Paramus, New Jersey

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 10.520 square miles (27.246 km²), including 10.470 square miles (27.117 km²) of land and 0.050 square miles (0.129 km²) of water (0.47%).

The borough borders the Bergen County municipalities of Emerson, Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Hackensack, Maywood, Oradell, Ridgewood, River Edge, Rochelle Park, Saddle Brook and Washington Township.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Arcola, Bergen Place and Spring Valley.

History

The area that became northern New Jersey was occupied for thousands of years by prehistoric indigenous peoples. At the time of European encounter, it was settled by the historic Lenape people. The Lenape language word for the area, Peremessing, which meant that it had an abundant population of wild turkey, was anglicized to become the word "Paramus". A large metal statue of a wild turkey in the Paramus Park mall commemorates this history. Another variation is that the word means "pleasant stream".

Albert Saboroweski (Albrycht Zaborowski), whose descendants became known by the family name "Zabriskie", immigrated from Poland via the Dutch ship The Fox in 1662. He settled in the Dutch West Indies Company town of Ackensack, today's Hackensack. A son, Jacob, was captured by the Lenape and held for 15 years. When he was returned to his family, the Lenape explained to Saboroweski that they had taken the child in order to teach him their language so that he could serve as a translator. They granted Saboroweski approximately 2,000 acres (8.1 km²) of land which became known as the "Paramus Patent".

During the American Revolutionary War, the county included both Tories and Patriots, with Patriots "greatly outnumbering" Tories. Although no major battles were fought in Bergen County, Paramus was part of the military activity, as colonial troops were stationed in Ramapo under the command of Aaron Burr. In 1777, the British raided the Hackensack area and Burr marched troops to Paramus, where he attacked the British, forcing them to withdraw. General George Washington was in Paramus several times during the War: December 1778; July 1780; and, December 1780. Following the Battle of Monmouth, Washington established his headquarters in Paramus in July 1778. Over the advice of his staff, Washington moved his headquarters to Westchester County, New York.

A section of Paramus known as Dunkerhook (meaning dark corner in Dutch) was a free African-American community dating 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 it was a community of free blacks, not slaves. A group of houses built on Dunkerhook Road by the Zabriskies in the late 18th to early 19th centuries was the center of a community of black farmers, who had been slaves held by the Zabriskie family.

Farview Avenue, located at the highest peak in Paramus, has a clear view of the New York City skyline.

Paramus became one of the "truck farming" areas that helped New Jersey earn its nickname as the "Garden State". By 1940, Paramus' population was just 4,000, with no town center and 94 retail establishments. Although the opening of the George Washington Bridge in 1931 and the widening of New Jersey Route 17 and New Jersey Route 4 (which intersect in southern Paramus), made the area accessible to millions, "it was not until the 1950's that massive development hit this section of northern New Jersey".

During the 1950s and 1960s, Paramus, lacking any master plan until 1969, was redeveloped into two shopping corridors when its farmers and outside developers saw that shopping malls were more lucrative than produce farming. "It was a developer's dream: flat cleared land adjacent to major arterials and accessible to a growing suburban population and the country's largest city – with no planning restrictions". New York had a state sales tax, but New Jersey had none, so with the opening of Manhattan department stores in the Bergen Mall (1957), the Garden State Plaza (1957) and Alexander's (1961), Paramus became the "first stop outside New York City for shopping". From 1948–58, the population of Paramus increased from 6,000 to 23,000, the number of retail establishments tripled from 111 to 319, and annual retail sales increased from $5.5 million to $112 million. By the 1980s, when the population had increased slightly over 1960s levels, retail sales had climbed to $1 billion.

2010 Census

The 2010 United States Census counted 26,342 people, 8,630 households, and 6,939 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,516.0 per square mile (971.4/km²). The borough contained 8,915 housing units at an average density of 851.5 per square mile (328.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 72.29% (19,042) White, 1.42% (374) Black or African American, 0.11% (28) Native American, 22.28% (5,869) Asian, 0.05% (13) Pacific Islander, 1.39% (366) from other races, and 2.47% (650) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 7.26% (1,913) of the population. 6.9% of residents self-identified as being Korean-American, which makes it the largest ethnic minority group in the borough.

