Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Fair Lawn is a borough
in Bergen County
, New Jersey
, United States
and a suburban municipality in the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 32,457. Fair Lawn was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on March 6, 1924, as "Fairlawn", from portions of Saddle River Township
. The name was taken from Fairlawn, David Acker's estate home, that was built in 1865 and later became the Fair Lawn Municipal Building. In 1933, the official spelling of the borough's name was split into its present two-word form as "Fair Lawn" Borough.
Radburn
, one of the first planned communities in the United States, is an unincorporated community located within Fair Lawn, and was founded in 1929 as "a town for the motor age".
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 5.22 square miles (13.5 km²), of which, 5.17 square miles (13.4 km²) of it is land and 0.05 square mile (0.1294994055 km²) of it (0.96%) is water.
word denoting a native-American
weir
used to trap fish on the Passaic River
. Just north of the weir is a short stretch of Fair Lawn's Wagaraw Road, named for the Lenape term meaning "crooked place" or "river bend". Fair Lawn was named after the estate (or villa) built in 1865 by David Acker, a prosperous New York merchant, which he named "Fair Lawn". The home, which faced what is now Fair Lawn Avenue, became the borough's municipal building, but it was eventually torn down.
was 6,315.8 people per square mile (2,404.2/km2). The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 84.4% Caucasian, 9.7% Asian, 1.7% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.3% from other races
, and 1.8% reporting two or more races. 10.2% were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. The 2008 American Community Survey
conducted by the Census Bureau showed an increase in the Asian Indian, Filipino American
, Chinese American
, Korean American
, and Vietnamese American
populations in the borough.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 31,637 people, 11,806 households, and 8,901 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,121.0 people per square mile (2,362.7/km2). There were 12,006 housing units at an average density of 2,322.9 per square mile (896.6/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.54% Caucasian, 4.92% Asian, 0.74% Black or African American, 0.04% Native American, 1.37% from other races, and 1.38% reporting two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.51% of the population.
There were 11,806 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% were married couples
living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% 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 22.8% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.
As of the 2000 Census, 21.7% of Fair Lawn residents were of Italian
ancestry.
Fair Lawn also has a rapidly increasing Russian Jewish population. As of the 2000 Census, 10.1% of Fair Lawn residents identified themselves as being of Russia
n ancestry, the highest percentage of any municipality in New Jersey with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry. There is also a recently arriving Armenian American influx into Fair Lawn.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the borough was $90,124, and the median income for a family was $103,809. Males had a median income of $56,798 versus $41,300 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $32,273. About 2.6% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
(Plan E of the Faulkner Act
) form of New Jersey municipal government by a five-member Borough Council. Members of the Borough Council serve four-year terms in office and are elected in partisan elections in odd-numbered years on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election every other year. All policy making power is concentrated in the council. The mayor is selected at a reorganization meeting held after each election by the council from among its members, and presides over its meetings with no separate policy-making power. The manager is appointed by the council to serve as the municipal chief executive and administrative official.
, the members of the Borough Council are Mayor
Lisa Swain (D
, term ends December 31, 2011), Deputy Mayor Joseph Tedeschi (D, 2011), Deputy Mayor Steve Weinstein (D, 2011), Jeanne Baratta (R
, 2013) and Ed Trawinski (R, 2013).
Standard Borough Council meetings, Government-access television (GATV), are televised on local cable TV when held in the Council chambers in the Fair Lawn Municipal Building. Work sessions, where laws are discussed and prepared for adoption, are not usually televised.
Fair Lawn has an all-volunteer fire department. The department has four stations, with Company 1 on George Street, Company 2 at Route 208 South (before Maple Avenue Bridge), Company 3 located at Corner Plaza Road / Rosalie Street and Company 4 on Radburn Road.
based on the results of the 2010 Census.
, 3,257 (16.8%) were registered as Republicans
and 8,755 (45.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 12 voters registered to other parties.
