Fair Lawn, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Borough
Radburn Plaza
Seal
Motto(s):  "A great place to visit and a better place to live."
Location of Fair Lawn in Bergen County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Bergen County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Census Bureau map of Fair Lawn, New Jersey <mapframe text="Interactive map of Fair Lawn, New Jersey" zoom="8" width="250" height="250"> { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "geoshape", "ids": "Q607666" } </mapframe>
Fair Lawn, New Jersey Location in Bergen County, New Jersey Show map of Bergen County, New Jersey Fair Lawn, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Fair Lawn, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Bergen
Incorporated	March 6, 1924
Named for	David Acker's estate, Fairlawn
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act (council–manager)
• Body	Borough Council
Area
• Total	5.22 sq mi (13.53 km2)
• Land	5.13 sq mi (13.30 km2)
• Water	0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2)  1.53%
Area rank	271st of 565 in state 11th of 70 in county
Elevation	69 ft (21 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	34,927
• Estimate  (2023)	35,564
• Rank	68th of 565 in state 4th of 70 in county
• Density	6,801.8/sq mi (2,626.2/km2)
• Density rank	71st of 565 in state 21st of 70 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07410
Area code(s)	201 exchanges: 398, 475, 703, 791, 794, 796, 797
FIPS code	3400322470
GNIS feature ID	0885214

Fair Lawn is a borough located in Bergen County, New Jersey. It is a suburb that is about 12 miles northwest of New York City. Many people who live in Fair Lawn travel to New York City for work.

Fair Lawn was officially made a borough on March 6, 1924. It was created from parts of Saddle River Township. The name "Fair Lawn" came from a large estate called Fairlawn, which was built in 1865. This estate later became the Fair Lawn Municipal Building. In 1933, the name was changed to two words: "Fair Lawn."

Radburn is a special part of Fair Lawn. It was one of the first planned communities in the United States, designed in 1929 as "a town for the motor age." Fair Lawn has two train stations, Radburn and Broadway, which are on NJ Transit's Bergen County Line. These stations connect residents to New York City.

Fair Lawn's motto is "A great place to visit and a better place to live." As of the 2020 United States census, about 34,927 people lived in the borough.

Exploring Fair Lawn's Past

Fair Lawn has a rich history, starting with its first inhabitants and growing into the community it is today.

Early Settlers and Farming Life

The first people to live in the Fair Lawn area were the Lenape tribe, who were Native Americans. They were hunter-gatherers. Later, Dutch and Irish settlers arrived and bought land from the Lenape. The area became part of the New Barbadoes Township. It was divided into five large farms and called "slooterdam." This name came from a special fishing trap built by the Lenape in the Passaic River.

By the 1800s, these large farms became nine smaller ones. New roads like Fair Lawn Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, and Prospect Street were built to help people move around. The area, then called Small Lots, became a farming community with many vegetable and fruit farms and dairies.

Growth and Development of the Borough

Fair Lawn grew quickly in the early 1900s. Residents wanted better schools, as the ones in Saddle River Township were old or too far away. This led to a movement to become an independent borough. In April 1924, Fair Lawn officially became its own borough after a vote.

The town developed in three main areas:

• Memorial Park: This area is near River Road and Fair Lawn Avenue.
• Columbus Heights: Located around Lincoln Avenue and Wagaraw Road.
• Warren Point: Found east of the railroad and south of Broadway.

These areas grew with the addition of a post office, a train station, and a trolley line.

Historic Places to Visit

Fair Lawn is home to several important historical sites. Eight of these are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

• Peter Garretson House, 4-02 River Road (1974)
• Radburn's unique street pattern between Radburn Road and the Erie Rail Road tracks (1975)
• G.V.H. Berdan House, 1219 River Road (1983)
• Richard J. Berdan House, 2407 Fair Lawn Avenue
• Cadmus-Folly House, 19-21 Fair Lawn Avenue
• Naugle House, 42-49 Dunkerhook Road – Built in the 1750s.
• Jacob Vanderbeck Jr. House, 41-25 Dunkerhook Road – Built in 1754.
• Radburn station, Pollitt Drive (1984)

Other places are also considered historic, like the Henry A. Hopper House and the George Washington School. In July 1982, an NJ Transit train derailed in Fair Lawn after some teens tampered with the tracks.

