Hackensack, New Jersey

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City of Hackensack
Nickname: A City in Motion[1]
Location of Hackensack within Bergen County, New Jersey.
Location of Hackensack within Bergen County, New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Hackensack, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Hackensack, New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°53′16″N 74°2′53″W / 40.88778, -74.04806
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Bergen
Settled 1665 (as New Barbadoes)
Incorporated October 31, 1693 (as New Barbadoes Township)
Incorporated November 21, 1921 (as a city under current name)
Government
 - Type 1923 Municipal Manager Law
 - Mayor Jorge Meneses
 - City manager Stephen Lo Iacono[2]
Area
 - Total 4.3 sq mi (11.2 km²)
 - Land 4.1 sq mi (10.7 km²)
 - Water 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)  4.41%
Elevation [3] 20 ft (6 m)
Population (2006)[4]
 - Total 43,671
 - Density 10,358.3/sq mi (3,999.4/km²)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 07601
Area code(s) 201
FIPS code 34-28680[5]
GNIS feature ID 0876855[6]
Website: http://www.hackensack.org

Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County.[7] Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 42,677. The Census Bureau's 2006 population estimate projects a population of 43,671. It is located approximately 7 miles (11 km) west of Manhattan and 12 miles (19 km) south of Rockland County, New York. From a number of locations one can see the New York City skyline.

The Metropolitan campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University straddles the Hackensack River in both Hackensack and Teaneck. Hackensack is also the home of the New Jersey Naval Museum and the World War II submarine USS Ling. Astronaut Walter Schirra is perhaps Hackensack's most famous native son.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Hackensack is located at 40°53′16″N, 74°2′53″W (40.887797, -74.047978).[8]

It is bordered by Paramus, River Edge, Teaneck, Bogota, Ridgefield Park, Little Ferry, South Hackensack, Hasbrouck Heights, Lodi, and Maywood.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.2 km²), of which, 4.1 square miles (10.7 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (4.41%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 42,677 people, 18,113 households, and 9,545 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,358.3 people per square mile (3,999.4/km²). There were 18,945 housing units at an average density of 4,598.2/sq mi (1,775.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.61% White, 24.65% African American, 0.45% Native American, 7.45% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 9.71% from other races, and 5.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.92% of the population.

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1850 3,506
1900 9,443
1910 14,050 48.8%
1920 17,667 25.7%
1930 24,568 39.1%
1940 26,279 7%
1950 29,219 11.2%
1960 30,521 4.5%
1970 36,008 18%
1980 36,039 0.1%
1990 37,049 2.8%
2000 42,677 15.2%
Est. 2006 43,671 [4] 2.3%
Population 1930 - 1990.[9][10]

There were 18,113 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.8% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.3% were non-families. 39.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 18.2% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 38.4% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,316, and the median income for a family was $56,953. Males had a median income of $39,636 versus $32,911 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,856. About 6.8% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local Government

Hackensack operates under the 1923 Municipal Manager Law form of New Jersey municipal government. The City Council consists of five members who are elected to four-year terms on a concurrent basis in non-partisan elections.[11] This form of government separates policy making (the work of the Mayor and City Council) from the execution of policy (the work of the City Manager). This maintains professional management and a City-wide perspective through: nonpartisan election, at-large representation, concentration of executive responsibility in the hands of a professional manager accountable to the Mayor and Council, concentration of policy making power in one body: a five-person Mayor and Council. In the several decades in which the City has used the Municipal Manager Form of Government, Hackensack has had only nine City Managers.