In the 2008 presidential election
, Democrat Barack Obama
received 53.0% of the vote here (8,200 ballots cast), ahead of Republican John McCain
, who received 45.8% of the vote (7,087 ballots), with 80.4% of registered voters participating. In the 2004 presidential election
, Democrat John Kerry
received 54.3% of the vote in Fair Lawn (8,745 cast), ahead of Republican George W. Bush
, who received around 44.6% (7,177 votes), with 16,102 ballots cast among the borough's 20,372 registered voters, for a turnout of 9.0%.
serve students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The district consists of nine schools. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
.) are six K-5 elementary schools —
J.A. Forrest (285 students),
Lyncrest (219),
Milnes (386),
Radburn (317),
Warren Point (440) and
Westmoreland (346) — both
Memorial Middle School (437) and
Thomas Jefferson Middle School (730) for grades 6-8, along with
Fair Lawn High School
(1,581) for grades 9-12.
) run North-South, Broadway, Morlot Avenue and Fair Lawn Avenue run East-West, and Route 208 runs Northwest-Southeast.
Broadway becomes Route 4 in Elmwood Park to the west and eventually Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard in Paterson
. To the East, it becomes Route 4 going into Paramus
and is less than 10 miles (16.1 km) from the George Washington Bridge
.
Fair Lawn Avenue is considered the borough's main street, containing its Borough Hall, Police Station, Public Library, and Community School. The road goes west over the Passaic River
into Paterson, and east into Paramus where it becomes Century Road.
The intersection of Fair Lawn Avenue and Plaza Road form what could be considered a "town center", with several shopping plazas, and the Radburn train station all within walking distance. Other commercial areas include Broadway and River Road, but neither is particularly amenable to pedestrian traffic despite attempts by local business owners to make them so.
Route 208 has its southern terminus in Fair Lawn, and goes through the middle of the borough from the northwest to the southeast, where it eventually merges with Broadway to become Route 4 not far from Paramus. Taken the other direction, Route 208 flows northwest to Interstate 287
in Oakland
.
Saddle River Road goes through the eastern side of Fair Lawn and into Saddle Brook
, where it provides a link to both the Garden State Parkway
and Interstate 80
.
Route 20 southbound becomes Route 21 which separates Fair Lawn from Paterson and northbound Hawthorne
.
Fair Lawn uses a street address numbering system in which most Fair Lawn addresses are given hyphenated numbers, such as 10-13 Some Street. This numbering system is also used in Queens
, New York City
. Exceptions to this numbering system generally exist on the Glen Rock
, Hawthorne
and Saddle Brook
sides of Fair Lawn and within the Radburn development. The first numbers (before the dash) correspond to block-distances from Broadway (on streets that run North-South) and to the numbered streets in the borough (example: 2nd Street, 17th Street, etc.) on the streets that run East-West; with the highest numbers being in the low 40's, and the lowest numbers being 0-30, etc.
Fair Lawn is served by the Radburn
and Broadway
train station
s on the New Jersey Transit
Bergen County Line
. The stations offer service to Hoboken Terminal
, with connections at Secaucus Junction
to Penn Station
in midtown Manhattan
and to most other New Jersey Transit train lines. New Jersey Transit buses include the 144, 148, 160, 164 and 196 routes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal
in midtown Manhattan
; the, 171, 175 to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
; and the 746, 758 and 770 lines, offering local service.
/DekHockey programs in the state. Managed and run through its Recreation Department, this hockey program started officially in 1976. Originally played in the parking lot of the Radburn Grange Hall, it moved to an official rink in 1977 at Memorial Park. The program serves children aged 8–18, and runs during the winter months concluding early spring. Over the years the program grew to accommodate three separate rinks. The Fair Lawn Flyers competed in the first national street hockey championships in 1976 in Leominster, Massachusetts
. In subsequent years, Fair Lawn sent teams to both the regional and national tournaments (as teams known as Fair Lawn Flyers and Fair Lawn Chiefs). Two of the three Fair Lawn Dekhockey rinks are named after Joe Gambucci and Bredehorst; both volunteered in multiple capacities for the league. Joe Gambucci was one of the original volunteers to start the program..
