Borough of Park Ridge, New Jersey
Map highlighting Park Ridge's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Park Ridge, New Jersey
Coordinates: 41°02′09″N 74°02′28″W / 41.03583, -74.04111
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Bergen
Incorporated	May 15, 1894
Government
- Type	Borough
- Mayor	Donald J. Ruschman (D, 2011)
- Administrator	Gene M. Vinci[1]
Area
- Total	2.6 sq mi (6.8 km²)
- Land	2.6 sq mi (6.7 km²)
- Water	0.04 sq mi (0.1 km²)
Elevation [2]	141 ft (43 m)
Population (2006)[3]
- Total	8,945
- Density	3,353.3/sq mi (1,293.1/km²)
Time zone	U.S. EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	U.S. EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	07656
Area code(s)	201
FIPS code	34-56130[4]
GNIS feature ID	0885341[5]
Website: http://parkridgeboro.com

Park Ridge is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. Park Ridge has a population of 8,708 according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

Park Ridge was created as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 15, 1894, from portions of Washington Township, at the height of the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. Park Ridge obtained a portion of River Vale (July 15, 1929), exchanged portions with Woodcliff Lake (December 12, 1955), received part of Washington Township (November 26, 1956), exchanged portions with Hillsdale (February 10, 1958) and Woodcliff Lake (June 9, 1958) and received another part of Washington Township (August 11, 1958).^[6]

Geography

Park Ridge is located at 41°2′5″N, 74°2′26″W (41.034672, -74.040656)^[7].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.8 km²), of which, 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.52%) is water.

Park Ridge is a part of the Pascack Valley region of Bergen County.

Demographics

As of the census^[4] of 2006, there were 8,945 people, 3,161 households, and 2,389 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,353.3 people per square mile (1,293.1/km²). There were 3,258 housing units at an average density of 1,254.6/sq mi (483.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 93.48% White, 0.86% African American, 0.14% Native American, 3.86% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.32% of the population.

There were 3,161 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.9% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the borough the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $86,632, and the median income for a family was $97,294. Males had a median income of $71,042 versus $40,714 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $40,351. About 1.2% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Park Ridge operates under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government and is governed by a mayor and a six-member Borough Council. The mayor is directly elected by the voters to a four-year term of office. Borough council members serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.

The Mayor of the Borough of Park Ridge is Donald J. Ruschman (D, term ends December 31, 2011). Members of the Park Ridge Borough Council are Kenneth Brouwer (D, 2008, filling a one-year unexpired term), Joeen Ciannella (R, 2009), Richard Henning (D, 2008), Tamara M. Levinson (D, 2010), Gerald J. Maugham (R, 2008), and Peter Wells (R, 2009).^[10][11]

In elections held on November 6, 2007, voters turned out to fill the mayoral seat, and two three-year seats and a one-year unexpired term on the Borough Council. Democratic incumbent Donald J. Ruschman (1,206 votes) won reelection as mayor, defeating Scott A. Miller (999), who ran as an independent. Incumbent Democratic councilmember Tamara M. Levinson (1,217) and Republican Gerard J. Maughan (1,181), won three-year terms on the Borough Council, ahead of their running mates Democrat Terence P. Maguire (1,142), who had been appointed to the council and was running for a full three-year term, and Republican Benjamin E. Martin (1,088). Democratic councilmember Kenneth W. Brouwer (1,172) won election to the balance of the one-year unexpired term for the seat vacated by Donald Malcuit, defeating Republican Hope Salimone (1,072).^{[12][13][14][15]}

On Election Day, November 7, 2006, two seats on the Borough Council were up for election, from a council that consisted entirely of Democrats as of Election Day, in a community in which registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by a 6-5 margin. Newcomer Republicans Peter Wells (1,859 votes) and Joeen Ciannella (1,745) won seats on the council, unseating seven-term incumbent Barbara Koehler Martine (1,479) and five-term incumbent John Burkhardt (1,371) in their bids for re-election. When Wells and Ciannella took office as of January 1, 2007, the Council had a 4-2 Democratic majority.^[16][17][18]

Federal, state and county representation

Park Ridge is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 39th Legislative District.^[19]

New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District, covering the northern portions of Bergen County, Passaic County and Sussex County and all of Warren County, is represented by Scott Garrett (R, Wantage Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 39th district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Gerald Cardinale (R, Demarest) and in the Assembly by John E. Rooney (R, Northvale) and Charlotte Vandervalk (R, Hillsdale). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Bergen County's County Executive is Dennis McNerney (D).^[20] The executive, along with the seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. As of 2008, Bergen County's Freeholders are Chairman Tomas J. Padilla (D, Park Ridge), Vice-Chairman Elizabeth Calabrese (D, Wallington), James M. Carroll (D, Demarest), David L. Ganz (D, Fair Lawn), Bernadette P. McPherson (D, Rutherford), Julie O'Brien (D, Ramsey) and Vernon Walton (D, Englewood).^[21]

Other countywide elected officials are Sheriff Leo McGuire (D), Surrogate Court Judge Mike Dressler (D, Cresskill) County Clerk Kathleen Donovan (R, Rutherford).^[22]

Politics

As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 8,974 in Park Ridge, there were 5,577 registered voters (62.2% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 890 (16.0% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,234 (22.1% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 3,453 (61.9% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There were no voters registered to other parties.^[23]

On the national level, Park Ridge leans strongly toward the Republican Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 57% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry, who received around 42%.^[24]

Education

The Park Ridge Public Schools serve students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district are West Ridge Elementary School (PreK-6), East Brook Elementary School (K-6) and Park Ridge High School (7-12).