The Mayor of the City of Hackensack is Jorge E. Meneses (2009).[12] Other members of the Hackensack City Council are Deputy Mayor Michael R. Melfi (2009), Charles P. McAuliffe (2009), Karen K. Sasso (2009) and Marlin G. Townes (2009).[13][14]

The Bergen County Court House
The Bergen County Court House

After Joe DeFalco died in 2005 on Election Day, his running mates agreed to create a rotation under which each of the four surviving members of the New Visions for Hackensack slate would serve for a year as Mayor, creating a series of firsts for the City. Marlin Townes took office in 2005 as the city's first black mayor, and Karen Sasso became the first female mayor in 2006. Jorge Meneses became Hackensack's first Hispanic mayor when he was sworn in on July 1, 2007. Michale Melfi will take the reins as mayor in 2008.[15]

Former Assemblyman Charles "Ken" Zisa has served as Chief of the Hackensack Police Department, since his 1995 appointment to replace John Aletta.[16][17][18]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Hackensack is part of New Jersey's 37th Legislative District and is in the Ninth Congressional District.[19]

New Jersey's Ninth Congressional District, covering the southern portion of Bergen County and sections of Hudson County and Passaic County, is represented by Steve Rothman (D, Fair Lawn). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 37th 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).[20] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[21]

Bergen County's County Executive is Dennis McNerney (D).[22] The executive, along with the seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. As of 2008, Bergen County's Freeholders are Chairman Tomas J. Padilla (D, Park Ridge), Vice-Chairman Elizabeth Calabrese (D, Wallington), James M. Carroll (D, Demarest), David L. Ganz (D, Fair Lawn), Bernadette P. McPherson (D, Rutherford), Julie O'Brien (D, Ramsey) and Vernon Walton (D, Englewood).[23]

Other countywide elected officials are Sheriff Leo McGuire (D), Surrogate Court Judge Mike Dressler (D, Cresskill) County Clerk Kathleen Donovan (R, Rutherford).[24]

[edit] Politics

As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 43,681 in Hackensack, there were 17,933 registered voters (41.1% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 4,838 (27.0% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,945 (10.8% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 11,142 (62.1% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There were eight voters registered to other parties.[25]

On the national level, Hackensack leans strongly toward the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 71% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 28%.[26]

[edit] Education

The Hackensack Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[27]) are four K-4 elementary schools — Fairmount Elementary School (540 students), Fanny Meyer Hillers School (452), Jackson Avenue Elementary School (407) and Nellie K. Parker Elementary School (445) — 5ive 6ix School serves grades 5 and 6 (647), Hackensack Middle School serves grades 7 and 8 (715) and Hackensack High School for grades 9-12 (1,854).

The high school serves students from Hackensack, Maywood, Rochelle Park and South Hackensack.[28] Students from Teterboro may attend either Hackensack High School or Hasbrouck Heights High School.

The Bergen County Academies, a public magnet high school located in Hackensack, serves the high-school population of Bergen County, as part of the Bergen County Technical Schools district.

The Metropolitan campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University straddles the Hackensack River in both Hackensack and Teaneck.

[edit] Transportation

The city is served by three train stations on New Jersey Transit's Pascack Valley Line, two of them in Hackensack. Anderson Street Station serves Northern Hackensack while Essex Street Station serves Southern portions of the city. The North Hackensack Station also serves the northernmost parts of Hackensack, and The Shops at Riverside, but the station is in the southernmost part of River Edge, adjoining Hackensack.

New Jersey Transit buses include lines 76, 83, 144, 145, 148, 155, 157, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 168, 171, 175, 178, 182, 712, 751, 755, 752, 753, 756, 762, 770, 772 and 780.[29]

Interstate 80, Route 17, Route 4, and County Route 503 serve Hackensack, while there are many other main roads in Hackensack.

[edit] History

The first inhabitants of the area were the Lenni Lenape Native Americans (known to the European settlers as the Delaware) who lived along the valley of what they called the Achinigeu-hach, or "Ackingsah-sack", (today the Hackensack River) and spoke a Munsee dialect of the Algonquian languages. A representation of Chief Oratam of the Achkinhenhcky appears on the Hackensack municipal seal.[30] [31]

As the Dutch settlers of the Dutch West India Company in New Amsterdam (present-day New York City) moved west of the Hudson River in the 1660s, they eventually settled along the Hackensack River calling the area Bergen.

Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant in delegation with the Lenni Lenape. (This is depicted on the seal of Bergen County).
Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant in delegation with the Lenni Lenape. (This is depicted on the seal of Bergen County).
3D red_cyan glasses recommended for your viewing pleasure

Oratam, sagamore of the Lenni Lenape, deeded the land to the Dutch in 1665 (see the seal of Bergen County). The area was soon taken by the English in 1669, but kept its Dutch name. Philip Cartaret, governor of what was then considered the proprietary colony of East Jersey granted land to Captain John Berry in the area of Bergen and soon after took up residence and called it "New Barbadoes," after having resided on the island of Barbadoes.

In 1675, the East Jersey Legislature officially established the first four counties of present day New Jersey, (Bergen, Essex, Middlesex, and Monmouth).

New Barbadoes Township, together with Acquackanonk Township, were formed by Royal Charter on October 31, 1693.[32]

The neighborhood that came to be known as the village of Hackensack (today the area encompassing Bergen County's municipal buildings in Hackensack) was a part of Essex County until 1710, when Bergen County, by royal decree of Queen Anne of Great Britain, was enlarged and the Township of New Barbadoes was removed from Essex County and added to Bergen County.

In 1710, the village of Hackensack in the newly formed Township of New Barbadoes was designated as being more centrally located and more easily reached by the majority of the Bergen County’s inhabitants, and hence was chosen as the county seat of Bergen County (as it remains today). During the American Revolutionary War, George Washington headquartered in New Barbadoes Township in the village of Hackensack in November 1776 and camped on 'The Green' across from the First Dutch Reformed Church. This prepared the way for the first American victory of the Revolution the following month at the Battle of Trenton.

The New Jersey Legislature passed a school act in 1894. Each village, borough, town, or city in New Jersey was delegated responsibility for its own public schools through the office of the county superintendent. One result of the 1894 Act was the formation of Hackensack High School in the village of Hackensack in the Township of New Barbadoes.

Over the centuries, after many departures, secessions, and de-annexations due to what is now referred to as Boroughitis, all that was left of New Barbadoes Township was the village of Hackensack and its surrounding neighborhoods (Fairmount, Red Hill, Cherry Hill). On November 21, 1921, based on the results of a referendum held on November 8, 1921, New Barbadoes Township received its charter to incorporate as a city and officially took on its name “Hackensack,” a name derived from its original inhabitants, the Lenni-Lenape, who named it "Ackingsah-sack."[32]

[edit] Points of interest

Hackensack's Church On The Green
Hackensack's Church On The Green

First Dutch Reformed Church (“Church on The Green”); built 1696. In 1696 Major Berry donated land for the First Reformed Dutch Church,[33] erected in that same year, (which still stands in Hackensack today as the oldest church in Bergen County and the second oldest church in New Jersey). The following is list of notable people buried in the Church's adjoining cemetery:

North Jersey Media Group. Bergen County’s largest newspaper, The Record, calls Hackensack its home. The North Jersey Media Group (NJMG) publishes two daily newspapers; 41 local newspapers; a magazine, (201) The Best of Bergen; and operates several local web sites. Scheduled tours of their printing facility are available to groups.

New Jersey Naval Museum[38] and the World War II submarine USS Ling, a Balao class submarine, and several smaller water vessels and artifacts. The museum is open select weekdays for group tours.

Other points of interest within the city include the Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack River County Park, the Church on the Green, the Ice House rink, and the Bergen County Courthouse.

The Shops at Riverside (formerly known as Riverside Square Mall), is an upscale shopping center located at the intersection of Route 4 and Hackensack Avenue at the northern edge of the city along the Hackensack River. The mall, which is in the process of a fairly significant expansion, is anchored by a number of high-end department stores and restaurants, including Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co., Pottery Barn and Barnes & Noble.

Bergen County Jail is a detention center for both sentenced and unsentenced prisoners.

[edit] Local media

Radio station WWDJ at 970 AM, is licensed to Hackensack and has its transmitter in the city. The station is currently owned by Salem Communications and plays a Christian radio format. During the 1970s, it played a Top 40 music format for several years, competing (unsuccessfully) with Top 40 powerhouse 77 WABC (AM).

