Ridgefield, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
There were 4,020 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples
living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the borough, the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $54,081, and the median income for a family was $66,330. Males had a median income of $47,975 versus $36,676 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $25,558. About 4.7% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office and only votes to break a tie. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.
The Mayor
of Ridgefield Borough is Anthony R. Suarez
(D
), whose term of office ends on December 31, 2011. Members of the Ridgefield Borough Council are Council President Robert Avery (R; 2008), Thomas Blackley (R; 2008), Nicholas P. Lonzisero (R; 2010), Angelo W. Severino (R; 2010), Angus Todd (R; 2009) and Warren Vincentz (R; 2009). ref>"County of Bergen: 2008 County and Municipal Directory", Bergen County, New Jersey
, p. 59. Accessed July 10, 2008.
In elections held on November 6, 2007, 47% of voters turned out to fill the position of mayor and two seats on the borough council. Democratic incumbent Anthony R. Suarez (1,279 votes) won re-election for another four-year term as mayor over Republican challenger Robert W. Avery (1,175). With neither of the council's two Democratic incumbents running for office, Republicans Angelo W. Severino (1,267) and Nicholas P. Lonzisero (1,224) defeated Democratic candidates Russell Castelli (1,193) and Javier Acosta (1,152), giving Republicans control of all six seats on the 2008 Council.
On Election Day, November 7, 2006, voters filled two open three-year seats on the Borough Council from among six candidates running for office. As of Election Day, the council was split with four Democrats and two Republicans, in a community in which registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans by a 5-4 margin. Republican
challengers Warren Vincentz (1,471 votes) and Angus Todd (1,396) won election, with Democratic Party
incumbent John Quaregna in fourth place (1,139) and Independent Javier Acosta (who had been elected as a Democrat, but ran as an independent) a distant fifth (404). Also falling short were Democrat Marlene Caride (1,145) and Independent Mercedes Penabad (223). The two victors took office on January 1, 2007. With the win, Republicans will take control of the Ridgefield Council for the first time since 2000, after winning two seats in 2005 on what had been at the time an all-Democratic council.
Ridgefield is in the
, 1,142 (21.0% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans
and 2,927 (53.9% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared
. There was one voter registered to another party.
On the national level, Ridgefield leans toward the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election
, Democrat John Kerry
received 51% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush
, who received around 48%.
) are
Shaler Academy (Pre-K and K; 222 students),
Bergen Boulevard School (Grade 1; 229),
Slocum-Skewes School (2-8; 962) and Ridgefield Memorial High School
(9-12; 632).
service area
is located between Interchanges 18E/18W and the George Washington Bridge
at mileposts 116E on the Eastern Spur and 115.5W on the Western Spur.
U.S. Route 1/9
, U.S. Route 46
, Route 63
, Route 93 and Route 5 also pass through Ridgefield.
New Jersey Transit
bus routes 83, 127, 154, 155, 157, 165, 166, 168 and 321 serve Ridgefield with the bus routes 167 and 321 leaving from the Vince Lombardi Park & Ride. Travel time to New York from Vince Lombardi is 18 minutes on route 321 and 27 minutes on route 167.
, Alfred Kreymborg
and Samuel Halpert
and became known as the Others group of artists
. The colony consisted of a number of clapboard shacks on a bluff. To this day the names of the streets in this part of the town (Sketch Place, Studio Road, Art Lane) pay homage to Grantwood's history. Kreymborg moved to Ridgefield and launched Others: A Magazine of the New Verse
with Skipwith Cannell
, Wallace Stevens
, and William Carlos Williams
in 1915.
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, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the borough, the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $54,081, and the median income for a family was $66,330. Males had a median income of $47,975 versus $36,676 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 $25,558. About 4.7% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Ridgefield is governed under the BoroughBorough (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....
form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office and only votes to break a tie. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.
The Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Ridgefield Borough is Anthony R. Suarez
Anthony R. Suarez
Anthony R. Suarez is a New Jersey attorney and has served as Mayor of Ridgefield, New Jersey since 2004.-Biography:Suarez was born in Englewood, New Jersey and was raised in Ridgefield. He graduated from Ridgefield Memorial High School in 1984. He then attended Saint Peter's College in Jersey...
