Ridgewood

Ridgewood, New Jersey
—  Village  —
Map highlighting Ridgewood's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Ridgewood, New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°59′2″N 74°6′52″W / 40.98389°N 74.11444°W / 40.98389; -74.11444Coordinates: 40°59′2″N 74°6′52″W / 40.98389°N 74.11444°W / 40.98389; -74.11444
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Bergen
Incorporated	November 20, 1894
Government
- Type	Faulkner Act (Council-Manager)
- Mayor	David T. Pfund (2010)
- Manager	James M. Ten Hoeve[1]
Area
- Total	5.8 sq mi (15.1 km2)
- Land	5.8 sq mi (15.0 km2)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation [2]	98 ft (30 m)
Population (2008)[3]
- Total	24,163
- Density	4,308.9/sq mi (1,663.7/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	07450-07452
Area code(s)	201
FIPS code	34-63000[4]
GNIS feature ID	0885369[5]
Website	http://www.ridgewoodnj.net/

Ridgewood is a village in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the village population was 24,936. The village is an upper-middle class enclave in Northwest Bergen County.

The Village of Ridgewood was created on November 20, 1894, with the same boundaries as Ridgewood Township. The Village became the municipal government while the Township remained as a school district.^[6] In 1902, the village added portions of Orvil Township, which were returned to Orvil Township in 1915. In 1925, Ridgewood Village acquired area from Franklin Township (now Wyckoff). On February 9, 1971, Ridgewood Village acquired area from Washington Township. On May 28, 1974, it acquired area from Ho-Ho-Kus.^[7]

In 1700, Johannes Van Emburgh built the first home in Ridgewood.^{[8][citation needed]}

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Ridgewood as the 61st best place to live in New Jersey in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.^[9]

Geography

Ridgewood is located at 40°59′02″N 74°06′52″W / 40.983997°N 74.114386°W / 40.983997; -74.114386 (40.983997, -74.114386).^[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 5.8 square miles (15.1 km²), of which, 5.8 square miles (15.0 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.86%) is water.

Ridgewood is adjacent to eight municipalities, seven in Bergen County — Paramus, Washington Township, Ho-Ho-Kus, Waldwick, Midland Park, Wyckoff and Glen Rock — and Hawthorne in Passaic County.

Demographics

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 24,936 people, 8,603 households, and 6,779 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,308.9 people per square mile (1,662.8/km²). There were 8,802 housing units at an average density of 1,521.0/sq mi (587.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 87.82% White, 1.64% African American, 0.04% Native American, 8.67% Asian, 0.59% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.78% of the population.

There were 8,603 households out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.4% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the village, the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.

According to a 2007 estimate^[13], the median income for a household in the village was $121,662, and the median income for a family was $147,965. Males had a median income of $90,422 versus $50,248 for females. The per capita income for the village was $51,658. About 1.8% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Ridgewood ranks at #15 on Money Magazines 25 top-earning towns in the USA.^[14]

Government

Local government

In 1970, Ridgewood adopted the Council-Manager plan under the Faulkner Act. Under this form, the public elects five Council Members who act as a Board of Directors. Their principal responsibility is to hire and oversee a professional Village Manager who has full executive power for all departments.

The Village Council is the governing body of the Village of Ridgewood. The government consists five council members, with all positions elected at large in nonpartisan elections to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election every other year.^[15]

The Municipal Election for Village Council takes place on the second Tuesday in May, in even numbered years. The Mayor is chosen by the Village Council every two years, after a Municipal Election. The Reorganization meeting, which is when the new Council members take office, is held on July 1, and is when the Council selects a mayor and deputy mayor from among its members. The Mayor presides over Council meetings, but has no executive authority.

The Village Council appoints a Village Manager to oversee the day to day operations of the Village, to handle personnel, citizen inquiries and complaints, and to handle the administrative duties of the Village. The Village Council passes local laws, makes appointments to various Boards and Committees, and awards various contracts for purchases of goods and services used by the Village. They also review, amend, and adopt the annual budget for the Village prepared by the Village Manager and Chief Financial Officer.

Members of the Ridgewood Village Council are Mayor David T. Pfund (2010), Deputy Mayor Keith Killion (2012), Paul Aronsohn (2012), Patrick A. Mancuso (2010) and Anne Zusy.^[16][17]

Of 566 municipalities statewide, Ridgewood is one of only four municipalities in New Jersey formed as villages, joining Loch Arbour, Ridgefield Park and South Orange.

