Staunton, New Jersey is a passion project of mine I started back in 2006, OG forum members may recall the
original thread that went dark in 2018. I revisited Staunton in 2021 and have been silently working on it’s 8th reincarnation ever since. It's been 18 years since I first introduced Staunton to the world so I figured a new thread would be appropriate now that I'm ready to showcase what I plan on being the final version of Staunton. Despite the passage of time, I'm still using Sketchup to model with my own textures. Thanks to Adobe Photoshop's Generative AI tool, I can present Staunton with more realism than ever before (be sure to click the images for their full-resolution versions on Flickr!)
So without further ado I’m happy to re-introduce Staunton, New Jersey:
Staunton, New Jersey “The City of Justice”
Founded: 1689 |
Population: 2.2 Million
Staunton is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and fifth largest in the nation. The city is located on the southern tip of New Jersey, roughly 70 miles south of Philadelphia and an hour drive from Atlantic City. The city inhabits the eastern end of a large peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean between the North & South Rivers. The rivers separate Staunton from it’s two neighboring cities, Jefferson across the South River and New Ganton across the North River. Home to over 6 million inhabitants and connected by a trio of bridges, these 3 cities anchor the Staunton-Jefferson-New Ganton Metropolitan/Tri-City area.
BELOW: The Staunton skyline looking north, with the Jefferson Bridge in the foreground and the Staunton Bridge to the left.
Staunton is named after Fort Staunton, a former U.S. military installation perched on a hill on eastern tip of the peninsula. The city got it’s nickname “The City of Justice” from it’s storied history revolving around organized crime and political scandal. Today crime and homicide rates are down but the city still holds the title for statistically being America’s most dangerous city. Alas, city leaders are working hard to rebrand the city’s image and is currently undergoing a long overdue gentrification renaissance. Despite it’s troubled past Staunton remains a financial hub and the Port of Staunton ranks as the nation’s 10th busiest shipping container port by volume.
DOWNTOWN
The East End/Downtown is the oldest part of the city and is composed of 6 neighborhoods: Callahan Village, Seaport City, Banker Hill, Plaza District, Commerce District, and Civic Center.
BELOW: In the heart of “The City of Justice” is Staunton’s grand Civic Center, a 16 city block neighborhood that surrounds Civic Center Mall. This large urban renewal project was constructed in several phases over many decades. At the eastern end of the civic center is Farley Square Park, bounded by the Staunton County Supreme Courthouse, One Police Plaza, Staunton City Hall, and Society Buildings.
BELOW: Staunton’s oldest neighborhood, Callahan Village. Cut off from downtown by the John F. Kennedy Jr. expressway in the 1960’s, “The Village” narrowly escaped destruction from urban renewal efforts and has since been preserved. Decades ago, “The Village” was dilapidated but thrived as a colony home to artists and creatives. Renewed interest in the area began in the late 1980’s with the next decade seeing a wave of gentrification and residential conversions of old industrial buildings. Today Callahan Village is one of Staunton’s premier neighborhoods and a popular spot for tourists.
BELOW: A rainy day in Staunton’s financial core, The Commerce District. Standing at the terminus of Pan-American Avenue is the the Board of Commerce Building, where the neighborhood gets it’s name from. Framing the Board of Commerce Building is One Ferry Plaza to the left and the Ivory Tower Residences to the right.
BELOW: Looking south above the Port of Staunton with The New Ganton Bridge (commonly referred to as “The Harbor Bridge” by locals) and Downtown/Uptown skylines.
UPTOWN
Uptown is the city’s cultural hub and consists of 6 neighborhoods: Midtown, Staunton Square, Fort Staunton Park West, Little Italy, and Japantown.
BELOW: Looming high above Uptown is the Fort Staunton Park Tower, an unfinished pinnacle of excess and corruption. This luxury condominium project has sat dormant since 2021 and has been embroiled in a flurry of lawsuits involving developers and city leaders. The project was promised to be Staunton’s tallest building however it’s more likely that it will top out at it’s current height and rank as Staunton’s 2nd tallest building.
BELOW: Looking west at Museum Square. To the left is the Staunton Museum of Contemporary Art (SMOCA) with the Staunton Museum of Art (SMOA) at the center. To the right we see Westly Avenue, a busy thoroughfare known for it’s high-end retail storefronts, hotels, and restaurants. The skyscraper-sized billboards of Staunton Square can be seen in the distance.
BELOW: Staunton’s shopping and entertainment district, Staunton Square. Known for it’s Times Square-like atmosphere, theaters, department stores, and some of Uptown’s tallest buildings surround a park the neighborhood is named after. Behind the park is the Hotel Commandeur with it’s iconic billboards in the center overlooking the park. Behind it is the Richards Staunton Square Hotel and the art-deco Stauntoner Hotel.
BELOW: Library Square with the Staunton Public Library in the foreground and the skyscrapers of Staunton Square looming in the distance.
BELOW: Staunton’s wealthiest neighborhood, Fort Staunton Park West. The skyscrapers of the Western Corridor can be seen in the foreground, home to some of Staunton’s most elite.
BELOW: Looking north across the South River, from Jefferson. with The Uptown skyline can be seen to the left and the Downtown Skyline to the right. Goodnight Staunton.
I would love to dive into more of Staunton’s history, neighborhoods, and architecture if y’all are interested, I would love to hear your thoughts
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