South Trenton, New Jersey

South Trenton, New Jersey

South Trenton is a neighborhood in Trenton, New Jersey, United States, that is home to a diverse array of immigrants from places such as Italy, Latin America, and Ireland and their ancestors. It is Trenton's most diverse neighborhood and borders Hamilton Township to the Southeast and the Delaware River to the West. South Trenton had a brief existence as an independent municipality, from 1840 to 1851.

South Trenton was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 28, 1840, from portions of Nottingham Township. The borough was annexed by Trenton on April 14, 1851.

South Trenton is home to Trenton's famed Chambersburg neighborhood also known as "The 'Burg". It is historically Trenton's most diverse immigrant community and had residents hailing from places such as Poland, Slovakia, Ireland, Hungary, Ukraine and Germany though eventually mostly Italian immigrants and their offspring came to dominate the neighborhood. It is known for being the Restaurant District of Trenton as numerous banners hung throughout the neighborhood attest to. Some of the restaurants in the neighborhood specialize in Italian cuisine. Chambersburg was also known for its annual celebration called the Feast of Madonna or the Feast of Lights further reflecting its cultural and religious roots. The past 15 or so years South Trenton has been experiencing a sharp rise in residents from Latin America, especially Puerto Rico. In the southernmost part of South Trenton, and therefore the entire city, known as "The Bottom" the concentration of Puerto Ricans is especially noticeable. There are still large concentrations of Puerto Ricans but more recently Guatemalan, Costa Rican, and Ecuadorian immigrants have come to the neighborhood. Many have set up new stores and businesses. Today South Broad St. in South Trenton is home to Trenton's largest population of Latinos.