Ridgewood, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Ridgewood is a village
Village (New Jersey)
A Village in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government.The Village Act of 1891 defined the form of government to consist of a five-member board of trustees to be elected to three-year staggered terms. One member serves...

 in Bergen County
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...

, 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 2010 United States Census, the village population was 24,958. Ridgewood is an affluent suburban bedroom community
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...

 of 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...

, located approximately 20 miles northwest of 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...

.

The Village of Ridgewood was created on November 20, 1894, with the same boundaries as Ridgewood Township
Ridgewood Township, Bergen County, New Jersey (Historical)
Ridgewood Township existed in Bergen County, New Jersey and was established in 1876, consisting of the easternmost third of what remained of Franklin Township, west of the Saddle River....

. The Village became the municipal government while the Township remained as a school district. In 1902, the village added portions of Orvil Township, which were returned to Orvil Township in 1915. In 1925, Ridgewood Village acquired area from Franklin Township (now Wyckoff). On February 9, 1971, Ridgewood Village acquired area from Washington Township. On May 28, 1974, it acquired area from Ho-Ho-Kus
Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey
Ho-Ho-Kus is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 4,078. It is the home of several historical landmarks, including the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn and The Hermitage....

.

In 1700, Johannes Van Emburgh built the first home in Ridgewood, having purchased a 250 acres (101.2 ha) property in 1698.

Ridgewood was ranked 26th in Money
Money (magazine)
Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...

 magazine's "Best Places to Live" in America, 2011.

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 ranked Ridgewood as the 61st best place to live in New Jersey in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.

Geography

Ridgewood is located at 40.983997°N 74.114386°W (40.983997, -74.114386).

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 village has a total area of 5.83 square miles (15.1 km²), of which, 5.79 square miles (15 km²) of it is land and 0.05 square mile (0.1294994055 km²) of it (0.86%) is water.

Ridgewood is adjacent to eight municipalities, seven in Bergen County
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...

 – Paramus
Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 26,342. A suburb of New York City, Paramus is located between 15–20 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan and approximately west of Upper Manhattan.Paramus is one of...

, Washington Township, Ho-Ho-Kus
Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey
Ho-Ho-Kus is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 4,078. It is the home of several historical landmarks, including the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn and The Hermitage....

, Waldwick
Waldwick, New Jersey
Waldwick is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 9,625.-Geography:Waldwick is located at ....

, Midland Park
Midland Park, New Jersey
Midland Park is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 7,128....

, Wyckoff
Wyckoff, New Jersey
Wyckoff is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 16,696. As of the 2000 Census, Wyckoff ranked 54th in 100 highest-income places in the United States...

 and Glen Rock
Glen Rock, New Jersey
Glen Rock is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 11,601.-History:...

 – and Hawthorne
Hawthorne, New Jersey
Hawthorne is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 18,218.Hawthorne was originally part of the now-defunct Manchester Township, which was later subdivided to create Hawthorne, Haledon, North Haledon, Prospect Park,...

 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...

.

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 24,936 people, 8,603 households, and 6,779 families residing in the village. 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 4,308.9 people per square mile (1,662.8/km2). There were 8,802 housing units at an average density of 1,521.0 per square mile (587.0/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 87.82% White, 1.64% African American, 0.04% Native American, 8.67% Asian, 0.59% 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 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.78% of the population. As of the 2005-2009 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, Ridgewood's Asian population was estimated to have risen to 14.4%, most notably numerous in the Korean American
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...

 and Asian Indian populations.

There were 8,603 households out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.4% 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, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the village, the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $104,286, and the median income for a family was $121,848. Males had a median income of $90,422 versus $50,248 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 village was $51,658. 3.0% of the population and 1.8% of families are below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Ridgewood ranked at #15 on Money
Money (magazine)
Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...

 Magazine's 2008 listing of the 25 top-earning towns in the USA.