Out of a total of 8,630 households, 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.4% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 17.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% 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 3.32.

In the borough, 21.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 19.2% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.3 years. For every 100 females the census counted 94.9 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 91.7 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $104,986 (with a margin of error of +/- $9,111) and the median family income was $123,848 (+/- $7,952). Males had a median income of $77,325 (+/- $5,222) versus $52,702 (+/- $4,983) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $40,024. About 1.6% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 35 households in 2010, more than double the 17 counted in the 2000 census.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census 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 per square mile (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.

Corporate headquarters

Paramus is home to the America regional headquarters of Hanjin Shipping, located on the eastbound side of Route 4. Hudson City Bancorp had its headquarters located at West 80 Century Road until its acquisition by M&T Bank, which was completed in 2015. Movado Group Inc. is a watchmaker with its headquarters on From Road. Suez North America, founded as Hackensack Water Company in 1869 and later named United Water, is an American water service company headquartered in Paramus. Coach USA is a large tour operator with its headquarters in Paramus, at the offices of its Community Coach subsidiary.

Paramus was the former headquarters location for Toys "R" Us before the company relocated to Wayne, New Jersey in 2002. Paramus was also the headquarters of Magic Solutions, a defunct computer software company that specialized in help desk automation and asset management software.

Malls

Paramus is known for its multitude of stores and malls. It has five major indoor shopping centers, serving residents in the areas of Bergen County and Passaic County in New Jersey and Rockland County in New York. New Jersey does not levy a sales tax on clothes and shoes, which makes it an attractive shopping destination for people even further away in New York City, who pay sales tax on clothing items above $110 in price, in addition to the lower standard rate of 7% in New Jersey, compared to 8.875% in New York City. The spending levels generated by the malls have made Paramus one of the top retail ZIP codes in the country.

At the intersection of Routes 4 and 17 is Westfield Garden State Plaza, the largest and best-known mall in the borough. Westfield Garden State Plaza is the largest mall in the Westfield Group's global portfolio and the largest in New Jersey, with a gross leasable area of 2,128,402 square feet (200,000 m²). On Route 4, are The Outlets at Bergen Town Center (known as the Bergen Mall until 2006), Paramus Place and The Shoppes on IV. On Route 17, are Paramus Park, Paramus Towne Square, Paramus Design Center, and the Fashion Center.

Many national chain stores boast Paramus as their most prominent locations. Nordstrom's Paramus location, which was its first New York area store when it opened in September 1990 with strong sales volume, is their best-performing. There are 25 retailers that occupy multiple stores in Paramus, including Macy's which had outlets in three malls for a period of time. Some retail analysts view Paramus as being two markets, centered on the two major highways. Lord & Taylor has locations at both Westfield Garden State Plaza and Fashion Center, giving Paramus the distinction of the only town with more than one Lord & Taylor location. Toys "R" Us has three locations: Fashion Center, a location on the eastbound side of Route 4, and a Babies "R" Us on the northbound side of Route 17. In 1983, Paramus was one of the first locations opening a Kids "R" Us store. H&M has three locations in Paramus: Paramus Park, Westfield Garden State Plaza, and The Outlets at Bergen Town Center.

Blue laws

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. This law was called into question when a BJ's Wholesale Club opened at the Routes 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 restrict access to 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 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.

The Paramus Borough Code forbids the performance of any "worldly employment" on Sunday, with exceptions for charity, and the sale of newspapers, medicinal 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'". In spite of its six-day shopping week, Paramus consistently has the most retail sales of any ZIP Code in the United States.

An unsuccessful 2010 proposal by Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie would have ended the state's blue laws (now only enforced in Bergen County), with the governor citing industry estimates that the $1.1 billion in added retail revenue on Sundays would generate an additional $65 million in sales taxes for the state. In November 2012, Governor Chris Christie issued an executive order temporarily suspending the blue laws in both Bergen County and Paramus due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, a decision that was upheld despite a court challenge by the Borough of Paramus. The blue law suspension was in effect on Sunday, November 11, but was back in effect the following Sunday.

