Little Falls, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Little Falls is a township
Township (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...

 in Passaic County
Passaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...

, 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. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 10,855. It is located about 15 miles from 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...

.

Little Falls was incorporated as a township 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 April 2, 1868, from portions of Acquackanonk Township. On March 25, 1914, portions of the township were taken to form the borough of West Paterson (now Woodland Park).

The old Morris Canal
Morris Canal
The Morris Canal was an anthracite-carrying canal that incorporated a series of water-driven inclined planes in its course across northern New Jersey in the United States. It was in use for about a century — from the late 1820s to the 1920s....

, once an important artery of trade and transportation between the Delaware
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...

 and Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

s, wound its way through the town, and vestiges of it still remain.

Geography

Little Falls Township is located at 40.879799°N 74.228422°W (40.879799, -74.228422).

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 township has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), of which, 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (2.47%) is water.

Little Falls has three township sub-divisions. Great Notch
Great Notch, New Jersey
Great Notch is an area in eastern Little Falls, in Passaic County, New Jersey. It gets its name from a gap in the first of the Watchung Mountains. Some of the institutions and places in Great Notch are parts of Montclair State University, the former Great Notch station, and the Great Notch Fire...

 is the eastern most part of the township. The downtown area is frequently referred to as "The Center of Town" mainly by longtime residents. Otherwise, it is usually referred to as simply Little Falls. Singac is the western most portion of the township. Much of it borders 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,...

. There has been some debate about where exactly the division borders lie. If traveling towards the downtown area, Great Notch is believed to end at the bottom of the hill where Browertown Road intersects Long Hill Road and East Main Street. Singac is believed to begin just after the intersection of Union Avenue and Main Street, near the "Little Falls" on the Passaic River heading west.

Little Falls is bordered by the communities of Montclair
Montclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...

, Wayne, Cedar Grove
Cedar Grove, New Jersey
-Climate:Cedar Grove has a humid subtropical climate, with warm/hot humid summers and cool/cold winters. The climate is slightly colder overall during the summer than in New York City because there is no urban heat island effect....

, Woodland Park, Totowa
Totowa, New Jersey
Totowa is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 9,892.Totowa was formed as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 15, 1898, from portions of the now-defunct Manchester Township and Wayne...

, North Caldwell
North Caldwell, New Jersey
-Local government:North Caldwell 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...

, Fairfield and Clifton
Clifton, New Jersey
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 84,136. The 2010 population represented an increase of 5,464 residents from its population of 78,672 in the 2000 Census, making it the state's 11th largest...

.

Demographics

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 10,855 people, 4,687 households, and 2,873 families residing in the township. The population density
Population 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 3,941.8 people per square mile (1,524.1/km2). There were 4,797 housing units at an average density of 1,742.0 per square mile (673.5/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 92.13% white, 0.65% African American, 0.06% Native American, 4.20% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.33% 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 1.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.33% of the population.

There were 4,687 households out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% 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, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the township the population was spread out with 18.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $58,857, and the median income for a family was $70,223. Males had a median income of $49,136 versus $37,727 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 township was $33,242. About 2.8% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

For most of its history, Little Falls was governed by a township committee consisting of five committee members elected by the voters. Under this system, a chairman (mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

) and deputy-chair (deputy mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...

) were selected annually by the Township Committee members. Effective January 1, 2005, this form of government was changed by a public referendum to a mayor-council
Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Mayor-Council government.This form of government provides for election of a mayor and five, seven, or nine council members...

 form authorized by 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...

. Under the new government, the voters directly elect
Direct election
Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the...

 the mayor to a four-year term, and the five township council members to four-year staggered terms.

, the Mayor of Little Falls is Michael DeFrancisci. Members of the township council are Council President Louis Fontana, Mercedes Gonzalez, Darlene Post, Joseph Sisco and John Vantuno.

Representation

Little Falls Township is in the 8th Congressional district.

Little Falls is in the

Education

For public school, students in kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...

 through eighth grade are educated by the Little Falls Township Public Schools
Little Falls Township Public Schools
The Little Falls Township Public Schools is a community public school district that serves students in Kindergarten through eighth grade from Little Falls, in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States....

. Schools in the district (with 2008–09 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 School #2, which has 317 students in grades kindergarten through two; School #3, with 200 students in grades three and four; and School #1, which has 392 students in grades five through eight.

For grades nine through twelve, students in public school attend Passaic Valley Regional High School
Passaic Valley Regional High School
Passaic Valley Regional High School is the name of both a public high school in Little Falls, New Jersey, and the regional school district for three communities in Passaic County: Little Falls , Totowa and Woodland Park .As of the...

, which serves students from Little Falls, Totowa and Woodland Park. The school facility is located in Little Falls.

Most of Montclair State University
Montclair State University
Montclair State University is a public research university located in the Upper Montclair section of Montclair, the Great Notch area of Little Falls, and Clifton, New Jersey. As of October 2009, there were 18,171 total enrolled students: 14,139 undergraduate students and 4,032 graduate students...

 is located in Little Falls.

Transportation

Little Falls is criss-crossed by several major roadways, including 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...

 and New Jersey Route 23. 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...

 run near the municipality.

