Leonia, New Jersey

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Borough of Leonia, New Jersey
Map highlighting Leonia's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey
Map highlighting Leonia's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Leonia, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Leonia, New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°51′48″N 73°59′18″W / 40.86333, -73.98833
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Bergen
Incorporated December 5, 1894
Government
 - Type Borough
 - Mayor Mary Heveran (D, 2011)
 - Administrator Jack Terhune[1]
Area
 - Total 1.6 sq mi (4.2 km²)
 - Land 1.5 sq mi (3.0 km²)
 - Water 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
Elevation [2] 75 ft (23 m)
Population (2006)[3]
 - Total 8,799
 - Density 5,921.3/sq mi (2,279.3/km²)
Time zone U.S. EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) U.S. EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 07605
Area code(s) 201
FIPS code 34-40020[4]
GNIS feature ID 0877741[5]
Website: http://www.leonianj.gov

Leonia is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 8,914. It is located near the western approach to the George Washington Bridge.

Leonia was formed as the result of a referendum passed on December 5, 1894, from portions of Ridgefield Township. Portions of Leonia were taken on February 19, 1895, to form the Township of Teaneck.[6][7]

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Leonia as its 31st best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.[8]

Contents

[edit] Geography

Leonia is located at 40°51′48″N, 73°59′18″W (40.863413, -73.988273)[9].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.2 km²), of which, 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (7.41%) is water. Leonia is designated as a Tree City USA.

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.


[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1900 804
—
1910 1,486 84.8%
1920 2,979 100.5%
1930 5,350 79.6%
1940 5,763 7.7%
1950 7,378 28%
1960 8,384 13.6%
1970 8,847 5.5%
1980 8,027 −9.3%
1990 8,365 4.2%
2000 8,914 6.6%
Est. 2006 8,799 [3] −1.3%
Population 1930 - 1990[10][11]

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 8,914 people, 3,271 households, and 2,436 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,921.3 people per square mile (2,279.3/km²). There were 3,343 housing units at an average density of 2,220.6/sq mi (854.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 65.74% White, 2.27% African American, 0.09% Native American, 26.06% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.20% from other races, and 2.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.73% of the population.

There were 3,271 households out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the borough the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $72,440, and the median income for a family was $84,591. Males had a median income of $55,156 versus $38,125 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,352. About 5.0% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2000 census, 17.24% of Leonia's residents identified themselves as being of Korean ancestry, which was the fourth highest in the United States and second highest of any municipality in New Jersey — behind neighboring Palisades Park (36.38%) — for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.[12] Additionally, 3.07% of Leonia's residents identified themselves as being of Japanese ancestry, which was the fourth highest of any municipality in New Jersey — behind Fort Lee (6.09%), Demarest (3.72%) and Edgewater (3.22%) — for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.[13]

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

The Borough Hall of Leonia
The Borough Hall of Leonia

Leonia is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office and only votes to break a tie. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.[14]

By state statute, the Mayor is the head of the municipal government. He or she makes all appointments (most are subject to Council confirmation), and is an “ex officio” member of all Council Committees. In addition, the Mayor has the authority to veto all or part of a new ordinance if it is adopted by the Council. The Mayor presides at all meetings of the Council, but does not vote except in the event of a tie.

The Council is Leonia's legislative body, creating and passing the annual operating and capital budgets, and can enact local ordinances that create or change laws within Leonia. Council members attend two Council meetings each month and serve on Council committees and as liaison and / or Commissioner to various Borough organizations. The Mayor and Council members in Leonia receive no compensation for their efforts in governing the town.

The Mayor of Leonia is Mary Heveran (D, term ends December 31, 2011). The current members of the Leonia Borough Council are Philip Choi (D, 2009), Gil Hawkins (D, 2008), Karl Norgaard (D, 2010), Tony Puzzo (D, 2010), Joyce Raspa-Gore (D, 2009) and Frank Raucci (D, 2008).[1][15]

In elections held on November 6, 2007, voters filled an open mayoral seat and two seats on the borough council. Democrats ran unopposed for all three seats, with Council President Mary Heveran (1,002 votes) elected mayor, and incumbent Anthony Puzzo (1,027) and newcomer Karl Norgaard (993) elected to the council.[16][17]