:
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
in Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and a suburban municipality in the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 32,457. Fair Lawn was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on March 6, 1924, as "Fairlawn", from portions of Saddle River Township
Saddle River Township, Bergen County, New Jersey (Historical)
Saddle River Township was a township that existed in pre-American Revolutionary War times, that included all portions of Bergen County, New Jersey west of the Saddle River...
. The name was taken from Fairlawn, David Acker's estate home, that was built in 1865 and later became the Fair Lawn Municipal Building. In 1933, the official spelling of the borough's name was split into its present two-word form as "Fair Lawn" Borough.
Radburn
Radburn, New Jersey
Radburn is an unincorporated planned community located within Fair Lawn, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.Radburn was founded in 1929 as "a town for the motor age"...
, one of the first planned communities in the United States, is an unincorporated community located within Fair Lawn, and was founded in 1929 as "a town for the motor age".
Geography
Fair Lawn is located at 40.933943°N 74.116711°W (40.933943, -74.116711).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the borough has a total area of 5.22 square miles (13.5 km²), of which, 5.17 square miles (13.4 km²) of it is land and 0.05 square mile (0.1294994055 km²) of it (0.96%) is water.
History
In its earliest days (and as late as 1791), Fair Lawn was known as Slooterdam: a DutchDutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
word denoting a native-American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
used to trap fish on the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
. Just north of the weir is a short stretch of Fair Lawn's Wagaraw Road, named for the Lenape term meaning "crooked place" or "river bend". Fair Lawn was named after the estate (or villa) built in 1865 by David Acker, a prosperous New York merchant, which he named "Fair Lawn". The home, which faced what is now Fair Lawn Avenue, became the borough's municipal building, but it was eventually torn down.
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, Fair Lawn had a population of 32,457. The median age was 43.1. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6,315.8 people per square mile (2,404.2/km2). The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 84.4% Caucasian, 9.7% Asian, 1.7% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.3% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.8% reporting two or more races. 10.2% were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. The 2008 American Community Survey
American Community Survey
The American Community Survey is an ongoing statistical survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, sent to approximately 250,000 addresses monthly . It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census...
conducted by the Census Bureau showed an increase in the Asian Indian, Filipino American
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
, Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
, Korean American
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
, and Vietnamese American
Vietnamese American
A Vietnamese American is an American of Vietnamese descent. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American group....
populations in the borough.
As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 31,637 people, 11,806 households, and 8,901 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,121.0 people per square mile (2,362.7/km2). There were 12,006 housing units at an average density of 2,322.9 per square mile (896.6/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.54% Caucasian, 4.92% Asian, 0.74% Black or African American, 0.04% Native American, 1.37% from other races, and 1.38% reporting two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.51% of the population.
There were 11,806 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% 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 22.8% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.
As of the 2000 Census, 21.7% of Fair Lawn residents were of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
ancestry.
Fair Lawn also has a rapidly increasing Russian Jewish population. As of the 2000 Census, 10.1% of Fair Lawn residents identified themselves as being of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n ancestry, the highest percentage of any municipality in New Jersey with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry. There is also a recently arriving Armenian American influx into Fair Lawn.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the borough was $90,124, and the median income for a family was $103,809. Males had a median income of $56,798 versus $41,300 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the borough was $32,273. About 2.6% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Fair Lawn operates under a Council-ManagerFaulkner Act (Council-Manager)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Council-Manager government.The council consists of 5, 7, or 9 members elected by the public...
(Plan E of the Faulkner Act
Faulkner Act (New Jersey)
The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H...
) form of New Jersey municipal government by a five-member Borough Council. Members of the Borough Council serve four-year terms in office and are elected in partisan elections in odd-numbered years on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election every other year. All policy making power is concentrated in the council. The mayor is selected at a reorganization meeting held after each election by the council from among its members, and presides over its meetings with no separate policy-making power. The manager is appointed by the council to serve as the municipal chief executive and administrative official.
