| Borough of Fair Lawn, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Borough (New Jersey) — | |
| Map highlighting Fair Lawn's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey | |
| Census Bureau map of Fair Lawn, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Bergen |
| Incorporated | March 6, 1924 |
| Government[1] | |
| • Type | Faulkner Act (Council-Manager) |
| • Mayor | Lisa Swain (D, term ends 2011)[2] |
| • Administrator | Timothy F. Stafford[3] |
| Area[4] | |
| • Total | 5.20 sq mi (13.5 km2) |
| • Land | 5.14 sq mi (13.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.06 sq mi (0.16 km2) 1.15% |
| Elevation[5] | 69 ft (21 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[6][7] | |
| • Total | 32,457 |
| • Density | 6,315.4/sq mi (2,438.4/km2) |
| Time zone | U.S. Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | U.S. EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 07410[8] |
| Area code(s) | 201/551 |
| FIPS code | 34-22470[9][10] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0876256[11] |
| Website | http://www.fairlawn.org |
Fair Lawn is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and a suburban municipality in the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 32,457.[6][12][13] Fair Lawn was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 6, 1924, as "Fairlawn", from portions of Saddle River Township.[14] The name was taken from Fairlawn, David Acker's estate home, that was built in 1865 and later became the Fair Lawn Municipal Building.[15] In 1933, the official spelling of the borough's name was split into its present two-word form as "Fair Lawn" Borough.[14]
Radburn, one of the first planned communities in the United States, is an unincorporated community located within Fair Lawn, and was founded in 1929 as "a town for the motor age".[16]
Contents |
Fair Lawn is located at (40.933943, -74.116711).[17]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 5.20 square miles (13.5 km2), of which 5.14 square miles (13.3 km2) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km2), or 1.15%, is water.[4]
In its earliest days (and as late as 1791), Fair Lawn was known as Slooterdam: a Dutch word denoting a native-American weir used to trap fish on the Passaic River. Just north of the weir is a short stretch of Fair Lawn's Wagaraw Road, named for the Lenape term meaning "crooked place" or "river bend".[18] Fair Lawn was named after the estate (or villa) built in 1865 by David Acker, a prosperous New York merchant, which he named "Fair Lawn".[19] The home, which faced what is now Fair Lawn Avenue, became the borough's municipal building, but it was eventually torn down.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 756 |
|
|
| 1910 | 1,178 | 55.8% | |
| 1920 | 2,026 | 72.0% | |
| 1930 | 5,990 | 195.7% | |
| 1940 | 9,107 | 52.0% | |
| 1950 | 23,885 | 162.3% | |
| 1960 | 36,421 | 52.5% | |
| 1970 | 37,975 | 4.3% | |
| 1980 | 32,229 | −15.1% | |
| 1990 | 30,548 | −5.2% | |
| 2000 | 31,637 | 3.6% | |
| 2010 | 32,457 | 2.6% | |
| Population sources:1910-1930[20] 1900-1990[21][22] 2000[23] 2010[6][12][7] |
|||
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 32,457 people, 11,930 households, and 8,971 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,315.4 inhabitants per square mile (2,438.4 /km2). There were 12,266 housing units at an average density of 2,386.7 per square mile (921.5 /km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 84.36% (27,380) White, 1.75% (567) African American, 0.06% (20) Native American, 9.72% (3,154) Asian, 0.00% (1) Pacific Islander, 2.35% (762) from other races, and 1.77% (573) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.15% (3,296) of the population.[6]
There were 11,930 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.17.[6]
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 30.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.1 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.[6]
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 31,637 people, 11,806 households, and 8,901 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,121.0 people per square mile (2,362.7/km2). There were 12,006 housing units at an average density of 2,322.9 per square mile (896.6/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.54% Caucasian, 4.92% Asian, 0.74% Black or African American, 0.04% Native American, 1.37% from other races, and 1.38% reporting two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.51% of the population.[23]
There were 11,806 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.12.[23]
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.[23]
The median income for a household in the borough was $72,127, and the median income for a family was $81,220. Males had a median income of $56,798 versus $41,300 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $32,273. About 2.6% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.[23]
