Bergenfield, New Jersey

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Map highlighting Bergenfield's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey.
Map highlighting Bergenfield's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey.

Bergenfield is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 26,247.

Bergenfield was formed on the basis of a referendum held on June 25, 1894, from portions of Englewood Township and Palisades Township at the height of the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County.[1][2][3]

Contents

[edit] Geography

Bergenfield is located at 40°55′25″N, 73°59′56″W (40.923748, -73.998795)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 7.5 km² (2.9 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1930 8,816
1940 10,275 16.5%
1950 17,647 71.7%
1960 27,203 54.2%
1970 29,000 6.6%
1980 25,568 -11.8%
1990 24,458 -4.3%
2000 26,247 7.3%
Est. 2005 26,056 [4] -0.7%
Population 1930 - 1990[5]
Cooper's Pond, Bergenfield
Cooper's Pond, Bergenfield
Bergenfield's main road, Washington Avenue
Bergenfield's main road, Washington Avenue

Bergenfield is informally known as the Manilatown of Bergen County. Of the 14,224 Filipino population in the county as a whole[6], 3,133[7] (22% of the county total) live in Bergenfield.

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 26,247 people, 8,981 households, and 6,753 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,494.5/km² (9,065.4/mi²). There were 9,147 housing units at an average density of 1,217.8/km² (3,159.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 62.90% White (16,509 Whites), 6.90% African American (1,811 African Americans), 0.24% Native American (63 Native Americans), 20.41% Asian (5,357 Asian), 0.02% Pacific Islander (5 Pacific Islander), 6.47% from other races (1,696 others), and 3.06% from two or more races (803 multiple races). Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.05% of the population.(4,475 Hispanic or Latino). (NOTE: Some races overlap.)

There were 8,981 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.41.

In the borough the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $62,172, and the median income for a family was $71,187. Males had a median income of $42,074 versus $35,137 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $24,706. About 2.6% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

The Mayor of Bergenfield is Richard J. Bohan. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Dolores Butler, Bruce Carlson, Patricia DiRienzo, Christopher Faustino, Dennis Mulligan and Elaine Rabbitt.[8]

On Election Day, November 7, 2006, Democrats Thomas A. Lodato (3,294 votes) and Robert Gillman (3,161) swept the two open seats on the Borough Council, defeating Republicans Matthew G. Capizzi (2,952) and Mary S. Kirsch (2,823) and Independent Laurie Shestack (655). When the two took office on January 1, 2007, the council was all Democrats. Two ballot initiatives — one increasing salary ranges for borough officials and the other seeking a new reassessment of properties in the borough — both failed, by margins of 4,263-612 and 2,928-1,973 resepectively.[9][10]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Bergenfield is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 37th Legislative District.[11]

New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District, covering the northern portions of Bergen County, Passaic County and Sussex County and all of Warren County, is represented by Scott Garrett (R, Wantage Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 37th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Loretta Weinberg (D, Teaneck) and in the Assembly by Valerie Huttle (D, Englewood) and Gordon M. Johnson (D, Englewood). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Bergen County's County Executive is Dennis McNerney (D). The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. Bergen County's Freeholders are Chairman Tomas J. Padilla (D, Park Ridge), Vice-Chairman Elizabeth Calabrese (D, Wallington), David L. Ganz (D, Fair Lawn), James M. Carroll (D, Demarest), Bernadette P. McPherson (D, Rutherford), Julie O'Brien (D) and Connie Wagner (D).

Other countywide elected officials are Sheriff Leo McGuire (D), Surrogate Court Judge Mike Dressler (D, Cresskill) County Clerk Kathleen Donovan (R).

[edit] Politics

As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 26,210 in Bergenfield, there were 13,261 registered voters (50.6% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 3,023 (22.8% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,118 (16.0% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 8,115 (61.2% vs. 60.1% countywide) are registered as Undeclared. There were five voters registered to other parties.[12]

On the national level, Bergenfield leans towards the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 55% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 45%.[13]

[edit] Education

Student's in grades Kindergarten through 12 are educated by the Bergenfield Public Schools which serve a total of 3,900 students. There are seven schools in the district: five elementary schools serving Kindergarten - 5th grade — Franklin School with 417 students, Hoover School with 231 students, Jefferson School with 293 students, Lincoln School with 487 students, Washington School with 286 students — Roy W. Brown Middle School with 941 students in grades 6 - 8 and Bergenfield High School with 1,148 students.

