Ridgewood, New Jersey

History

In 1700, Johannes Van Emburgh built the first home in Ridgewood, having purchased a 250 acres (100 ha) property in 1698.

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 a school district. 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 (remainder now dissolved as Wyckoff). On February 9, 1971, Ridgewood acquired area from Washington Township. On May 28, 1974, it acquired area from Ho-Ho-Kus. The name of the village derives from the characteristics of its terrain.

Historic sites

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

Graydon began as a plot of land called Linwood Park and generously donated to the Village by resident Samuel Graydon in 1912. Before the pond that is there now, it was only the river, which is what children swam in. Every summer, Mr. Graydon would dam up the river and it would flood and create a deeper place to swim. People would picnic by the water and hold events there. Graydon remains one of the jewels of Ridgewood, treasured by residents young and old.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village had a total area of 5.818 square miles (15.069 km²), including 5.752 square miles (14.898 km²) of land and 0.066 square miles (0.172 km²) of water (1.14%).

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

Ridgewood has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) and the hardiness zone is 7a bordering on 6b.

Demographics

Ridgewood was ranked 15th on Money Magazine's 2013 listing of the 25 top-earning towns in the United States.

2010 Census

The 2010 United States Census counted 24,958 people, 8,456 households, and 6,756 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,339.0 per square mile (1,675.3/km²). The village contained 8,743 housing units at an average density of 1,520.0 per square mile (586.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 82.21% (20,518) White, 1.59% (398) Black or African American, 0.06% (16) Native American, 12.99% (3,242) Asian, 0.02% (4) Pacific Islander, 1.06% (265) from other races, and 2.06% (515) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.27% (1,316) of the population.

Out of a total of 8,456 households, 45.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.1% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 17.4% 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 2.93 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the village, 30.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.0 years. For every 100 females the census counted 93.3 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 90.1 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $143,229 (with a margin of error of +/- $10,530) and the median family income was $172,825 (+/- $9,197). Males had a median income of $111,510 (+/- $12,513) versus $77,651 (+/- $9,008) for females. The per capita income for the village was $67,560 (+/- $3,740). About 2.2% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 38 households in 2010, an increase from the 22 counted in 2000.

2000 Census

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

The median income for a household in the village was $104,286, and the median income for a family was $121,848. Males had a median income of $90,422 versus $50,248 for females. The per capita income for the village was $51,658. 3.0% of the population and 1.8% of families are below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

Park facilities in Ridgewood include:

Local government

Ridgewood is governed within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under Council-Manager plan B, as implemented on July 1, 1970, by direct petition. Under this form, the governing body consists of five council members who are responsible to hire and oversee a professional Village Manager who has full executive power for all departments. The government consists of five council members, with all positions elected at-large in nonpartisan elections to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election in even-numbered years on the second Tuesday in May. At a reorganization meeting held on July 1 after newly elected council members take office, the council chooses a mayor and deputy mayor from among its members, with the mayor presiding over Council meetings, but without any 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.

As of 2016, members of the Ridgewood Village Council are Mayor Susan Knudsen (term on council and as mayor ends June 30, 2018), Deputy Mayor Michael Sedon (2018), Ramon Hache (2018), Jeff Voigt (2018) and Bernadette Walsh (2018).

Of the 565 municipalities statewide, Ridgewood is one of only four municipalities in New Jersey with the village type of government, joining Loch Arbour, Ridgefield Park and South Orange.

