Packanack Lake, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Packanack Lake is a lake community in Wayne
Wayne, New Jersey
Wayne is a Township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, located less than from midtown Manhattan. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 54,069....

, 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...

, USA, located 30 minutes northwest of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

. The median income in Packanack Lake is $100,887, and the average income of households with children is $140,869. 95.9% of Packanack area residents are high school graduates while 57.5% are college graduates. 77.4% of residents are married. 41.4% of residents have children. The average age of residents is 40.6 years old.

Gatherings and social events are held on both East Beach (on Lake Drive East) and West Beach (on Lake Drive West) which include band concerts, craft shows, and bonfires.

Overview

Packanack's neighborhoods include; Packanack Estates, Packanack Lake, Packanack Manor, Packanack Ridge, and Packanack Woods. Members of the Packanack Lake Community Association, also known as Packanack Lake Country Club, can use the tennis club and golf club located on Osborne Terrace. Packanack residents can send their grammar school-aged children to the Packanack School, located at 190 Oakwood Drive, and residents can also send their high school aged children to Wayne Valley High School
Wayne Valley High School
Wayne Valley High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school, one of the two high schools in Wayne, in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Wayne Public Schools...

 or the many private schools in and around the township of Wayne. There are summer camps and activities for the children who live in the lake which include golf lessons, sailing lessons and competitively swimming on the Lake's swim team, The Packanack Pirates. The Packanack Lake Association collects dues from Packanack Lake residents for the purpose of funding the upkeep and use of lake activities.

Transportation to business/commercial centers throughout North Jersey is via Route 3, 4, 20, 21, 23, U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46 is an east–west U.S. Highway, running for , completely within the state of New Jersey. The west end is at an interchange with Interstate 80 and Route 94 in Columbia, Warren County on the Delaware River...

, 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...

, 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...

 and 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...

. Train Stations and "Park and Ride's" provide access to North Jersey
North Jersey
North Jersey is a colloquial term, with no precise consensus definition, for the northern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. A straightforward, noncolloquial term for the region is northern New Jersey.- Two-portion approaches :...

 suburbs and 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...

.

Nearby country clubs include the Preakness Hills Country Club located on Ratzer Road and the North Jersey Country Club located on Hamburg Turnpike.

Shopping and Dining

There is a delicatessen, dry cleaner, a post office, a flower and gift boutique, an event planner, Gencarelli's Ristorante as well as the Lakeside Pub which all are located on the lake next to the Packanack Lake Clubhouse.

History

The Packanack community began long ago when Native Americans
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...

 farmed, fished and hunted in the area. One tribe, the Pacquanacs, are still remembered in the very name Packanack which is said to mean appropriately "land made clear for cultivation".

In 1780, it was farming country and marshlands not far from the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...

 encampment of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 soldiers. Close by were the headquarters of General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

 at the Dey Mansion and Major-General Marquis de Lafayette
Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France...

 at the Van Saun House. They still can be seen today.

Geology

The Packanack area sits on two ridges running in roughly a north-south direction separated by a valley of marshland that in 1928 would be cleared of trees and brush; blocked at the south with an earth and clay dam to form Packanack Lake. That was when Mr. Joseph T. Castles, who had purchased 26 farms or approximately 700 acres (2.8 km²) of these ridges and valley in 1925, began laying the groundwork for the development of a community. The lake itself is man-made. Roads were built, water and sewer mains were laid and a sewage disposal system constructed. The real estate firm of Packanack Lake, Inc. was formed and work began on the clubhouse as well as seventeen log cabins and small Cape Cod homes. The clubhouse, which was renovated in 2005, is located on the west beach along with a post office, restaurant/pub, florist, and a deli.

Notable residents past & present

  • Kim Alexis
    Kim Alexis
    Kim Alexis is an American model and actress.- Career :Alexis was one of the top models of the 1980s, identified along with Gia Carangi, Carol Alt, Christie Brinkley, Kelly Emberg, Iman, and Paulina Porizkova...

    , (model) resides on the east side of Packanack Lake on Lake Drive East.
  • Tom Cruise
    Tom Cruise
    Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....

    , (actor and producer) resided on the east side of Packanack Lake on Lois Court.
  • Ron Duguay
    Ron Duguay
    Ronald Duguay is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach who played 12 seasons in the NHL from 1977 through 1989, and served four seasons as a minor league coach...

    , (hockey player) resides on the east side of Packanack Lake on Lake Drive East.
  • Donna Kane
    Donna Kane
    Donna Kane is an American theater actress. She was the recipient of the 1986 Theatre World Award for her off-Broadway portrayal of Ruby in Dames at Sea.  Kane had her Broadway debut in 1989 in Meet Me in St. Louis, playing the role of Esther. She has won acclaim for her performances in...

    , (theater actress) resided on the east side of Packanack Lake on Elmwood Terrace.
  • Floyd Vivino
    Floyd Vivino
    Floyd Vivino aka "Uncle Floyd" is a television, film, and stage performer primarily known for his comedy/variety TV show The Uncle Floyd Show .-The Uncle Floyd Show:...

    , (comedian) resides on the east side of Packanack Lake on Overlook Ave.

External links

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