Union County is a giant of industry housing the world headquarters for Merck and Company, Lucent Technologies, Schering Plough, and Wakefern Food Corporation. Only fifteen miles from New York City, Elizabeth is at the center of this industrial activity with Port Elizabeth holding the distinction of largest cargo port on the East Coast. With over 200 stores and tax-free shopping on clothes and shoes, New Jersey’s largest outlet mall, New Jersey Gardens is also located in Elizabeth. Although an industrial city, Popular Science named Elizabeth one of "Americas 50 Greenest Cities" making the area a popular place to both live and work.
Located nearby in Rahway, music and theatre lovers can take advantage of the Union Performing County Arts Center, which showcases arts and cultural program in its 1,300-seat Classic Vaudeville palace. In the western section of the county, suburban and rural scenery dominates the landscape. For those who enjoy nature, the Watchung Reservation is the county’s largest park with over 2,000 acres of woodlands. Cranford sits between the port cities to the east and suburbs of the west in Union County. Known as the "Venice of New Jersey" Cranford unfurls from the banks of the Rahway River as a center of commerce in-and-of-itself. Known for its Victorian Main Street, Cranford boasts several dining and entertainment options and a series of annual community events.
