Mountain Lakes, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Mountain Lakes is a borough
in Morris County
, New Jersey
, United States
. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 4,256.
Mountain Lakes was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature
on March 3, 1924, from portions of Boonton Township
and Hanover Township
, subject to the results of a referendum passed on April 29, 1924.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 3 square miles (7.5 km2), of which, 2.5 square miles (6.9 km2) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km2) of it (7.61%) is water.
Part of The Tourne
county park is in Mountain Lakes.
The man-made lakes in Mountain Lakes are: Birchwood Lake, Crystal Lake, Mountain Lake, Sunset Lake, Wildwood Lake, and Cove Lake. It is only legal to swim in Birchwood Lake, and Mountain Lake in the areas that are roped off. You may swim between the hours of 5 am to 10 PM every day between the months of June and August with a Beach Badge purchased at the Borough Hall.
of 2000, there were 4,256 people, 1,330 households, and 1,186 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 1,593.0 people per square mile (615.4/km2). There were 1,357 housing units at an average density of 507.9 per square mile (196.2/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 93.05% White, 0.38% African American, 5.17% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races
, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.69% of the population.
There were 1,330 households out of which 53.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 83.3% were married couples
living together, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.8% were non-families. 9.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.20 and the average family size was 3.41.
In the borough the population was spread out with 35.7% under the age of 18, 3.1% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
As of 2009, the median income for the borough was $182,828.
form of municipal government. The Borough Council of the Borough of Mountain Lakes consists of seven elected officials. Council Members are elected for four-year terms on a staggered basis from the population at large in partisan elections. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are chosen from within the Council by the members of the Council at a Reorganization meeting held each year during the first week in January.
, members of the Mountain Lakes Borough Council are Mayor
Charles Gormally, Deputy Mayor Dan Happer, Blair Bravo, George Jackson and Stephen Shaw.
Mountain Lakes is in the
, Democrat Barack Obama
received 49.226% of the vote, defeating Republican John McCain
, who received around 49.059%. In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election
, Republican Chris Christie received 57% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine
, who received around 32%.
serve public school students in pre-k through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2008-09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
) are
Wildwood School for grades K-5 (487 students),
Briarcliff School for grades 6-8 (306 students) and
Mountain Lakes High School
for grades 9-12 (713 students). Students from Boonton Township
attend the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship
. The school was the 9th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 4th in 2008 out of 316 schools.
Lake Drive School (128 students) serves as a regional school for deaf and hard of hearing students from birth through high school, with students from nearly 100 communities in twelve New Jersey counties.
Mountain Lakes is also home to The Craig School
, a private coeducation
al day school
serving students in third through twelfth grade. The school has an enrollment of 160 students split between the Lower School (grades 3-8), located in Mountain Lakes, and the Upper School (grades 9-12), in Lincoln Park
.
show It Takes a Thief
.
The movie Wrestling with Alligators was also filmed there in 1998.
The town was named in an episode of The Sopranos
, when Tony Soprano
's Uncle Junior tells an embarrassing story about Tony's high school baseball team losing to Mountain Lakes.
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 Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, 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...
. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 4,256.
Mountain Lakes 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 3, 1924, from portions of Boonton Township
Boonton Township, New Jersey
Boonton Township is a Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 4,263....
and Hanover Township
Hanover Township, New Jersey
Hanover Township is a Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 12,898...
, subject to the results of a referendum passed on April 29, 1924.
Geography
Mountain Lakes is located at 40.887349°N 74.440819°W (40.887349, -74.440819).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 3 square miles (7.5 km2), of which, 2.5 square miles (6.9 km2) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km2) of it (7.61%) is water.
Part of The Tourne
The Tourne
The Tourne is a county park in Morris County, New Jersey. The park covers 547 acres in three different municipalities, Mountain Lakes, Denville and Boonton Township. It includes bike trails, equestrian trails, hiking trails, picnic areas and play areas. Sledding and cross-country skiing are also...
county park is in Mountain Lakes.
The man-made lakes in Mountain Lakes are: Birchwood Lake, Crystal Lake, Mountain Lake, Sunset Lake, Wildwood Lake, and Cove Lake. It is only legal to swim in Birchwood Lake, and Mountain Lake in the areas that are roped off. You may swim between the hours of 5 am to 10 PM every day between the months of June and August with a Beach Badge purchased at the Borough Hall.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 4,256 people, 1,330 households, and 1,186 families residing in the borough. 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 1,593.0 people per square mile (615.4/km2). There were 1,357 housing units at an average density of 507.9 per square mile (196.2/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 93.05% White, 0.38% African American, 5.17% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.52% 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 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.69% of the population.
There were 1,330 households out of which 53.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 83.3% 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, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.8% were non-families. 9.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.20 and the average family size was 3.41.