Federal, state and county representation

Ridgewood is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 40th Legislative District..^[18]

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 40th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Kevin J. O'Toole (R, Cedar Grove) and in the Assembly by Scott Rumana (R, Wayne) and David C. Russo (R, Ridgewood).^[19] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).^[20]

Bergen County's County Executive is Dennis McNerney (D).^[21] The executive, along with the seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. As of 2008^[update], Bergen County's Freeholders are Chairman James M. Carroll (D, Demarest), Vice-Chairwoman Julie O'Brien (D, Ramsey), Elizabeth Calabrese (D, Wallington), David L. Ganz (D, Fair Lawn), Bernadette P. McPherson (D, Rutherford), Tomas J. Padilla (D, Park Ridge) and Vernon Walton (D, Englewood).^[22]

Other countywide elected officials are Sheriff Leo McGuire (D), Surrogate Court Judge Mike Dressler (D, Cresskill) and County Clerk Kathleen Donovan (R, Rutherford).^[23]

Politics

As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 24,916 in Ridgewood, there were 15,616 registered voters (62.7% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 2,606 (16.7% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 3,584 (23.0% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 9,422 (60.3% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There were four voters registered to other parties.^[24]

On the national level, Ridgewood is almost evenly split. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 51% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 48%.^[25]

Education

The Ridgewood Public Schools consist of nine public schools and two more additional school facilities, which house a BOE-run pre-school program and a private day care center. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics^[26]) are both Glen School (39 students) and Green Twig Pre-School and Day-Care for preschool, six K-5 elementary schools — Henrietta Hawes (413 students), Orchard (314), Ridge (506), Irwin B. Somerville (463), Ira W. Travell (397) and Willard (480) — both Benjamin Franklin Middle School (646) and George Washington Middle School (631) for grades 6-8 and Ridgewood High School for grades 9-12 (1,665). Ridgewood High School athletic teams are nicknamed the Ridgewood Maroons.

According to the New Jersey Department of Education, Ridgewood is a socioeconomic District Factor Group of J, the highest of eight categories.^[27]

The Holmstead School serves students of high school age with high intellectual potential who have not succeeded in traditional school settings. Students are placed in the school by referral from their home public school districts, with tuition paid for by the school district.^[28]

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Ridgewood High School as the 7th best high school in New Jersey in its 2008 rankings of the "Top Public High Schools" in New Jersey.^[29]

Local Media

The village of Ridgewood is served by two weekly community newspapers - The Ridgewood News and the Ridgewood Suburban News. Both are published by North Jersey Media Group, the largest newsgathering organization in the area. The daily newspaper for the region is The Record which is also published by North Jersey Media Group. The company's website, NorthJersey.com, has a Ridgewood town page that is powered by all three of these papers. The page includes community and breaking news, high school sports scores, food and dining features, real estate news, community announcements and events, and a Ridgewood town forum. Ridgewood is also often featured in (201) Magazine, Bergen County's first and only monthly magazine.

Ridgewood is one of several communities in Northern New Jersey to become part of the Patch.com network. Ridgewood.Patch is a local news site exclusively featuring news, education, sports, and opinion pieces about Ridgewood. The company, owned by AOL, hires journalists to operate hyperlocal news sites on sizable communities. Currently. Patch.com operates sites in New Jersey and Connecticut. Sam Fran Scavuzzo is the Ridgewood Editor. [2]

Transportation

The Ridgewood station is serviced by the New Jersey Transit Main Line as well as the Bergen County Line. The station features three platforms. The first is for all trains headed south towards Hoboken Terminal. The second is for Bergen County Line trains headed in the same direction, and the third is for Main Line trains headed towards Suffern and Port Jervis. While NJTransit trains on both the Bergen and the Main Lines go to Hoboken, they stop at the new Secaucus Junction, allowing for transfers to trains heading to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan and other destinations served by the station. Parking is limited near the Ridgewood train station. There are usually taxicabs available right at the train station for those arriving in Ridgewood, as the taxi building is on the northbound platform.

New Jersey Transit buses in Ridgewood include 144, 145, 148, 162, 163 and 164 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, the 175 to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal, and local service offered on the 722 (to Paramus Park and Paterson), 746 (to Paterson, as Ridgewood is its terminus) and 752 (to Hackensack). routes.^[30]

The southern terminus of Franklin Turnpike is in Ridgewood. Other roads that go through Ridgewood are New Jersey Route 17 and County Route 507.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Ridgewood include:

• Peter Carlisle (born 1952), Prosecuting Attorney of Honolulu ^[31]
• Harlan Coben (born 1962), The New York Times best-selling author of Promise Me, Tell No One and No Second Chance.^[32]
• Tabatha Coffey (born 1967), contestant (and Fan Favorite winner) on season one of Bravo's Shear Genius and host of the forthcoming Tabatha's Salon Takeover.^[33]
• Christopher J. Connors (born 1956), represents the 9th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly.^[34]
• Johnny Damon (born 1973), outfielder for the New York Yankees.^{[citation needed]}
• Meghan Daum (born 1970), grew up in Ridgewood. She is an author and currently writes for the Los Angeles Times.^{[citation needed]}
• Anne Donovan (born 1961), Three-time basketball All-American at Old Dominion University and three-time Olympic team member. Ranked #8 on the Sports Illustrated list of The 50 Greatest New Jersey Sports Figures.^[35]
• Niles Eldredge (born 1943), paleontologist.^[36]
• Jeff Feagles (born 1966), Punter for the National Football League New York Giants^[37]
• Jay Feely (born 1976), Kicker for the National Football League New York Jets^{[citation needed]}
• Lawrence Frank (born 1970) current head coach of the New Jersey Nets.^{[citation needed]}
• Varian Fry (1907-1967), American journalist who helped save many, most notably the French artist Marc Chagall, from persecution and deportation in Vichy France during the Holocaust.^[38]
• Bill Geist (born 1945), correspondent, CBS News Sunday Morning, lived in Ridgewood for 20 years.^[39]
• Peter Grad (born 1950), Op-Ed Page Editor, The Record, also writes a weekly column on technology, The PC Guy.^{[citation needed]}
• Daniel Henninger, The Wall Street Journal Columnist.^[40]
• Margaret Juntwait (born c. 1957), the voice of the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts.^[41][42]
• Bowie Kuhn (1926-2007), Commissioner of Baseball from 1969-1984.^[43]
• Robert Sean Leonard (born 1969), actor on House.^[44]
• Robert B. Edwards (born 1943). "He grew up in Ridgewood and was in the class of 1962 at Ridgewood High School. He moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1975 where he started a country and western magazine named Arizona Country Music News. The magazine received four (4) awards from the Country Music Associations of America until it stopped publishing in 1998. There was an accompanying website for the magazine until the same year. He is now "semi-retired."^{[citation needed]}
• Alfred W. Lutter, actor from The Bad News Bears.^{[citation needed]}
• Martha MacCallum, news anchor on Fox News Channel.^[45]
• David Madden (born 1981), 19-time Jeopardy! champion.^[46]
• Paul Mara (born 1979), National Hockey League defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens formerly of theNew York Rangers, was born in Ridgewood but was raised in Belmont, Massachusetts.^[47]
• MC Paul Barman, rapper.^[48]
• Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. (1920-1945), the second leading air ace in World War II, who was killed in action on January 7, 1945. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. McGuire Air Force Base is named in his memory.^[49]
• Buddy Nielsen (born 1984), singer of the rock band Senses Fail, who grew up in Ridgewood and went to Ridgewood High School.^{[citation needed]}
• Tom Nolan, publisher of Golf World.^[50]
• Jeffrey Nordling (born 1962), actor, appearing in the series Dirt And most recently 24.^[51]
• William Remington (1917-1954), accused Soviet spy convicted of perjury.^[52]
• Nelson Riddle (1921-1985), musician and arranger for various artists such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.^[53]
• Bob Sebra, MLB player for the Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and the Milwaukee Brewers.^{[citation needed]}
• Jordin Sparks (born 1989), American Idol winner, lived here as a child while her father was playing with the Giants.^[54]
• Phillippi Sparks (born 1969), former NFL cornerback who played most of his career with the New York Giants.^[54]
• Michael Springer (born 1979), former MLL player, grew up in Ridgewood and attended Ridgewood High School.^{[citation needed]}
• Wayne Tippit (1932-2009), character actor (Melrose Place) who lived in Ridgewood until 1990.^[55]
• Casper Van Dien (born 1968), actor, Starship Troopers, Sleepy Hollow. Van Dien Avenue is named for his great-great-grandfather.^[56]
• Douglas Watt (1914-2009), theater critic for the Daily News.^[57]
• Bill Wielechowski (born 1967), member of the Alaska Senate, representing the J District since 2006.^[58]
• Rebecca Zeller, violinist for the indie rock band Ra Ra Riot, grew up in Ridgewood and attended Ridgewood High School.^{[citation needed]}
• Cameron Wisch, former drummer for the indie rock band Ra Ra Riot, grew up in Ridgewood and attended Ridgewood High School.^{[citation needed]}

References

External links

• Village of Ridgewood website
• Ridgewood Public Schools official website
• Ridgewood Public Schools's 2007–08 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Ridgewood Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics

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