Timeline of malls

1957 – Garden State Plaza 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 (41 ha) on an area east of the Plaza on Route 4.

1963 – Paramus Place was built on the north side of Route 4 across from Bergen Mall.

1967 – The Fashion Center was built on a 33-acre (13 ha) site of old celery farms, aimed at quality-oriented shoppers by developer Associated Dry Goods, with a 135,000-square-foot (12,500 m²) Lord & Taylor and a 176,000-square-foot (16,400 m²) B. Altman as anchors and 25 other retailers sandwiched in between The owners originally referred to its location as being in Ridgewood/Paramus to appeal to the Ridgewood population.

1972 – The 35 Plaza Shopping Center is built on Route 4, just located 2 minutes away from Paramus Place.

1974 – Paramus Park was built by the Rouse Company, offering a gross leasable area of 755,000 square feet (70,100 m²). The most recent of the large centers was built on 66 acres (270,000 m²) in the middle of an area where the old farms were located.

1986 – The Shoppes on IV opened up and was built on 236 acres (96 ha) in the westbound area of Route 4.

1998 – The Paramus Towne Square opened up and was built on the north side of Route 17.

2003 – IKEA opens a 370,000-square-foot (34,000 m²) store, its second-largest location in North America, 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, Bed Bath and Beyond, Christmas Tree Shops, and Sports Authority to form a shopping center with a combined gross leasable area of 719,226 square feet (66,818.3 m²). However, when Sports Authority went out of business in 2016, the Sports Authority store closed.

2015 – The Paramus Design Center opens up on the northbound side of Route 17.

Due to the stricter version of the blue laws in Paramus, malls (and almost all retail establishments) in the borough are closed on Sunday except for restaurants and other exempted establishments. Stores may not open before 7:00 AM or remain open after 11:00 PM.

Arts and culture

One of the earliest drive-in theaters opened in Paramus, featuring what was said to be the world's largest and brightest screen, located behind what is now Westfield Garden State Plaza. The Paramus Drive-In closed in 1987 after the last movie presentation, a double-feature of "Crocodile" Dundee and The Untouchables.

Currently, Paramus' lone movie theater complex is a 16-screen AMC Theatres located in an area of new construction at Westfield Garden State Plaza. Prior to the opening of the AMC complex, a number of theatres were closed in the borough, including the Route 4 Tenplex and the Cineplex Odeon Route 17 Triplex, once located next to 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 Theatres opened at Westfield Garden State Plaza. The Paramus Picture Show, known as Cinema 35 until 1997, closed in December 2004 in the wake of declining attendance. The borough will regain a second theater in 2018, when a 13-screen Regal Cinemas will be opening at Paramus Park.

The Bergen Town Center formerly had a performing arts theater called "Playhouse on the Mall". It had a seating capacity of 635 seats and was opened in 1960. From 1960 to 1970, author Robert Ludlum was the manager of the theater. The theater closed in 1982 due to rising costs and low attendance and was converted into retail space in 1986.

In 2016, the Garden State Plaza added a Bergen Performing Arts Center performance area for shows and performances located near Macy's, which took up the former space of the Venetian carousel. There is also a Bergen PAC ticket center located near the performance area.

Sports

Paramus Little League were the 2011 New Jersey State Little League Champions.

The borough has four golf courses. Two are open to the public, with the Paramus Golf Course operated by the borough and Orchard Hills County Golf Course operated by the county. The two private golf course located in Paramus are the Ridgewood Country Club and Arcola Country Club. Ridgewood Country Club was ranked as the #6 Center Ranked Among Top 500 Holes in the World Golf Magazine – 2000 and Ranked # 84 on the list of Most Prestigious Clubs in America Golf Connoisseur – 2006.

Parks and recreation

Paramus is the home to two county parks. On the eastern side of the borough is Van Saun County Park, a 146 acres (59 ha) park that features Bergen County's only zoo, home to a wide variety of wild and domestic animals living in recreated habitats natural to each species. Van Saun Park also has a playground, train ride, carousel, athletic fields, and pony rides. On the western side of the borough is Saddle River County Park which features a 6-mile (9.7 km) bike path reaching from Ridgewood to Rochelle Park. The Washington Spring site in the park takes its name from reports that General Washington drank water from the spring here while his troops were encamped nearby, west of the Hackensack River. The Continental Army is reported to have utilized the old spring at the base of these slopes during the September encampment west of the Hackensack River.