[edit] Transportation

New Jersey Transit bus service is available from Bergenfield to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 166, 167 and 186 routes; and to other New Jersey communities served on the 753, 756 and 772 routes.[14]

[edit] Community

On December 13, 2005, a gas main was nicked and started a leak at an apartment building under construction. The fire department responded and when they got there, the fire chief elected not to evacuate the building as there was no smell of gas. Moments later, the building exploded killing two people and injuring around a dozen or so more[15].

On May 4, 2006, the hit show on ABC, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition came to Bergenfield to build a home for the Llanes family. The episode aired as the pre-season two-hour special originally broadcast on September 17, 2006.[16]

[edit] Notable people

[edit] References

  1. ^ History of Bergenfield, accessed January 4, 2007, states "Incorporated June 25, 1894"
  2. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 75.
  3. ^ "History of Bergen County" p. 336 ff. shows an incorporation date of July 17, 1894.
  4. ^ Census data for Bergenfield, United States Census Bureau, accessed March 1, 2007
  5. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, accessed March 1, 2007
  6. ^ Filipino Population by County, accessed April 10, 2006
  7. ^ Bergenfield 2000 Census Data, accessed April 10, 2006
  8. ^ Bergenfield Officials, accessed January 4, 2007
  9. ^ Bergenfield election results, The Record (Bergen County), November 8, 2006
  10. ^ Bergen County 2006 General Election Results, accessed February 1, 2007
  11. ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 54, accessed August 30, 2006
  12. ^ "County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," dated April 1, 2006
  13. ^ 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety: Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004
  14. ^ New Jersey Transit Bus Schedules, accessed March 15, 2007
  15. ^ Powerful Explosion Rips Through an Apartment Building - Two Reported Dead And At Least Five Injured, WABC-TV, December 13, 2005
  16. ^ Extreme Makeover: Home Division - Llanes Family; Season 3, Ep. 28, accessed October 26, 2006
  17. ^ Mr. G, where might you be? Nary a peep on Penthouse publisher's eviction, Media Life August 11, 2003, "Guccione, who is originally from Bergenfield, N.J., bought his 45-room, 20,000-square-foot mansion back in Penthouse’s 1970s heyday. Located on East 67th Street between Central Park and Madison Avenue, its décor includes a swimming pool modeled on a Roman bath and a collection of paintings by the likes of Picasso and Matisse."
  18. ^ MARINERS TAKE EX-BERGENFIELD STAR -- VILLONE PICKED 14TH OVERALL. The Record (Bergen County), June 2, 1992. "The call came a little later than anticipated, but Ron Villone of Bergenfield got what he expected Monday afternoon."
  19. ^ Jacklyn Zeman: Bobbie Spencer on General Hospital, WCHS, accessed January 4, 2006

[edit] Sources

  • "History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630-1923;" by "Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858-1942."
  • "Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties)" prepared by the Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey); December 1, 1958.

[edit] External links

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Municipalities of Bergen County, New Jersey
(County seat: Hackensack)
Cities Englewood | Garfield | Hackensack
Boroughs

Allendale | Alpine | Bergenfield | Bogota | Carlstadt | Cliffside Park | Closter | Cresskill | Demarest | Dumont | East Rutherford | Edgewater | Elmwood Park | Emerson | Englewood Cliffs | Fair Lawn | Fairview | Fort Lee | Franklin Lakes | Glen Rock | Harrington Park | Hasbrouck Heights | Haworth | Hillsdale | Ho-Ho-Kus | Leonia | Little Ferry | Lodi | Maywood | Midland Park | Montvale | Moonachie | New Milford | North Arlington | Northvale | Norwood | Oakland | Old Tappan | Oradell | Palisades Park | Paramus | Park Ridge | Ramsey | Ridgefield | River Edge | Rockleigh | Rutherford | Saddle River | Tenafly | Teterboro | Upper Saddle River | Waldwick | Wallington | Westwood | Wood-Ridge | Woodcliff Lake

Townships Lyndhurst | Mahwah | River Vale | Rochelle Park | Saddle Brook | South Hackensack | Teaneck | Washington Township | Wyckoff
Villages Ridgefield Park | Ridgewood
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