East Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, sitting directly west of Newark and about 12 miles from Manhattan. With a population of about 70,000, it is one of New Jersey's larger cities and part of the densely developed corridor that runs from Newark through the Oranges toward the Watchung foothills. The city separated from Orange in 1863 and grew into an early commuter suburb, its development shaped by the railroads that carried residents to Newark, Hoboken, and New York. The city's built environment reflects its history as a streetcar and railroad suburb. East Orange is known for wide, tree-lined streets and a substantial stock of large Victorian, Queen Anne, and early-20th-century homes, along with apartment buildings and mid-century high-rises that were added during a population surge in the 1940s and 1950s. Main Street and Central Avenue are the principal commercial corridors, lined with retail, services, and civic buildings. East Orange is a majority African-American community with deep cultural and civic roots, and its institutions include a large public school system and an active department of recreation and cultural affairs. The city's parks offer swimming pools, sports fields, basketball and tennis courts, skate and spray parks, and community programs, with Soverel Park among the best-known green spaces. Transportation is among the city's strongest assets. NJ Transit's East Orange station, beside City Hall, sits on the Morris & Essex Lines (the Morristown Line and Gladstone Branch), providing direct trains toward Newark Broad Street, Hoboken, and New York Penn Station. Multiple NJ Transit bus routes, the nearby Newark Light Rail, the Garden State Parkway, and I-280 give residents rapid access to Newark Liberty International Airport, the Meadowlands, and the wider region. Housing ranges from large restored single-family homes to multi-family houses and apartment buildings, appealing to buyers seeking historic architecture and transit proximity at a different price point than neighboring commuter towns. The city's location, rail service, and evolving downtown have kept it a focus of redevelopment and residential interest in Essex County.