[edit] Trivia

  • Hackensack in mentionned in the Jim Croce song "Roller Derby Queen"
"Well she might be nasty
She might be fat
But I never met a person
Who would tell her that
She's my big blonde bomber
My heavy handed Hackensack mama."
"Last Sunday afternoon
I took a trip to Hackensack,
But after I gave Hackensack the once-over,
I took the next train back."
  • Johnny Cash lists Hackensack as one of the places he's visited in the song I've Been Everywhere
  • The Danish rockband Hackensack has taken their name from Hackensack, NJ
"And I will wait for you
As long as I need to
And if you ever get back to Hackensack
I'll be here for you"
"Who needs a house out in Hackensack,
Is that all you get for your money?"
  • Steely Dan mentions Hackensack on their 1975 album Katy Lied in the song Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More.
  • Hackensack is also mentioned in System of a Down's song Lost in Hollywood from the album Mezmerize:
"The lines in the letter said
'We have gone to Hackensack' "
Stanley, the waiter, to Willy Loman in Act 3, "But I know you, you ain't from Hackensack. You know what I mean? "
Play, fullback strapped like a fuck, war at
the black, Carlo Gambino's stash house in Hackensack.

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Hackensack include:

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Hackensack", FDU Magazine, Fall / Winter 2001. Accessed June 14, 2007. "Billed as “A City in Motion,” Hackensack has been on the move since before the founding of the United States."
  2. ^ City Manager, City of Hackensack. Accessed September 18, 2007.
  3. ^ USGS GNIS: City of Hackensack, Geographic Names Information System, accessed September 18, 2007.
  4. ^ a b Census data for Hackensack city, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 18, 2007.
  5. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  6. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  7. ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  8. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  9. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  10. ^ Census of 1850, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 2, 2008.
  11. ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 157.
  12. ^ Welcome to the City of Hackensack, City of Hackensack. Accessed July 2, 2007.
  13. ^ Mayor and City Council, City of Hackensack. Accessed July 2, 2007.
  14. ^ "County of Bergen: 2007 County and Municipal Directory", Bergen County, New Jersey, p. 46.
  15. ^ Sposito, Sean. " Hackensack swears in its first Hispanic mayor", The Record (Bergen County), July 2, 2007. Accessed July 2, 2007. "Members of the City Council have been rotating the mayoralty since running mate Joe DeFalco's fatal heart attack on election day 2005. Traditionally, in Hackensack a mayor is appointed after the council is elected. But DeFalco's sudden death left the New Visions for Hackensack ticket in disarray. Councilman Marlin Townes served until June 2006, becoming the city's first black mayor. He was followed by Karen Sasso, who became the city's first woman mayor. She handed over the reins to Meneses on Sunday.... Newly appointed Deputy Mayor Michael R. Melfi will take his turn as mayor next in what Sasso describes as a "tag team" of politicians."
  16. ^ Shuman, Marah. "MAYOR'S BROTHER TO BE ACTING COP CHIEF; OFFICER WHO WANTS JOB PLANS TO SUE HACKENSACK", The Record (Bergen County), May 10, 1995. Accessed April 2, 2008.
  17. ^ Mosk, Matthew. "ZISA VOWS TO FOCUS ON COMMUNITY POLICING", The Record (Bergen County), December 19, 1995. Accessed April 2, 2008.
  18. ^ Police Department, City of Hackensack. Accessed April 2, 2008.
  19. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 58. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  20. ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  21. ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  22. ^ Bergen County Executive, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2008.
  23. ^ Freeholder Home Page, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2008.