Fair Lawn's Location and Layout

Fair Lawn covers about 5.22 square miles (13.53 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

Neighboring Towns and Rivers

Fair Lawn shares borders with several other towns:

• To the west: Paterson and Hawthorne.
• To the north: Glen Rock and Ridgewood.
• To the east: Paramus and Rochelle Park.
• To the south: Saddle Brook and Elmwood Park.

The Passaic River forms the western border, and the Saddle River is on the eastern side.

Unique Neighborhoods of Fair Lawn

Fair Lawn has many different neighborhoods, each with its own special feel:

• Berdan Grove: A quiet area with single-family homes, home to Berdan Grove Park and Milnes Elementary School.
• Broadway District: A busy shopping area with many stores, restaurants, and businesses. It also has a train station.
• Central Fair Lawn: This area includes the borough's main government buildings, the public library, and Fair Lawn High School.
• Dunkerhook: An old area near the Saddle River, with historic houses from the 1700s.
• The Heights (Columbia Heights): Located near Hawthorne, this neighborhood has some local businesses.
• Hendersonville (Riverside East): A mostly residential area with two-family homes. Westmoreland Elementary School is here.
• Lyncrest: Known for its older, stone houses and diverse community, including many Orthodox Jewish, Indian American, and Russian American families. Lyncrest Elementary School is also here.
• McBride Industrial District: This area once housed large factories like Nabisco. It is now changing, with new residential and business buildings.
• Memorial Park: A working-class neighborhood along the Passaic River. It has Memorial Park, which hosts the annual Memorial Day parade and Independence Day fireworks.
• Radburn: A famous planned community with easy access to businesses and schools. It has a train station and hosts an annual street fair.
• Radrock Estates: A small, private neighborhood similar to Radburn, built around 1940.
• River Road District: A lively area with many businesses, including banks, restaurants, and shops. It has an annual street fair in the autumn.
• Warren Point: A residential area near the Broadway District, with many stores and eateries. It has a train station and a small World War One monument.

Other areas include Fair Lawn Commons, El Dorado Village, and the Chandler Houses. Fair Lawn Promenade is a newer area with apartments, shops, and restaurants.

Fair Lawn's Diverse Community

Fair Lawn is known for its many different cultures and religions. People from all over the world have made Fair Lawn their home, and more than 50 languages are spoken here.

A Mix of Cultures and Traditions

Fair Lawn has been a center for Jewish culture for many decades. After the Soviet Union ended in 1991, many Russian Jews and later Russian Orthodox Christians moved to Fair Lawn. Over 10% of the borough's population is of Russian descent. Fair Lawn also has the largest Israeli American community in Bergen County. The Jewish Historical Society of North Jersey opened its permanent home in Fair Lawn in 2015.

Historically, Fair Lawn had a large Italian American population. While this group is now smaller, new immigrants from Asia, Europe, and Latin America have moved in.

Fair Lawn's excellent school district, safe neighborhoods, and easy access to businesses and transportation make it a popular place for new immigrants. The Asian American population has grown, including people from India, the Philippines, China, Korea, and Vietnam. The Polish American population is also increasing. The public library offers storytelling in Hindi and Hebrew, and Mandarin Chinese is taught in schools. Fair Lawn held its first annual Hindu Holi festival in 2022.

Many places of worship and community groups serve different nationalities in Fair Lawn. These include Korean churches, a Taiwanese church, Young Israel of Fair Lawn, Saint Leon Armenian Church, and the Cosmos Club of Fair Lawn. Several Filipino organizations are also based here.

Fair Lawn's Economy and Businesses

Fair Lawn is home to several important businesses and companies.

Major Companies and Industries

• Nabisco/Mondelēz International: A large cookie and bakery operation was once Fair Lawn's biggest employer and taxpayer for over 60 years. The plant closed in 2021, and demolition began in 2023.
• U.S. Technologies: A company that makes high-precision electronics.
• Columbia Bank (New Jersey): One of the largest mutual banks in New Jersey.
• CALMAC: A company that specializes in Thermal energy storage for cooling buildings.
• Danbee Investigations: A global detective agency.
• A. Zerega's Sons Inc.: One of the largest pasta makers in the United States.
• Kuiken Brothers: A major supplier of building materials.

