Editing Perth Amboy, New Jersey (section)

===Downtown Perth Amboy===
[[Image:PA Bank.jpg|thumb|The Perth Amboy National Bank Building at the [[Five Corners, Perth Amboy|Five Corners]]]]
Perth Amboy was settled by Europeans in 1683 and incorporated as a city in 1718. It was founded by English merchants, Scots seeking religious freedom, and French Protestants, who sought to make use of Perth Amboy's harbor to its full potential. Downtown is the main commercial district, and is centered on Smith Street. It is an [[Urban Enterprise Zone]], and the reduced sales tax rate (half of the statewide rate) funds revitalization of Smith Street with newly planted trees, [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] streetlights, benches, garbage cans, and redbrick sidewalks.<ref>[http://ci.perthamboy.nj.us/an-invitation-from-the-chief.html Urban Enterprise Zone - An Invitation from the Chief Administrator] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111182702/http://ci.perthamboy.nj.us/an-invitation-from-the-chief.html |date=2012-01-11 }}, City of Perth Amboy. Accessed November 28, 2011.</ref><ref name=NJUEZ>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100103091626/http://www.state.nj.us/njbusiness/financing/tax/geographic.shtml Geographic & Urban Redevelopment Tax Credit Programs], State of [[New Jersey]], backed up by the [[Internet Archive]] as of January 3, 2010. Accessed January 24, 2012.</ref> Smith Street is a shopping center seven blocks wide, with stores catering to working-class customers. The street is flanked by mainly two- to three-story buildings of varied architecture. It also has a lone bank skyscraper called 'Amboy Towers', 10 stories tall, located at [[Five Corners, Perth Amboy|Five Corners]], the intersection of Smith Street, New Brunswick Avenue and State Street.<ref>Russell, Suzanne C. [https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/mycentraljersey/access/1788996381.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+17%2C+2005&author=SUZANNE+C+RUSSELL&pub=Home+News+Tribune&desc=City+landmark+to+return+to+glory+days&pqatl=google "City landmark to return to glory days"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724110950/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/mycentraljersey/access/1788996381.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+17%2C+2005&author=SUZANNE+C+RUSSELL&pub=Home+News+Tribune&desc=City+landmark+to+return+to+glory+days&pqatl=google |date=2012-07-24 }}, ''[[Home News Tribune]]'', February 17, 2005. Accessed November 28, 2011. "The Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency and Wilshire Enterprises, owners of Amboy Towers, also known as the Five Corners Building... He said the building, the tallest in Perth Amboy, is a city landmark."</ref> Once home to several department stores downtown, the largest storefront today is a discount retailer.