Local government

In 1970, Ridgewood adopted the 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...

 plan under 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 this form, the public elects five Council Members who act as a Board of Directors. Their principal responsibility is to hire and oversee a professional Village Manager who has full executive power for all departments. The Village Council is the governing body of the Village of Ridgewood. The government consists five council members, with all positions elected at large in nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....

 elections to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election in even-numbered years on the second Tuesday in May. At a reorganization meeting held on July 1 after newly elected council members take office, the council chooses a mayor and deputy mayor from among its members

The Village Council appoints a Village Manager to oversee the day to day operations of the Village, to handle personnel, citizen inquiries and complaints, and to handle the administrative duties of the Village. The Village Council passes local laws, makes appointments to various Boards and Committees, and awards various contracts for purchases of goods and services used by the Village. They also review, amend, and adopt the annual budget for the Village prepared by the Village Manager and Chief Financial Officer. The Mayor presides over Council meetings, but has no executive authority.

, members of the Ridgewood Village 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....

 Keith Killion (2012), 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...

 Thomas Riche (2014), Paul Aronsohn (2012) and Stephen Wellinghorst (2014).

Of 566 municipalities statewide, Ridgewood is one of only four municipalities in New Jersey formed as villages, joining Loch Arbour
Loch Arbour, New Jersey
Loch Arbour is a village in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the village population was 194, making it the fifth smallest municipality by population in the state of New Jersey....

, Ridgefield Park
Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
Ridgefield Park is a village in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The population was 12,729 at the 2010 United States Census. Of 566 municipalities statewide, Ridgefield Park is only one of three with a village type of government in New Jersey, along with Loch Arbour and Ridgewood.The...

 and South Orange
South Orange, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 people per square mile . There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5 per square mile...

.

Federal, state and county representation

Ridgewood is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 40th state legislative district. The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission
New Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...

 based on the results of the 2010 Census.




Politics

As of Election Day, November 4, 2008, there were 15,243 registered voters. Of registered voters, 4,734 (31.1% of all registered voters) were registered as Democrats
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...

, 4,057 (26.6%) 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 6,447 (42.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were five voters registered to other parties.

In the 2008 presidential election
United 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 54.9% of the vote here (6,597 ballots cast), 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 44.2% of the vote (5,306 votes), with 79.0% of registered voters participating. 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 Ridgewood Public Schools
Ridgewood Public Schools
The Ridgewood Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district serving students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade from suburban Ridgewood, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States....

 consist of nine public schools and two more additional school facilities, which house a BOE-run pre-school program and a private day care center. The district consists of nine public schools and one additional school facility, which houses a BOE-run pre-school program and a private day care center. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 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
Glen School (Pre-School and Private Day Care Center, 38 students),
six K-5 elementary schools –
Henrietta Hawes Elementary School (414),
Orchard Elementary School (324),
Ridge Elementary School (479),
Irwin B. Somerville Elementary School (534),
Ira W. Travell Elementary School (411) and
Willard Elementary School (456) –
Benjamin Franklin Middle School (687) and
George Washington Middle School (674) for grades 6-8 and
Ridgewood High School
Ridgewood High School (New Jersey)
Ridgewood High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students from Ridgewood, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Ridgewood Public Schools....

 (1,659) for grades 9-12. The school was the 3rd-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 3rd in 2008 out of 316 schools.

According to the New Jersey Department of Education
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...

, Ridgewood is a socioeconomic District Factor Group of J, the highest of eight categories. Ridgewood Public Schools
Ridgewood Public Schools
The Ridgewood Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district serving students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade from suburban Ridgewood, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States....

 is the largest school district in 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...

, with an enrollment of 5,568 students as of the 2006-07 school year.

The Holmstead School serves students of high school age with high intellectual potential who have not succeeded in traditional school settings. Students are placed in the school by referral from their home public school districts, with tuition paid for by the school district.

Local media

The village of Ridgewood is served by two weekly community newspapers – The Ridgewood News and the Ridgewood Suburban News. The papers are published by North Jersey Media Group. The daily newspaper for the region is The Record
The Record (Bergen County)
The Record is a newspaper in northern New Jersey. It has the second largest circulation of New Jersey's daily newspapers, behind The Star-Ledger. Owned by the Borg family since 1930, it is the flagship publication of the North Jersey Media Group. Stephen Borg is the publisher of The Record...

 which is also published by North Jersey Media Group
North Jersey Media Group
North Jersey Media Group is a newspaper publishing and media firm serving northern New Jersey and headquartered in Hackensack, with a second office in Woodland Park . The firm, owned by the Borg family, publishes The Herald News, which covers Passaic County, out of West Paterson and the state's...

