Paramus, New Jersey

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Paramus, New Jersey
Map highlighting Paramus' location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey.
Map highlighting Paramus' location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Paramus, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Paramus, New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°56′24″N 74°4′16″W / 40.94, -74.07111
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Bergen
Incorporated April 4, 1922
Government
 - Type Borough
 - Mayor James Tedesco (D, 2010)
Area
 - Total 10.5 sq mi (27.1 km²)
 - Land 10.5 sq mi (27.1 km²)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation [1] 49 ft (15 m)
Population (2006)[2]
 - Total 25,737
 - Density 2,457.7/sq mi (948.9/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 07652-07653
Area code(s) 201
FIPS code 34-55950[3]
GNIS feature ID 0879115[4]
Website: http://www.paramusborough.org

Paramus (IPA: /pəˈræməs/) is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 25,737. As of the Census Bureau's 2005 estimate, the population was 26,545.[2] Paramus is one of the largest shopping meccas in the country, with over $5 billion in annual retail sales, more than any other ZIP Code in the United States.[5] This is despite the fact that Paramus is noted for having some of the most restrictive blue laws in the United States (even stricter than those prevailing in the rest of Bergen County), banning nearly all retail and white-collar businesses from opening on Sundays.[6]

Paramus was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 2, 1922, based on the results of a referendum held on April 4, 1922 that passed by a vote of 238 for, 10 against.[7][8] Paramus was created from portions of Midland Township, which now exists as Rochelle Park.[9]

Contents

[edit] Geography

Paramus is located at 40°56′50″N, 74°4′14″W (40.947107, -74.070471)[10].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 10.5 square miles (27.1 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1900 889
—
1910 779 −12.4%
1920 1,321 69.6%
1930 2,649 100.5%
1940 3,688 39.2%
1950 6,268 70%
1960 23,238 270.7%
1970 28,381 22.1%
1980 26,474 −6.7%
1990 25,067 −5.3%
2000 25,737 2.7%
Est. 2006 26,548 [2] 3.2%
Population 1930 - 1990[11][12]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 25,737 people, 8,082 households, and 6,780 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,457.7 people per square mile (949.1/km²). There were 8,209 housing units at an average density of 783.9/sq mi (302.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 79.19% White, 1.13% African American, 0.05% Native American, 17.23% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.87% of the population.

There were 8,082 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.3% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.1% were non-families. 14.4% 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 3.00 and the average family size was 3.32.

In the borough the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $76,918, and the median income for a family was $84,406. Males had a median income of $56,635 versus $37,450 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,295. About 1.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

Paramus 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.[13]

The Mayor is James Tedesco (D, term ends [[{December 31]], 2010. Borough Council Members are Council President Frank A. Ciambrone (D, 2008), Richard Conte (D, 2010), Frederick Hayo (D, 2009), Denis Niland (D, 2009), Richard LaBarbiera (D, 2010) and Connie Wagner (D, 2008).[14][15]

In elections held on November 6, 2007, voters turned out to fill two three-year seats on the Borough Council and answered two local ballot questions. Democratic incumbents Richard A. LaBarbiera (2,775 votes) and Richard J. Conte (2,748) were re-elected, edging Republican candidates Sam Casiello (2,552) and Michael Mariniello (2,534). Voters rejected both local ballot initiatives, turning down an Open Space Trust Fund that would collect one cent per $100 in assessed value by a 2,912-1,881 margin, and a $26.6 million library expansion by a vote of 3,125-1,759[16][17][18]

On Election Day, November 7, 2006, voters chose a mayor and filled two seats on the borough council. The 2006 council was composed of five Democrats and a Republican, with one Democratic and one Republican seat up for reelection, in a community in which numbers of registered Republicans and Democrats are almost even. Democratic incumbent Mayor James J. Tedesco III (4,823 votes) was reelected, defeating Republican challenger Michael Mariniello Jr. (3,662). Democratic newcomers Denis Niland (4,853) and Frederick Hayo (4,319) were elected to the borough council, defeating Republicans Sam Casielo (3,850) and Patrick O'Brien (3,635). The 2007 council elected to office is composed entirely of Democrats.[19][20][21]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Paramus is part of New Jersey's 38th Legislative District and is in the Fifth Congressional District.[22]

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).