On Election Day, November 7, 2006, voters filled two seats on the Borough Council, which at the time had five Democrats and an Independent. Neither of the two incumbents — independent Barbara Mitrani and Democrat Charles Ryan — ran for reelection. In a community in which registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a nearly 4-1 margin, Democrats Philip Y. Choi (1,855 votes) and Joyce Raspa-Gore (1,804) were uncontested in their bids for office and took their seats on the council as of January 1, 2007.[18][19][20]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Leonia is in the Ninth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 37th Legislative District.[21]

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).[22] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[23]

Bergen County's County Executive is Dennis McNerney (D).[24] 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).[25]

Other countywide elected officials are Sheriff Leo McGuire (D), Surrogate Court Judge Mike Dressler (D, Cresskill) County Clerk Kathleen Donovan (R, Rutherford).[26]

[edit] Politics

As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 8,911, there were 4,677 registered voters (52.5% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 1,999 (42.7% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 540 (11.5% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 2,138 (45.7% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There were no voters registered to other parties.[27]

On the national level, Leonia leans strongly toward the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 64% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 35%.[28]

[edit] Education

Once Leonia High School, now Leonia Middle School
Once Leonia High School, now Leonia Middle School

The Leonia Public Schools serve students from kindergarten through the twelfth grade. Enrollment in the district is 1,752, of which, 289 are Edgewater students in grades 7-12. An Early Childhood Learning Center is available for 4-year olds. This tuition-based program provides a half-day of academic activities to prepare children for kindergarten.[29]

The district has 175 classroom teachers and 23 educational support personnel. The cost per pupil in 2003-2004 was $10,730 as compared to a state average of $10,621. Average class size in all 3 schools is 21 students. The budget for the 2005-2006 school year was $21,454,000.

Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment from the National Center for Education Statistics[30] are Anna C. Scott Elementary School for grades K-5 (662 students), Leonia Middle School for grades 6-8 (443 students) and Leonia High School for grades 9-12 (630 students).

St. John the Evangelist School is a Catholic school for students in grades K-8 within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.

[edit] History

Leonia was previously called the English Neighborhood, or sometimes West Fort Lee. It was named "Leonia," after a tribe of Native Americans who were part of the Lenapes. The Lenapes were a small group of natives in Northern New Jersey also known as the Delawares to Europeans. This town was settled in 1668 mainly by Dutch and English farmers, making it one of the oldest towns in the state and county. It was located on the western slope of the Palisades, started as a quiet farming community with grape harvesting. Leonia’s location influenced much of its history. For example, the close distance from New York City is notable, with major universities, theatres, performing venues contributing to Leonia’s growth of art and academics. Many twentieth-century artists emerged from Leonia. Numerous photographs were taken of Leonia’s farms of grape harvesting and vintage.

The sleepy farming community persisted until there was a sudden burst of economic and cultural growth at around the late nineteenth century. During much of the twentieth century, many famous artists arrived, attracted to Leonia's small size, culture, and location, earning the town's nickname of the "Athens of New Jersey". In 1890, landowners began marketing plots in Leonia to professors at nearby Columbia University. Another example is the opening in 1915 of the Leonia School of Illustration by Harvey Dunn, and the artists' colony that subsequently emerged over the next decade.[31] Transportation through the town was enhanced with the West Side subway, ferries, and trolley systems. Leonia became a refuge for many of America's creative thinkers which include five distinguished Nobel Prize winners.

For two hundred years, one of the two major avenues that run north-to-south through Leonia, Grand Avenue, (the other one is Broad Avenue,) was called the English Neighborhood Road. In colonial times, this road served as the main inland between Paulus Hook, Bergen, and the English Neighborhood. Leonia is famous for being a crossroads of the American Revolution and a training ground for American Civil War soldiers.

Historic places in this town include the Civil War Drill Hall and Armory, the Cole-Allaire House, and the Vreeland House.

Leonia celebrates "Leonia Day" annually on the third Sunday in May.[32]

[edit] Notable Leonians

Some notable people who lived in Leonia during part or all of their career:

Some notable people who grew up in Leonia:

[edit] Recreation

Leonia is home to the Players Guild of Leonia, which operates as the oldest continuing theatre troupe in the state of New Jersey, and is one of the oldest theatre guilds in the United States with continuous performances since 1919. Performances have included comedies, tragedies, classics, and musicals. The Guild's production of One Mad Night in 1940 was the first three act play performed on television, when it was broadcast on WPTZ, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1963, the Children's Show was instituted and continues each spring. Between 1968 and 1998, the Guild produced Theatre in the Park. Since 2002, the Players' Guild of Leonia has produced a Playwright's Showcase featuring original scripts. The Guild presently operates out of the historic Civil War Drill Hall Theatre on Grand Avenue which is leased from the borough.