The Little Falls
Little Falls (NJT station)
Little Falls Station is the second of two station maintained by New Jersey Transit in Little Falls, New Jersey. The station, on the Montclair-Boonton Line is the first to receive limited revenue service due to the end of electrification at the site of the former Great Notch station...

 and Montclair State University Stations
Montclair State University (NJT station)
Montclair State University Station at Little Falls is a New Jersey Transit rail station in the Great Notch area of Little Falls, New Jersey on the Montclair-Boonton Line. It serves nearby Montclair State University as well as serving as a transfer station for trains on the line, and is located on...

 of 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...

 both serve Little Falls, offering service on the Montclair-Boonton Line
Montclair-Boonton Line
The Montclair-Boonton Line is a commuter rail line of New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. It is part of the Hoboken Division. The line is a consolidation of three individual lines: the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad's Montclair Branch, which ran from Hoboken Terminal to Bay Street,...

 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...

 in Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...

, New Jersey, or from Montclair State University Station on Midtown Direct
Kearny Connection
The Kearny Connection in Kearny, New Jersey, allows suburban passenger trains from New Jersey Transit's Morris and Essex Lines to run to New York Penn Station,instead of their traditional ferry terminal on the river in Hoboken. New Jersey Transit dubbed the new service Midtown Direct; the...

 trains to New York City's Pennsylvania 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...

 via the Secaucus Junction
Secaucus Junction
The Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey...

. The township was formerly served by the Great Notch Station
Great Notch (NJT station)
The Great Notch train station, formerly known as Caldwell Junction, was a small New Jersey Transit facility in the Great Notch section of Little Falls, New Jersey. The station was served seven times a day, three inbound morning trains to Hoboken Terminal and four outbound evening trains from...

 until NJ Transit closed it in January 2010 because of low ridership.

NJ Transit bus transportation is offered 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 on the 191, 194 and 195 routes. Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

, New Jersey, is served by the 11, 28 (on Saturdays and Sundays) and on the 75 routes. Local routes are the 704 and 705 lines.

Little Falls is approximately twenty-one miles from Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...

 in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

/Elizabeth
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...

, New Jersey, and approximately twenty-seven miles from LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...

 in Flushing, Queens
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...

, New York.

Sports

The New Jersey Jackals
New Jersey Jackals
The New Jersey Jackals are a professional baseball team based in Little Falls, New Jersey, in the United States. The Jackals are a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...

 of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball (CanAm League) play at Yogi Berra Stadium
Yogi Berra Stadium
Yogi Berra Stadium is a baseball stadium in Little Falls, New Jersey, US, on the campus of Montclair State University, which is located in Montclair...

, located in Little Falls.

Notable residents

  • David Blaine
    David Blaine
    David Blaine is an American illusionist and endurance artist. He is best known for his high-profile feats of endurance, and has made his name as a performer of street and close-up magic. He has set and broken several world records...

     (born 1973) — illusionist
    Magic (illusion)
    Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...

  • Frank DeCaro
    Frank DeCaro
    Frank DeCaro is an American writer, performer and radio show host.The New York-born DeCaro is the author of The Dead Celebrity Cookbook: A Resurrection of Recipes From More Than 145 Stars of Stage and Screen , Unmistakably Mackie: The Fashion and Fantasy of Bob Mackie , and A Boy Named Phyllis: A...

     (born 1962) — author
    Author
    An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

     and television personality.
  • Jackie Gleason
    Jackie Gleason
    Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...

     (1916–87) — comedian and actor, resided on Mickeljohn Avenue.
  • Kit McClure
    Kit McClure
    Kit McClure is a jazz musician and bandleader of the big band Kit McClure Band and founder of the Women in Jazz Project. In 2004, she started a project to revive interest in the all-female big band, International Sweethearts of Rhythm...

     (b. 1951) — saxophonist, trombonist, bandleader
    Bandleader
    A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....

    .
  • Franklin E. Sigler
    Franklin E. Sigler
    Private First Class Franklin Earl Sigler was an American who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Iwo Jima campaign — a one-man assault on a Japanese gun position which had been holding up the advance of his company for several days, and for annihilating the enemy gun crew with...

     (1924–95) — U.S. Marine
    United States Marine Corps
    The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

     who was the recipient of the congressional Medal of Honor
    Medal of Honor
    The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

     for his actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima
    Battle of Iwo Jima
    The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...

    .
  • Lois Utz
    Lois Utz
    Lois Utz was an American children's book author, illustrator, poet, and artist. For most of her life, Utz resided in Little Falls, New Jersey. She received her Associate degree in Fine Arts from the Art Students League of New York...

     (1932–86) — children’s book
    Children's literature
    Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...

     author
    Author
    An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

    , illustrator
    Illustrator
    An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...

    , poet
    Poet
    A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

     and artist
    Artist
    An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...

    .

In popular culture

  • A delicatessen
    Delicatessen
    Delicatessen is a term meaning "delicacies" or "fine foods". The word entered English via German,with the old German spelling , plural of Delikatesse "delicacy", ultimately from Latin delicatus....

     on Main Street in Little Falls was featured in the episode "House Arrest" from the second season of television series
    Television program
    A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...

     The Sopranos
    The Sopranos
    The 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...

    .
  • The township was well known for the Colonial Inn, a hotel and lounge where comedian Jackie Gleason performed stand-up in the 1930s.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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