Town file
Neptune City, New Jersey
Neptune City, New Jersey (Monmouth County, New Jersey) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 529, "Murder Audition" (19 September 2024). At 2.46 a.m. on 3 December 2016, Neptune Township police officer Shane Leaming was sent to the Route 35 bridge in Belmar, New Jersey, after an Uber driver reported an abandoned car.
- Town
- Neptune City
- County
- Monmouth County
- State
- New Jersey
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 529
- Approximate location
- 40.200, -74.033
Episode 529 / 19 September 2024 / 167 min / full
Murder Audition
"We're going to a good place for it is Neptune City, New Jersey." about 0:04:33
The case: Murder of Sarah Stern (December 2, 2016). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2024
- Population
- 4,637
- Median age
- about 39.9
- Median household income
- $64,940 a year
- Median home value
- $355,900
- Two-bedroom rent
- $1,640
- Cost of living
- 129
- Property crime
- ▲ about a third high
- Violent crime
- ▼ about 20% below
History, in brief
- Neptune City was incorporated in 1881. about 0:06:20
- Steiner and Sons pyjama factory was the first factory built in Neptune City, in 1891. about 0:06:30
- Emmanuel Steiner was a silk dealer in Austria before he came to New York City in the late 1860s and began making pyjamas and nightgowns. about 0:06:51
- The company's flagship product was the Universal Nightshirt, which became enormously popular. about 0:07:10
- Within a couple of years the company built another factory three blocks north. about 0:07:18
- The company's first advertising slogan was 'we put the world to sleep'. about 0:07:25
- The first murder in Neptune City happened in 1929 during a payroll robbery of the pyjama company. about 0:07:46
- George Danielson, a 65-year-old courier from First National Bank, was shot point blank at the employee entrance on Fourth Avenue; the bandits got $7,280 in payroll, equivalent to $134,000 today, but were later caught, tried and convicted. about 0:07:51
- The town has one motel, the Charlene Motel. about 0:08:26
- Jack Nicholson was born in Neptune City. about 0:08:35
The reviews read out
4 stars
"A quiet, calming and inviting neighbourhood with good schools; the high school has a swimming pool open to the community and there is an allied health school in town."about 0:08:56
3 stars
"A great community despite a few problems, with friendly people, sporting events, the beach and good nightlife."about 0:09:35
3 stars
"It would be an awesome place to live if it were close to affordable; small homes come with a $10,000 annual tax bill and property taxes are above nearby towns."about 0:10:26
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Ocean Grove, New Jersey1.6 miles
- Long Branch, New Jersey6.9 miles
- Toms River Township, New Jersey16 miles
- Woodbridge Township, New Jersey28 miles
- Ocean Township, New Jersey30 miles
- Fallsington, Pennsylvania41 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.