In addition to the Players Guild of Leonia, Leonia has five public recreational areas in its square-mile town. Of the five areas, only the Leonia Swim Club requires membership fee. The recreation areas include Wood Park, located on the corner of Broad Avenue and Fort Lee Road; Sylvan Park and the Leonia Swim Club, both are on Grand Avenue, near Sylvan Avenue; the Recreational Center on Broad Avenue that offers an indoor basketball court; and lastly, Overpeck Park, which is a Bergen County park that is located in Leonia, also home of the Bergen County 9/11 Memorial.

[edit] Parks

[edit] Transportation

Leonia is served by New Jersey Route 93 (also known as Grand Avenue), U.S. Route 46 and Interstate 95. New Jersey Transit bus routes 166, 182, 751, 755 and 756 also serve Leonia.[53]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Leonia Mayor and Council, Borough of Leonia. Accessed January 13, 2008.
  2. ^ USGS GNIS: Borough of Leonia, Geographic Names Information System, accessed September 19, 2007.
  3. ^ a b Census data for Leonia, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 7, 2007.
  4. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  6. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 80.
  7. ^ "History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630-1923;" p. 371.
  8. ^ "Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List 1-100", New Jersey Monthly, February 21, 2008. Accessed February 24, 2008.
  9. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  10. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  11. ^ Historical Population Trends in Bergen County (1900 - 2000), Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed December 23, 2007.
  12. ^ Korean Communities, Epodunk. Accessed June 28, 2006.
  13. ^ Japanese Communities, Epodunk. Accessed June 28, 2006.
  14. ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 157.
  15. ^ "County of Bergen: 2007 County and Municipal Directory", Bergen County, New Jersey, p. 49.
  16. ^ Kremen, Maya. "Leonia municipal elections", The Record (Bergen County), November 3, 2007. Accessed December 29, 2007.
  17. ^ Bergen County election results, The Record (Bergen County), November 7, 2007. Accessed November 10, 2007.
  18. ^ Leonia Election Guide. The Record (Bergen County), November 1, 2006.
  19. ^ "Election 2006: Municipal Results", The Record (Bergen County), November 1, 2006.
  20. ^ Bergen County 2006 General Election Results, accessed February 1, 2007.
  21. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 60. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  22. ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  23. ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  24. ^ Bergen County Executive, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2008.
  25. ^ Freeholder Home Page, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2008.
  26. ^ Constitutional Officers, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2008.
  27. ^ "County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," dated April 1, 2006.
  28. ^ 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety: Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004.
  29. ^ Leonia Schools at a glance, Leonia Public Schools. Accessed February 8, 2006.
  30. ^ Data for the Leonia Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed March 30, 2008.
  31. ^ a b Falkenstein, Michelle. "JERSEY FOOTLIGHTS", The New York Times, July 31, 2005. Accessed November 1, 2007. "DUNN SETTLED IN LEONIA IN 1914 TO BE NEAR THE NEW YORK MARKET FOR ILLUSTRATION AND ENJOYED A SUCCESSFUL CAREER."
  32. ^ Annual Events, Borough of Leonia. Accessed May 19, 2008.
  33. ^ a b c d e f Well-Read, Well-Shaded and Well-Placed, The New York Times, June 15, 1997.
  34. ^ a b c d e Karels, Carol. "Leonia". Accessed June 2, 2007. "By the 1970s, Leonia was home to may professional musicians, writers, and entertainers. Many - such as Alan Alda, an actor and director; Carmel Quinn a singer; Freddie Bartholomew, a child star; And Robert Ludlum, an actor, producer and author - contributed to the cultural life of the community. Others - such as singer Pat Boone, comic Buddy Hackett, and singer Sammy Davis, Jr. - lived here because of its proximity to New York City."
  35. ^ Beckerman, Jim. "PLAYING STRONG-WILLED WOMEN", The Record (Bergen County), March 31, 2002. Accessed May 27, 2008. "After starring in such New York shows as Kiss Me Kate, 1776, Parade, and City of Angels, Leonia resident Carolee Carmello wanted to do something closer to home."
