Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Englewood Cliffs is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,322. The borough houses the world headquarters of CNBC and the American headquarters of Unilever. Until the early 1980s it had also been the home of Volkswagen of America. Today Englewood Cliffs is home to both Ferrari and Maserati North America.

Englewood Cliffs was formed as a borough on May 10, 1895, from portions of Englewood Township and Palisades Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day.

Geography

Englewood Cliffs is located at (40.882622, -73.952498).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²), of which, 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it is land and 1.3 square miles (3.3 km²) of it (38.17%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,322 people, 1,818 households, and 1,559 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,544.3 people per square mile (983.2/km²). There were 1,889 housing units at an average density of 903.1/sq mi (349.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 66.84% White, 1.37% African American, 0.04% Native American, 29.69% Asian, 0.71% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.89% of the population.

As of the 2000 census, 11.76% of Englewood Cliffs' residents identified themselves as being of Korean ancestry, which was the tenth highest in the United States and eighth highest of any municipality in New Jersey, for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. The 2000 census found that 3.4% of Englewood Cliffs residents identified themselves as being of Armenian-American ancestry, the eighth highest percentage of Armenian American people in any place in the United States. In the 2000 census, 8.42% of Englewood Cliffs' residents identified themselves as being of Chinese ancestry. This was the third highest percentage of people with Chinese ancestry in any place in New Jersey with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. In this same census, 2.91% of Englewood Cliffs' residents identified themselves as being of Japanese ancestry, which was the fifth highest of any municipality in New Jersey — behind Fort Lee (6.09%), Demarest (3.72%), Edgewater (3.22%) and Leonia (3.07%) — for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.

There were 1,818 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.0% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.2% were non-families. 12.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the borough the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $106,478, and the median income for a family was $113,187. Males had a median income of $79,501 versus $42,019 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $57,399. About 1.4% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

In 2006, Englewood Cliffs was ranked 78th on the list of most expensive zip codes in the USA by Forbes, with a median house price of 1,112,500.

Government

Local government

Englewood Cliffs is governed under the Borough 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 the Borough of Englewood Cliffs is Joseph Parisi Jr. (D, term ends December 31, 2011), who succeeded his father, Joseph Parisi Sr., 79, who was mayor for 29 years, and was halfway through a four-year term when he died on November 15, 2005.

Members of the Englewood Cliffs Borough Council are Patricia Drimones (D, 2008), Jerry Kasoff (D, 2009), Thomas Manolio (D, 2010), Lynn Norton (D, 2008), Patrick Perin (D, 2009) and Ilan Plawker (D, 2010).

In elections held on November 6, 2007, voters filled the position of mayor and two seats on the borough council. Democratic incumbent Joseph C. Parisi, Jr. (915 votes), ran unopposed and was elected to his first full term as mayor. Democrat incumbents Thomas Manolio (741) and Ilan Plawker (704) were reelected to their sixth and fifth council terms respectively, defeating Republican challengers Diane Sank (586) and Martin Asatrian (542), to retain complete Democratic control on the 2008 council.

On Election Day, November 7, 2006, three seats were up for vote; two three-year seats on the Borough Council and a one-year unexpired term as Mayor. As of Election Day, the council was composed of six Democrats, in a community in which registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a narrow margin. In final voting results, the three Democratic incumbents swept the balloting, with Jerome Kasoff (1,154 votes) and Patrick Perin (1,089) both winning re-election to three-year terms for their fourth full terms in office, defeating Republicans Mary E. O'Shea (853) and Diane Sank (832), while Joseph C. Parisi Jr. (1,210) won election to the remaining one year term as Mayor over Republican Angelo R. Mungioli (822).

Federal, state and county representation

Englewood Cliffs is in the Ninth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 37th Legislative District.

Politics

As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 5,655 in Englewood Cliffs, there were 3,457 registered voters (61.1% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 768 (22.2% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 696 (20.1% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 1,992 (57.6% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There was one voter registered to another party.

On the national level, Englewood Cliffs leans toward the Republican Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 52% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry, who received around 47%.

On the local level, Englewood Cliffs has predominantly elected Democratic candidates for the past 30 years. Historically a number of notable local Republicans have consistently challenged the Democrats. Included among these are Robert Agresta, Eric Petrone, Diane Sank, Brian Sank and Angelo Mungioli.

2008 Republican candidates Robert Agresta and Eric Petrone challenged adversaries Patricia Drimones and Lynn Nortion to a debate but were refused.

Education

The Englewood Cliffs Public Schools serve children in Kindergarten through eighth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are the North Cliff School with 157 students in grades K–2 and the Upper School with 292 students in grades 3–8.

The school district has a sending/receiving relationship with the Englewood Public School District that enables high school students to attend Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood. Most students, however, attend various private or magnet schools in the area such as Dwight-Englewood School, Horace Mann School, Bergen Catholic High School and the Academies at Englewood.

Since 1975, Englewood Cliffs has been home to a campus of Saint Peter's College, where evening and weekend classes are offered for Associate's degrees, Bachelor's degrees, and graduate degrees. The college's nursing program for Registered Nurses is also located at the campus. Previously, the campus had been home to Englewood Cliffs College, which closed in 1974.

Transportation

New Jersey Transit bus route 156 serves the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and the 186 terminates at the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal.

U.S. Route 9W, the Palisades Parkway, and County Route 505 travels through Englewood Cliffs. Motorists can also take a scenic drive along Henry Hudson Drive at the Palisades Interstate Park.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Englewood Cliffs include:

• Patrick Ewing (born 1962), former professional and Hall of Fame basketball player for the New York Knicks.
• Mario Jascalevich (1927-1984), physician tried and acquitted for the murder of five of his patients with curare, in a case often referred to as the “Dr X” killings.
• Q-Tip (born 1970), hip-hop MC and producer.
• Arnold Squitieri (born 1936), Underboss of the Gambino crime family.
• Preeth Kumar Sangavaram, Hollywood talent agent for ICM, handling the careers of several prominent actors such as Keith David, Arsenio Hall, and John Amos.
• Louis Teicher (1924-2008), piano player and half of the duo Ferrante & Teicher.
• Rudy Van Gelder (born 1924), jazz recording engineer.

References

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.

External links

• Englewood Cliffs official website
• Englewood Cliffs Public Schools
• Data for the Englewood Cliffs Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
• History of Englewood Cliffs relationship to Englewood schools