ELMWOOD PARK, NJ

Elmwood Park is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, and is a bedroom suburb located from New York City. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 19,403, reflecting an increase of 478 (+2.5%) from the 18,925 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,302 (+7.4%) from the 17,623 counted in the 1990 Census.

Prior to 1916, the area was known as Dundee Lake, a section of Saddle River Township. Residents of the Dundee Lake area voted on April 18, 1916, to secede from Saddle River Township to form the Borough of East Paterson. In 1917, residents of the Rosemont section of Saddle River Township voted to be annexed to East Paterson. In November 1972, residents voted to change the name of the borough to Elmwood Park. The new name became official on January 1, 1973.

Elmwood Park, being located in Bergen County, has strict blue laws, which require most retailers to be closed on Sunday.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.73 square miles (7.06 km²), including 2.64 square miles (6.85 km²) of land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km²) of water (3.00%).

The borough borders Paterson and Clifton in Passaic County across the Passaic River to the West; Fair Lawn to the North and East; Saddle Brook to the East; and Garfield to the South (the latter three municipalities in Bergen County). A trip clockwise along the border from the Northwest corner runs from the middle of the Passaic River ENE along Willow Street, SSE along Cyril Avenue, ENE along New Jersey Route 4 (Broadway), SSE along the Bergen County Line, WSW along the extension of Rosario Court from Saddle Brook, continuing WSW along Dye Ave. and between Garwood Court North and Kipp Avenue, and N along the middle of the Passaic River.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names within the borough include Cherry Hill, Dundee Lake, Passaic Junction and Rosemont.

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $66,719 (with a margin of error of +/- $8,506) and the median family income was $75,587 (+/- $4,326). Males had a median income of $50,943 (+/- $1,704) versus $41,654 (+/- $3,193) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,959 (+/- $2,217). About 3.7% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 49 households in 2010, an increase from the 33 counted in 2000.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 18,925 people, 7,089 households, and 5,075 families residing in the borough. The population density was 7,129.8 people per square mile (2,757.4/km²). There were 7,242 housing units at an average density of 2,728.3 per square mile (1,055.2/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 78.53% White, 4.16% African American, 0.11% Native American, 7.80% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.44% from other races, and 2.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.39% of the population.

There were 7,089 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 23.2% 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 2.66 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $52,319, and the median income for a family was $59,131. Males had a median income of $40,684 versus $39,535 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $28,588. About 4.7% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Elmwood Park is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 565) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of a Mayor and a Borough Council, 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 is comprised 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 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.

, the Mayor of Elmwood Park is Republican Robert Colletti, whose term of office expires December 31, 2023. Members of the borough council are Council President Francesco Fasolo (D, 2022), Sandra Balistrieri (D, 2023), Tanisha Dennis (D, 2024), Daniel Golabek (D, 2022), Lorraine Pellegrine (D, 2023) and Theresa Sheridan (R, 2024).

Republican Richard A. Mola served continuously as mayor for nearly 45 years, from 1972 (a year before the borough's name was changed from East Paterson) until his death in 2016. He was replaced by Robert Colletti on an interim basis. In May 2019, Daniel Golabek was selected from three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to take the mayoral seat after Frank Caramanga resigned in the wake of accusations that he had completed voter ballots. In June 2019, Francesco Fasolo was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that became vacant when Daniel Golabek took office as mayor in April.

Federal, state and county representation

Elmwood Park is located in the 9th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 35th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Elmwood Park had been in the 38th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 10,470 registered voters in Elmwood Park, of which 3,256 (31.1% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,898 (18.1% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 5,312 (50.7% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered to other parties. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 54.0% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 68.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