Other parks in Paramus include:

The Cliff Gennarelli Paramus Sportsplex – a park that has athletic fields, pavilion, picnic area, and a playground. It is located behind Westfield Garden State Plaza.

Petruska Park – a park located on Farview Avenue. It has athletic fields, playground, and a basketball court/roller rink. The Paramus Recreation office is also located in the park.

Parkway Plex – located on East Ridgewood Avenue behind Parkway School. It has athletic fields.

Bensen Park – a neighborhood park that has a playground and a sports field.

Buehler Park – a green belt park that has a trail showing New Jersey aviation history.

Constitution Grove Park – located at Farview and East Midland Avenues. There are monuments about the Paramus Rescue Squad, Paramus Rotary Club, and Christopher Columbus/Unico.

Di Maggio Park – located between Oliver Road and Flint Place.

Faber Park – a park located on Hemlock Drive. It has playgrounds and basketball courts.

Fairway Oaks Park – a park located off Paramus Road. It has a fitness walk.

Firemen's Park – located across from Farview Fire Company #4, where it has monuments dedicated to Paramus' Volunteer Fire Department.

Howland Memorial Grove – a monument park reflecting on those who died on September 11, 2001.

Madison Park – a park located on June & Jay Drive that has playgrounds.

McEllen Park – a park that has playgrounds and a basketball court.

Mele Park – a park located on Silverrod Court. It has playgrounds and athletic fields.

Reid Park – located on Spencer Place. It has a walkway, athletic fields, and a playground.

Sirianni Park – located on Midwood Road. It has athletic fields, a playground, a basketball court, and open play area.

Spring Valley Park – located on Spring Valley Avenue. The park is located on the Paramus–Maywood border.

In 2008, the Paramus Golf Course opened a miniature golf course that is themed after the borough of Paramus as well as the state of New Jersey. Turkey statues are scattered around the course to celebrate Paramus as the "land of the wild turkeys."

Paramus has an outdoor municipal swimming pool complex on Van Binsberger Boulevard. It has three pools: a main pool, a pool for younger swimmers, and a baby pool.

There is an annual Terri Roemer Paramus Run featuring a 5K, 10K running race, one–mile "Fun Run", & 5 km Health Walk for runners and walkers of all ages.

Arcola Park was an outdoor amusement park built in 1926. It had a huge swimming pool, a convention hall, a dance pavilion, an auditorium, and rides. A fire in 1929 destroyed the entire park, with the exception of the pool. The pool was destroyed by a fire in 1970 and closed down for good. The park site was replaced by a Ramada Inn, the hotel extending into a small portion of Rochelle Park.

Annual events

During the week of the 4th of July, Paramus holds its own Independence Day celebration. First, there is the performance of the Paramus Community Orchestra at the Paramus Bandshell which takes place on July 2. Next, on the 3rd, there is a softball game between the Paramus Fire Department and the Paramus Police Department, held annually since 2011. On the 4th, there is a parade. The parade route starts at the intersection of Century Road and Farview Avenue and ends at Memorial Elementary School. On the 5th, there is a fireworks display at the Cliff Gennarelli Paramus Sportsplex.

Paramus also holds its own Memorial Day parade every year.

Paramus hosts an annual National Night Out. The event typically includes games and activities as well as a concert. The borough's fire, rescue, police, and ambulance vehicles are also displayed.

The Paramus Rescue Squad and Fire Department Companies 2 & 3 host a Halloween party every October called, "Safe Halloween" to ensure every child has a safe and fun Halloween.

