North Bergen, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids North Bergen, New Jersey
Township
Township of North Bergen
Eastward from Hackensack River in the Meadowlands to Hudson River
Seal
Map highlighting North Bergen within Hudson County. Inset: Location of Hudson County in New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen, New Jersey Location in Hudson County, New Jersey Show map of Hudson County, New Jersey North Bergen, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey North Bergen, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Hudson
Incorporated	April 10, 1843
Government
• Type	Walsh Act
• Body	Board of Commissioners
Area
• Total	5.57 sq mi (14.43 km2)
• Land	5.14 sq mi (13.30 km2)
• Water	0.44 sq mi (1.13 km2)  7.83%
Area rank	266th of 565 in state 5th of 12 in county
Elevation	112 ft (34 m)
Population  (2020 U.S. Census)
• Total	63,361
• Rank	23rd of 566 in state 4th of 12 in county
• Density	12,339/sq mi (4,764.0/km2)
• Density rank	21st of 566 in state 8th of 12 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07047
Area code(s)	201
FIPS code	3401752470
GNIS feature ID	0882223

North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township had a total population of 63,361. The town was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the Hudson Palisades, it is one of the "hilliest" municipalities in the United States. Like neighboring North Hudson communities, North Bergen is among those places in the nation with the highest population density and a majority Hispanic population.

History

Colonial era

At the time of European colonization. the area was the territory of Hackensack tribe of the Lenape Native Americans, who maintained a settlement, Espatingh, on the west side of the hills. and where a Dutch trading post was established after the Peach Tree War. In 1658, Peter Stuyvesant, then Director-General of New Netherland, repurchased from them the area now encompassed by the municipalities of Hudson County east of the Hackensack River. In 1660 he granted permission to establish the semi-autonomous colony of Bergen, with the main village located at today's Bergen Square, considered to be the first chartered municipality in what would become the state of New Jersey. At the time, the area of North Bergen was heavily forested, traversed by paths used by the indigenous and colonizing population and became known as Bergen Woods, a name recalled in today's neighborhood. After the 1664 surrender of Fort Amsterdam the entire New Netherland colony came into the possession of the British, who established the Province of New Jersey. In 1682, the East Jersey legislature formed the state's first four counties, including Bergen County, which consisted of all the land in the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson Rivers; that is, the eastern portions of what today is Bergen and Hudson Counties. In 1693, Bergen County was divided into two townships: Hackensack Township in the north, and Bergen Township, encompassing the Bergen Neck peninsula, in the south. The border between the two townships is the current Hudson-Bergen county line. While settlement was sparse, communities developed along the Bergen Turnpike at the Three Pigeons and Maisland, later New Durham. French botanist André Michaux developed his gardens nearby. On the Hudson River, Bulls Ferry became an important landing for crossings to Manhattan. While ostensibly under British control during the American Revolutionary War, the area was patrolled by the Americans on foraging, espionage, and raiding expeditions; most notably the Battle of Bull's Ferry.

Toponymy, secession, and urbanization

On February 22, 1838, Jersey City was incorporated as a separate municipality, and in 1840 Hudson County, comprising the city and Bergen Township, was created from the southern portion of Bergen County.

20th century

North Hudson Park and the Stonehenge

The development of Hudson County Boulevard, now known by its two sections which meet in North Hudson Park, Kennedy Boulevard and Boulevard East, was completed in the early 20th century, and by 1913 it was considered to be fine for "motoring". Residential districts along and between the boulevards were developed. Bergenline Avenue, a broad street which accommodated the North Hudson County Railway streetcars to Nungesser's became (and remains) an important commercial and transit corridor.

In 1935, in one of the most stunning upsets in boxing history, local hero James J. Braddock won the world heavyweight championship. A resident of the town until his death, the county park in North Bergen is now named for him.

Soon after the opening of the Lincoln Tunnel Approach, the Susquehanna Transfer was opened in August 1939 to accommodate passengers who wished to transfer to buses through the tunnel. At the time of its construction in 1949 the 760-foot (230 m) WOR TV Tower, in the midst the residential Woodcliff Section, was the tenth-tallest man-made structure in the world.

In the early 1960s two notable paleontological finds of fossils from the Newark Basin were made near the foot of the cliffs at one of several former quarries, the Granton, of which today's avenue is a namesake. The former quarry remained an archeological site until at least 1980.

In contrast to other Hudson County communities during the latter half of the century, North Bergen grew significantly in population. Many residents are part of the wave of Spanish language speakers which had begun in the 1960s with Cuban émigrés.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 5.575 square miles (14.438 km²), including 5.134 square miles (13.296 km²) of land and 0.441 square miles (1.142 km²) of water (7.91%).

The township is roughly shaped like an inverted "L". Its northern section stretches east-west and is south of the Bergen County communities Cliffside Park, Edgewater, Fairview and Ridgefield. It shares a border with of Carlstadt in the Hackensack River. Its north-south section lies between Secaucus to the west and Guttenberg, West New York, and Union City, which with it meets Jersey City at a single point at its southern end. The Hudson River creates shared border with the borough of Manhattan in New York City.