In the borough the population was spread out with 35.7% under the age of 18, 3.1% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
As of 2009, the median income for the borough was $182,828.
Local government
Mountain Lakes operates under the Faulkner Act (Council-Manager)Faulkner 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...
form of municipal government. The Borough Council of the Borough of Mountain Lakes consists of seven elected officials. Council Members are elected for four-year terms on a staggered basis from the population at large in partisan elections. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are chosen from within the Council by the members of the Council at a Reorganization meeting held each year during the first week in January.
, members of the Mountain Lakes 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....
Charles Gormally, Deputy Mayor Dan Happer, Blair Bravo, George Jackson and Stephen Shaw.
Federal, state and county representation
Mountain Lakes is in the 11th Congressional district.Mountain Lakes is in the
Politics
Mountain Lakes is roughly split between Republicans and Democrats. In the 2008 Presidential ElectionUnited 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 49.226% of the vote, defeating 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 around 49.059%. In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election
New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009
The New Jersey gubernatorial election of 2009 took place on November 3, 2009. Democratic Governor Jon Corzine was running for a second term and was being challenged by Republican Chris Christie, Independent Christopher Daggett and nine others, in addition to several write-in candidates...
, Republican Chris Christie received 57% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
, who received around 32%.
Education
The Mountain Lakes SchoolsMountain Lakes Schools
The Mountain Lakes Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Mountain Lakes, in Morris County, New Jersey, United States....
serve public school students in pre-k through twelfth grade. 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
Wildwood School for grades K-5 (487 students),
Briarcliff School for grades 6-8 (306 students) and
Mountain Lakes High School
Mountain Lakes High School
Mountain Lakes High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Mountain Lakes, in Morris County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Mountain Lakes Schools...
for grades 9-12 (713 students). Students from Boonton Township
Boonton Township, New Jersey
Boonton Township is a Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 4,263....
attend the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship
Sending/receiving relationship
A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts have grown as part of a historical relationship...
. The school was the 9th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 4th in 2008 out of 316 schools.
Lake Drive School (128 students) serves as a regional school for deaf and hard of hearing students from birth through high school, with students from nearly 100 communities in twelve New Jersey counties.
Mountain Lakes is also home to The Craig School
The Craig School
The Craig School is an independent, private coeducational day school located in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, United States, serving students in third through to twelfth grade. As of the 2009-10 school year, the Lower School had approximately 100 students and the Upper School had about 45 in grades...
, a private coeducation
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
serving students in third through twelfth grade. The school has an enrollment of 160 students split between the Lower School (grades 3-8), located in Mountain Lakes, and the Upper School (grades 9-12), in Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park, New Jersey
Lincoln Park is a Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 10,930....
.
Popular culture
The borough's police department was featured on an episode of the Discovery ChannelDiscovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
show It Takes a Thief
It Takes a Thief (2005 TV series)
It Takes a Thief is an American reality television series that originally aired on the Discovery Channel from February 2, 2005 to April 13, 2007...
.
The movie Wrestling with Alligators was also filmed there in 1998.
The town was named in an episode of 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...
, when Tony Soprano
Tony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
's Uncle Junior tells an embarrassing story about Tony's high school baseball team losing to Mountain Lakes.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Mountain Lakes include:- Frederick W. CastleFrederick W. CastleFrederick Walker Castle was a general officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He was killed in action leading the bombing mission for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.-Background:Castle was born at Fort McKinley in Manila, the...
(1908–44), general officer in the United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air ForcesThe United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and a recipient of the Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe 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...
. - Patrik EliášPatrik EliasPatrik Eliáš is a Czech professional hockey left winger and alternate captain for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . A long-time Devil and currently the team's longest-tenured skater, Eliáš is the franchise's all-time leading scorer, while also holding franchise records for most...
(born 1976), left wing for the New Jersey DevilsNew Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. - Jeff FriesenJeff FriesenJeff Daryl Friesen is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently a Free Agent. He most recently played with Eisbären Berlin of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-Playing career:...
(born 1976), professional hockey player. - Richard M. FreelandRichard M. FreelandRichard Middleton Freeland was President of Northeastern University from 1996 to 2006. He currently serves as the Commissioner of Higher Education for Massachusetts ....
(born 1941), President of Northeastern University from 1996 to 2006.
Places of interest
- Grimes HomesteadGrimes Homestead, Mountain Lakes, New JerseyThe Grimes Homestead, also known as Grimes Farm, is a historic home in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. It was constructed in the late 18th Century. The house served as a way station on the Underground Railroad for runaway slaves....
, 18th century historic home that served as a way station on the Underground Railroad
External links
- Mountain Lakes website
- Mountain Lakes Schools
- Data for the Mountain Lakes 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...
- Regional area newspaper
- Hub Lakes Home Page