CLIFFSIDE PARK, NEW JERSEY

'Cliffside Park' is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 23,007.
Cliffside Park was formed based on the results of a referendum held on January 15, 1895, from portions of Ridgefield Township at the start of the second year of the ''Boroughitis'' phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 76.^[3]
U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg currently resides in the borough. Cliffside Park was also home to the former Palisades Amusement Park.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Government

Local government

Federal, state, and county representation

Politics

Education

Transportation

Popular culture

Notable residents

Sources

References

External links

Geography

Cliffside Park is located at (40.822075, -73.987856).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.5 km² (1.0 mi²), all land.
The East Palisade section offers views of the New York City skyline across the Hudson River. Many McMansions have been built in this section.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 23,007 people, 10,027 households, and 6,036 families residing in the borough. The population density was 9,253.2/km² (23,847.7/mi²). There were 10,375 housing units at an average density of 4,172.7/km² (10,754.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 77.85% White, 1.83% African American, 0.25% Native American, 12.05% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 4.97% from other races, and 3.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.16% of the population.
As of the 2000 census, 3.6% of Cliffside Park's residents identified themselves as being of Armenian-American ancestry. This was the highest percentage in New Jersey, and the seventh highest percentage of Armenian American people in any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.^[4]
There were 10,027 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the borough the population was spread out with 16.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $46,288, and the median income for a family was $54,915. Males had a median income of $40,114 versus $36,100 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $28,516. About 8.5% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

The form of government is mayor and council. There are six council members, with two elected every year to three-year terms on a staggered basis. The mayor serves a four-year term.
The Mayor of Cliffside Park is Gerald A. Calabrese.
2006 committee assignments are as follows^[5]:

★ Mayor Gerald A. Calabrese - Police Department

★ Donna M. Spoto (2009) - Finance, Legal, Recycling, Historical Events and Public Celebrations

★ Bernard J. Fontana (2009) - Public Works, Real Estate and Insurance

★ Bongard - Building and Grounds, Public Transportation and Board of Health

★ T. Calabrese - Recreation, Parks and Playgrounds

★ Dana Martinotti - Library, Social Services and Fire Department

★ Corcoran (2006; serving unexpired term of Richard Spadaccini that ends in 2007) - Planning, Zoning, Liaison to the Board of Education
On Election Day, November 7, 2006, Democratic Party incumbents Bernard J. Fontana (3,904 votes) and Donna M. Spoto (3,909) won reelection unopposed to three-year terms on the Borough Council. Kenneth Corcoran (3,829) also ran unopposed, winning his bid to serve the one year remaining on the seat he had been appointed to of the unexpired term of the late Richard Spadaccini.^[6][7][8]

Federal, state, and county representation

Cliffside Park is in the Ninth Congressional District is part of New Jersey's 38th Legislative District.^[9]

Politics

As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 23,012 in Cliffside Park, there were 10,730 registered voters (46.6% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 3,271 (30.5% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 944 (8.8% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 6,515 (60.7% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There were no voters registered to other parties.^[10]
On the national level, Cliffside Park leans strongly toward the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 60% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 39%.^[11]

Education

The Cliffside Park School District serves public school students in Kindergarten through Twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with enrollment data from the 2004-05 School Report Cards from the New Jersey Department of Education) are
Number 3 School with 309 students in grades K-6, Number 4 School with 416 students in grades K-6, Number 5 School with 189 students in grades K-6, Number 6 School with 699 students in grades K-8 and Cliffside Park High School with 1,052 students in grades 9-12. Students from Fairview, Bergen County, New Jersey attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Fairview Public Schools.

Transportation

New Jersey Transit bus lines 22, 156, 159, 181, 751, and 755 serve Cliffside Park.^[12]
Palisade Avenue and Anderson Avenue are the main roads of Cliffside Park.

Popular culture

Scenes from the 1988 film ''Big'', starring Tom Hanks and directed by Penny Marshall, were filmed in Cliffside Park.^[13][14]

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Cliffside Park include:

★ Joseph Dunninger, mentalist.^[15]

★ Bruce Elia, former NFL football player / local businessman.^[16]

★ Gloria Gaynor, singer.^[17]

★ Ray Gillen, former member of Black Sabbath.^[18]

★ Heidi Groskreutz, dancer and finalist on ''So You Think You Can Dance''.^[19]

★ Frank Lautenberg, United States Senator.^[20]

★ Gus Lesnevich, boxer.