In the 2016 presidential election, Democrat Hillary Clinton received 4,559 votes (53.3% vs. 54.2% countywide), ahead of Republican Donald Trump with 3,737 votes (43.7% vs. 41.1%) and other candidates with 261 votes (3.1% vs. 4.6%), among the 8,690 ballots cast by the borough's 12,582 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.1% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County). In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 4,506 votes (60.6% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 2,790 votes (37.5% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 59 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 7,434 ballots cast by the borough's 11,262 registered voters, for a turnout of 66.0% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 4,462 votes (55.0% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 3,459 votes (42.7% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates with 93 votes (1.1% vs. 0.8%), among the 8,109 ballots cast by the borough's 11,201 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.4% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 4,246 votes (54.3% vs. 51.7% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 3,474 votes (44.4% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 56 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 7,819 ballots cast by the borough's 10,922 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.6% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.8% of the vote (2,498 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 39.9% (1,695 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (57 votes), among the 4,383 ballots cast by the borough's 10,906 registered voters (133 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 40.2%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 2,297 ballots cast (48.4% vs. 48.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 2,099 votes (44.2% vs. 45.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 264 votes (5.6% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 27 votes (0.6% vs. 0.5%), among the 4,750 ballots cast by the borough's 10,758 registered voters, yielding a 44.2% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Education

The Elmwood Park Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2017–18 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 2,649 students and 183.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2017–18 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Gantner Avenue Elementary School with 351 students in grades K-5,

Gilbert Avenue Elementary School with 446 students in grades K-5,

Sixteenth Avenue Elementary School with 469 students in grades PreK-5,

Memorial Middle School with 588 students in grades 6-8 and

Elmwood Park Memorial High School with 735 students in grades 9–12.

Despite boasting several state championship football teams in the early 1970s, the Elmwood Park High School Crusaders football team went into a lengthy period of decline. The Crusader football team had a 41-game losing streak in effect from 2002 until September 30, 2006, when they defeated the Manchester Regional High School Falcons, 33–14, snapping the four-year-long losing streak.

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 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.

Emergency services

Elmwood Park has a fire department with four fire stations. Station 1 (E1-R1) on Grove Street. Station 2 (E2-R2-Marine 1 and 2) on Parkview Avenue. Station 3 (E3-Squad 3) on Martha Avenue. And Station 4 (T4) at the intersection of Boulevard and Veterans Place.

Established in the 1960s, Elmwood Park had a volunteer ambulance corps on Falmouth Avenue, disbanded in 2019 due to declining numbers of volunteers. Elmwood Park is now served by a paid EMS service.

Elmwood Park has a police department located on Market Street.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Bergen County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Route 4, Interstate 80, U.S. Route 46, and the Garden State Parkway serve Elmwood Park.

Public transportation

Elmwood Park is served by NJ Transit buses 160 and 161 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, with local service on the 702, 712, 758 and 770 routes. NJ Transit's Bergen County Line tracks travel through Elmwood Park, but does not have a station stop in the borough, with the nearest stations being the Radburn and Broadway stations in Fair Lawn.

The Passaic-Bergen Rail Line is a proposed rail system that is planned to have a stop in Elmwood Park.

Points of interest

The Van Houten-Hillman House, named for Cornelius J. Van Houten who constructed the house c. 1782 and Herman Hillman who purchased it in 1898, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 9, 1983.

The House of Loud, recording studio where numerous metalcore, punk and post-hardcore bands recorded such as Pierce the Veil, Breaking Benjamin, Paramore, Papa Roach and Bring Me the Horizon.

Artesian Fields County Park- a Bergen County-owned park located on Boulevard and Gilbert Street. The park consists of athletic fields, a walking path, a lake beach, a small zoo, and a playground.

Parkway Lanes is a bowling alley located at the intersection of the Garden State Parkway and Route 46 that has been in operation since June 1959.

The Marcal Paper Company Plant was a landmark until its destruction by fire in January 2019. Its parent company, Soundview Paper Company, continues to make Marcal paper products. In January 2020, one year and one day following the devastating fire that destroyed the Mill, Marcal Paper officially restarted paper manufacturing.

Controversy

White supremacist groups had been meeting at a local branch of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics since the 1990s. David Duke stopped there during his 1988 presidential campaign. On September 25, 2007, the locks were changed, reported the secretary treasurer of the JOUAM. At this time, he states, "As soon as we found out, we took action," referring to the revelation that some members of the Junior Order chapter were white power activists. Numerous boxes containing tapes and books were recovered by the police, which were sent to the FBI.

Notable people

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

Sources