Englewood, New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| City of Englewood, New Jersey | |
 |
|
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Bergen |
| Incorporated | March 17, 1899 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Michael Wildes |
| - City Manager | |
| Area | |
| - City | 4.9 sq mi (12.8 km²) |
| - Land | 4.9 sq mi (12.7 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km²) |
| Population (2005) | |
| - City | 26,207 |
| - Density | 5,322.0/sq mi (2,056.3/km²) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Website: http://www.cityofenglewood.org | |
Englewood is a city located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 26,203.
Englewood was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of Englewood Township. With the creation of the City of Englewood, Englewood Township was dissolved. An earlier referendum on March 10, 1896, was declared unconstitutional.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Geography
Englewood is located at 40°53'36" North, 73°58'33" West (40.893343, -73.975801)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.8 km² (4.9 mi²). 12.7 km² (4.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.20% is water.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 6,253 |
|
|
| 1910 | 9,924 | 58.7% | |
| 1920 | 11,627 | 17.2% | |
| 1930 | 17,805 | 53.1% | |
| 1940 | 18,966 | 6.5% | |
| 1950 | 23,145 | 22.0% | |
| 1960 | 26,057 | 12.6% | |
| 1970 | 24,985 | -4.1% | |
| 1980 | 23,701 | -5.1% | |
| 1990 | 24,850 | 4.8% | |
| 2000 | 26,203 | 5.4% | |
| Est. 2005 | 26,207 | [2] | 0.0% |
| historical data sources: [3][4] | |||
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 26,203 people, 9,273 households, and 6,481 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,056.3/km² (5,322.0/mi²). There were 9,614 housing units at an average density of 754.5/km² (1,952.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 42.49% White, 38.98% African American, 0.27% Native American, 5.21% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 8.50% from other races, and 4.50% from two or more races. 21.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
7.17% of Englewood residents identified themselves as being of Colombian American ancestry in the 2000 Census, the ninth highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States[5].
There were 9,273 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $58,379, and the median income for a family was $67,194. Males had a median income of $41,909 versus $34,358 for females. The per capita income for the city was $35,275. 8.9% of the population and 6.6% of families were below the poverty line. 10.2% of those under the age of 18 and 8.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
Beginning in 1980, Englewood switched from a Mayor-Council form of government to a modified Council-Manager plan of government in accordance with New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law of 1950. Under this charter, the mayor retains appointive and veto powers, while the council acts as a legislative and policy making body, with some power to appoint and confirm appointments. The City Council consists of five members: four are elected from wards of roughly equal population and one additional member is elected at large. Administrative functions are responsibilities of the City Manager.
The current Mayor is Michael Wildes (term ends on December 31, 2010). The mayor is elected city-wide to a three-year term of office and has significant powers in appointing members to the Planning Board, the Library Board of Trustees, and, with council confirmation, the Board of Adjustment. The mayor serves on the Planning Board. The mayor attends and may speak at council meetings, but voting is confined only to breaking a deadlock with an affirmative vote for passage of an ordinance or resolution. The mayor has veto power over any city ordinance, but can be overridden with votes from four council members.
The City Council consists of five members, each elected for a three-year term. Four are elected from the individual wards in which they live and the other is elected by a city-wide vote as an at-large member. The city is divided into four wards which are approximately equal in population. The City Council is the legislative branch of government, whereby, deciding public policy, creating city ordinances and resolutions, passing the city budget, appropriating funds for city services, and hiring the City Manager. The City Council meets generally four times per month (except during summer months).
Members of the City Council are[6]:
- At Large: Gordon M. Johnson (term ends in 2009)
- Ward 1: Dr. Kenneth E. Rosenzweig (2008)
- Ward 2: Charlotte Bennett Schoen (2007)
- Ward 3: Scott Reddin (2008) - Council President
- Ward 4: Jack Drakeford (2007)
All members of the City Council are Democrats. However, Drakeford is a member of one local faction of the Democrats, and Johnson, Rosenzweig, Schoen and Reddin are part of another faction. These two factions of the party act essentially as two separate political parties because of the lack of a significant Republican presence.