, the members of the Borough Council are Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Lisa Swain (D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, term ends December 31, 2011), Deputy Mayor Joseph Tedeschi (D, 2011), Deputy Mayor Steve Weinstein (D, 2011), Jeanne Baratta (R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, 2013) and Ed Trawinski (R, 2013).
Standard Borough Council meetings, Government-access television (GATV), are televised on local cable TV when held in the Council chambers in the Fair Lawn Municipal Building. Work sessions, where laws are discussed and prepared for adoption, are not usually televised.
Fair Lawn has an all-volunteer fire department. The department has four stations, with Company 1 on George Street, Company 2 at Route 208 South (before Maple Avenue Bridge), Company 3 located at Corner Plaza Road / Rosalie Street and Company 4 on Radburn Road.
Federal, state and county representation
Fair Lawn is in the 9th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 38th state legislative district. The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment CommissionNew Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...
based on the results of the 2010 Census.
Politics
As of Election Day, November 4, 2008, there were 19,334 registered voters. Of registered voters, of which 7,310 (37.8% of all registered voters) were registered as DemocratsDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, 3,257 (16.8%) were registered as Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and 8,755 (45.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 12 voters registered to other parties.
In the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
received 53.0% of the vote here (8,200 ballots cast), ahead of Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, who received 45.8% of the vote (7,087 ballots), with 80.4% of registered voters participating. In the 2004 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, Democrat John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
received 54.3% of the vote in Fair Lawn (8,745 cast), ahead of Republican George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, who received around 44.6% (7,177 votes), with 16,102 ballots cast among the borough's 20,372 registered voters, for a turnout of 9.0%.
Education
The Fair Lawn Public SchoolsFair Lawn Public Schools
The Fair Lawn Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district serving students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Fair Lawn in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States....
serve students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The district consists of nine schools. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
.) are six K-5 elementary schools —
J.A. Forrest (285 students),
Lyncrest (219),
Milnes (386),
Radburn (317),
Warren Point (440) and
Westmoreland (346) — both
Memorial Middle School (437) and
Thomas Jefferson Middle School (730) for grades 6-8, along with
Fair Lawn High School
Fair Lawn High School
Fair Lawn High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Fair Lawn Public Schools...
(1,581) for grades 9-12.
Transportation
Fair Lawn has several main roads crossing through it forming a semi-3x3 grid. Saddle River Road, Plaza Road, and River Road (County Route 507County Route 507 (New Jersey)
County Route 507 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Harrison Avenue on the Kearny-Harrison town line to the New York state line in Mahwah. Between Ho-Ho-Kus and Mahwah, this highway is known as Franklin Turnpike...
) run North-South, Broadway, Morlot Avenue and Fair Lawn Avenue run East-West, and Route 208 runs Northwest-Southeast.
Broadway becomes Route 4 in Elmwood Park to the west and eventually Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard in Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
. To the East, it becomes Route 4 going into Paramus
Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 26,342. A suburb of New York City, Paramus is located between 15–20 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan and approximately west of Upper Manhattan.Paramus is one of...
and is less than 10 miles (16.1 km) from the George Washington Bridge
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...
.
Fair Lawn Avenue is considered the borough's main street, containing its Borough Hall, Police Station, Public Library, and Community School. The road goes west over the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
into Paterson, and east into Paramus where it becomes Century Road.
The intersection of Fair Lawn Avenue and Plaza Road form what could be considered a "town center", with several shopping plazas, and the Radburn train station all within walking distance. Other commercial areas include Broadway and River Road, but neither is particularly amenable to pedestrian traffic despite attempts by local business owners to make them so.