For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 38th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Robert M. Gordon (D, Fair Lawn) and in the Assembly by Joan Voss (D, Fort Lee) and Connie Wagner (D, Paramus).[23] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[24]

Bergen County's County Executive is Dennis McNerney (D).[25] 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).[26]

Other countywide elected officials are Sheriff Leo McGuire (D), Surrogate Court Judge Mike Dressler (D, Cresskill) County Clerk Kathleen Donovan (R, Rutherford).[27]

[edit] Politics

As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 26,624 in Paramus, there were 16,636 registered voters (62.5% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 3,144 (18.9% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 3,148 (18.9% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 10,342 (62.2% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There were two voters registered to other parties.[28]

On the national level, Paramus leans toward the Republican Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 52% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry, who received around 47%.[29]

[edit] Education

The Paramus 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[30]) are five K-4 schools — Memorial Elementary School (294 students), Midland Elementary School (282), Parkway Elementary School (378), Ridge Ranch Elementary School (373) and Stony Lane Elementary School (246) — both Eastbrook Middle School (637) and Westbrook Middle School (699) for grades 5-8 and Paramus High School for grades 9-12 (1,680). Three of the district's schools have been formally designated as National Blue Ribbon Schools: Paramus High School, Parkway Elementary School and Ridge Ranch Elementary School.

Paramus is home to many private religious schools. Paramus Catholic High School is a co-educational Roman Catholic high school founded in 1965 and operated by the Archdiocese of Newark. It is the largest Roman Catholic high school in the state of New Jersey, enrolling approximately 1,500 students. It is also the location of Visitation Academy, a K-8 Catholic school. Paramus is home to both the Yavneh Academy, a K-8 Jewish day school, and the Frisch School, a large Modern Orthodox Jewish yeshiva serving high-school age students in grades 9-12.

Bergen Community College, the county college of Bergen County, is based in Paramus, with other satellite centers located elsewhere around the county. The Bergen campus of Berkeley College is located in Paramus.

[edit] History

The term Paramus comes from the Lenape Native American word meaning "land of the wild turkey" or "place of fertile soil".[31] That is why there is a giant metal statue of a turkey in the Paramus Park mall.[citation needed]

Paramus, and the neighboring communities of Ridgewood and Hackensack, was the scene of a great deal of activity during the American Revolutionary War.

A section of Paramus known as Dunkerhook (meaning dark corner in Dutch) was an African-American community dating back to the early 18th century. Although historical markers on the current site and local oral tradition maintain that this was a slave community, contemporary records document that this was actually a community of free blacks, not slaves.[32]

During World War II, Farview Avenue was closed off by the United States Army. The military had lined up anti-aircraft cannons along the street to prevent any attack on New York City. Farview Avenue is located at the highest peak of Paramus and has a clear view of the New York City skyline.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Public Transportation

New Jersey Transit bus routes 144, 145, 148, 155, 157, 162, 163, 164, 165, 168, 171, 175, 709, 722, 751, 752, 753, 755, 756, 758, 762 and 770 serve Paramus.[33]

[edit] Road

Route 17, Route 4, and the Garden State Parkway passes through Paramus.

[edit] Commerce

Paramus is known for its multitude of stores and malls.[34] It has five major indoor shopping centers, due to its easy access for residents in the areas of Bergen County and Passaic County in New Jersey and Rockland County in New York. New Jersey also does not levy a sales tax on clothes, which makes it an attractive shopping destination for people even further away in New York City.

On Route 4, are the Bergen Town Center (known as the Bergen Mall until 2006) and the Mall at IV. On Route 17, are Paramus Park and the Fashion Center. At the intersection of Routes 4 and 17 is Paramus's biggest and most famous mall, the Garden State Plaza. Across from the Garden State Plaza is the world's third-largest IKEA, one of three IKEAs in the New York City metro area. The Garden State Plaza is the largest mall in the Westfield Groups' global portfolio with a gross leasable area of 1,993,182sqf.[35] Westfield Group is the largest retail property group globally.[36]

Interchange of NJ Routes 4 and 17
Interchange of NJ Routes 4 and 17

Paramus, along with the rest of Bergen County, has strict blue laws preventing stores selling non-food items from opening on Sundays. Although it started as a religious observance, it is kept on the books due to a desire of the residents of Paramus to have one day a week when traffic is tolerable in the town. Furthermore, both Paramus and the surrounding county have significant Jewish and Muslim populations who do not observe their Sabbath on Sunday. This law was called into question most recently when a BJ's Wholesale Club opened at the 4/17 junction. BJ's was allowed to open on Sundays, but is only allowed to sell food and basic necessities. The store has been structured to deny access for shoppers to purchase items that cannot be purchased on Sunday. Paramus has its own blue laws that are significantly more restrictive than those in effect in other communities in Bergen County. It is one of the last places in the entire United States to have such an extensive blue law.