  36. ^ Feldberg, Robert. "My oh my oh, he's come a ways", The Record (Bergen County), November 23, 2003. Accessed May 27, 2008. "That's because Edelman, who lives with his family in Leonia, is a hardy perennial on Broadway."
  37. ^ "HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS GET THE BIG PICTURE ON MODELING", The Record (Bergen County), September 12, 1997. "Emme, the world's leading full-figured model and a resident of Leonia, was the star..."
  38. ^ Marvin Harris, Cultural Materialism. Accessed May 27, 2008. "Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Harris and his family lived in Leonia, New Jersey, which borders Fort Lee, right across the Hudson River from upper Manhattan."
  39. ^ Adamek, Steve and Iannazzone, Al. "Lakers Notebook", The Record (Bergen County), June 5, 2002. Accessed July 14, 2007. "Phil Jackson's memories of New Jersey are fond and forgetful. He finished his playing career with the Nets when they played their home games at Rutgers, about an hour trip from where he lived in Leonia."
  40. ^ "JOHN M'CLOY WON TWO HONOR MEDALS; Retired Naval Hero Dies in Jersey--Cited for Deeds in China, at Vera Cruz Served on U.S.S. Newark In North Sea Patrol", The New York Times, May 26, 1945.
  41. ^ Morley, Hugh R. "ROBERT `BOB' MCFADDEN; VOICE OF TV COMMERCIALS", The Record (Bergen County), January 10, 2000. Accessed July 14, 2007. "Robert "Bob" McFadden, a former Leonia resident and show business stalwart who made his name doing radio and television voice-overs and mpressions of famous people, died Friday..."
  42. ^ Narvaez, Alfonso A. "Robert F. Murphy, 66, Professor Of Anthropology and an Author", The New York Times, October 11, 1990. Accessed May 27, 2008. "Robert Francis Murphy, a professor of anthropology at Columbia University, died on Monday at his home in Leonia, N.J."
  43. ^ Mack, Patricia. "THE COOK, THE THIEF...", The Record (Bergen County), October 25, 2000. Accessed July 14, 2007. "Anthony Bourdain, the Leonia native with the French-sounding name,"
  44. ^ Whitney Biennial 2006 - Artists, Whitney Museum of Art, accessed February 26, 2007.
  45. ^ Feibel, Carolyn. "Baltic president has N.J. roots", The Record (Bergen County), November 29, 2006. Accessed January 2, 2008. "Toomas "Tom" Ilves grew up in Leonia, which not only rhymes with Estonia, but was the perfect nursery for his foreign political ambitions, his 79-year-old mother said."
  46. ^ Pesukaru salga laekur, Eesti Ekspress, accessed December 7, 2006. "Maja, millega lõpuks rahule jäädi, paiknes New Jerseyt New Yorgist eraldavast Hudsoni jõest mõne miili kaugusele jäävas Leonia linnakeses Warwicki avenüül."
  47. ^ Bob Klapisch profile, The Record (Bergen County). Acecssed July 14, 2007. "Robert Salvador Klapisch was born in New York City and grew up in Leonia. He is a graduate of Leonia H.S., where he played baseball, and Columbia University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science."
  48. ^ Levin, Jay. "Their lives made ours a little richer", The Record (Bergen County), January 1, 2008. Accessed May 27, 2008.
  49. ^ Philip Maneval, Theodore Presser Company. Accessed May 27, 2008. "Born in Leonia, in northern New Jersey, Mr. Maneval received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied composition with Richard Wernick, George Crumb and George Rochberg"
  50. ^ Filichia, Peter. "N.J. STAGE; Actress singing for joy at the Paper Mill.", The Star-Ledger, April 14, 2000. p. 23. "For Christiane Noll, performing in the Paper Mill Playhouse production of 'The Student Prince' is a homecoming beyond the usual definition. Growing up in Bergen County, she played Mrs. Barnum in a Leonia Middle School production of 'Barnum' and was a Jet girl in a Leonia High School staging of 'West Side Story.'"
  51. ^ Frank Charles Osmers, Jr. biography, United States Congress. Accessed June 24, 2007.
  52. ^ Pro football, The Record (Bergen County), September 14, 2003. Accessed November 1, 2007.
  53. ^ New Jersey Transit Bus Schedules. New Jersey Transit. Accessed August 30, 2007.

[edit] Sources

  • Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey) "Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties)" prepared by the December 1, 1958.
  • Mattingly, Paul H. Suburban Landscapes: Culture and Politics in a New York Metropolitan Community. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8018-6680-4.
  • Karel, Carol Leonia Images of America Series, Arcadia Pub., 2002. ISBN 0-7385-0973-6
  • Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta) "History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630-1923;"

[edit] External links

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