Route 208 has its southern terminus in Fair Lawn, and goes through the middle of the borough from the northwest to the southeast, where it eventually merges with Broadway to become Route 4 not far from Paramus. Taken the other direction, Route 208 flows northwest to Interstate 287
Interstate 287
Interstate 287 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving the northern half of New Jersey and the counties of Rockland and Westchester in New York...
in Oakland
Oakland, New Jersey
Oakland is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 12,754.Oakland was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1902, from portions of Franklin Township.-History:The Van Allen House...
.
Saddle River Road goes through the eastern side of Fair Lawn and into Saddle Brook
Saddle Brook, New Jersey
Saddle Brook is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 13,659....
, where it provides a link to both the Garden State Parkway
Garden State Parkway
The Garden State Parkway is a 172.4-mile limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at New Jersey's southernmost tip. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State." Most New Jersey residents refer...
and Interstate 80
Interstate 80 in New Jersey
Interstate 80 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States, running from the New York City Metropolitan Area westward to San Francisco, California...
.
Route 20 southbound becomes Route 21 which separates Fair Lawn from Paterson and northbound Hawthorne
Hawthorne, New Jersey
Hawthorne is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 18,218.Hawthorne was originally part of the now-defunct Manchester Township, which was later subdivided to create Hawthorne, Haledon, North Haledon, Prospect Park,...
.
Fair Lawn uses a street address numbering system in which most Fair Lawn addresses are given hyphenated numbers, such as 10-13 Some Street. This numbering system is also used in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Exceptions to this numbering system generally exist on the Glen Rock
Glen Rock, New Jersey
Glen Rock is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 11,601.-History:...
, Hawthorne
Hawthorne, New Jersey
Hawthorne is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 18,218.Hawthorne was originally part of the now-defunct Manchester Township, which was later subdivided to create Hawthorne, Haledon, North Haledon, Prospect Park,...
and Saddle Brook
Saddle Brook, New Jersey
Saddle Brook is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 13,659....
sides of Fair Lawn and within the Radburn development. The first numbers (before the dash) correspond to block-distances from Broadway (on streets that run North-South) and to the numbered streets in the borough (example: 2nd Street, 17th Street, etc.) on the streets that run East-West; with the highest numbers being in the low 40's, and the lowest numbers being 0-30, etc.
Fair Lawn is served by the Radburn
Radburn (NJT station)
Radburn Station is a New Jersey Transit train station in the Dutch Colonial Revival style, served by Bergen County Line trains. It is located in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, in the Radburn section of the borough. It is one of two New Jersey Transit train stations in Fair Lawn, the other being Broadway...
and Broadway
Broadway (NJT station)
Broadway Station is a New Jersey Transit train station served by Bergen County Line trains. It is located in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. It is one of two New Jersey Transit train stations in Fair Lawn, the other being Radburn Station...
train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
s on the New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
Bergen County Line
Bergen County Line
The Bergen County Line is a commuter rail line and service owned and operated by New Jersey Transit in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The line loops off the Main Line between the Meadowlands and Glen Rock, with trains continuing in either direction along the Main Line...
. The stations offer service to Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
, with connections at Secaucus Junction
Secaucus Junction
The Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey...
to Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
in midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
and to most other New Jersey Transit train lines. New Jersey Transit buses include the 144, 148, 160, 164 and 196 routes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal
Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City...
in midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
; the, 171, 175 to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City, New York....
; and the 746, 758 and 770 lines, offering local service.
Sports
Fair Lawn also has one of the original organized Street HockeyStreet hockey
Street hockey is a variation of the sport of ice hockey where the game is played on foot or with inline skates or roller skates. The object of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by shooting a ball or puck into the opposing team's net...
/DekHockey programs in the state. Managed and run through its Recreation Department, this hockey program started officially in 1976. Originally played in the parking lot of the Radburn Grange Hall, it moved to an official rink in 1977 at Memorial Park. The program serves children aged 8–18, and runs during the winter months concluding early spring. Over the years the program grew to accommodate three separate rinks. The Fair Lawn Flyers competed in the first national street hockey championships in 1976 in Leominster, Massachusetts
Leominster, Massachusetts
Leominster is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 40,759 at the 2010 census. Leominster is located north of Worcester and west of Boston. Both Route 2 and Route 12 pass through Leominster. Interstate 190,...