Our Lady of Mercy Interparochial School is a K-8 Catholic school which also operates in Park Ridge.

Transportation

Park Ridge is served by New Jersey Transit on the Pascack Valley Line at the Park Ridge train station. The station is located at Hawthorne and Park Avenues.

This line runs north-south to Hoboken Terminal with connections via the Secaucus Junction transfer station to New Jersey Transit one-stop service to New York Penn Station and to other NJ Transit rail service. Connections are available at the Hoboken Terminal to other New Jersey Transit rail lines, the PATH train at the Hoboken PATH station, New York Waterways ferry service to the World Financial Center and other destinations and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service.

The Pascack Valley Line is a single-track line providing service towards Hoboken during the morning rush hour and service from Hoboken in the evening rush hour.

County Route 503 passes through Park Ridge.

PKRG-TV

PKRG-TV, the public access television station in Park Ridge has produced and documented many shows over the past ten years. They continue to remain on the leading edge of public-television stations in the area, producing a weekly live show every Monday night. The station also broadcasts events in the town such as parades, sporting events, school plays, and charity events.

The television studio also hosted a "series" of shows entitled Behind The Badge which provided residents with an insight into the way the police department works. It included a tour of the police station and police cruiser and also an overview of programs the department works on to improve the welfare of the community, ie. DARE programs and computer crimes.

The Bear's Nest

The Bear's Nest is a luxury gated community in Park Ridge. It has town house type style houses with luxury amenities including (in some houses) elevators. There is also a community house available for party rental, a pool, and multiple tennis courts. The community is well known for its famous residents including former President Richard Nixon and Tom Coughlin, coach of the New York Giants. Nixon was well known for opening up the community and allowing residents to come in to "Trick-or-Treat" on Halloween and allowed pictures to be taken which can now be found on E-Bay.

Emergency services

Park Ridge is one of the three towns involved with the Tri-Boro Volunteer Ambulance Corps which provides EMS service to Park Ridge, Woodcliff Lake and Montvale. Tri-Boro is a non-profit group which provides free emergency service to those in the community who need it at any time. The headquarters is located in Park Ridge near Mill Pond.

Trivia

• Park Ridge's landscapes were aired on the Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids "Heroes of the Game" segment
• Park Ridge's Pascack Historical Society Museum, at 19 Ridge Avenue, houses the world's only wampum drilling machine. This wooden artifact was made in Park Ridge by the Campbell Brothers who invented a way to drill through long pieces of hair pipe shells so that they could be strung and worn as breast plates by the Plains Indians, among others. Needing water for the operation, the industrious brothers leased a woolen mill that stood on the Pascack Brook. When that burned down they built their own mill farther down Pascack Creek on their land an another shop on Pascack Road near their homestead. Both building housed drilling machines on their second floors where they were safe from prying eyes, as the two machines had not been patented. In the early 1800s, John Jacob Astor purchased wampum from the Campbells to trade with the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest whose beaver pelts he turned into men's hats.^[25] The best years for the wampum business were between 1835 and 1866. The drilling machine can be seen at the Pascack Historical Society Museum on Wednesdays from 10 a.m until noon and Sundays from 1-4 p.m. Admission is free.
• Park Ridge is currently home to the world headquarters of The Hertz Corporation^[26] and used to be the North American headquarters of Sony Corporation of America, which recently moved to San Diego, California.

Noted residents

Notable current and former residents include:

• Jedh Colby Barker, was a United States Marine Corps Lance Corporal who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Vietnam War in September 1967.
• Tom Coughlin, current coach of the New York Giants resides in the "Bears Nest."
• Brian Cushing, strongside linebacker for the University of Southern California Trojans football team.^[27]
• Karen Duffy, model, grew up in Park Ridge and attended Park Ridge High School (Class of 1979).^[28]
• James Gandolfini, star of the HBO TV show, The Sopranos, grew up in Park Ridge and attended Park Ridge High School (Class of 1979).^[29]
• Augie Hoffmann, Guard signed by the New Orleans Saints.^[30]
• Former President Richard Nixon resided in Park Ridge, in the upscale townhome complex known as "Bears Nest." He and his wife, Pat, had moved to Park Ridge from their mansion in neighboring Saddle River in the early 1990s.^[31]
• The rock/pop band The Roches is from Park Ridge.^[32]

References

External links

• Park Ridge Borough website
• Park Ridge Community Website
• Park Ridge Public Schools
• Park Ridge Public Schools's 2006-07 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• National Center for Education Statistics data for the Park Ridge Public Schools
• Pascack Historical Society

• Park Ridge, New Jersey is at coordinates 41°02′05″N 74°02′26″W / 41.034672, -74.040656 (Park Ridge, New Jersey)Coordinates: 41°02′05″N 74°02′26″W / 41.034672, -74.040656 (Park Ridge, New Jersey)

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