OAKLAND, NJ

Oakland is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and a suburb of New York City. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 12,754, reflecting an increase of 288 (+2.3%) from the 12,466 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 469 (+3.9%) from the 11,997 counted in the 1990 Census.

Oakland was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1902, from portions of Franklin Township (now Wyckoff). The name comes from the white oak trees in the area.

History

The Van Allen House was built in 1748 and was a stop for George Washington and his troops in 1777.

From the 1940s through the end of the 1960s a summer bungalow colony was developed in a valley in West Oakland on the Ramapo River. This was a refuge for a close-knit group of several score families from the summer heat of New York City and urban New Jersey. During the summer months, the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad provided service at a West Oakland passenger station. This colony was located on the road between Oakland and Pompton Lakes, near a training camp for boxers. In the early morning, a resident could see Joe Louis or Sugar Ray Robinson, among others, running past the summer homes.

One section of streets in the town are named after Native American tribes and Native American first names. Now considered politically incorrect, the borough had a wooden sign posted downtown that read "Once there was Indians all over this place" which had been donated by a resident who insisted on the wording of the sign as having been a quotation from an author.

FRG Park shootout

On August 4, 1985, a gun shootout occurred at the FRG Sports Complex — formerly known as Muller's Park — directly next to Oakland's former swimming park located along the Ramapo River called Pleasureland. Some time around 4:30 p.m. gunfire between rival Jamaican gangs, who were bused-in from out of town, broke out resulting in two deaths and a number of injuries. Before the incident, Pleasureland and Muller's Park were popular summer destinations that had since the 1950s and earlier (Muller's was built in 1935) attracted families from across the Tri-state area. Pleasureland remained open for a brief period after the shooting incident at FRG, but FRG/Muller's Park never reopened after that day. While the shootout did not occur at Pleasureland, due to the park's popularity the events remain to this day known as the "Pleasureland Shootout" and "Pleasureland Massacre" among people outside of Oakland. The pools and buildings having since been demolished and filled in, but the properties have begun a major restoration. The properties are united and are now called Great Oak Park, which was named after a town wide election where over 2,000 people cast a ballot. The park is being developed as a passive recreation park. The borough, led by a group of volunteers has been working on bringing the 40-acre park back to life since January 2012. The borough purchased the property from building developers in 2009.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 8.77 square miles (22.71 km²), including 8.50 square miles (22.02 km²) of land and 0.27 square miles (0.69 km²) of water (3.06%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Ramapo Lake and Rotten Pond.

The borough borders Franklin Lakes and Mahwah in Bergen County; and Pompton Lakes, Ringwood, Wanaque and Wayne in Passaic County.

Demographics

2010 Census

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $111,390 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,160) and the median family income was $114,973 (+/- $7,378). Males had a median income of $82,750 (+/- $6,931) versus $59,349 (+/- $7,903) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $43,651 (+/- $3,082). About 0.7% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 21 households in 2010, an increase from the 18 counted in 2000.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 12,466 people, 4,255 households, and 3,565 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,448.9 people per square mile (559.7/km²). There were 4,345 housing units at an average density of 505.0 per square mile (195.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.76% White, 0.78% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.70% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.87% of the population.

There were 4,255 households, out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.4% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.2% were non-families. 12.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $86,629, and the median income for a family was $93,695. Males had a median income of $62,336 versus $41,092 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,252. About 0.9% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Oakland's downtown shopping area is along Ramapo Valley Road (U.S. Route 202), with the Copper Tree Mall being the borough's largest single retail establishment.

There are a few industrial parks in Oakland, the biggest of which is off Long Hill Road near the Franklin Lakes border. The Oakland-McBride Center is the home of Royle Systems Group and of Topcon Medical Systems's United States operations.

Russ Berrie and Company, Inc., once headquartered in Oakland, is a major manufacturer of teddy bears and other gift products, including stuffed animals, baby gifts, soft baby toys and development toys as well as picture, candles, figurines and home fragrance products. Russ Berrie and Company, since renamed to Kid Brands, has since moved to Wayne and from there to East Rutherford.

Parks and recreation

Recreation is run by an all volunteer nine-member Recreation Commission. All members are appointed by the Mayor for a five-year term. There are a number of municipal recreational facilities in Oakland. The largest is a recreational area located off Oak Street, known to residents simply as the "Rec Field," but formally known as the Alexander Potash Recreation Complex, which is home to nine baseball and softball fields, six tennis courts, a roller hockey rink, basketball courts, and other facilities.

New Jersey's Ramapo Mountain State Forest is located in Oakland and can be accessed from Skyline Drive just north of its interchange with I-287.

Camp Tamarack, which was a year round camp operated by the Boy Scouts of America from the late 1920s until the mid-1980s, sits abandoned off of Skyline Drive. The camp ceased all activities and was taken over by the Bergen County park system in 1998. Many of the structures in the camp have been torn down, but some remain standing. Oakland is the current location of the headquarters of the Northern New Jersey Council.

The Rec Field is home to the annual carnival and fireworks that take place during the summer.

Oakland offers a summer camp which runs for six weeks, as well as a "safety camp" for children entering kindergarten at Manito, Dogwood, or Heights.

Crystal Lake Beach Club is a private beach club open Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day weekend; purchase of a membership is required to use the site's facilities.

Holiday Bowl, located on Spruce Street, provides a facility for the high school bowling team, hosts a local league, and rents lanes by the hour.