Shopping and Dining Areas

The Fair Lawn Promenade is a newer complex that opened in 2014. It has apartments, shops, offices, and restaurants, allowing people to "live, shop, work, and play" in one place.

Fun and Recreation in Fair Lawn

Fair Lawn offers various sports and recreational activities for its residents.

Sports and Activities

• Street Hockey: Fair Lawn has one of the oldest organized street hockey programs in New Jersey. The Fair Lawn Flyers team competed in the first national championships in 1976.
• Fair Lawn Lanes: A bowling alley with 32 lanes, an arcade, and a lounge.

Parks and Outdoor Spaces

Fair Lawn has several parks for outdoor fun:

• Memorial Park: Located on 1st Street, it has an inline skating rink, playing fields, basketball courts, and a beach park.
• Berdan Grove Park: On Berdan Avenue, it features the John Alaimo Field for baseball, basketball courts, and walking paths.
• Gregory Park: On 28th Street, with a basketball court, playground, and baseball field.
• Cresthill Park: On Godwin Avenue, offering a playground and basketball court.

Dietch's Kiddie Zoo was a children's zoo that operated from 1951 to 1967.

How Fair Lawn is Governed

Fair Lawn has a local government system where a council and a manager work together.

Local Government Structure

Fair Lawn Municipal Building

Fair Lawn is run by a five-member Borough Council. Council members serve four-year terms. Every two years, either two or three seats are up for election in November. The council chooses a mayor, a deputy mayor, and a deputy mayor for community affairs from among its members each year. The mayor leads the meetings but does not have separate power to make policies. A borough manager is hired by the council to handle the daily operations of the town.

As of 2024, the acting Mayor is Gail Friedberg Rottenstrich. The Deputy Mayor is Cristina Cutrone, and the Deputy Mayor of Community Affairs is Joshua Reinitz. Other council members include Kris Krause and Nathalie Salinas.

Regular Borough Council meetings are shown on local cable TV.

Community Boards and Commissions

Fair Lawn's government also includes many volunteer boards and commissions. These groups help with different aspects of the community, such as:

• Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention
• Arts Council
• Environmental Commission
• Historic Preservation Commission
• Planning Board
• Zoning Board

Representation in Government

Fair Lawn is part of New Jersey's 5th Congressional District for federal representation. For state matters, it is in New Jersey's 38th state legislative district.

Education in Fair Lawn

The Fair Lawn Public Schools system serves students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Public Schools in the Borough

As of the 2022–23 school year, the district has nine schools with about 5,529 students. The schools include:

• Thomas Edison School (preschool)
• John A. Forrest Elementary School (grades K-4)
• Lyncrest Elementary School (grades K-4)
• Henry B. Milnes Elementary School (grades K-4)
• Radburn Elementary School (grades K-4)
• Warren Point Elementary School (grades K-4)
• Westmoreland Elementary School (grades PreK-4)
• Memorial Middle School (grades 5-8)
• Thomas Jefferson Middle School (grades 5-8)
• Fair Lawn High School (grades 9-12)

Several Fair Lawn schools have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools, including Fair Lawn High School (in 1991 and 1998), Lyncrest Elementary School (2016), and Henry B. Milnes Elementary School (2020).

Students in Bergen County can also attend special programs at the Bergen County Technical Schools, like the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack.

Private and Religious Schools

St. Anne School is a Catholic elementary school in Fair Lawn. It is overseen by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.

Emergency Services in Fair Lawn

Fair Lawn has dedicated emergency services to keep its residents safe.

Volunteer Fire Department

Fair Lawn has an all-volunteer fire department with four stations located throughout the borough.

Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Squads

The Fair Lawn Volunteer Ambulance, Inc. provides 24/7 emergency medical services with four ambulances. The Fair Lawn Rescue Squad is also all-volunteer and offers heavy rescue and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) services.

Police Department

The Fair Lawn Police Department was founded in 1930 and responds to many calls each year.

Getting Around Fair Lawn

Fair Lawn has a good network of roads and public transportation options.