Fair Lawn is ethnically diverse. As of the 2000 Census, 21.7% of Fair Lawn residents were of Italian ancestry.[24] Fair Lawn also has a growing Russian Jewish population.[25] As of the 2000 Census, 10.1% of Fair Lawn residents identified themselves as being of Russian ancestry, the highest percentage of any municipality in New Jersey with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.[26] The 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the Census Bureau showed an increase in the Asian Indian, Filipino American, Chinese American, Korean American, and Vietnamese American populations in the borough.[27] There is also a recently arriving Armenian American influx into Fair Lawn.[28][29]
Fair Lawn operates under a Council-Manager (Plan E of the Faulkner Act) form of New Jersey municipal government by a five-member Borough Council. Members of the Borough Council serve four-year terms in office and are elected in partisan elections in odd-numbered years on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election every other year. All policy making power is concentrated in the council. The mayor is selected at a reorganization meeting held after each election by the council from among its members, and presides over its meetings with no separate policy-making power. The manager is appointed by the council to serve as the municipal chief executive and administrative official.[1]
As of 2011[update], the members of the Borough Council are Mayor Lisa Swain (D, term ends December 31, 2011), Deputy Mayor Joseph Tedeschi (D, 2011), Deputy Mayor Steve Weinstein (D, 2011), Jeanne Baratta (R, 2013) and Ed Trawinski (R, 2013).[30]
Standard Borough Council meetings, Government-access television (GATV), are televised on local cable TV when held in the Council chambers in the Fair Lawn Municipal Building. Work sessions, where laws are discussed and prepared for adoption, are not usually televised.
Fair Lawn has an all-volunteer fire department.[31] The department has four stations, with Company 1 on George Street, Company 2 at Route 208 South (before Maple Avenue Bridge), Company 3 located at Corner Plaza Road / Rosalie Street and Company 4 on Radburn Road.[32]
Fair Lawn is in the 9th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 38th state legislative district.[33] The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[12]
New Jersey's Ninth Congressional District is represented by Steve Rothman (D, Fair Lawn). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
38th District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Robert M. Gordon (D, Fair Lawn) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Joan Voss (D, Fort Lee) and Connie Wagner (D, Paramus).[34] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[35] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[36]
Bergen County's County Executive is Kathleen Donovan (R, Rutherford; term ends December 31, 2014).[37] 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.[38] As of 2011, Bergen County's Freeholders are Chairman John Driscoll, Jr. (R, 2012; Paramus),[39] Vice-Chairwoman Maura DeNicola (R, 2013; Franklin Lakes),[40] Chair Pro Tempore John D. Mitchell (R, 2013; Cliffside Park)[41] John A. Felice (R, 2013; River Edge),[42] David L. Ganz (D, 2011; Fair Lawn),[43] Robert G. Hermansen (R, 2012; Mahwah)[44] and Bernadette P. McPherson (D, 2011; Rutherford).[45][46] Other countywide constitutional officials are Sheriff Michael Saudino (R), Surrogate Michael R. Dressler (D, Cresskill) and County Clerk Elizabeth Randall (R, Westwood).[47]
As of Election Day, November 4, 2008, there were 19,334 registered voters. Of registered voters, of which 7,310 (37.8% of all registered voters) were registered as Democrats, 3,257 (16.8%) were registered as Republicans and 8,755 (45.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 12 voters registered to other parties.[48]
In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 53.0% of the vote here (8,200 ballots cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received 45.8% of the vote (7,087 ballots), with 80.4% of registered voters participating.[48] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 54.3% of the vote in Fair Lawn (8,745 cast), ahead of Republican George W. Bush, who received around 44.6% (7,177 votes), with 16,102 ballots cast among the borough's 20,372 registered voters, for a turnout of 9.0%.[49]
The Fair Lawn Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The district consists of nine schools. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics.[50]) are six K-5 elementary schools — J.A. Forrest (285 students), Lyncrest (219), Milnes (386), Radburn (317), Warren Point (440) and Westmoreland (346) — both Memorial Middle School (437) and Thomas Jefferson Middle School (730) for grades 6-8, along with Fair Lawn High School (1,581) for grades 9-12.