Local government

Paramus is governed by the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The governing body consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. 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 in a three-year cycle. The Borough form of government used by Paramus, the most common system used in the state, is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

As of 2016, the Mayor is Democrat Richard LaBarbiera, whose term of office ends December 31, 2018. Borough Council Members are Council President Maria Elena Bellinger (D, 2017), Joseph Garcia (D, 2017), Stephen Sullivan (R, 2016), Holly Tedesco-Santos (D, 2018), Patsy L. Verile (D, 2018) and Jeanne Weber (R, 2016).

In October 2015, Moody's Investors Service upgraded general obligation debt of the Borough of Paramus from Aa1 to Aaa, in light of the low levels of debt and the strength of the borough's financial operations, reserve levels, tax base, management practices and levels of wealth.

Federal, state and county representation

Paramus is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 38th state legislative district.

New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District is represented by Josh Gottheimer (D, Wyckoff). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Cory Booker (D, Newark, term ends 2021) and Bob Menendez (D, Paramus, 2019).

For the 2016–2017 session (Senate, General Assembly), the 38th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Robert M. Gordon (D, Fair Lawn) and in the General Assembly by Tim Eustace (D, Maywood) and Joseph Lagana (D, Paramus). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Bergen County is governed by a directly elected County Executive, with legislative functions performed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. As of 2015, the County Executive is James J. Tedesco III (D, Paramus; term ends December 31, 2018). The seven freeholders are elected at-large in partisan elections on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year, with a Chairman, Vice Chairman and Chairman Pro Tempore selected from among its members at a reorganization meeting held each January. Bergen County's Freeholders are Freeholder Chairwoman Joan Voss (D, 2017; Fort Lee), Vice Chairman Steve Tanelli (D, 2015; North Arlington) Chairman Pro Tempore John A. Felice (R, 2016; River Edge), David L. Ganz (D, 2017; Fair Lawn), Maura R. DeNicola (R, 2016; Franklin Lakes) Thomas J. Sullivan Jr., (D, Montvale, 2015; serving the unexpired term of office that had been occupied by James Tedesco before he was sworn in as County Executive) and Tracy Silna Zur (D, 2015; Franklin Lakes). Countywide constitutional officials are County Clerk John S. Hogan (D, Northvale), Sheriff Michael Saudino (R) and Surrogate Michael R. Dressler (D, Cresskill).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 16,874 registered voters in Paramus, of which 4,454 (26.4% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 3,474 (20.6% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 8,938 (53.0% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 8 voters registered to other parties. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 64.1% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 81.6% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 6,123 votes here (50.0% vs. 43.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 5,907 votes (48.3% vs. 54.8%) and other candidates with 105 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 12,234 ballots cast by the borough's 17,617 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.4% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 6,885 votes here (51.1% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 6,386 votes (47.4% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 106 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 13,470 ballots cast by the borough's 17,747 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.9% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 6,868 votes here (52.3% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 6,103 votes (46.5% vs. 51.7%) and other candidates with 87 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 13,123 ballots cast by the borough's 17,206 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.3% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 64.4% of the vote (4,888 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 34.8% (2,641 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (60 votes), among the 7,809 ballots cast by the borough's 17,083 registered voters (220 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 4,298 votes here (49.7% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 3,857 votes (44.6% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 376 votes (4.3% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 32 votes (0.4% vs. 0.5%), among the 8,656 ballots cast by the borough's 17,354 registered voters, yielding a 49.9% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Public library

The borough's public library maintains two locations—the Main Library on Century Road and the Charles E. Reid Branch library on Midland Avenue, which was originally a four-room schoolhouse built in 1876.

The borough's original public library, known locally as the Howland House, was originally located at the intersection of Spring Valley Road and Howland Avenue. It was demolished sometime in the late 1990s. A September 11, 2001 memorial park now exists at the site known as Howland Memorial Grove.

Religion

Religious institutions of worship in Paramus include:

Annunciation Roman Catholic Church, 50 West Midland Ave.

Arcola United Methodist Church, 52 South Paramus Road.

Armenian Presbyterian Church, 140 Forest Avenue.

Central Unitarian Church, 156 Forest Avenue.

Christ of the Savior Lutheran Church, 643 Forest Avenue.

Church at the Crossroads, 140 Forest Avenue.

Maranatha Church of the Nazarene, 285 East Midland Avenue.

