of 45-mph crossovers (interlockings MENLO and ISELIN) just east and west of

352-540: The Northeast Corridor in the Iselin section of Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey that is located 24.6 miles southwest of New York Penn Station. It is owned and operated by NJ Transit and serves Amtrak and NJ Transit 's Northeast Corridor Line . NJ Transit runs peak period 'loop' buses in coordination with train schedules. The station is near the interchange of Route 27 and Garden State Parkway near exits 131 and 132. and has

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384-528: The poverty line , including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over. Iselin hosts one of the region's main centers of Indian American cultural diversity. The growing Little India is a South Asian-focused commercial strip in Middlesex County, the U.S. county with the highest concentration of Indian Americans . The Oak Tree Road strip runs for about one-and-a-half miles through Iselin and neighboring Edison Township , near

416-483: The 1960s for use by the new Metroliners , the other being Capital Beltway in Lanham, Maryland , just outside Washington, D.C. The two stations were originally named Capital Beltway Metropark and Garden State Metropark; these were shortened to Capital Beltway and Metropark. Both were conceived as public-private partnerships . Under a plan put forward in late 1968 by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT)

448-420: 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

480-402: 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. 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

512-589: The Cheesecake Factory opened its doors for the first time. In 2014, Smashburger opened along with an upgrade to the food court. In 2015, a renovation project was started which removed such features as the central fountain and trees. The food court's raised platform, sculptures, and trees were also removed, and the food court was renamed Dining Pavilion. On September 22, 2018, a Disney Junior themed kids zone opened by Nordstrom. Iselin, New Jersey Iselin ( / ˈ ɪ z ˈ l ɪ n / )

544-550: The area include Siemens , Tata Consultancy Services , Mott MacDonald , Ernst & Young , Mizuho , Wells Fargo , JPMorgan Chase , Accenture , Level 3 Communications , BT Group , UBS , Elevance Health , and TIAA . 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/km ). There were 6,718 housing units at an average density of 2,106.3 units per square mile (813.2 units/km ). The racial makeup

576-534: The area's sprawling Chinatown and Koreatown , running along New Jersey Route 27 . The zone is the largest and most diverse South Asian cultural hub in the United States. In Middlesex County, election ballots are printed in English, Spanish , Gujarati , Hindi , and Punjabi . According to the 2017 American Community Survey , 42.6% of Iselin residents identified themselves as being Indian American,

608-646: The highest percentage for any census-designated place in the United States. Iselin public school students attend the schools of the Woodbridge Township School District . Indiana Avenue School #18, Kennedy Park School #24, Robert Mascenik School #26, and Oak Tree Road School #29 are located in Iselin as well as Iselin Middle School and John F. Kennedy Memorial High School . When it opened in 2018, Oak Tree Road School #29

640-458: The mall was able to secure the second Nordstrom in New Jersey, but changes had to be made to prepare for the opening. Most of the mall was closed from 1990 to 1991, when it underwent a significant renovation and expansion that converted it from a single-story structure into its current two-story form. In expanding and fitting into the space, the new Menlo Park Mall was built on an angle with

672-502: 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 km ), including 0.001 square miles (0.0026 km ) of water (0.03%). It

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704-491: The sides of the ceiling. The low lighting made the interior quite dark, as was customary with interiors of malls at the time. The mall had flooring with patterns of orange, black, yellow and white throughout the mall. The Montgomery Ward space was taken over by Alexander's in 1972. JCPenney moved to Woodbridge Center in 1981. Bamberger's was rebranded by Macy's in October 1986. When Alexander's went out of business in 1992,

736-426: The southwestern corner of Iselin and spills over into neighboring Edison . NJ Transit and Amtrak 's Metropark station is named for this area. In addition to a Hilton Hotel (now known as "Hotel Woodbridge at Metropark") and the train station, Metropark features the headquarters of Ansell Limited , Engelhard (acquired by BASF in 2006) and Eaton Corporation 's Filtration Division. Other corporate residents in

768-442: The state would contribute $ 648,000 toward the cost of the station, then estimated at $ 1.4 million. Amtrak service to Metropark began on November 14, 1971. The station's cost had increased to $ 2.6 million, shared by NJDOT and the United States Department of Transportation . It had two 850-foot (260 m) high-level platforms and had 820 parking spaces. It was next to the Garden State Parkway to allow easy access by automobile;

800-430: The station building was enlarged as part of the project. On April 12, 2023, one of the two staircases between the underpass and the southbound platform was closed. The station is served by NJ Transit Rail Operations Northeast Corridor Line . The station has two high-level side platforms flanking the four tracks of the Northeast Corridor . Amtrak 's long-haul services and most Keystone Service trains that utilize

832-418: The vertex occurring at center court. The renovated Menlo Park Mall was also changed to have galleria style skylights, domed fountain courts, marble flooring, dramatic lighting, sculptures and a large, skylit food court featuring trees and sculptures, designed to look like a formal garden . The new mall was designed by architecture firm RTKL Associates Inc. of Dallas, Texas. Two parking decks were also added, as

864-405: 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. 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

896-452: 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. As of the 2000 United States census there were 16,698 people, 6,007 households, and 4,511 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,059.8 people/km (5,335 people/sq mi). There were 6,137 housing units at an average density of 757.0 units/km (1,961 units/sq mi). The racial makeup of

928-418: 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. Of the 6,445 households, 33.2% had children under the age of 18; 62.4% were married couples living together; 9.4% had

960-467: Was a 12-screen Cineplex Odeon movie theater which replaced the smaller Menlo Park Cinema on Route 1. Cineplex was later replaced by an AMC Dine-In Theater . Macy's was the only store to remain open during the primary expansion. Nordstrom officially opened to the public at Menlo Park Mall on September 27, 1991. On March 9, 1997, Target Greatland opened across the street from the mall. Rainforest Cafe opened on September 17, 1998. On January 27, 2003,

992-408: Was renamed Menlo Park Mall. The original center was anchored by Bamberger's ; Montgomery Ward (opened May 1960); a small, dry goods only, JCPenney ; a two-level Woolworth ; as well as two grocery stores: ShopRite (later a Pathmark ) and Pantry Pride , later a Big Buy. Originally a one-level structure, the fully enclosed mall (post-1967) had a lack of skylights, with only shaded windows along

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1024-530: 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 (affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen ). People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Iselin include: Metropark (NJT station) Metropark station is an intermodal transportation hub on

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