. In subsequent years, Fair Lawn sent teams to both the regional and national tournaments (as teams known as Fair Lawn Flyers and Fair Lawn Chiefs). Two of the three Fair Lawn Dekhockey rinks are named after Joe Gambucci and Bredehorst; both volunteered in multiple capacities for the league. Joe Gambucci was one of the original volunteers to start the program..
Popular culture
- In the 1976 film Taxi DriverTaxi DriverTaxi Driver is a 1976 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. The film is set in New York City, soon after the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro and features Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, and Cybill Shepherd. The film was nominated for four Academy...
, when Travis Bickle (Robert De NiroRobert De NiroRobert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
) is talking to a Secret Service agent, he gives his address as 154 Hopper Avenue, Fair Lawn, New Jersey. There is a Hopper Avenue in Fair Lawn, but 154 Hopper Avenue does not exist. Travis also gives the incorrect zip code for Fair Lawn, as well. - In the 1996 Mel Gibson movie Ransom, Fair Lawn is seen when Gibson is told to turn from Route 4 onto Saddle River RoadSaddle River RoadSaddle River Road may refer to:*East Saddle River Road *County Route 77 , a section of which is known as West Saddle River Road...
(Fair Lawn) and into the rock quarry (which is actually located in North Haledon, New JerseyNorth Haledon, New JerseyAs of the census of 2000, there were 7,920 people, 2,626 households, and 2,077 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,300.6 people per square mile . There were 2,675 housing units at an average density of 777.0 per square mile...
). A few days worth of filming was also done inside a home on Saddle River Road, but those scenes were cut. - In the 2004 movie TaxiTaxi (2004 film)Taxi is a 2004 American remake of the 1998 Luc Besson-penned, Gérard Pirès-directed French film of the same name, starring Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon and Gisele Bündchen, and directed by Tim Story.-Plot:...
, Fair Lawn can be seen on the map that Detective Washburn (Jimmy FallonJimmy FallonJames Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...
) is reading. The map is fake, since it shows a fictional uncompleted highway off the Garden State ParkwayGarden State ParkwayThe Garden State Parkway is a 172.4-mile limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at New Jersey's southernmost tip. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State." Most New Jersey residents refer...
in OradellOradell, New JerseyOradell is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,978. The borough's territory includes a dam on the Hackensack River that forms the Oradell Reservoir...
. The scene in which the robbers jump off the uncompleted skyway was not filmed in New Jersey. - In the movie CasinoCasino (film)Casino is a 1995 crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Scorsese...
, two scenes were shot at the Fair Lawn Fire Department Company 3: a scene in which a female reporter talks about the mob members and the scene which immediately follows. - At the beginning of the critically acclaimed "Pine Barrens" episode of the television series The SopranosThe SopranosThe Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
, Mob boss Tony Soprano tells Paulie Walnuts and protege Christopher MoltisantiChristopher MoltisantiChristopher "Chris" Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was Tony Soprano's protégé and a Capo in the Soprano crime family.-Biography:...
to visit a Russian mobster, Valery, in Fair Lawn. However, this scene was shot in Paterson. A scene in the episode "The Happy Wanderer" was filmed in front of the historic Radburn Building. - Fair Lawn was featured in the movie The Other GuysThe Other GuysThe Other Guys is a 2010 American action comedy film directed and co-written by Adam McKay, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and featuring Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, and Ray Stevenson...
starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. The two main characters travel to Fair Lawn, New Jersey to get accounting files. - In Season 3 of the HBO show Bored to DeathBored to DeathBored to Death is an American comedy series, which premiered on HBO on September 20, 2009. , three seasons have aired, each consisting of eight episodes. The show was created by author Jonathan Ames, and stars Jason Schwartzman as a fictional Jonathan Ames – a writer based in Brooklyn, New York...