Local blue laws in Paramus were first proposed in 1957, while the Bergen Mall and Garden State Plaza were under construction. The legislation was motivated by fears that the two new malls would aggravate the already-severe highway congestion caused by local retail businesses along the borough's highways.[37]

The Paramus Borough Code forbids the performance of any "worldly employment" on Sunday, with exceptions for charity, and the sale of newspapers, drugs, meals, prepared food and cigarettes, among a limited number of exceptions. Even work performed inside one's own home is prohibited, unless one can "prove to the satisfaction of the Judge that he uniformly keeps the seventh day of the week commonly known as the 'Sabbath'...".[38] In spite of its six-day shopping week, Paramus consistently has the most retail sales of any ZIP Code in the United States.[5] Many national chain stores boast Paramus as their most prominent locations, including Nordstrom, in which the Paramus store is their best-performing chainwide. There are 25 retailers that occupy multiple stores in Paramus[1], including Macy's which had outlets in three malls for a short period of time. Some retail analysts view Paramus as being two markets, centered on the two major highways. Lord & Taylor has two locations in Paramus, giving Paramus the distinction of the only town with more than one Lord & Taylor location. Shoppers are often reluctant to switch from one highway to another, so having one outlet on each makes sense.

When Paramus residents go shopping on Sundays, they often visit Willowbrook Mall, a short distance down Interstate 80 in Wayne, New Jersey, or Palisades Center in West Nyack, New York.

[edit] Mall history

  • 1957 - The Garden State Plaza Shopping Center was built by Muscarelli Construction Company on 198 acres (0.80 km²) at the intersection of Routes 4 and 17.
  • 1957 - The Bergen Mall was built on 101 acres (0.41 km²) on an area east of the Plaza on Route 4.
  • 1968 - The Fashion Center was built on 35 acres. The owners originally referred to its location as being in Ridgewood/Paramus to appeal to the Ridgewood population. Over the years, the references to Ridgewood became somewhat lost.
  • 1974 - Paramus Park Mall was built by the Rouse Company. The last of the large centers was built on 66 acres in the middle of an area where the old farms were located.
  • 2003 - IKEA opens its third-largest store at the intersection of Routes 4 and 17, on the site of the old Alexander's department store. It was joined the next year by three other retailers.

[edit] Entertainment

In 1931, one of the earliest drive-in theaters opened in Paramus, and boasted the world's largest and brightest screen, located behind what is now the Garden State Plaza Shopping Mall. The Paramus Drive-In closed sometime around 1983.

Paramus' lone movie theater complex is a 16-screen AMC Theatre located in an area of new construction at the Westfield Garden State Plaza. Two theatres which have been closed within the last five years include the Route 4 Tenplex and the Cineplex Odeon Route 17 Triplex, once located next to the Westfield Garden State Plaza on Route 17. The Triplex theatre was opened in 1965 by Century Theatres and was closed on January 19, 2006 by Loews Cineplex Entertainment. The Tenplex on Route 4 was closed on May 24, 2007, the day before the new AMC Theatre opened at the Westfield Garden State Plaza.[39] The Cinema 35 was also closed when the Plaza 35 Shopping Center was renovated in 2005.

Van Saun County Park is located in Paramus and the adjoining borough of River Edge. It has Bergen County's only zoo, home to a wide variety of wild and domestic animals living in recreated habitats natural to each species.

[edit] Popular culture

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Paramus include:

[edit] References

  1. ^ USGS GNIS: Borough of Paramus, Geographic Names Information System, accessed November 29, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c Census data for Paramus, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 30, 2007.
  3. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ a b Paramus 07652, GlobeSt. Retail, October 3, 2005.
  6. ^ "SUNDAY SELLING PLAGUING JERSEY; Local Businesses Pushing Fight Against Activities of Stores on Highways - Other Group Active Local Option Opposed", The New York Times, June 2, 1957. p. 165
  7. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 84.
  8. ^ Paramus Borough History, Borough of Paramus. Accessed August 9, 2006.
  9. ^ "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. p8.
  10. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  11. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  12. ^ Historical Population Trends in Bergen County (1900 - 2000), Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed December 23, 2007.
  13. ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 160.
  14. ^ Borough of Paramus: Members of the Council, Borough of Paramus. Accessed January 14, 2008.
  15. ^ "County of Bergen: 2007 County and Municipal Directory", Bergen County, New Jersey, p. 57.
  16. ^ "Paramus municipal elections", The Record (Bergen County), October 26, 2007. Accessed November 29, 2007.
  17. ^ "Paramus Park election results", The Record (Bergen County), November 6, 2007. Accessed November 29, 2007.
  18. ^ Bergen County election results, The Record (Bergen County), November 7, 2007. Accessed November 10, 2007.
  19. ^ Paramus Election Guide, The Record (Bergen County), November 1, 2006.
  20. ^ Paramus election results, The Record (Bergen County), November 8, 2006.
  21. ^ Bergen County 2006 General Election Results, accessed February 1, 2007.
  22. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 62. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  23. ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  24. ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  25. ^ Bergen County Executive, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2008.
  26. ^ Freeholder Home Page, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2008.
  27. ^ Constitutional Officers, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2008.
  28. ^ "County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," dated April 1, 2006.
  29. ^ 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County, New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004.
  30. ^ Data for the Paramus Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 25, 2008.
  31. ^ If You're Thinking of Living In/Paramus; In Shopping Mecca, Houses Sell Well Too, The New York Times, April 15, 2001.
  32. ^ Dunkerhook: Slave Community?, accessed November 11, 2006.
  33. ^ New Jersey Transit Bus Schedules, New Jersey. Accessed August 30, 2007.
  34. ^ Paramus, New Jersey: Retailing Paradise!, The Article Writer. Accessed November 5, 2007.
  35. ^ westfield/corporate. Westfield Annual Report 2005. Retrieved on 2007-01-05.
  36. ^ westfield.com/corporate. Westfield group. Retrieved on 2006-11-19.
  37. ^ "SUNDAY SELLING PLAGUING JERSEY; Local Businesses Pushing Fight Against Activities of Stores on Highways - Other Group Active Local Option Opposed", The New York Times, June 2, 1957. p. 165
  38. ^ Paramus Borough Code: Chapter 391: SUNDAY ACTIVITIES, Borough of Paramus. Accessed December 18, 2006.
  39. ^ Gartland, Michael. "Epic theater to play its final reel", The Record (Bergen County), May 19, 2007. Accessed May 19, 2007.
  40. ^ Wiggins, Ovetta. "CONE-TOWN, USA -- ASK ANY ALIEN: IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE POINTED PRAISE", The Record (Bergen County), July 24, 1993. Accessed May 28, 2007.
  41. ^ The Sopranos "On Location"
  42. ^ NJ.com - New Jersey Online - The Sopranos
  43. ^ Burn After Reading. Clooneystudio.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-25.
  44. ^ ThreatDown - Juicing Bulls, Squatter Bees & Rationed Rice. Comedycentral.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  45. ^ Hicks, Robert. "American songwriter finds success in United Kingdom", Daily Record (Morristown), April 20, 2007. Accessed May 28, 2007. "Friedman grew up in Paramus."
  46. ^ Shanley, John P. "GENNARO -- COMO'S DANCING MASTER", The New York Times, October 15, 1961.
  47. ^ Robbins, Liz. "OLYMPICS; Beating Unbeatable Foe Makes a Dream Possible", The New York Times, June 23, 2000. Accessed October 17, 2007. "The Iranian-born Greco-Roman heavyweight who moved to Paramus, N.J., at 15 stood on the podium feeling as if he had let down the United States."
  48. ^ Troncone, Tom. "$6M of record poker pot at stake", The Record (Bergen County), September 19, 2006. Accessed May 28, 2007. "On one side of the table sits Jamie Gold, a former Paramus resident who dominated the competition en route to the coveted World Series of Poker championship last month."
  49. ^ Coutros, Evonne. " Who's the boss now? – Paramus actor worked his way up to role he couldn' t refuse", The Record (Bergen County), February 9, 2003. Accessed October 14, 2007.
  50. ^ Shih, Evelyn. "Tour uses humor to fight racism", The Record (Bergen County), October 12, 2007. Accessed October 14, 2007. "Half Italian and half Palestinian, Obeidallah had an interesting childhood in Lodi and Paramus."
  51. ^ RHS Athletic Hall of Fame: Kazbek Tambi - Class of 1979, Ridgewood High School. Accessed July 30, 2007.
  52. ^ Jaeger, Barbara. " PARAMUS BAND FEELS AT HOME IN THE STUDIO", The Record (Bergen County), July 17, 1992. Accessed October 15, 2007. "For all those Trixter fans who've been wondering when the Paramus-based band will be releasing a new album, guitarist Steve Brown has these encouraging words..."
  53. ^ Bondy, Filip. "FIGURE SKATING; Zayak's Biggest Jump: A Leap Into the Past", The New York Times, May 16, 1993. Accessed October 14, 2007. "Her father, Richard Zayak, would drive from their home in Paramus, N.J., to her New York practice rinks in Farmingdale or Monsey and offer his daughter $1 per perfect jump."

[edit] Sources

  • Paramus - the Way We Were 1922-1960 by Fritz Behnke

[edit] External links

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