. The company's website, NorthJersey.com, has a Ridgewood town page that includes local coverage all three of these papers.

Transportation

The Ridgewood
Ridgewood (NJT station)
Ridgewood Station is a major New Jersey Transit rail station hub. It is located in downtown Ridgewood, New Jersey, and divides the downtown area in half....

 station is served by 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...

 Main Line as well as the Bergen County Line
Bergen County Line
The Bergen County Line is a commuter rail line and service owned and operated by New Jersey Transit in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The line loops off the Main Line between the Meadowlands and Glen Rock, with trains continuing in either direction along the Main Line...

. The station features three platforms. The first is for all trains headed south toward 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...

. The second is for Bergen County Line trains headed in the same direction, and the third is for Main Line trains headed toward Suffern
Suffern (Metro-North station)
Suffern Station is a train station in Suffern, New York, United States, controlled by New Jersey Transit and also used by the Metro-North Railroad. Metro-North's Port Jervis Line joins New Jersey Transit's Main Line at this station. These two lines offer service from Port Jervis to Hoboken, New...

 and Port Jervis
Port Jervis (Metro-North station)
The Port Jervis Metro-North station serves the residents of that city and surrounding communities. It is the western terminus of the Port Jervis Line, with trains taking New York City-bound passengers there via Hoboken and Secaucus Junction...

. NJTransit trains on both the Bergen and the Main Lines go to Hoboken, stopping at Secaucus Junction
Secaucus Junction
The Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey...

, for transfers to trains to Penn 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...

 and other destinations served by the station. Parking is limited near the Ridgewood train station. There are usually taxicabs available right at the train station, as the taxi building is on the northbound platform.

New Jersey Transit buses in Ridgewood include 144, 145, 148, 162, 163 and 164 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
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...

, the 175 to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City, New York....

, and local service offered on the 722 (to Paramus Park and Paterson), 746 (to Paterson, as Ridgewood is its terminus) and 752 (to Hackensack) routes.

The southern terminus of Franklin Turnpike is in Ridgewood. Other roads that go through Ridgewood are New Jersey Route 17 and County Route 507
County Route 507 (New Jersey)
County Route 507 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Harrison Avenue on the Kearny-Harrison town line to the New York state line in Mahwah. Between Ho-Ho-Kus and Mahwah, this highway is known as Franklin Turnpike...

.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Ridgewood include:
  • Peter Carlisle
    Peter Carlisle
    Peter Benson Carlisle is the current Mayor of Honolulu, Hawaii. He previously was the Prosecuting Attorney of Honolulu, from 1996 to 2010.-Life:...

     (born 1952), Mayor of Honolulu
    Mayor of Honolulu
    The Mayor of Honolulu is the chief executive officer of the City and County of Honolulu and considered the third most powerful official in the U.S. state of Hawaii, behind the Governor of Hawaii and the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii...

    .
  • Tyler Clementi (1992–2010), Rutgers University
    Rutgers University
    Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...

     student who committed suicide after being outed on the internet by his roommate.
  • Harlan Coben
    Harlan Coben
    Harlan Coben is an American author of mystery novels and thrillers. The plots of his novels often involve the resurfacing of unresolved or misinterpreted events in the past and often have multiple plot twists...

     (born 1962), The New York Times
    The New York Times
    The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

     best-selling author of Promise Me, Tell No One and No Second Chance.
  • Tabatha Coffey
    Tabatha Coffey
    Tabatha Coffey is an Australian hairstylist, salon owner, and American television personality. Her participation as a contestant on the television show, Shear Genius, led to her own television show, Tabatha's Salon Takeover, which airs on the U.S...

     (born 1967), contestant (and Fan Favorite winner) on season one
    Shear Genius (Season 1)
    -Contestants:-Episode progress:The 12 stylists are introduced to the host, Jaclyn Smith, and judge Sally Hershberger for the Short Cut Challenge. The Short Cut Challenge consisted of the stylist showing their signature style on a manniquin head. Tyson, Daisy, and Paul-Jean were in the top three,...

     of Bravo's Shear Genius
    Shear Genius
    Shear Genius is an American reality television series on the Bravo network that focuses on hair styling. The show first premiered on April 11, 2007....

     and host of Tabatha's Salon Takeover
    Tabatha's Salon Takeover
    Tabatha's Salon Takeover is an American reality television series on the Bravo network, in which former Shear Genius contestant and hair salon owner, Tabatha Coffey helps failing salons turn around in one week...