★ Otto Messmer, animator.Hsu, Eric. "Cliffside Park, this is your life", ''The Record (Bergen County)'', March 22, 2007, accessed April 26, 2007. "One section includes a list of the town's famous residents, including telepathist Joseph Dunninger; boxer Gus Lesnevich;and Otto Messmer, an animator sometimes credited as the creator of Felix the Cat."

★ Randy Neumann, boxing referee and former professional boxer.Randy Neumann profile, New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, accessed March 3, 2007.

★ Mehmet Oz, cardiothoracic surgeon and author.^[21]

★ Joe Pantoliano, actor.^[22]

★ Remy Ma, Grammy Award winning rapper

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.

References

1. Municipal Clerk's Office, accessed May 8, 2007.
2. , Geographic Names Information System, accessed April 16, 2007.
3. "History of Bergen County" p. 342
4. Armenian Communities, Epodunk. Accessed June 28, 2006.
5. 2007 Committee Assignments, Borough of Cliffside Park. Accessed August 30, 2007.
6. "Election 2006: Municipal Results", ''The Record (Bergen County)'', November 8, 2006.
7. Cliffside Park Election Guide, ''The Record (Bergen County)'', November 8, 2006.
8. Bergen County 2006 General Election Results, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed February 1, 2007.
9. 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 56. Accessed August 30, 2006.
10. "County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," Bergen County, New Jersey, dated April 1, 2006.
11. 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County, New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety: Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004.
12. New Jersey Transit Bus Schedules, New Jersey Transit. Accessed August 30, 2007.
13. Turner, Rob. "6 Affordable Neighborhoods - Cliffside Park: Across the river and into the trees.", ''New York (magazine)''. Accessed July 11, 2007. "Remember the scene in Big where Tom Hanks morphs back into little Josh Baskin as he walks down the sun-speckled leafy streets on his return to kid-dom? That's Cliffside."
14. Ross, Michale E. "State Seeks Bigger Role In Making Of Movies", ''The New York Times'', August 7, 1998. Accessed July 11, 2007. "''Big,'' one of this summer's box-office comedy successes, starring Tom Hanks and Elizabeth Perkins. Parts of the 20th Century-Fox film were shot in Cliffside Park and Fort Lee."
15. Died. Joseph Dunninger, 82, magician and mentalist; of Parkinson's disease; in Cliffside Park, N.J., ''Time (magazine)'', March 24, 1975, accessed April 26, 2007.
16. "Bruce Elia, Former Cliffside Park and NFL Linebacker", ''The Record (Bergen County)'', December 29, 1990. "It's not that Elia, 37, the former All-Bergen County football and basketball star from Cliffside Park, has aspirations of playing."
17. Gloria Gaynor: She Has Survived, ''Road & Travel'', accessed March 9, 2007. "Gaynor, who won’t divulge her age (“Just as old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth,” is all she’ll say) and lives in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, with her manager/husband of 20 years, Linwood Simon, always knew she’d be a singer."
18. Jaeger, Barbara. "Solos at Home Lead to a Career in Rock", ''The Record (Bergen County)'', August 14, 1991. Accessed July 11, 2007. "Ray Gillen remembers those late-Seventies afternoons as if they were yesterday. 'I'd get home from school, turn on the stereo or radio, and sing along,' says the former Cliffside Park resident."
19. Heidi Groskreutz contestant profile from ''So You Think You Can Dance'', accessed December 30, 2006.
20. Dems pick Lautenberg to replace Torricelli, CNN.com, October 2, 2002.
21. Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. Speaker Profile, accessed March 3, 2007.
22. LG ELECTRONICS SALUTES PUBLIC EDUCATION EXCELLENCE, BRINGS CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY TO SCHOOLS, LG Electronics press release dated July 7, 2005.

External links

★ Borough of Cliffside Park website

★ Cliffside Park Vol. Fire Department

★ Cliffside Park Online

★ Cliffside Park Public Library

★ Cliffside Park School District

★

★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the Cliffside Park School District

★ "Cliffside Park, this is your life", ''The Record (Bergen County)'', March 22, 2007