Edgewater, New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edgewater is a borough located on the Hudson River in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 7,677. As of the 2004 Census estimate, the borough had a population of 9,358.[1]
Edgewater was originally formed on December 7, 1894, from portions of Ridgefield Township as the Borough of Undercliff, at the height of the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County. The name was changed to Edgewater on November 8, 1899.[2][3]
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[edit] Geography
Edgewater is located at (40.829893, -73.973911)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 6.3 km² (2.4 mi²). 2.2 km² (0.9 mi²) of it is land and 4.1 km² (1.6 mi²) of it (64.88%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 4,089 |
|
|
| 1940 | 4,028 | -1.5% | |
| 1950 | 3,952 | -1.9% | |
| 1960 | 4,113 | 4.1% | |
| 1970 | 4,987 | 21.2% | |
| 1980 | 4,628 | -7.2% | |
| 1990 | 5,001 | 8.1% | |
| 2000 | 7,677 | 53.5% | |
| Est. 2005 | 9,646 | [4] | 25.6% |
| Population 1930 - 1990[5] | |||
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 7,677 people, 3,836 households, and 1,971 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,487.2/km² (9,060.6/mi²). There were 4,277 housing units at an average density of 1,942.8/km² (5,047.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 67.12% White, 3.52% African American, 0.21% Native American, 23.12% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.94% from other races, and 3.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.45% of the population.
There were 3,836 households out of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. 39.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.70.
In the borough the population was spread out with 15.4% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 46.7% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $63,455, and the median income for a family was $72,692. Males had a median income of $50,795 versus $49,238 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $42,650. About 6.2% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.
As of the 2000 census, 3.22% of Edgewater's residents identified themselves as being of Japanese ancestry, which was the third highest of any municipality in New Jersey — behind Fort Lee (6.09%) and Demarest (3.72%) — for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.[6]
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
The Borough of Edgewater was chartered in 1894 under the Borough form of government in which the Mayor is elected to a four-year term and six council members are elected at large on a partisan basis to serve staggered three-year terms, with two seats coming up for election each year[7].
The Mayor of Edgewater is Nancy Merse (D), whose term expires in 2007. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Maureen Holtje (D; 2007), James Delaney (D; 2009), Denis Gallagher (Independent Coalition for a Better Edgewater; 2008), David Jordan (D; 2007), Beatrice Robbio (I; 2008) and Neda Rose (D; 2009).[8]
On Election Day, November 7, 2006, in the race for two three-year seats on the Borough Council, Democratic Party newcomer James Delaney (1,224 votes) obtained his first term on the Council, followed by Democratic incumbent Neda Rose (1,180) who earned her fifth term in office. Independent incumbent Valory Bardinas was in third (1,134), falling short in her bid for re-election to a third term, and fellow Independent Mary Hogan came in fourth (1,123) in her attempt for office after previously serving three terms on the Council. Delaney's victory gives the Democrats control of the Council by a 4-2 margin, breaking a 3-3 deadlock.[9][10][11]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Edgewater is in the Ninth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 38th Legislative District.[12]
New Jersey's Ninth Congressional District, covering the southern portion of Bergen County and sections of Hudson County and Passaic County, is represented by Steve Rothman (D, Fair Lawn). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 38th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph Coniglio (D, Paramus) and in the Assembly by Robert M. Gordon (D, Fair Lawn) and Joan Voss (D, Fort Lee). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).
Bergen County's County Executive is Dennis McNerney (D). The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. Bergen County's Freeholders are Chairman Tomas J. Padilla (D, Park Ridge), Vice-Chairman Elizabeth Calabrese (D, Wallington), David L. Ganz (D, Fair Lawn), James M. Carroll (D, Demarest), Bernadette P. McPherson (D, Rutherford), Julie O'Brien (D) and Connie Wagner (D).
Other countywide elected officials are Sheriff Leo McGuire (D), Surrogate Court Judge Mike Dressler (D, Cresskill) County Clerk Kathleen Donovan (R).
[edit] Politics
As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 9,358 in Edgewater, there were 4,829 registered voters (51.6% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 1,463 (30.3% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 349 (7.2% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 3,016 (62.5% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There was one voter registered to another party.[13]
On the national level, Edgewater leans toward the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 65% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 34%.[14]
On the local level, Edgewater has its own two-party system, split between the Democratic Party and the Independent Coalition for a Better Edgewater. The Republican Party has minimal presence and doesn't always run a slate in local elections. The perennial local political issue is managing growth.
[edit] Education
Students in grades K to 6 attend the Eleanor Van Gelder School which serves 406 students and is the lone school of the Edgewater Public Schools.
For grades 7 - 12, students are sent to the Leonia Public Schools as part of a sending/receiving relationship. Students attend Leonia Middle School for grades 7 and 8 (a school with a total of 452 students in grades 6 - 8), and Leonia High School which has 588 students in grades 9 - 12.
[edit] Japantown
The Japantown in Edgewater features, among other places of interest, a very useful strip mall containing a Mitsuwa Marketplace which features products aimed at the Japanese American market. Located in the building is a food court with stores such as Hide-chan's Ramen and Italian Tomato, with a convenient sitting area with a view of the Hudson River. The mall also features other business aimed at the Japanese consumer and those seeking Japanese products.
Shuttle buses run daily from Manhattan, bringing Japanese shoppers, as well as those just interested in Japanese products. Fort Lee also contains several Japanese (and Korean) oriented businesses.
[edit] Sources
- "History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630-1923;" by "Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858-1942."
- "Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties)" prepared by the Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey); December 1, 1958.
[edit] References
- ^ Census estimates for Edgewater borough, New Jersey, accessed July 4, 2006
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 87.
- ^ "History of Bergen County" Vol. 1, p. 353.
- ^ Census data for Edgewater, United States Census Bureau, accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ Japanese Communities, from epodunk, accessed June 28, 2006
- ^ GOVERNING BODY, accessed August 23, 2006
- ^ GOVERNING BODY: EDGEWATER COUNCIL, accessed August 23, 2006
- ^ Edgewater election results, The Record (Bergen County), November 8, 2006
- ^ Edgewater Election, The Record (Bergen County), November 8, 2006
- ^ Bergen County 2006 General Election Results, accessed February 1, 2007
- ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 56, accessed August 30, 2006
- ^ "County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," dated April 1, 2006
- ^ 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety: Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004
[edit] External links
- Edgewater Borough web site
- Eleanor Van Gelder School
- Eleanor Van Gelder School's 2005-06 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the Edgewater Public Schools
- Leonia Public Schools
- Edgewater NJ Information, Resources and Community Links.
- Community Forums for Edgewater
- Independent Coalition for a Better Edgewater Political Organization
- Edgewater Democratic Organization
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
[edit] Notable People
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