    .
  • Christopher J. Connors
    Christopher J. Connors
    Christopher J. Connors is an American Republican party politician, who has served in the New Jersey Senate since January 8, 2008, where he currently represents the 9th legislative district...

     (born 1956), represents the 9th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly
    New Jersey General Assembly
    The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...

    .
  • Meghan Daum
    Meghan Daum
    Meghan Daum is an American author, essayist, and journalist. Although she was born in California, Daum grew up primarily in Ridgewood, New Jersey. She received her bachelor's degree from Vassar College and her Master of Fine Arts degree from Columbia University.Daum spent much of her twenties in...

     (born 1970), author who writes for the Los Angeles Times
    Los Angeles Times
    The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....

    .
  • Anne Donovan
    Anne Donovan
    Anne Donovan is an American retired basketball player and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Seton Hall University. She was formerly an assistant coach, then interim head coach of the New York Liberty of the WNBA...

     (born 1961), Three-time basketball All-American at Old Dominion University
    Old Dominion University
    Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...

     and three-time Olympic team member. Ranked #8 on the Sports Illustrated
    Sports Illustrated
    Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

     list of The 50 Greatest New Jersey Sports Figures.
  • Niles Eldredge
    Niles Eldredge
    Niles Eldredge is an American paleontologist, who, along with Stephen Jay Gould, proposed the theory of punctuated equilibrium in 1972.-Education:...

     (born 1943), paleontologist.
  • George Hall (1849-1923), professional baseball player who played in the National Association and later the National League
    National League
    The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

    .
  • Jeff Feagles
    Jeff Feagles
    Jeffrey Allan Feagles is a retired American football punter. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 1988. He played college football at the University of Miami, and most recently played for the New York Giants of the National Football League.Feagles is...

     (born 1966), Punter
    Punter (football position)
    A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...

     for the National Football League
    National Football League
    The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

     New York Giants
    New York Giants
    The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

  • Varian Fry
    Varian Fry
    Varian Mackey Fry was an American journalist. Fry ran a rescue network in Vichy France that helped approximately 2,000 to 4,000 anti-Nazi and Jewish refugees to escape Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.-Early life:...

     (1907–1967), American journalist who helped save many, most notably the French artist Marc Chagall
    Marc Chagall
    Marc Chagall Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century."According to art historian Michael J...

    , from persecution and deportation in Vichy France
    Vichy France
    Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...

     during the Holocaust.
  • Bill Geist (born 1945), correspondent, CBS News Sunday Morning
    CBS News Sunday Morning
    CBS News Sunday Morning is an American television news magazine program created by Robert Northshield and original host Charles Kuralt. The program has aired continuously since January 28, 1979 on the CBS Television Network, airing in the Eastern US on Sunday from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m...

    , lived in Ridgewood for 20 years.
  • Daniel Henninger
    Daniel Henninger
    Daniel Henninger is Deputy Editorial Page Director of the Wall Street Journal and a Fox News contributor. He also writes a column named "Wonder Land" which appears every Thursday...

    , The Wall Street Journal
    The Wall Street Journal
    The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....

     columnist.
  • Jason Heyward
    Jason Heyward
    Jason Alias Heyward , nicknamed J-Hey and J-Hey-Kid, is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Atlanta Braves. He throws and bats left-handed....

    , (born 1989), right fielder for the Atlanta Braves
    Atlanta Braves
    The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....

    .
  • Margaret Juntwait
    Margaret Juntwait
    Margaret Juntwait is an American radio broadcaster who is the voice of the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts. She debuted in this position on December 11, 2004, replacing Peter Allen upon his retirement after twenty-nine years.-Life and career:...

     (born c. 1957), the voice of the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts
    Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts
    The Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts are a regular series of weekly broadcasts on network radio of full-length opera performances. They are transmitted live from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City...

    .
  • Peter S. Kim
    Peter S. Kim
    Peter S. Kim is president of Merck Research Laboratories . Kim was promoted to this position in January 2003. In this role he oversees all of Merck's drug and vaccine research and development activities....