One Life Mission Church, 242 East Midland Avenue.

Our Lady of the Visitation Roman Catholic Church, 234 North Farview Avenue.

Paramus Congregational Church, 205 Spring Valley Road.

Pilgrim Church (Korean), 18 Essex Road.

St. Athanasio's Greek Orthodox Church, 51 Paramus Road.

St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 167 Spring Valley Road.

The Orthodox Christian Church of Christ The Saviour, 365 Paramus Road.

Trinity Presbyterian Church, 650 Pascack Road.

Education

The Paramus Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2011–12 school year, the district's eight schools had an enrollment of 4,042 students and 316.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.77:1. Schools in the district (with 2011–12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are five elementary schools — Memorial Elementary School (315 students; in grades K-5), Midland Elementary School (249; K-5), Parkway Elementary School (276; PreK-5), Ridge Ranch Elementary School (330; K-5) and Stony Lane Elementary School (206; K-5) — Eastbrook Middle School (653) and Westbrook Middle School (679) for grades 5–8 and Paramus High School for grades 9–12 (1,334). Three of the district's schools have been formally recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence: Paramus High School in 1988–89, Parkway Elementary School in 1987–88 and Ridge Ranch Elementary School in 1998–99.

Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Bergen Tech campus in Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district.

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. With more than 1,500 students, it has the largest enrollment of any Roman Catholic high school in the state of New Jersey. It is also the location of Visitation Academy, a Pre K3-8 Catholic school also overseen by the Newark Archdiocese.

Paramus is home to Yavneh Academy and Yeshivat Noam, founded in 2001, which are K-8 co-ed Jewish day schools. Frisch School is a Modern Orthodox Jewish yeshiva serving grades 9–12 that describes itself as the nation's second largest coed yeshiva high school.

Bergen Community College is based in Paramus, with other satellite centers located around the county. The bulk of the college's 17,000 students working towards degrees are located at the main campus in Paramus. The Bergen campus of Berkeley College is located in Paramus. There is also a DeVry University campus located at the 35 Plaza Shopping Center in Paramus. There is a Lincoln Tech campus at The Outlets at Bergen Town Center.

Paramus is also home to three special education schools. The EPIC School (Educational Partnership for Instructing Children) is located on North Farview Avenue, next to the Our Lady of Visitation Church, The Alpine Learning Group is located on County Route 62, close to Linwood Avenue, and P.R.I.D.E. School, which is a part of the ECLC school, which serves three other locations in New Jersey, has a location on Sette Avenue.

Roads and highways

As of July 2015, the borough had a total of 121.92 miles (196.21 km) of roadways, of which 90.93 miles (146.34 km) were maintained by the municipality, 18.86 miles (30.35 km) by Bergen County, 7.72 miles (12.42 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and 4.41 miles (7.10 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Highways in Paramus include Route 17, Route 4 and the Garden State Parkway (including the Paramus Toll Plaza at Interchange 165).

Public transportation

NJ Transit bus routes 144, 145, 148, 155, 157, 162, 163, 164, 165 and 168 serve the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan; the 171 and 175 routes provide service to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station; and local service is offered on the 709, 722, 751, 752, 753, 755, 756, 758, 762 and 770 routes. Nine of the 22 NJ Transit buses that serve Paramus do not provide service on Sundays. The 722 does not provide services on Saturdays and Sundays.

Coach USA provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal via Rockland Coaches routes 45/45A/45X from Pomona, New York and via Short Line on Route 17.

Spanish Transportation and several other operators provide frequent jitney service along Route 4 between Paterson, New Jersey and the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.

Historic sites

Paramus is home to the following locations on the National Register of Historic Places:

Midland School – 239 W. Midland Avenue (added 1978). The school was constructed in 1876, and was used as a branch of the Paramus Public Library after Midland School was moved.

Terhune House – 470 Paramus Road (added 1996). An 18th-century Dutch Colonial home constructed of sandstone, that was later modified to add Victorian features, including a mansard roof.

