Bergenfield, New Jersey

Bergenfield, New Jersey
—  Borough  —
Map highlighting Bergenfield's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Bergenfield, New Jersey
Coordinates:
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Bergen
Incorporated June 25, 1894
Government
 • Type Borough
 • Mayor Timothy J. Driscoll (term ends 2011)[1]
 • Administrator Frederick McGarril[2]
Area[3]
 • Total 2.90 sq mi (7.5 km2)
 • Land 2.90 sq mi (7.5 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.0 km2)  30.75%
Elevation[4] 66 ft (20 m)
Population (2010 Census)[5][6]
 • Total 26,764
 • Density 9,229/sq mi (3,568.5/km2)
Time zone U.S. Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) U.S. EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 07621[7]
Area code(s) 201/551
FIPS code 34-05170[8][9]
GNIS feature ID 0874686[10]
Website http://www.bergenfieldboro.com

Bergenfield is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 26,764.[11][6]

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.[12][13][14]

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Bergenfield as its 211st best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.[15] The magazine ranked Bergenfield as its 231st best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live".[16]

Contents

Geography

Bergenfield is located at (40.923748, -73.998795).[17]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.90 square miles (7.5 km2), all of it land.[3]

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1900 729
—
1910 1,991 173.1%
1920 3,667 84.2%
1930 8,816 140.4%
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%
2010 26,764 2.0%
Population sources:1910-1930[18]
1900-1990[19][20] 2000[5] 2010[11][6][21]

The 2010 United States Census reported that there were 26,764 people, 8,852 households and 6,818 families residing in the borough. The racial makeup of Bergenfield was 52.4% (14,029) White, 7.7% (2,060) African American, 0.3% (84) Native American, 25.6% (6,851) Asian, 0.0% (13) Pacific Islander, 10.1% (2,709) from other races, and 3.8% (1,018) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.5% (7,097).[11][21]

Bergenfield has been called the "Little Manila" of Bergen County.[22] Of the 14,224 Filipino population in the county as a whole enumerated in the 2000 Census, 3,133 (22% of the county total) lived in Bergenfield.[23][24] By the 2010 Census, 4,569 Bergenfield residents (17.1% of the population) listed themselves as being of Filipino ancestry.[11]

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 26,247 people, 8,981 households, and 6,753 families residing in the borough. The population density was 9,065.4 people per square mile (3,494.5/km2). There were 9,147 housing units at an average density of 3,159.3 per square mile (1,217.8/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 62.90% White, 6.90% African American, 0.24% Native American, 20.41% Asian (5,357 Asian), 0.02% Pacific Islander, 6.47% from other races, and 3.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.05% of the population.[5]

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.[5]

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.[5]

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.[5]

Government

Local government

Bergenfield 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. 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.[25]

As of 2011, the Mayor of Bergenfield is Timothy J. Driscoll (D, term ends December 31, 2011). Members of the Borough Council are Council President Chris Tully (D, 2012), Barry DollCarlos Aguasvivas (D, 2012), Robert Gilman (D, 2012), Ora C. Kornbluth (D, 2013), Thomas A. Lodato (D, 2012) and Charles K. Steinel (D, 2013).[26]

Federal, state and county representation

Bergenfield is in the 5th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 37th state legislative district.[27] The borough was relocated to the 38th state legislative district by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[6] The new district will be in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.[27]

New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District is represented by Scott Garrett (R, Wantage Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

37th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Loretta Weinberg (D, Teaneck) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Valerie Huttle (D, Englewood) and Gordon M. Johnson (D, Englewood).[28] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[29] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[30]

Bergen County's County Executive is Kathleen Donovan (R, Rutherford; term ends December 31, 2014).[31] The Board of Chosen Freeholders is the county's legislative body and its seven members are elected at-large on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year.[32] As of 2011, Bergen County's Freeholders are Chairman John Driscoll, Jr. (R, 2012; Paramus),[33] Vice-Chairwoman Maura DeNicola (R, 2013; Franklin Lakes),[34] Chair Pro Tempore John D. Mitchell (R, 2013; Cliffside Park)[35] John A. Felice (R, 2013; River Edge),[36] David L. Ganz (D, 2011; Fair Lawn),[37] Robert G. Hermansen (R, 2012; Mahwah)[38] and Bernadette P. McPherson (D, 2011; Rutherford).[39][40] Other countywide constitutional officials are Sheriff Michael Saudino (R), Surrogate Michael R. Dressler (D, Cresskill) and County Clerk Elizabeth Randall (R, Westwood).[41]