    , president of Merck Research Laboratories, class of 1975, Ridgewood High School.
  • Bowie Kuhn
    Bowie Kuhn
    Bowie Kent Kuhn was an American lawyer and sports administrator who served as the fifth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from February 4, , to September 30,...

     (1926–2007), Commissioner of Baseball
    Commissioner of Baseball
    The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...

     from 1969-1984.
  • Mike Laga
    Mike Laga
    Michael Russell Laga is a former professional baseball player for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants in the 1980s and 1990s...

     (born 1960), Major League Baseball player from 1982 to 1990.
  • Robert Sean Leonard
    Robert Sean Leonard
    Robert Sean Leonard is an American actor, who has regularly starred in Broadway and off-Broadway productions. Since 2004 he has played the role of Dr. James Wilson on the TV series House...

     (born 1969), Tony Award-winning actor, current regular in TV series House
    House (TV series)
    House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...

    .
  • Alfred Lutter
    Alfred Lutter
    Alfred Lutter is an American child actor who starred along with Ellen Burstyn in the Martin Scorsese film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore...

    , (born 1962), actor and consultant born here, most famous for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
    Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
    Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is a 1974 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Robert Getchell. It stars Ellen Burstyn as a widow who travels with her preteen son across the American Southwest in search of a better life, along with Alfred Lutter as her son and Kris...

     and The Bad News Bears.
  • Martha MacCallum
    Martha MacCallum
    Martha MacCallum is an American news anchor on the Fox News Channel. She joined the network in 2004, and is based in the New York City bureau. She previously hosted The Live Desk with Trace Gallagher at 1:00 p.m. ET. Currently, she co-hosts with Bill Hemmer America's Newsroom at 9:00 a.m...

    , (born 1964), news anchor on Fox News Channel
    Fox News Channel
    Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...

    .
  • Paul Mara
    Paul Mara
    Paul Mara is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently an unrestricted free agent of the National Hockey League ....

     (born 1979), National Hockey League
    National Hockey League
    The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

     defenceman
    Defenceman (ice hockey)
    Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...

     for the Montreal Canadiens formerly of the New York Rangers
    New York Rangers
    The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

    , was born in Ridgewood but was raised in Belmont, Massachusetts
    Belmont, Massachusetts
    Belmont is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. The population was 24,729 at the 2010 census.- History :Belmont was founded on March 18, 1859 by former citizens of, and land from the bordering towns of Watertown, to the south; Waltham, to the west; and Arlington, then...

    .
  • MC Paul Barman
    MC Paul Barman
    Paul Nathaniel Barman better known as MC Paul Barman is a Jewish- American emcee from Ridgewood, New Jersey, who attended Brown University....

    , (born 1974), rapper.
  • Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr.
    Thomas McGuire
    Thomas Buchanan McGuire Jr. was the second highest scoring American ace during World War II, whose memory was preserved by the naming of McGuire Air Force Base in Burlington County, New Jersey.-Early years:...

     (1920–45), the second leading air ace in World War II
    World War II
    World 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...

    , who was killed in action on January 7, 1945, and awarded the 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...

     posthumously. McGuire Air Force Base
    McGuire Air Force Base
    JB MDL McGuire is a United States Air Force base located approximately south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. McGuire is under the jurisdiction of the USAF Air Mobility Command...

     is named in his memory.
  • Frankie Muniz
    Frankie Muniz
    Francisco "Frankie" Muniz IV is an American actor, musician, writer, producer, and racecar driver. He is known primarily as the star of the FOX television family sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. In 2003, he was considered "one of Hollywood's most bankable teens". In 2008, he put his acting career...

    , (born 1985), actor and professional racer, most famous for Malcolm in the Middle
    Malcolm in the Middle
    Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...

    .
  • Buddy Nielsen (born 1984), singer of the rock band Senses Fail
    Senses Fail
    Senses Fail is an American post-hardcore band from Ridgewood, New Jersey. Formed in 2002, the line up initially consisted of vocalist Buddy Nielsen, drummer Dan Trapp, guitarists Dave Miller and Garrett Zablocki and being completed by bassist Mike Glita. The band quickly issued their debut EP, From...