On Election Day, November 7, 2006, Englewood voters selected a mayor and filled the at-large seat on the City Council. As of Election Day, the Mayor and Council were all Democrats, in a community in which registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a more than 6-1 margin. Incumbent Mayor Michael Wildes (with 4,673 votes) coasted to a win in his bid for a second term in office, defeating independent Robert O. Stern (2,443) and Republican Baruch Y. Prince (400). Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson (5,132 votes) defeated Republican Harry Kanner (1,501).[7][8] The election was characterized by mudslinging between the candidates and the factions within Englewood's dominant Democratic party.[9][10]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Englewood is in the Ninth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 37th Legislative District.[11]
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 37th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Loretta Weinberg (D, Teaneck) and in the Assembly by Valerie Huttle (D, Englewood) and Gordon M. Johnson (D, Englewood). 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 26,353 in Englewood, there were 14,049 registered voters (53.3% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 6,151 (43.8% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,029 (7.3% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 6,866 (48.9% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There were three voters registered to other parties.[12]
On the national level, Englewood leans very strongly toward the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 74% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 25%.[13]
[edit] Education
The Englewood Public School District serves students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade. For high school, students from Englewood Cliffs attend Dwight Morrow High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Englewood Cliffs Public Schools.
Schools in the district are:
- Academies at Englewood James Smith - Principal
- D. A. Quarles Early Childhood Center Sheryl Sullivan - Principal
- Cleveland School Dorian Milteer - Principal
- Lincoln School Marsha Howard - Principal
- Janis E. Dismus Middle School Pete Elbert - Principal
- Dwight Morrow High School James Smith - Principal
High school students from Englewood may also attend the public Bergen County Technical High Schools and Bergen County Academies, with the former located in Teterboro and Paramus and the latter located in Hackensack.
Englewood is the home to a number of private schools. Dwight-Englewood School has 935 students in preschool through twelfth grade. Elisabeth Morrow School serves 462 students in preschool through eighth grade. Moriah School of Englewood is a Jewish day school with nearly 1,000 students in preschool through eighth grade.
[edit] History
[edit] Origin of Name
Englewood was so named because it was the first primarily English-speaking settlement on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River in former New Netherland after the annexation of New Netherland by England in 1664. Numerous other settlements in the United States were named for Englewood as settlement in North America expanded westward.
[edit] Pre-Colonial and Colonial
Englewood, like the rest of New Jersey, was originally populated by Lenni-Lenape Native Americans prior to European colonization. The Lenape who lived in the Englewood region were of the "turtle clan" which used a stylized turtle as its symbol, but little else is known of the original inhabitants.
When Henry Hudson sailed up what would become known as the Hudson River in 1607, he claimed the entirety of the watershed of the river, including Englewood, for the Netherlands, making the future region of Englewood a part of New Netherland. However, the region remained largely unsettled under Dutch rule as the Dutch did little to encourage settlement north of modern Hudson County, as the imposing New Jersey Palisades blocked expansion on the west bank of the Hudson.
In 1664, after the Dutch surrendered all of New Netherland to England, the rate of settlement picked up. The English were generous with land grants, and many families, not only English but also Dutch and Huguenot, settled the area. Street names in Englewood still show signs of the relative diversity of its earliest settlers; Brinckerhoff, Van Brunt, Lydecker, Van Nostrand and Durie (Duryea), all Dutch, Demarest (de Marais), DeMott and Lozier (Le Sueur), French Huguenot, and Moore, Lawrence, Cole and Day, English.
[edit] Historical notes
The telephone industry made a United States "first" in Englewood with the introduction of what is known now as Direct distance dialing (DDD). Starting on November 10, 1951, customers of the ENglewood 3, ENglewood 4 and TEaneck 7 exchanges (who could already dial New York City and area) were able to dial 11 cities across the United States, simply by dialing the three-digit area code and the seven digit number (or the three-digit area code and the local number of two letters and five digits).
Vince Lombardi began his coaching career at St. Cecelia High School two years after his graduation from Fordham University, and the NFL championship trophy is named in his honor.
[edit] Famous residents
Some noted current and former residents include:
- Faye Adams, singer (Shake A Hand)
- Liam Aiken, actor - Current resident
- AZ, rapper
- Regina Belle , Grammy Award winning singer.[14]
- Tony Bennett , Grammy Award winning singer
- George Benson, jazz singer and musician.[15]
- John Bergamo, percussionist and composer
- Dick Button, Olympic ice skater and commentator. Ranked #11 on the Sports Illustrated list of The 50 Greatest New Jersey Sports Figures.[16]
- David Cassidy (actor)
- Wayne Cauthen Current and First appointed African American City Manager of Kansas City, MO.