North Bergen has diverse geological features. Partially situated on the Hudson River, the Hudson Palisades rise from the waterfront, while the northern part of the town sits atop the plateau. The cuesta, or slope, on its west side makes North Bergen the city with the second-most hills per square mile in the United States after San Francisco, some of which are extremely steep. A rock formation along the slope (located at 40°48′27″N 74°01′05″W / 40.80750°N 74.01806°W / 40.80750; -74.01806) is composed of unusual serpentinite rock and made up of small rock cliffs. Because of this, it is one of the few undeveloped parts of North Bergen. Low-lying areas along the west side are part of the New Jersey Meadowlands. The unusual shape and diverse topography of North Bergen have created diverse historical and contemporary neighborhoods.

On the western slope overlooking the Meadowlands

Woodcliff Treatment Plant at the foot of the Palisades

• Bergenline Avenue runs to Nungessers at the Fairview border near North Hudson Park. It has been described as the longest commercial avenue in the state, with over 300 retail stores and restaurants.
• The Racetrack section, between Bergenline and Kennedy Boulevard on the plateau
• Bergenwood, on the steep slopes of the west side of the Palisades
• New Durham site of colonial American Three Pigeons near the Bergen Turnpike and Tonnelle Avenue
• Meadowview, behind the Municipal Building between the many cemeteries:
• Bulls Ferry, on the Hudson waterfront, site of Roc Harbor, Palisades Medical Center and the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway
• Babbitt, in the Meadowlands district, a part of which is a wetlands preserve known as the Eastern Brackish Marsh.
• Woodcliff on The Palisades around the North Hudson Park.
• Transfer Station near the single point border of Union City and Jersey City near Paterson Plank Road, Kennedy Boulevard, and Secaucus Road in Secaucus

Other historical unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Homestead, Granton, Hudson Heights, New Durham, Shadyside, Three Pigeons and Tyler Park.

The town has seven cemeteries, more than any other town in the county, including some, such as Weehawken Cemetery and Hoboken Cemetery, that were at one time designated for other towns. This may be due to the layout of the county in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with North Bergen having more land than its more densely populated neighbors, which had to bury their dead outside of town. It may also date back to the Civil War era. Among these cemeteries are Flower Hill Cemetery and Grove Church Cemetery.

Demographics

2010 U.S. Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 60,773 people, 22,062 households, and 14,539 families residing in the township. The population density was 11,838.0 per square mile (4,570.7/km²). There were 23,912 housing units at an average density of 4,657.8 per square mile (1,798.4/km²)^*. The racial makeup of the township was 66.98% (40,705) White, 4.04% (2,456) Black or African American, 0.88% (535) Native American, 6.55% (3,979) Asian, 0.08% (49) Pacific Islander, 16.63% (10,107) from other races, and 4.84% (2,942) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 68.40% (41,569) of the population.

There were 22,062 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.35.

In the township, the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.1 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 91.3 males.

2000 U.S. Census

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 58,092 people, 21,236 households, and 14,249 families residing in the township. The population density was 11,179.6 people per square mile (4,313.4/km²). There were 22,009 housing units at an average density of 1, 634.2/km² (4,235.5/sq mi). The racial makeup of the township was 67.36% White, 2.72% African American, 0.40% Native American, 6.47% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 15.53% from other races, and 7.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 57.25% of the population.

There were 21,236 households, out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the township the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

Males had a median income of $35,626 versus $29,067 for females. The per capita income for the township was $20,058. About 9.6% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Roads and highways

Westbound Route 495 at the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) in North Bergen

As of May 2010^[update], the township had a total of 64.74 miles (104.19 km) of roadways, of which 50.00 miles (80.47 km) were maintained by the municipality, 7.85 miles (12.63 km) by Hudson County, 5.49 miles (8.84 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 1.40 miles (2.25 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Route 495 travels between the Lincoln Tunnel and the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) with interchanges for Route 3 and U.S. Route 1/9, which runs north–south on the western edge side of town. CR 501 and CR 505 pass through on the eastern side of town.

Public transportation

The Tonnelle Avenue Light Rail station

Public transportation in North Bergen is provided by bus and light rail service. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) service is available at the Tonnelle Avenue station and Bergenline Avenue station (in Union City) to points in Weehawken, Hoboken, Jersey City and Bayonne.

Bus service is provided along busy north–south corridors on Kennedy Boulevard, Bergenline Avenue, and Boulevard East by NJ Transit and privately operated dollar vans within Hudson County, and to Bergen and Manhattan, New York City. Nungessers is a major origination and transfer point. Lines terminating at Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan are the 121, 125, 127, 128, 154, 156, 158, 159, 165, 166, 168, 320 routes. The 181 and 188 lines terminate at George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal in Upper Manhattan. Lines 22, 23, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88 and 89 terminate either at Journal Square or Hoboken Terminal. The 751 travels to Edgewater and Hackensack.