Politics

As of Election Day, November 4, 2008, there were 12,988 registered voters. Of registered voters, 4,846 (37.3% of all registered voters) were registered as Democrats, 2,171 (16.7%) were registered as Republicans and 5,962 (45.9%) were registered as Undeclared. There were 9 voters registered to other parties.[42]

In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 57.6% of the vote here, defeating Republican John McCain, who received 41.3% of the vote, with 82.0% of registered voters participating.[42] In the 2004 election, Democrat John Kerry received 55% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 45%.[43]

Emergency services

Police

The Bergenfield Police Department provides police services to the Borough of Bergenfield. As of 2010, there are a total of 46 sworn officers in the department, 8 civilian telecommunicators, and 3 civilian Records Bureau employees.[44]

The force is responsible for all aspects of policing in the borough, including responding to fire and medical emergency calls. Each patrol car is equipped with a first aid kit, oxygen tank, and an Automated external defibrillator.

Fire

Started in 1905, the Bergenfield Fire Department (BFD) has three independent fire companies and a career staff.[45]

Ambulance

The Bergenfield Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Inc. (BVAC) was formed in 1941 as the "Bergenfield Volunteer Firemen's Ambulance Corps." Renamed the "Bergenfield Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Inc." and established as an organization independent of the Bergenfield Fire Department in 1981, BVAC is located at 1 Froelich Street in Bergenfield. The BVAC is a volunteer independent public emergency medical service. As such, they do not bill for services. BVAC is funded by donations from the public as well as limited funding from the borough.

The corps provides basic life support, and is staffed by certified Emergency Medical Technicians. BVAC has three ambulances and one fire-rehabilitation unit. Dispatching is provided by the Bergenfield Police Department's 9-1-1 center.

The primary jurisdiction of the BVAC is the Borough of Bergenfield, but the corps also responds to requests for mutual-aid from the neighboring First Aid Squads of Dumont, New Milford, and Teaneck.

The BVAC is a member of the New Jersey State First Aid Council.[46]

Education

Students in grades Kindergarten through 12 are educated by the Bergenfield Public Schools which serve a total of nearly 3,800 students. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[47]) are five elementary schools serving Kindergarten - 5th grade — Franklin School with 375 students, Hoover School with 194 students, Jefferson School with 223 students, Lincoln School with 417 students, and Washington School with 264 students — Roy W. Brown Middle School with 819 students in grades 6 - 8, and Bergenfield High School with 1,251 students.

Transportation

New Jersey Transit bus service is available from Bergenfield to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 166, 167 routes and the George Washington Bridge Bus Station on the 186 route; and to other New Jersey communities served on the 753, 756 and 772 routes.[48]

Main roads include Washington Avenue, Main Street and New Bridge Road.

Community

On May 4, 2006, the ABC show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition came to Bergenfield to build a home for the Llanes family on New Bridge Road. The episode aired as the pre-season two-hour special originally broadcast on September 17, 2006.[49]

On July 22, 2007, the Team Bergenfield Roller Hockey Club, won the NARCh National Roller Hockey Championship defeating the Nor-Cal Patriots 6-5 in Estero, Florida. Team Bergenfield went 6-0-1 in the tournament en route to winning the Men's Silver Championship. The team formed in Bergenfield in 1994 and is currently one of the longest running roller hockey clubs in the United States.[50]

In 1954, several scenes for the Harlem Globetrotter movie, Go, Man, Go! were filmed at Franklin School, and along nearby Prospect Ave. The actors Dane Clark (Abe Saperstein) and Patricia Breslin (Sylvia Saperstein) were involved. Many of the school's 5th grade boys were used as extras.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Bergenfield include:

Corporate residents

Popular culture

References

  1. ^ 2011 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Accessed August 20, 2011.
  2. ^ Administrator, Borough of Bergenfield. Accessed March 22, 2011.
  3. ^ a b GCT-PH1. Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2000 for Bergen County, New Jersey -- County Subdivision and Place, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 11, 2011.
  4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bergenfield, Geographic Names Information System, accessed April 16, 2007.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights: Bergenfield borough, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 20, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d 2011 Apportionment Redistricting: Municipalities sorted alphabetically, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed June 4, 2011.
  7. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code, United States Postal Service. Accessed September 25, 2011.
  8. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  9. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
  10. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  11. ^ a b c d DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Bergenfield borough, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 10, 2011.
  12. ^ History of Bergenfield, accessed January 4, 2007, states "Incorporated June 25, 1894"
  13. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 75.
  14. ^ "History of Bergen County" p. 336 ff. shows an incorporation date of July 17, 1894.
  15. ^ "Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List 201-250", New Jersey Monthly, February 11, 2010. Accessed August 20, 2011.
  16. ^ "Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List 201-300", New Jersey Monthly, February 21, 2008. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  17. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  18. ^ "Fifteenth Census of the United States : 1930 - Population Volume I", United States Census Bureau, p. 714. Accessed December 11, 2011.
  19. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 2, 2009. Accessed December 11, 2011.
  20. ^ Bergen County Census Data, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed December 11, 2011.
  21. ^ a b 2010 Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: Bergenfield borough, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed September 11, 2011.
  22. ^ Stevens, Jean. " Popular roast pig finds a following in North Jersey", Herald News, September 12, 2007. Accessed December 8, 2007. "One might find more lechon in Passaic these days. The city may be North Jersey's next so-called Little Manila, following Bergenfield, Bloomfield and Belleville."
  23. ^ Filipino Population by County, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed April 10, 2006.
  24. ^ Bergenfield 2000 Census Data, areaconnect.com. Accessed April 10, 2006.
  25. ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 157.
  26. ^ Bergenfield Officials, Borough of Bergenfield. Accessed March 22, 2011.
  27. ^ a b 2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 54. Accessed June 4, 2011.
  28. ^ "Legislative Roster: 2010-2011 Session". New Jersey Legislature. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp. Retrieved 2010-07-05. 
  29. ^ "About the Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/about/. Retrieved 2010-01-21. 
  30. ^ "About the Lieutenant Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/lt/. Retrieved 2010-01-21. 
  31. ^ Bergen County Executive, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed January 3, 2011.
  32. ^ What Is a Freeholder?, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
  33. ^ Freeholder John Driscoll, Jr., Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed January 11, 2011.
  34. ^ Maura R. DeNicola, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed January 11, 2011.
  35. ^ John D. Mitchell, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed January 11, 2011.
  36. ^ John A. Felice, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed January 11, 2011.
  37. ^ Freeholder David L. Ganz, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed January 11, 2011.
  38. ^ Freeholder Robert G. Hermansen, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed January 11, 2011.
  39. ^ Freeholder Bernadette P. McPherson, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed January 11, 2011.
  40. ^ Freeholder Home Page, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed January 3, 2011.
  41. ^ Constitutional Officers, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed January 3, 2011.
  42. ^ a b 2008 General Election Results for Bergenfield, The Record (Bergen County). Accessed November 6, 2008.
  43. ^ 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County, New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004.
  44. ^ "Bergenfield Police Department Website". http://www.bergenfieldpd.org/. Retrieved 2011-08-23. 
  45. ^ "Bergenfield Fire Department Website". http://www.bergenfieldfd.org/page/view/188/. Retrieved 2011-08-23. 
  46. ^ "Bergenfield Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Inc. Website". http://www.bergenfieldambulance.org. Retrieved 2011-08-23. 
  47. ^ Data for the Bergenfield Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed August 20, 2011.