- Sophie Clark, the only African American victim of the Boston Strangler, Albert DeSalvo
- Dizzy Gillespie, jazz trumpeter (lived in Englewood from 1965 until his death in 1993)
- Bruce Harper, former professional football player, New York Jets
- Wil Horneff, actor
- Ernie Isley, guitarist and member of The Isley Brothers
- Marvin Isley, bassist and member of the Isley Brothers
- Kimberly Jones, a female rapper otherwise known as Lil Kim
- Serius Jones, MC, battle rapper, mixtape awards winner
- Kitty Kallen, singer
- Sara Lee Kessler TV reporter
- Anne Morrow Lindbergh, author and aviator, wife of Charles Lindbergh and daughter of Dwight Morrow
- Charles Lindbergh, aviator
- Dwight Morrow, former United States Senator, United States Ambassador to Mexico, Father-In Law of Charles Lindbergh and namesake of Dwight Morrow High School)
- Vince Lombardi, professional football coach; began his career at St. Cecelia High School
- Eddie Murphy, comedian and actor, but he is selling his house and leaving
- Roscoe Orman, television personality Gordon on Sesame Street
- Clyde Otis, American Music Industry Executive.
- Charles Osgood, Television personality
- Bill Parcells, NFL Head Coach (Dallas Cowboys)
- Sarah Jessica Parker, actress
- Clarke Peters, actor; currently Det. Lester Freamon on HBO's The Wire
- Aidan Quinn, actor
- Sylvia Robinson, singer, record producer, and co-founder of Sugar Hill Records and All Platinum Records
- Steve Rothman, Congressmen representing Englewood, was Mayor of Englewood from 1983-1989
- Brooke Shields, actress
- Upton Sinclair, author; established a socialist commune called Helicon Home Colony in 1906 with proceeds from his novel The Jungle; it burned down in 1907
- Sister Souljah, rapper/activist
- Gloria Swanson, actress
- Robert Torricelli, former U.S. Senator; resided in Englewood throughout his career of elective political office
- Joey Travolta, actor
- John Travolta, actor.[17]
- John T. Wright, First African American Councilman in Bergen County-Elected to City Council in 1952, his memory lives on in the dedication of the "John T. Wright" Arena located in Mackay Park.
- Tom Wright, actor; born and raised in Englewood.
[edit] References
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 77.
- ^ Population Finder: Englewood city, New Jersey. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on March 4, 2007. “The 2005 population estimate for Englewood city, New Jersey is 26,207.”
- ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990. Retrieved on March 1, 2007.
- ^ Historical Population Trends in Bergen County (1900-2000). Bergen County Department of Planning & Economic Development (2001). Retrieved on March 4, 2007.
- ^ Colmbian Communities, accessed August 23, 2006
- ^ Municipal Government, accessed July 9, 2006
- ^ Englewood Election Guide, The Record (Bergen County), November 1, 2006
- ^ Englewood election results, The Record (Bergen County), November 8, 2006
- ^ Mudslinging among Democrats mars Englewood race, The Record (Bergen County), October 31, 2006
- ^ Bergen County 2006 General Election Results, accessed February 1, 2007
- ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 57, 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
- ^ Regina: a showstopper with star power - singer Regina Belle - Cover Story, Essence (magazine) August 1993. "It was during her formative years in Englewood, New Jersey, that Belle developed her commitments to family and music."
- ^ The State of Jazz: Meet 40 More Jersey Greats, The Star-Ledger, September 28, 2004
- ^ The 50 Greatest New Jersey Sports Figures, Sports Illustrated, December 27, 1999
- ^ Sweathog Heartthrob, Time, July 26, 1976. "The urge to perform runs in the Travolta family. John's mother, Helen Burke, an actress in Englewood, N.J., urged all her six children to take part in local theater."
[edit] External links
- Englewood official website
- Englewood Public School District
- Englewood Public School District's 2005-06 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the Englewood Public School District
- History of Englewood school desegregation
- Englewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps Inc.
- Dwight-Englewood School
- Historical Population Trends in Bergen County 1990 - 2000
- Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights for Englewood
- 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