(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...
), whose term of office ends on December 31, 2011. Members of the Ridgefield Borough Council are Council President Robert Avery (R; 2008), Thomas Blackley (R; 2008), Nicholas P. Lonzisero (R; 2010), Angelo W. Severino (R; 2010), Angus Todd (R; 2009) and Warren Vincentz (R; 2009). ref>"County of Bergen: 2008 County and Municipal Directory", Bergen County, New Jersey
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...
, p. 59. Accessed July 10, 2008.
In elections held on November 6, 2007, 47% of voters turned out to fill the position of mayor and two seats on the borough council. Democratic incumbent Anthony R. Suarez (1,279 votes) won re-election for another four-year term as mayor over Republican challenger Robert W. Avery (1,175). With neither of the council's two Democratic incumbents running for office, Republicans Angelo W. Severino (1,267) and Nicholas P. Lonzisero (1,224) defeated Democratic candidates Russell Castelli (1,193) and Javier Acosta (1,152), giving Republicans control of all six seats on the 2008 Council.
On Election Day, November 7, 2006, voters filled two open three-year seats on the Borough Council from among six candidates running for office. As of Election Day, the council was split with four Democrats and two Republicans, in a community in which registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans by a 5-4 margin. Republican
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...
challengers Warren Vincentz (1,471 votes) and Angus Todd (1,396) won election, with Democratic Party
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...
incumbent John Quaregna in fourth place (1,139) and Independent Javier Acosta (who had been elected as a Democrat, but ran as an independent) a distant fifth (404). Also falling short were Democrat Marlene Caride (1,145) and Independent Mercedes Penabad (223). The two victors took office on January 1, 2007. With the win, Republicans will take control of the Ridgefield Council for the first time since 2000, after winning two seats in 2005 on what had been at the time an all-Democratic council.
Federal, state and county representation
Ridgefield is in the 9th Congressional district.Ridgefield is in the
Politics
As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 11,005 in Ridgefield, there were 5,434 registered voters (49.4% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 1,364 (25.1% vs. 20.7% countywide) 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...
, 1,142 (21.0% vs. 19.2% countywide) 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 2,927 (53.9% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared
Undeclared (New Jersey)
Unaffiliated is a status for registered voters in New Jersey. Those voters who do not specify a political party affiliation when they register to vote are listed as unaffiliated....
. There was one voter registered to another party.
On the national level, Ridgefield leans toward the Democratic Party. 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 51% of the vote here, defeating 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 48%.
Education
The Ridgefield School District serves public school students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2006-07 enrollment from the National Center for Education StatisticsNational 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
Shaler Academy (Pre-K and K; 222 students),
Bergen Boulevard School (Grade 1; 229),
Slocum-Skewes School (2-8; 962) and Ridgefield Memorial High School
Ridgefield Memorial High School
Ridgefield Memorial High School is a comprehensive, four-year public high school located in Ridgefield, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Ridgefield School District....
(9-12; 632).
Transportation
The New Jersey Turnpike passes through Ridgefield. The Turnpike's Vince LombardiVince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
service area
Rest area
A rest area, travel plaza, rest stop, or service area is a public facility, located next to a large thoroughfare such as a highway, expressway, or freeway at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting on to secondary roads...
is located between Interchanges 18E/18W and 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...
at mileposts 116E on the Eastern Spur and 115.5W on the Western Spur.
U.S. Route 1/9
U.S. Route 1/9
U.S. Route 9 is a U.S. highway in the northeast United States, running from Laurel, Delaware north to the Canadian border near Champlain, New York...
, 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...
, Route 63
New Jersey Route 63
Route 63 is a short, long state highway in Hudson and Bergen Counties in New Jersey. The route is known as Bergen Boulevard and concurrent with County Route 501 for most of its alignment. The southern terminus is at Kennedy Boulevard and County Route 501 in the community of North North Bergen...
, Route 93 and Route 5 also pass through Ridgefield.
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...
bus routes 83, 127, 154, 155, 157, 165, 166, 168 and 321 serve Ridgefield with the bus routes 167 and 321 leaving from the Vince Lombardi Park & Ride. Travel time to New York from Vince Lombardi is 18 minutes on route 321 and 27 minutes on route 167.