    .
  • Tom Nolan, publisher of Golf World
    Golf World
    Golf World is a weekly magazine covering the game of golf published by Condé Nast Publications. It celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2007, and is therefore the oldest golf publication in the United States...

    .
  • Jeffrey Nordling
    Jeffrey Nordling
    Jeffrey Richard Nordling is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Jake Manning in Once and Again, Larry Moss in 24, and Nick Bolen in Desperate Housewives; and in the following films: And the Band Played On, Flight 93, Pirates of Silicon Valley, and the film D3: The Mighty Ducks.-Early...

     (born 1962), actor, appearing in the series Dirt
    Dirt (TV series)
    Dirt is an American television serial broadcast on the FX network. It premiered on January 2, 2007 and starred Courteney Cox as Lucy Spiller, the editor-in-chief of the first-of-its-kind "glossy tabloid" magazine DirtNow, which was previously two separate publications: drrt and Now Dirt (styled...

     And most recently 24
    24 (TV series)
    24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...

    .
  • William Remington
    William Remington
    William Walter Remington was an economist employed in various federal government positions until his career was interrupted by accusations of espionage made by the Soviet spy and defector Elizabeth Bentley. He was convicted of perjury in connection with these charges in 1953, and murdered in...

     (1917–54), accused Soviet spy convicted of perjury.
  • Marge Roukema
    Marge Roukema
    Margaret Scafati "Marge" Roukema represented New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives for twenty-two years as a Republican. No woman has served in Congress from New Jersey since Roukema left office....

     (born 1929), former member of the United States House of Representatives.
  • Nelson Riddle
    Nelson Riddle
    Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...

     (1921–1985), musician and arranger for various artists such as Frank Sinatra
    Frank Sinatra
    Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...

     and Ella Fitzgerald
    Ella Fitzgerald
    Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...

    .
  • Real Estate
    Real Estate (band)
    Real Estate is an Indie rock band hailing from Ridgewood, New Jersey now rooted in Brooklyn, N.Y.-Band members:* Alex Bleeker – bass, vocals* Martin Courtney – guitar, vocals* Matthew Mondanile – guitar, vocals* Jackson Pollis – drums...

    , indie rock band.
  • Bob Sebra
    Bob Sebra
    Robert 'Bob' Sebra , is a former professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1985-1990. Sebra played for the Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Milwaukee Brewers. He was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey.-External links:...

    , (born 1961), MLB player for the Texas Rangers
    Texas Rangers (baseball)
    The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...

    , Montreal Expos
    Montreal Expos
    The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...

    , Philadelphia Phillies
    Philadelphia Phillies
    The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

    , Cincinnati Reds
    Cincinnati Reds
    The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....

    , and the Milwaukee Brewers
    Milwaukee Brewers
    The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

    .
  • Jordin Sparks
    Jordin Sparks
    Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...

     (born 1989), American Idol
    American Idol (Season 6)
    The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host...

     winner, lived here as a child while her father was playing with the Giants.
  • Phillippi Sparks
    Phillippi Sparks
    Phillippi Dwain Sparks is a former American football player in the National Football League.Sparks graduated from Maryvale High School in Phoenix, Arizona in 1987. He then attended and played football for...

     (born 1969), former NFL cornerback
    Cornerback
    A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...

     who played most of his career with the New York Giants
    New York Giants
    The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

    .
  • Michael Springer
    Michael Springer
    Michael Springer is a lacrosse player for the Philadelphia Barrage of Major League Lacrosse. Springer was a four-time All American at Syracuse University. He now coaches varsity lacrosse at Don Bosco Prep.-Major League Lacrosse:...

     (born 1979), former MLL
    Major League Lacrosse
    Major League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :...

     player.
  • Wayne Tippit
    Wayne Tippit
    Wayne Tippit was an American television and stage character actor. He was best known to television audiences for playing Ted Adamson on the 1970s and 1980s CBS soap opera, Search for Tomorrow, for five years...

     (1932–2009), character actor
    Actor
    An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

     (Melrose Place) who lived in Ridgewood until 1990.
  • Casper Van Dien
    Casper Van Dien
    -Early life:Van Dien was born and grew up in Milton, Florida, the son of Diane , a retired nursery school teacher, and Casper Robert Van Dien, Sr., a retired U.S. Navy Commander and fighter pilot. There is a long military tradition in Van Dien's family. Aside from his father, his grandfather was a...

