Bergenfield is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 26,247.
Bergenfield was formed on the basis of a referendum held on June 25, 1894, from portions of Englewood Township and Palisades Township at the height of the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County.
Geography
Bergenfield is located at (40.923748, -73.998795).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 7.5 km² (2.9 mi²), all land.
Demographics
Bergenfield is informally known as the Manilatown of Bergen County. Of the 14,224 Filipino population in the county as a whole, 3,133 (22% of the county total) live in Bergenfield.
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,247 people, 8,981 households, and 6,753 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,494.5/km² (9,065.4/mi²). There were 9,147 housing units at an average density of 1,217.8/km² (3,159.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 62.90% White (16,509 Whites), 6.90% African American (1,811 African Americans), 0.24% Native American (63 Native Americans), 20.41% Asian (5,357 Asian), 0.02% Pacific Islander (5 Pacific Islander), 6.47% from other races (1,696 others), and 3.06% from two or more races (803 multiple races). Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.05% of the population.(4,475 Hispanic or Latino). (NOTE: Some races overlap.)
There were 8,981 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.41.
In the borough the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $62,172, and the median income for a family was $71,187. Males had a median income of $42,074 versus $35,137 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $24,706. About 2.6% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
The Mayor of Bergenfield is Richard J. Bohan. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Dolores Butler, Bruce Carlson, Patricia DiRienzo, Christopher Faustino, Dennis Mulligan and Elaine Rabbitt.
On Election Day, November 7, 2006, Democrats Thomas A. Lodato (3,294 votes) and Robert Gillman (3,161) swept the two open seats on the Borough Council, defeating Republicans Matthew G. Capizzi (2,952) and Mary S. Kirsch (2,823) and Independent Laurie Shestack (655). When the two took office on January 1, 2007, the council was all Democrats. Two ballot initiatives — one increasing salary ranges for borough officials and the other seeking a new reassessment of properties in the borough — both failed, by margins of 4,263-612 and 2,928-1,973 resepectively.
Federal, state and county representation
Bergenfield is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 37th Legislative District.
Politics
As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 26,210 in Bergenfield, there were 13,261 registered voters (50.6% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 3,023 (22.8% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,118 (16.0% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 8,115 (61.2% vs. 60.1% countywide) are registered as Undeclared. There were five voters registered to other parties.
On the national level, Bergenfield leans towards the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 55% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 45%.
Education
Student's in grades Kindergarten through 12 are educated by the Bergenfield Public Schools which serve a total of 3,900 students. There are seven schools in the district: five elementary schools serving Kindergarten - 5th grade —
Franklin School with 417 students, Hoover School with 231 students, Jefferson School with 293 students, Lincoln School with 487 students, Washington School with 286 students — Roy W. Brown Middle School with 941 students in grades 6 - 8 and Bergenfield High School with 1,148 students.
Transportation
New Jersey Transit bus service is available from Bergenfield to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 166, 167 and 186 routes; and to other New Jersey communities served on the 753, 756 and 772 routes.
Community
On December 13, 2005, a gas main was nicked and started a leak at an apartment building under construction. The fire department responded and when they got there, the fire chief elected not to evacuate the building as there was no smell of gas. Moments later, the building exploded, killing three people and injuring around a dozen or so more.. A National Transportation Safety Board report issued on May 1, 2007, blamed PSE&G for failing to properly supervise excavation that led to damage of the gas main, and the Bergenfield Fire Department for its failure to evacuate the building, even after the smell of gas had been reported.
On May 4, 2006, the hit show on ABC, came to Bergenfield to build a home for the Llanes family. The episode aired as the pre-season two-hour special originally broadcast on September 17, 2006.
Notable people
Sources
External links