History
Grantwood was an artist's colony established in 1913 by Man RayMan Ray
Man Ray , born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal...
, Alfred Kreymborg
Alfred Kreymborg
Alfred Francis Kreymborg was an American poet, novelist, playwright, literary editor and anthologist.-Early life and associations:...
and Samuel Halpert
Samuel Halpert
Samuel Halpert was born in 1884 in Białystok, Russia and he died in 1930 in Detroit, Michigan. He was an American painter.-Early days:Samuel Halpert was born on December 25, 1884 in Białystok, Russia, where his friend Max Weber had been born three years earlier. His family immigrated to New York...
and became known as the Others group of artists
Others group of artists
Others was a group of avant-garde artists in New York formed after the outbreak of World War I. Poet Alfred Kreymborg and artist Man Ray founded the group, centered an artist colony called Grantwood, just outside Ridgefield, New Jersey...
. The colony consisted of a number of clapboard shacks on a bluff. To this day the names of the streets in this part of the town (Sketch Place, Studio Road, Art Lane) pay homage to Grantwood's history. Kreymborg moved to Ridgefield and launched Others: A Magazine of the New Verse
Others: A Magazine of the New Verse
Others: A Magazine of the New Verse was founded by Alfred Kreymborg in July, 1915 with financing from Walter Conrad Arensberg. The magazine ran until July, 1919. It published poetry and other writing, as well as visual art. While the magazine never had more than 300 subscribers, it helped launch...
with Skipwith Cannell
Skipwith Cannell
Skipwith Cannell was an American poet associated with the Imagist group. His surname is pronounced with the accent on the second syllable. He was a friend of William Carlos Williams, and like Ezra Pound he came from Philadelphia...
, Wallace Stevens
Wallace Stevens
Wallace Stevens was an American Modernist poet. He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, educated at Harvard and then New York Law School, and spent most of his life working as a lawyer for the Hartford insurance company in Connecticut.His best-known poems include "Anecdote of the Jar",...
, and William Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams was an American poet closely associated with modernism and Imagism. He was also a pediatrician and general practitioner of medicine, having graduated from the University of Pennsylvania...
in 1915.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Ridgefield include:- Man RayMan RayMan Ray , born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal...
, one of the most important painters and photographers of the SurrealistSurrealismSurrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
and Dada movements, had a house in an artists' colony that once existed in Ridgefield. The French artist Marcel DuchampMarcel DuchampMarcel Duchamp was a French artist whose work is most often associated with the Dadaist and Surrealist movements. Considered by some to be one of the most important artists of the 20th century, Duchamp's output influenced the development of post-World War I Western art...
and the noted American poet William Carlos WilliamsWilliam Carlos WilliamsWilliam Carlos Williams was an American poet closely associated with modernism and Imagism. He was also a pediatrician and general practitioner of medicine, having graduated from the University of Pennsylvania...
also spent time there. - Judd SergeantSurvivor: GuatemalaSurvivor: Guatemala — The Maya Empire, commonly referred to as Survivor: Guatemala, is the eleventh season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed in the Yaxhá-Nakúm-Naranjo National Park near the more popular Tikal National Park, located in...
, contestant on the eleventh season of SurvivorSurvivor (U.S. TV series)Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
. - Alexander ShalerAlexander ShalerAlexander Shaler was a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Second Battle of Fredericksburg...
(1827–1911), Union ArmyUnion ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
general in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
who later served as Mayor of Ridgefield, New JerseyMayor of Ridgefield, New JerseyMayor of Ridgefield, New Jersey*Anthony R. Suarez 2004 to present. He was arrested in Operation Bid Rig.*Alexander Shaler 1899 to 1901.*W. B. Pugh circa 1895 for 2 terms, he was the first mayor....
.
In popular culture
- Ridgefield is the setting for the 1998 Adam Sandler film (and subsequent 2006 musical) The Wedding SingerThe Wedding SingerThe Wedding Singer is a 1998 romantic comedy film written by Tim Herlihy and directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler as a wedding singer in the 1980s and Drew Barrymore as a waitress with whom he falls in love....
.
External links
- Ridgefield Borough official website
- Ridgefield School District
- Data for the Ridgefield School District, 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...
- Ridgefield community forum