Terhune-Gardner-Lindenmeyr House – 218 Paramus Road (added 1972). A Federal Period home constructed on the last remaining portion of untouched land from Terhune's farm, as taken from the original Zabriskie patent. The oldest known portion that can be reliably dated is from 1807–08, with an older adjoining section of the house dating back as far as 1707.

Harmon Van Dien House – 449 Paramus Road (added 1983).

Albert J. Zabriskie Farmhouse – 7 East Ridgewood Avenue (added 1977).

Zabriskie Tenant House – 273 Dunkerhook Road (added 1984). The house was demolished in July 2012 by a housing developer who owned the property, after efforts to preserve or relocate the house failed.

Other points of interest

Buehler Challenger and Science Center, located on the campus of Bergen Community College. It is a space museum where children learn about outer space and missions through simulations. The science center is also available to adults and educators.

Fritz Behnke Historical Museum, located on Paramus Road. It is open every Sunday and has exhibits about Paramus' past.

New Jersey Children's Museum. Opened in 1992, it featured hands-on exhibits for children such as a fire truck, a news studio, a helicopter, and other fun pretend attractions that drew 700,000 visitors per year. It closed in 2014 after Valley Hospital wanted to buy property near its Ridgewood location.

Fire/rescue services

The Paramus Fire Department is a volunteer organization consisting of four companies. Company 1 (E1-T1) is located at East Firehouse Lane, across from the Fashion Center. Company 2 (E2-E22) is located on Spring Valley Road, and is nicknamed "Spring Valley Fire Company #2." Company 3 (E3-HazMat-Foam3) is located at 198 West Midland Ave. Company 4 (E4-T4-E44) is on Farview Avenue and is nicknamed "Farview Fire Company #4." Paramus also has a separate volunteer rescue squad (Rescue 7 & 9) located on West Jockish Square that specializes in motor vehicle extrication.

Ambulance and police

The borough's Emergency Medical Services department is staffed 24 hours a day. A separate volunteer Ambulance Corps exists, largely for stand-by purposes at large events. The Volunteer Ambulance Corps. station is located on East Midland Avenue. The Paramus Police Department, which responds to 60,000 calls annually, is located on Carlough Drive right next to borough hall.

Emergency management

The borough of Paramus also has an emergency management department that is required by state and law to develop emergency plans to protect people and property in the event of any emergency or disaster. The Emergency Management offices are located on Carlough Drive in the Paramus Life Safety Complex next to borough hall, the police department, and the rescue squad.

In popular culture

The 1993 Saturday Night Live spin-off movie Coneheads is set in Paramus. Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin's characters decide to move to and permanently reside in the borough so daughter Michelle Burke can attend Paramus High School. Aykroyd's character "Beldar Conehead" spends his days in Paramus giving driving lessons and playing golf.

Several episodes of The Sopranos, the HBO mob drama, have used Paramus locations. Westfield Garden State Plaza was used as the "Paramus Mall," and the Ramsey Outdoor Store on Route 17 became the "Ramsey Outdoor," and a character is "whacked" at the remnants of the Old Mill Bathing Beach on Paramus Road. In the final episode of the series, a scene with Paulie Walnuts is shot in Paramus, where he was in a car, driving past a gas station.

Less Than Jake recorded a song entitled, "24 Hours in Paramus" in 1995 as one of the songs in their album, Losers, Kings, and Things We Don't Understand.

Scenes from the 2008 film Burn After Reading by the Coen Brothers were filmed in Paramus at the site of the old Tower Records annex building located on Route 17S that had been transformed into Hardbodies Fitness Center.

In the 2011 superhero film Captain America: The First Avenger, Brooklyn native Steve Rogers uses Paramus as a fake hometown during a string of unsuccessful efforts to enlist in the United States Army during World War II.

The 2005 Sesame Street direct-to-video All Star Alphabet, featuring Stephen Colbert and Nicole Sullivan, was filmed on location at Westfield Garden State Plaza.

Paramus was one of the filming locations in the 1986 film Something Wild.

A scene from the 1996 film Ransom was filmed on Route 4 in Paramus where Mullen is driving to Stone Quarry.

The former Paramus Bowling Center was the filming site of the bowling competition shows Make That Spare and Championship Bowling.