     (born 1968), actor, Starship Troopers
    Starship Troopers (film)
    Starship Troopers is a 1997 American military science fiction film, written by Edward Neumeier , directed by Paul Verhoeven, loosely adapted from Starship Troopers, a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein. It is the only theatrically released film in the Starship Troopers franchise...

    , Sleepy Hollow
    Sleepy Hollow (film)
    Sleepy Hollow is a 1999 American period horror film directed by Tim Burton. It is a film adaptation loosely inspired by the 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving and stars Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Marc Pickering, Michael Gambon, Jeffrey Jones,...

    . Van Dien Avenue is named for his great-great-grandfather.
  • Douglas Watt
    Douglas Watt (critic)
    Douglas Benjamin Watt was an American theater critic who spent nearly six decades covering Broadway theatre — and then Off Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway — for the Daily News and also reported on classical music and opera for The New Yorker...

     (1914–2009), theater critic for the Daily News.
  • Bill Wielechowski
    Bill Wielechowski
    Bill P. Wielechowski is a Democratic member of the Alaska Senate, representing the J District since 2006. Wielechowski is of Polish origin; his grandfather came to America from Kraków in 1910...

     (born 1967), member of the Alaska Senate
    Alaska Senate
    The Alaska Senate is the upper house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The Senate consists of twenty members, each of whom represents an equal amount of districts with populations of about 31,347 people . Senators serve four-year terms, without term...

    , representing the J District since 2006.

Historic sites

Ridgewood is home to the following locations on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

:
  • Ackerman House (222 Doremus Avenue) - 222 Doremus Ave. (added 1983)
  • Ackerman House (252 Lincoln Avenue) - 252 Lincoln Ave. (added 1983)
  • David Ackerman House
    David Ackerman House
    David Ackerman House is a historic house at 415 E. Saddle River in Ridgewood, New Jersey.It was built in 1750 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.-References:...

     - 415 E. Saddle River Rd. (added 1983)
  • Ackerman-Van Emburgh House - 789 E. Glen Ave. (added 1983)
  • Archibald-Vroom House
    Archibald-Vroom House
    Archibald-Vroom House, is located in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The house was built in 1785 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 24, 1984. Dr. William Vroom converted the house into a small hospital in 1888. The house is now used as a retail site....

     - 160 E. Ridgewood Ave. (added 1984)
  • Beech Street School
    Beech Street School
    The Beech Street School, is located in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The schoolhouse was built in 1895 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 12, 1998. The building is an example of the Romanesque Revival style of architecture....

     - 49 Cottage Place (added 1998)
  • Paramus Reformed Church Historic District
    Paramus Reformed Church Historic District
    Paramus Reformed Church Historic District is a historic district bounded by Franklin Turnpike, NJ 17, Saddle River, south side of the cemetery, and Glen Avenue in Ridgewood, New Jersey....

     - Bounded by Franklin Tpke., NJ 17, Saddle River, S side of cemetery, and Glen Ave. (added 1975)
  • Rathbone-Zabriskie House
    Rathbone-Zabriskie House
    Rathbone-Zabriskie House is located in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The house was built in 1790 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 10, 1983....

     - 570 N. Maple Ave. (added 1983)
  • Ridgewood Station
    Ridgewood (NJT station)
    Ridgewood Station is a major New Jersey Transit rail station hub. It is located in downtown Ridgewood, New Jersey, and divides the downtown area in half....

     - Garber Sq. (added 1984)
  • Van Dien House
    Van Dien House
    Van Dien House, is located in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 10, 1983....

     - 627 Grove St. (added 1983)
  • Vanderbeck House (Ridgewood) - 249 Prospect St. (added 1983)
  • Westervelt-Cameron House
    Westervelt-Cameron House
    Westervelt-Cameron House, is located in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The house was built in 1767 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 10, 1983....

     - 26 E. Glen Ave. (added 1983)
  • Albert J. Zabriskie Farmhouse
    Albert J. Zabriskie Farmhouse
    Albert J. Zabriskie Farmhouse is located in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The house was built in 1805 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 1977....

     - E of Ridgewood at E. 37 Ridgewood Ave. (added 1977)

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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