, Jason SchwartzmanJason SchwartzmanJason Francesco Schwartzman is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Rushmore, Spun, I Heart Huckabees, Shopgirl, Marie Antoinette, The Darjeeling Limited, Funny People, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World...
's character learns that his biological father donated his sperm to a sperm bank in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.
Noted residents
Notable current and former residents of Fair Lawn include:- Ian AxelIan AxelIan Axel is a New Jersey-born singer and composer who grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, attended Fair Lawn High School. He moved to New York City after attending NYU. His song “This Is The New Year” became well-known originally when iTunes selected it as a Discovery Download and for its video on...
(born 1985), singer-songwriter and pianist. - Steve BornsteinSteve BornsteinSteve Bornstein is currently the President and CEO of the NFL Network and is also the National Football League's Executive-Vice President of Media. Prior to joining the NFL, Bornstein was the Chairman of ESPN, and also served as president of ABC...
(born 1952), current head of the NFL NetworkNFL NetworkNFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
. - Nicholas FeliceNicholas FeliceNicholas R. Felice is an American Republican Party politician who represented the 40th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1982 to 2002, in addition to serving as mayor of Fair Lawn....
(born 1927), served in the New Jersey General AssemblyNew Jersey General AssemblyThe New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
and was mayor of Fair Lawn. - Jim FinnJim FinnJames Finn, Jr. is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pennsylvania...
(born 1976), football player with the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - David GewirtzDavid GewirtzDavid Allen Gewirtz is an American journalist, author, and U.S. policy advisor who has written more than 900 articles about technology, competitiveness, and national security policy...
, CNN columnist, cyberterrorism adviser and presidential scholar. - Boris Gulko (born 1947), International GrandmasterInternational GrandmasterThe title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
and former winner of the U.S. Chess ChampionshipU.S. Chess ChampionshipThe U.S. Chess Championship is an invitational tournament held to determine the national chess champion of the United States. Since 1936, it has been held under the auspices of the U.S. Chess Federation. Until 1999, the event consisted of a round-robin tournament of varying size...
. - Šaćir HotŠaćir HotSacir Hot is an American soccer player of Albanian descent currently playing for New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. He is the son of Salih and Valbona Hot, who migrated to the United States from Montenegro in the 1980s...
(born 1991), soccer player for the New York Red Bulls, the United States U-20 teamUnited States men's national soccer teamThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, and Boston CollegeBoston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
; attended Fair Lawn High SchoolFair Lawn High SchoolFair Lawn High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Fair Lawn Public Schools...
. - Lee MeredithLee MeredithLee Meredith is an American actress. She was born Judith Lee Sauls and grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. She is married to Burt Stratford....
(born 1947 as Judi-Lee Sauls), actress who appeared in The ProducersThe Producers (1968 film)The Producers is a 1968 American satirical dark comedy cult classic film written and directed by Mel Brooks. The film is set in the late 1960s and it tells the story of a theatrical producer and an accountant who want to produce a sure-fire Broadway flop...
, Hello Down ThereHello Down ThereHello Down There is a 1969 musical comedy film made by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Jack Arnold and Ricou Browning and produced by George Sherman and Ivan Tors from a screenplay by John McGreevey and Frank Telford. It starred Tony Randall and Janet Leigh...
and The Sunshine BoysThe Sunshine Boys (film)The Sunshine Boys is a 1975 comedy film directed by Herbert Ross and produced by Ray Stark, based on the play of the same name by Neil Simon. The cast included real-life experienced vaudevillian actor George Burns as Lewis, Walter Matthau as Clark, and Richard Benjamin as Ben, with Lee Meredith, F....
. - Millie PerkinsMillie PerkinsMillie Perkins is an American film and television actress.Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Millie grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Her father was a merchant marine captain...
(born 1938), actress, who played the title role in her first film as the star of The Diary of Anne Frank. - Ron PerranoskiRon PerranoskiRonald Peter Perranoski is a former left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher, having played from through ....