Government

Local government

Oakland 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 comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large on a partisan basis during 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 used by Oakland 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 the Borough of Oakland is Democrat Linda H. Schwager, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Oakland Borough Council are Council President Eric Kulmala (R, 2024), Pasquale A. "Pat" Pignatelli (R, 2023), Steven Saliani (R, 2024), Kevin Slasinski (R, 2022; elected to serve an unexpired term), Russell Talamini (R, 2023) and Grant Van Eck (R, 2022).

In February 2021, the Borough Council selected Kevin Slasinksi from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Robert Knapp until he resigned from office the previous month.

Emergency services

The Oakland Fire Department is an all-volunteer squad established in 1909 that came under the supervision of the borough in 1911. There are three firehouses in Oakland. The central station is located on Yawpo Avenue just off Ramapo Valley Road in downtown Oakland.

There is one police station and it is located on Ramapo Valley Road across from the intersection with Walnut Street.

Federal, state and county representation

Oakland is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 39th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Oakland had been in the 40th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 8,542 registered voters in Oakland, of which 1,718 (20.1% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,700 (31.6% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 4,116 (48.2% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 8 voters registered to other parties. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 67.0% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 90.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 3,727 votes (53.7% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 2,872 votes (41.4% vs. 54.2%) and other candidates with 336 votes (4.8% vs. 4.6%), among the 7,013 ballots cast by the borough's 9,233 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.0% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County). In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 3,631 votes (55.4% vs. 43.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,845 votes (43.4% vs. 54.8%) and other candidates with 80 votes (1.2% vs. 0.9%), among the 6,555 ballots cast by the borough's 8,952 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.2% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 3,900 votes (54.9% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 3,082 votes (43.4% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 60 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 7,106 ballots cast by the borough's 8,974 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.2% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 3,938 votes (57.3% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 2,864 votes (41.7% vs. 51.7%) and other candidates with 46 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 6,867 ballots cast by the borough's 8,588 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.0% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 67.5% of the vote (2,746 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 31.3% (1,275 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (49 votes), among the 4,129 ballots cast by the borough's 8,623 registered voters (59 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 2,553 votes (54.3% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,776 votes (37.8% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 312 votes (6.6% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 23 votes (0.5% vs. 0.5%), among the 4,702 ballots cast by the borough's 8,782 registered voters, yielding a 53.5% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Education

Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Oakland Public Schools. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,362 students and 132.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.3:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Dogwood Hill Elementary School with 247 students in grades K-5,

Heights Elementary School with 347 students in grades K-5,

Manito Elementary School with 266 students in grades K-5 and

Valley Middle School with 473 students in grades 6-8).

Students in ninth through twelfth grades for public school attend the schools of the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, a regional district serving students from Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff. Students entering the district as freshmen have the option to attend either of the district's high schools, subject to a choice made during eighth grade. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Indian Hills High School, located in Oakland (1,062 students) and

Ramapo High School, located in Franklin Lakes (1,222 students). The district's nine-member board of education oversees the operation of the district; seats on the board are allocated based on population, with three of the nine seats allocated to Oakland. Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff (FLOW district) approved the creation of a regional high school in 1954 by a vote of 1,060 to 51, with Ramapo High School (in Franklin Lakes) opened in 1957 and Indian Hills High School in 1960.

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.

Private schools include Barnstable Academy, a college preparatory school for students in fifth through twelfth grades located in a business and industrial park off Long Hill Road; The New Jersey Japanese School, which serves Japanese expatriates to prepare them for the Japanese educational system when the students eventually return to Japan, located next to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church; and the Gerrard Berman Day School (Solomon Schechter of North Jersey), a Jewish day school for students in preschool through eighth grade, located on Spruce Street.

Awards

Oakland was ranked 43rd by Business Week on its list of "Great Places to Raise Kids -- for Less", with only two places in New Jersey ranked higher than Oakland: Matawan (12th) and Echelon a neighborhood near Philadelphia (4th). The criteria were test scores in math and reading, number of schools, cost of living, recreational and cultural activities, and risk of crime.

In 2013, Oakland was ranked by New Jersey Monthly as #1 for Young Families: "...Oakland is woodsy and a bit remote, but its midsize homes, good schools and low crime rate make it popular with young families."

Transportation

Roads and highways

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

Major roads through Oakland include Interstate 287 (including exits 57 and 58), Route 208 and U.S. Route 202.

Public transportation

Commuter bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City is available from Coach USA via Short Line.

NJ Transit bus service is also available on a limited basis via the 752 route between Oakland and Hackensack via Ridgewood.

A freight rail line, the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway, runs through Oakland. Commuter rail service ended in 1966.

Newark Liberty International Airport provides scheduled air service.

Earlier railroad

A rail right-of-way was built by the New Jersey Midland Railway around 1870 and later served passengers on the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad (NYS&W). until service was abruptly curtailed in 1966. Plans to restore service have not materialized. The borough is a stop on the annual Toys for Tots train.

Media

WVNJ AM-1160 is licensed to Oakland.

Oakland Patch provides hyperlocal content about news and events in Oakland, as part of the Patch Media network. The Franklin Lakes / Oakland Suburban News is published weekly, with additional news available online in conjunction with The Record. The Oakland Journal is an online hyper-local news source that covers local political, civic and social events. The Borough also has its own Communications Commission which publishes a monthly e-newsletter and operates its own local access television channel, Oakland TV (airing on optimum Channel 77, which can be seen within the Borough and also on Verizon fios Channel 45, which can be seen throughout western Bergen County) among other responsibilities.

Notable people

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