  24. ^ Constitutional Officers, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2008.
  25. ^ "County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," dated April 1, 2006.
  26. ^ 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety: Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004.
  27. ^ Data for the Hackensack Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed May 5, 2008.
  28. ^ Hackensack High School 2006 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 12, 2008. "Hackensack High School serves the communities of Hackensack, South Hackensack, Maywood and Rochelle Park."
  29. ^ New Jersey Transit Bus Schedules, New Jersey Transit. Accessed March 15, 2007.
  30. ^ The Origin of New Jersey Place Names: H, GetNJ.com. Acecssed July 2, 2007.
  31. ^ Cheslow, Jerry. " If You're Thinking of Living In/Hackensack, N.J.; After Long Decline, Downtown Rebounds", The New York Times, May 3, 1998. Accessed July 2, 2007. "Hackensack is named for the Achkinhenhcky branch of the Leni Lenape Indians, who traded with Dutch settlers along the Hackensack River as far back as the 1660s. The portrait of their chief, Oratam, who negotiated a treaty with English and Dutch settlers in 1690, appears on the municipal seal."
  32. ^ a b "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 78-79 re Hackensack, p. 82 re New Barbadoes.
  33. ^ Photographic Inventory: Hackensack First Reformed Church, accessed August 7, 2006.
  34. ^ Enoch Poor burial site, accessed August 7, 2006.
  35. ^ Find-A-Grave information for Enoch Poor, accessed August 7, 2006.
  36. ^ Col. Richard Varick burial site, accessed August 7, 2006.
  37. ^ Find-A-Grave information for Richard Varick, accessed August 7, 2006.
  38. ^ Hackensack, New Jersey: 300 Years of Modern History, accessed August 27, 2007.
  39. ^ Blowen, Michael. "PRYOR STEALS 'BREWSTER'S MILLIONS'", The Boston Globe, May 22, 1985. Accessed May 5, 2008. "Pitcher Montgomery Brewster (Richard Pryor), a dead ringer for Satchel Paige until he throws the ball, plays for the Hackensack Bulls in the mythical Jersey League."
  40. ^ FILM REVIEW; Carrying a Torch for a Malevolent Doll, The New York Times, October 17, 1998.
  41. ^ Warren Boroson; Author and Journalist. Accessed June 2, 2007.
  42. ^ Adam Boyd, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 22, 2007.
  43. ^ Harold Dow profile, 48 Hours (TV series). Accessed October 11, 2007. "Dow was born in Hackensack, N.J. He attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha."
  44. ^ Zinser, Lynn. "PRO FOOTBALL; For Giants' Finn, There's No Place Like Home", The New York Times, September 6, 2003. Accessed October 14, 2007.
  45. ^ Dave Fiore profile, database Football. Accessed June 14, 2007.
  46. ^ "Fitzhugh, Author, Is Victim Of Stroke At Oradell Home", copy of article from The Record (Bergen County), July 7, 1950. Accessed April 2, 2008.
  47. ^ Wojnarowski, Adrian. "Fontana fulfilling dream in Italy", The Record (Bergen County), February 21, 2006. Accessed December 11, 2007. "Figure skater Silvia Fontana, right, a resident of Hackensack, enjoying a break from training with her coach, Robin Wagner."
  48. ^ Mike Fratello, Basketball-Reference.com. Accessed November 1, 2007.
  49. ^ Archibald C. Hart, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed July 28, 2007.
  50. ^ Matt Herr Legends of Hockey. Accessed December 18, 2007.
  51. ^ John Huyler, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed September 2, 2007.
  52. ^ "FREDERICK A. OBER DEAD.; Noted Ornithologist and Explorer, Who Discovered New Bird Species.", The New York Times, June 2, 1913.
  53. ^ Dave Scott, database Football. Accessed January 16, 2008.
  54. ^ Zan, Stewart. "The state of jazz: Meet 40 more Jersey greats", The Star-Ledger, September 28, 2003. Accessed June 14, 2007.
  55. ^ Broussard, Chris. "Why Pros Spent 20 Years Shunning High Schoolers", The New York Times, November 16, 2003. Accessed November 19, 2007. "Willoughby, 46, now lives in relative anonymity in a two-bedroom apartment in Hackensack, N.J."

[edit] External links