Zach Deputy recorded a song called "Paramus" in 2009 as one of the songs in his album "Sunshine".

In season 3, episode 9 of American Horror Story: Coven first aired in December 2013, Fiona Goode threatens Myrtle Snow to Paramus, calling it "toxic waste and outlet malls."

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Paramus include:

John Bancker Aycrigg (1798–1856), member of the United States Congress from New Jersey.

Joe Benigno (born 1953), sports radio personality on WFAN.

Chase Blackburn (born 1983), linebacker for the New York Giants and a member of the Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI champion Giants.

Galit Chait (born 1975), ice dancer who represented Israel internationally from 1995 to 2006.

Lizabeth Cohen, historian, college professor and author, whose 2003 work A Consumer's Republic builds on her experience growing up in post-war Paramus.

Joseph Coniglio (born 1943), former member of the New Jersey Senate.

Paul Contillo (born 1929), politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature after serving on the Paramus Borough Council from 1971 to 1973.

Stacey Dash (born 1967), film and television actress who appeared in the 1995 film Clueless and its TV spinoff.

Spero Dedes (born 1979), Los Angeles Lakers radio commentator, NFL Network television host, and CBS NCAA tournament basketball announcer.

Jim Dray (born 1986), tight end who has played for the Arizona Cardinals.

The Escape Engine, former hardcore/punk rock band formed in Paramus from 2002–2006.

Fat Joe (born 1970), rapper, actor, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad.

Mark Fields (born c. 1961), Ford Motor Company President and Chief Executive Officer.

Dean Friedman (born 1955), one-hit wonder with the top tune "Ariel" in 1977. A lyric in the song references "the waterfall in Paramus Park."

Fred C. Galda (c. 1918–1997), former mayor of Paramus who oversaw the implementation of the borough's blue laws in 1958.

Peter Gennaro (1919–2000), Tony Award-winning dancer and choreographer.

Matt Ghaffari (born 1961), Olympic wrestler.

Jamie Gold (born 1969), winner of the 2006 World Series of Poker.

Charles Samuel Joelson (1916–1999), politician who represented New Jersey's 8th congressional district.

Louis F. Kosco (born 1932), politician who served in both the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey Senate.

Joseph Lagana (born 1978), member of the New Jersey General Assembly since 2014.

Lloyd Levin (born 1958), film producer whose work includes United 93.

Tony Lip (1930–2013), actor who appeared on The Sopranos, playing the role of Carmine Lupertazzi.

Howard Lorber (born 1948), CEO of the Vector Group.

Herbert F. Maddalene (born 1928), architect best known for his work designing churches with the firm of Genovese & Maddalene.

Trisha Meili, the "Central Park jogger", a 28-year-old jogger who was raped and beaten in New York City's Central Park in 1989.

Bob Menendez (born 1954), U.S. Senator.

Liv Morgan (born 1994), professional wrestler.

Dean Obeidallah (born 1969), Arab/Italian-American comedian.

George Olsen (1893–1971), bandleader and proprietor of Olsen's Restaurant in the 1950s and 1960s.

Ken Oringer (born 1965), chef.

Lauren Passarelli (born 1960), musician and educator.

John Bartow Prevost (1766–1825), first Judge of the Superior Court of the Territory of Orleans.

John Robertson (born 1993), quarterback for the Villanova Wildcats football team who won the 2014 Walter Payton Award.

Ira Rubin (1930–2013), world champion professional contract bridge player.

Kazbek Tambi (born 1961), former professional soccer player.

James J. Tedesco III (born 1953), politician elected in 2014 as Bergen County Executive who had been a member of the Bergen County Board of Freeholders and former mayor of Paramus.

Steven H. Temares (born 1958), Chief Executive Office of Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Theodore Trautwein (1920–2000), judge who sentenced a reporter from The New York Times to 40 days in jail in the "Dr. X" trial of Mario Jascalevich.

Trixter, a glam metal band, formed in Paramus.

Connie Wagner (born 1948), member of the New Jersey General Assembly.

Elaine Zayak (born 1965), one of the world's top figure skaters in the early 1980s.