Fair Lawn has several main roads crossing through it forming a semi-3x3 grid. Saddle River Road, Plaza Road, and River Road (County Route 507) run North-South, Broadway, Morlot Avenue and Fair Lawn Avenue run East-West, and Route 208 runs Northwest-Southeast.
Broadway becomes Route 4 in Elmwood Park to the west and eventually Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard in Paterson. To the East, it becomes Route 4 going into Paramus and is less than 10 miles (16 km) from the George Washington Bridge.
Fair Lawn Avenue is considered the borough's main street, containing its Borough Hall, Police Station, Public Library, and Community School. The road goes west over the Passaic River into Paterson, and east into Paramus where it becomes Century Road.
The intersection of Fair Lawn Avenue and Plaza Road form what could be considered a "town center", with several shopping plazas, and the Radburn train station all within walking distance. Other commercial areas include Broadway and River Road, but neither is particularly amenable to pedestrian traffic despite attempts by local business owners to make them so.
Route 208 has its southern terminus in Fair Lawn, and goes through the middle of the borough from the northwest to the southeast, where it eventually merges with Broadway to become Route 4 not far from Paramus. Taken the other direction, Route 208 flows northwest to Interstate 287 in Oakland.
Saddle River Road goes through the eastern side of Fair Lawn and into Saddle Brook, where it provides a link to both the Garden State Parkway and Interstate 80.
Route 20 southbound becomes Route 21 which separates Fair Lawn from Paterson and northbound Hawthorne.
Fair Lawn uses a street address numbering system in which most Fair Lawn addresses are given hyphenated numbers, such as 10-13 Some Street. This numbering system is also used in Queens, New York City. Exceptions to this numbering system generally exist on the Glen Rock, Hawthorne and Saddle Brook sides of Fair Lawn and within the Radburn development. The first numbers (before the dash) correspond to block-distances from Broadway (on streets that run North-South) and to the numbered streets in the borough (example: 2nd Street, 17th Street, etc.) on the streets that run East-West; with the highest numbers being in the low 40's, and the lowest numbers being 0-30, etc.
Fair Lawn is served by the Radburn and Broadway train stations on the New Jersey Transit Bergen County Line. The stations offer service to Hoboken Terminal, with connections at Secaucus Junction to Penn Station in midtown Manhattan and to most other New Jersey Transit train lines. New Jersey Transit buses include the 144, 148, 160, 164 and 196 routes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan; the, 171, 175 to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal; and the 746, 758 and 770 lines, offering local service.[51]
Fair Lawn also has one of the original organized Street Hockey/DekHockey programs in the state. Managed and run through its Recreation Department, this hockey program started officially in 1976. Originally played in the parking lot of the Radburn Grange Hall, it moved to an official rink in 1977 at Memorial Park. The program serves children aged 8–18, and runs during the winter months concluding early spring. Over the years the program grew to accommodate three separate rinks. The Fair Lawn Flyers competed in the first national street hockey championships in 1976 in Leominster, Massachusetts.[52] In subsequent years, Fair Lawn sent teams to both the regional and national tournaments (as teams known as Fair Lawn Flyers and Fair Lawn Chiefs). Two of the three Fair Lawn Dekhockey rinks are named after Joe Gambucci and Bredehorst; both volunteered in multiple capacities for the league. Joe Gambucci was one of the original volunteers to start the program..
Notable current and former residents of Fair Lawn include:
Fair Lawn is home to the following locations on the National Register of Historic Places:[76]