(born 1936), Major League Baseball pitcher from 1961-1973. - Billy PriceBilly PriceBilly Price is the stage name of soul singer William Pollak. Born in Fair Lawn, New Jersey in 1949, he has lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA since the mid 1970s.-Career:...
, soul singer. - Maurice PurtillMaurice PurtillMaurice "Moe" Purtill was an American drummer who is best known today as Glenn Miller's featured drummer from 1939 to 1942....
(1916–94), drummer in the Big Bands, most notably the Glenn Miller OrchestraGlenn Miller OrchestraThe Glenn Miller Orchestra was originally formed in 1938 by Glenn Miller. It was arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, while three other saxophones played the harmony...
.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY_wrB0S_Ck - Steve RothmanSteve RothmanSteven R. "Steve" Rothman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:Rothman attended Washington University Law School...
(born 1952), Congressman representing New Jersey's 9th congressional districtNew Jersey's 9th congressional districtNew Jersey's Ninth Congressional District is currently represented by Democrat Steve Rothman.-Counties and municipalities in the district:For the 108th and successive Congresses , the district contains all or portions of three counties and 37 municipalities:Bergen County:Hudson CountyPassaic...
. - Charlie SchlatterCharlie SchlatterCharles Thomas "Charlie" Schlatter is an American actor. He has starred in numerous TV series and films, and is well-known for his role in the series Diagnosis: Murder as Dr. Jesse Travis with Dick Van Dyke, and for his role in the film 18 Again! with George Burns...
(born 1966), actor. - Dave Sime (born 1936), sprinter who won a silver medal in the 100m dash at the 1960 Summer Olympics1960 Summer OlympicsThe 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
in RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. - Regina SpektorRegina SpektorRegina Ilyinichna Spektor is a Russian American singer-songwriter and pianist. Her music is associated with the anti-folk scene centered in New York City's East Village.-Early life:...
(born 1980), singer. - Donna VivinoDonna VivinoDonna Vivino is a theatre actress and singer, who recently starred as Elphaba on the First National Tour of Wicked, and is currently the standby for the role on Broadway....
(born 1978), stage and screen actress, who has performed the starring role of ElphabaElphabaElphaba Thropp is a fictional character in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway and West End adaptations, Wicked. In the original L. Frank Baum book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West is unnamed and little...
in the Broadway National Tour production of WickedWicked (musical)Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
.
Historic sites
Fair Lawn is home to the following locations on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
:
- G. V. H. Berdan House - 1219 River Road (added 1983)
- Richard J. Berdan House - 24-07 Fair Lawn Avenue (added 1983)
- Cadmus-Folly HouseCadmus-Folly HouseCadmus-Folly House, is located in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 10, 1983....
- 19-21 Fair Lawn Avenue (added 1983) - Peter Garretson House - 4-02 River Road (added 1974)
- Naugle House - 42-49 Dunkerhook Road (added 1983)
- RadburnRadburn, New JerseyRadburn is an unincorporated planned community located within Fair Lawn, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.Radburn was founded in 1929 as "a town for the motor age"...
- Irregular pattern between Radburn Road and Erie RR. tracks (added 1975) - Radburn StationRadburn (NJT station)Radburn Station is a New Jersey Transit train station in the Dutch Colonial Revival style, served by Bergen County Line trains. It is located in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, in the Radburn section of the borough. It is one of two New Jersey Transit train stations in Fair Lawn, the other being Broadway...
- Pollitt Drive (added 1984) - Jacob Vanderbeck, Jr., House - 41-25 Dunkerhook Road (added 1983)
External links
- Fair Lawn official website
- Fair Lawn online guide
- Fair Lawn Public Schools
- Data for the Fair Lawn Public Schools, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Radburn, New Jersey - A Town for the Motor Age
- The Fair Lawn/Paterson Fish Weir
- Knights of Pythias - Benjamin N. Cardozo Lodge #163