Federal, state and county representation

Ridgewood is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 40th 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 40th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Kevin J. O'Toole (R, Cedar Grove) and in the General Assembly by David C. Russo (R, Ridgewood) and Kevin J. Rooney (R, Wyckoff). Rooney was sworn into office on December 12, 2016, to fill the seat of Scott Rumana, who had resigned from office on October 20, 2016, to become a judge of the New Jersey Superior Court. 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 15,983 registered voters in Ridgewood, of which 4,727 (29.6% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 4,125 (25.8% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 7,118 (44.5% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 13 voters registered to other parties. Among the village's 2010 Census population, 64.0% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 92.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 6,181 votes here (50.5% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 5,852 votes (47.8% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 130 votes (1.1% vs. 0.9%), among the 12,232 ballots cast by the village's 17,124 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.4% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 7,387 votes here (55.5% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 5,743 votes (43.2% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates with 80 votes (0.6% vs. 0.8%), among the 13,306 ballots cast by the village's 16,867 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.9% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 6,656 votes here (50.7% vs. 51.7% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 6,357 votes (48.4% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 94 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 13,141 ballots cast by the village's 16,325 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.5% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 62.9% of the vote (4,259 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 36.2% (2,453 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (59 votes), among the 6,864 ballots cast by the village's 16,103 registered voters (93 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 4,192 votes here (48.8% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 3,885 votes (45.3% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 423 votes (4.9% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 44 votes (0.5% vs. 0.5%), among the 8,582 ballots cast by the village's 16,509 registered voters, yielding a 52.0% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Education

The Ridgewood Public Schools consist of nine public schools and two additional school facilities, which house a pre-school program operated through the district and a private day care center. As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's 10 schools had an enrollment of 5,702 students and 418.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.62:1. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Glen School (35; Pre-School and Private Day Care Center), six K-5 elementary schools – Henrietta Hawes Elementary School (409), Orchard Elementary School (335), Ridge Elementary School (497), Irwin B. Somerville Elementary School (502), Ira W. Travell Elementary School (392) and Willard Elementary School (476), Benjamin Franklin Middle School (700) and George Washington Middle School (687) for grades 6-8 and Ridgewood High School (1,669) for grades 9-12. The school was the 28th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology. The school had been ranked 28th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 20th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The school was ranked 404 in U.S. News and World Reports national rankings for 2016.

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

Public school students from the village, 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 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.

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.

Preschools in Ridgewood include Bethlehem Early Learning Center, West Side Presbyterian, First Presbyterian School and the Montessori Learning Center.

Local media

The village of Ridgewood is served by two weekly community newspapers – The Ridgewood News and the Ridgewood Suburban News. The papers are published by North Jersey Media Group. 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 includes local coverage from all three of these papers. Patch Media provides Ridgewood with its own daily news website, which offers news, events, announcements and Local Voices.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the village had a total of 94.70 miles (152.40 km) of roadways, of which 79.79 miles (128.41 km) were maintained by the municipality, 13.77 miles (22.16 km) by Bergen County, and 1.14 miles (1.83 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Major roads that pass through Ridgewood include New Jersey Route 17, Franklin Turnpike, and County Route 507 (Maple Avenue).

Public transportation

The Ridgewood train station is served by the NJ Transit Main Line as well as the Bergen County Line. The station features three platforms. The first is for all trains headed south toward Hoboken Terminal. The second is for Bergen County Line trains headed in the same direction, and the third is for Main Line trains headed toward Suffern and Port Jervis. NJ Transit trains on both the Bergen County and the Main Lines go to Hoboken, stopping at Secaucus Junction, for transfers to trains to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan and other destinations served by the station. Parking is limited near the Ridgewood train station. Taxicabs are available at the train station; the taxi building is on the northbound platform.

NJ Transit buses in Ridgewood include the 148, 163 and 164 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, the 175 to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, 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. Except for the 148 route, all the others stop at NJ Transit's Ridgewood Bus Terminal on Van Neste Square.

Short Line offers service along Route 17 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, as well as to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station and down the East Side on Manhattan to 23rd Street.

Notable people

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

Points of interest

The Ridgewood Post Office was the site of a postal killing in 1991, where a former postal worker, Joseph M. Harris, killed his former supervisor, Carol Ott, with a katana and shot her fiancé, Cornelius Kasten Jr., at their home. The following morning, on October 10, 1991, Harris shot and killed two mail handlers at the Ridgewood Post Office.

Warner Theater is a Bow Tie Cinema located on East Ridgewood Avenue.