  48. ^ Bus Routes by County: Bergen County, New Jersey Transit. Accessed August 8, 2008.
  49. ^ Extreme Makeover: Home Division - Llanes Family; Season 3, Ep. 28, accessed October 26, 2006.
  50. ^ In a Game with Action in Both Ends, Team Bergenfield Held on to Win the National Title 6 - 5. July 22, 2007.
  51. ^ Giuffra, Brian A. "Where are they now: Teaneck's Chris Brantley", The Record (Bergen County), November 8, 2011. Accessed November 8, 2011. "Brantley now lives in Bergenfield and has a 16-year-old daughter named Kayla."
  52. ^ Al Di Meola, Telarc International Corporation. Accessed September 20, 2007. "“In the ‘60s, if you didn’t play like Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix or Jimmy Page, you weren’t accepted,” he recalls of his high school years in Bergenfield, New Jersey."
  53. ^ Hertzel, Bob. "EUFEMIA PLAYING FOR PUREST MOTIVES", The Record (Bergen County), March 2, 1995. Accessed June 24, 2007. "Frank Eufemia once was a major league pitcher. Today the right-hander from Bergenfield becomes a replacement pitcher."
  54. ^ Loos, Ted. "Where Death Shall (or Shall Not) Have Dominion", The New York Times, May 10, 1998. Accessed April 5, 2008. "Mr. Fitzgerald grew up mostly in Bergenfield, N.J. He attended Cooper Union in Manhattan, but at the age of 19, he transferred to the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax."
  55. ^ Hernandez, Cava. "GEORGE GATELY : Creador del gato Heathcliff", El Mundo (Spain), October 6, 2001. Accessed November 20, 2007. "George Gately Gallagher nació en Queens Village, Nueva York, en 1928, meses antes de que estallase la Gran Depresión. Pero, a todos los efectos, hay que considerarle un habitante de New Jersey, en cuya localidad de Bergenfield es donde transcurrieron su infancia y su adolescencia."
  56. ^ Park, Eunnie. "An original 'Jersey Boy' returns to Bergenfield", The Record (Bergen County), March 31, 2007. Accessed October 9, 2007. "Before "Jersey Boys" and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Bob Gaudio was a 15-year-old musical whiz from Bergenfield who had to decide between staying in school and touring with Chuck Berry."
  57. ^ Rotella, Mark. "Straight Out of Newark", The New York Times, October 2, 2005. Accessed October 9, 2007. "Originally from the Bronx, Mr. Gaudio had, at age 15, written the hit "Who Wears Short Shorts," which he made up while driving with friends along the main drag in Bergenfield."
  58. ^ Bob Guccione (Producer), Penthouse (magazine) Caligula Cast and Crew. Accessed September 20, 2007. "Coming from a conventional background--he was born in Brooklyn, raised in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and educated at Blair Academy--Guccione became interested in less than conventional activities after he left school."
  59. ^ 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 (1,900 m2) 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."
  60. ^ Staff. "Land of a thousand laments - So far, 1119 letters and e-mails", The Star-Ledger, June 13, 2005. Accessed October 25, 2009. "The Liverpool sound by way of Bergenfield, NJ, the home of the one-hit wonders the Knickerbockers."
  61. ^ Miller, Jonathan. "He Fought the Law. They Both Won.", The New York Times, January 22, 2006. Accessed January 17, 2011.
  62. ^ Feldberg, Robert. "HOW WE HAD FUN", The Record (Bergen County), May 7, 1995. Accessed October 25, 2009. "And Bergenfield-bred Jimmy Lydon, who played the eternal teenager Henry Aldrich on radio and in B movies, had married his high-school sweetheart."
  63. ^ Mucky Pup, last.fm. Accessed October 25, 2009. "Mucky Pup was a hardcore band formed in Bergenfield, New Jersey, USA in 1985."
  64. ^ via Associated Press, "New stars for 'Chips'", The Free Lance–Star, July 27, 1982. Accessed October 25, 2009.
  65. ^ Leichman, Abigail Klein. "New Jersey NCSY teens encounter IsraelFrom yeshivas and public schools, they meet Israelis — and each other", The Jewish Standard, July 30, 2010. Accessed September 25, 2011. "Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky, a Bergenfield resident and camp rabbi, taught part of his morning class while the boys stood outside."
  66. ^ Martin, Douglas. "F. J. Thompson, 69, Longtime P.O.W., Dies", The New York Times, July 18, 2002. Accessed April 5, 2008. "Floyd James Thompson was born in Bergenfield, N.J., on July 8, 1933, the son of a bus driver. He worked in a grocery store and graduated from Bergenfield High School in 1951."
  67. ^ 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."
  68. ^ Jacklyn Zeman: Bobbie Spencer on General Hospital, WCHS-TV, accessed January 4, 2006.
  69. ^ Fields, Joe. "Ozzie Cadena: (9/26/1924 – 4/9/2008)", JazzTimes, March 2009. Accessed July 31, 2009.
  70. ^ Hanley, Robert. " 4 JERSEY TEEN-AGERS KILL THEMSELVES IN DEATH PACT", The New York Times, March 12, 1987. Accessed October 20, 2007. "All four, Mr. McClure said at a news conference, were very troubled. The older three had dropped out of Bergenfield High School before graduation, and Lisa Burress had recently been suspended from classes."
  71. ^ Schoemer, Karen. "Sounds Around Town", The New York Times, July 24, 1992. Accessed October 20, 2007. "Bergenfield, from his album Poor Man's Dream"(Philo/ Rounder), is a look at suburban teen-age suicide."

Sources

External links

Municipalities and communities of Bergen County, New Jersey, USA
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