Major Roads and Highways

Route 208 in Fair Lawn

Fair Lawn is crossed by two state highways:

• New Jersey Route 4: Connects Fair Lawn to New York City via the George Washington Bridge.
• New Jersey Route 208: Links Fair Lawn to Interstate 287.

Other main roads include Saddle River Road, Plaza Road, River Road, Broadway, Morlot Avenue, and Fair Lawn Avenue. Fair Lawn Avenue is considered the borough's main street, where the borough hall, police station, and public library are located.

Unique Address System

Fair Lawn uses a special address system where most numbers are hyphenated, like "10-01 Fair Lawn Ave." This system helps emergency services find locations quickly.

Public Transportation Options

Radburn train station in Fair Lawn

• Train Service: Fair Lawn has two train stations, Radburn and Broadway, on the NJ Transit Bergen County Line. These trains go to Hoboken Terminal and connect to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.
• Bus Service: NJ Transit buses offer routes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal. Local bus services are also available.
• Jitney Buses: Small minibuses, locally called guaguas, offer a cheaper way to travel to New York City from the Broadway area.

Airports Near Fair Lawn

Fair Lawn is close to several airports:

• Newark Liberty International Airport: About 20 miles north.
• Teterboro Airport: About 8 miles northwest.
• John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport: Both are in New York City, about 30 and 22 miles away, respectively.

Notable People from Fair Lawn

Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Fair Lawn:

• Tom Acker (1930–2021), a former professional baseball pitcher.
• Ian Axel (born 1985), a singer-songwriter and member of the band A Great Big World.
• Jeffrey Boam (1946–2000), a screenwriter known for movies like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
• Steve Bornstein (born 1952), a former President and CEO of the NFL Network.
• Brendan Burke (born 1984), a sportscaster.
• Donald Fagen (born 1948), a singer-songwriter and co-founder of Steely Dan.
• Jim Finn (born 1976), a former football player for the New York Giants.
• Robert M. Gordon (born 1950), a politician who served as mayor of Fair Lawn and in the New Jersey Senate.
• Boris Gulko (born 1947), an International Grandmaster in chess.
• Larry Hochman (born 1953), an orchestrator and composer who won Emmy and Tony Awards.
• Šaćir Hot (born 1991), a professional soccer player.
• Sally Kornbluth (born 1960), the president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Naomi Kutin (born 2001), a world record-setting powerlifter.
• Steve Malzberg (born 1959), a radio host.
• Millie Perkins (born 1938), an actress who starred in The Diary of Anne Frank.
• Ron Perranoski (1936–2020), a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
• Billy Price (born 1949), a soul singer.
• Regina Spektor (born 1980), a singer.
• Steve Swallow (born 1940), a jazz musician.
• Donna Vivino (born 1978), a stage and screen actress.
• Ben Younger (born 1977), a screenwriter and director.

Historic Sites in Fair Lawn

Fair Lawn has several important historic locations that tell the story of its past.

Key Historical Landmarks

• Passaic River Fishing Weir: An ancient fishing trap built by the Lenape tribe, located near the Fair Lawn Avenue Bridge. It is one of the best-preserved weirs on the Passaic River.
• G. V. H. Berdan House (1219 River Road, added 1983)
• Richard J. Berdan House (24-07 Fair Lawn Avenue, added 1983): Built around 1750.
• Cadmus-Folly House (19-21 Fair Lawn Avenue, added 1983)
• Peter Garretson House (4-02 River Road, added 1974): This sandstone house dates back to 1719 and is one of the oldest buildings in Bergen County. It operates as a farm museum.
• Naugle House (42-49 Dunkerhook Road, added 1983): Built in 1776, this house was visited by the Marquis de Lafayette.
• Radburn (Irregular pattern between Radburn Road and Erie RR. tracks, added 1975): This area is recognized for its unique planned community design.
• Radburn station (Pollitt Drive, added 1984)
• Jacob Vanderbeck Jr. House (41-25 Dunkerhook Road, added 1983): Built in the 1750s, this Dutch stone house has had many notable owners.

Fair Lawn also has connections to historic areas along the Saddle River in Paramus. These include the Easton Tower and the Dunkerhook community, which was once home to a community of enslaved and free African Americans.

See also

In Spanish: Fair Lawn para niños