Jitney commuter buses operate along Bergenline Avenue, providing service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, the Newport Centre and other local destinations. The county's most frequent route for dollar buses, jitneys operate along Bergenline Avenue as frequently as one bus every minute, some operated by Spanish Transportation.

Media and culture

North Bergen is located within the New York media market, with most of its daily papers available for sale or delivery. The Jersey Journal is a local daily paper based in Jersey City. Local weeklies include the free bilingual paper, Hudson Dispatch Weekly, (named for the former daily Hudson Dispatch), North Bergen Reporter (part of the The Hudson Reporter group of local weeklies), and the Spanish language El Especialito. River View Observer is a monthly newspaper that covers the Hudson Waterfront market. Online news HudsonCountyView.com, HudsonCountyTV.com, and the HudPost.com all cover local North Bergen news.

In the late 2000s, North Bergen, Weehawken, Union City, Guttenberg, and West New York came to be dubbed collectively as "NoHu", a North Hudson haven for local performing and fine artists, many of whom are immigrants from Latin America and other countries, in part due to lower housing costs compared to those in nearby art havens such as Hoboken, Jersey City and Manhattan.

In popular culture

• Oak Hill, a low-budget film starring Sally Kirkland, and directed by former Guttenberg mayor Peter Lavilla, about three former entertainers whose depression and addiction has led them to a homeless shelter, was filmed in both Union City's PERC homeless shelter, and a synagogue in North Bergen. In 2008, it was entered into the Sundance, Tribeca, and Hoboken Film Festivals.
• Cinderella Man, a film starring Russell Crowe as boxer James J. Braddock, depicted North Bergen during the Great Depression. A city park bears his name.
• North Bergen is the production base for the NBC drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, with scenes set in the police station and courtroom filmed on a stage at NBC's Central Archives building on West Side Avenue.
• Meat Men is a Food Network reality show about Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors, a North Bergen-based family-owned and -operated meat supplier.

Economy

North Bergen has several retail districts, along Bergenline Avenue, Tonnelle Avenue, and near Transfer Station. Portions of the city are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. Union City was selected in 1996 as one of a group of seven zones added to participate in the program. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the UEZ, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the 6+5⁄8% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in April 1995, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in April 2026. The zone was established based on legislation passed in February 1995 through the efforts of Senator Sacco, one of the sponsors of legislation creating the zones.

Hudson News and Liz Claiborne are large employers. New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway operates five intermodal freight transport facilities within the township.

Education

McKinley School (left) and North Bergen High School (right)

The North Bergen School District serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of seven schools, had an enrollment of 7,576 students and 581.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.0:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Franklin School (612 students; in grades 1–8), Robert Fulton School (1,180; K-8), John F. Kennedy School (529; 1–8), Lincoln School (1,355; PreK-8), Horace Mann School (1,111; 1–8), McKinley School (334; K-8) and North Bergen High School (2,376; 9–12) Students from Guttenberg attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Guttenberg Public School District.

North Bergen had been the location of High Tech High School, a county magnet school for ninth through twelfth grades. The Hudson County Schools of Technology constructed a new site for the school in Secaucus at a cost of $160 million, which opened for the 2018–19 school year. The former High Tech High School campus was acquired by the North Bergen district, which plans to construct a new junior high school for grades 7–9 on the site.

A Step Ahead Preschool is a private pre-K through kindergarten school established in 1993.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with North Bergen include:

• 070 Shake (born c. 1997), stage name of rapper Danielle Balbuena.
• Carlos Alomar (born 1951), musician, musical director, songwriter.
• Christopher Amoroso (1972–2001) Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) officer who died in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
• Kyle Anderson (born 1993), NBA basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies.
• Rick Apodaca (born 1980), Puerto Rican professional basketball player who has played in the NCAA, USBL, NBDL, and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico.
• Coco Austin (born 1979), actress, dancer, model and wife of rapper/actor Ice-T.
• Lidia Bastianich (born 1947), chef, Emmy Award-winning television host, author, and restaurateur.
• Odell Beckham Jr. (born 1992), wide receiver for the New York Giants.
• James J. Braddock (1905–1974), heavyweight boxing champion from 1935 to 1937.
• John O. Brennan (born 1955), Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security in the Obama White House
• James L. Brooks (born 1940), television and film director.
• Dan Callandrillo, former professional basketball player.
• Edd Cartier (1914–2008), pulp magazine illustrator.
• Richard Castellano (1933 – 1988), American actor
• C. Judson Child Jr. (1923–2004), seventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta.
• Gene Cornish (born 1944), guitarist and harmonica player who is an original member of the 1960s blue-eyed soul band The Rascals.
• Leo Cullum (1942–2010), cartoonist best known for his work in The New Yorker.
• Frank Cumiskey (1912–2014), artistic gymnast who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics, in the 1936 Summer Olympics, and in the 1948 Summer Olympics.
• Paquito D'Rivera (born 1948), musician, composer.
• Joey Diaz (born 1963), stand-up comedian and actor.
• Henry Escalante, pop musician, one of 15 finalists from 2007 season of MTV reality show Making Menudo.
• Edward Feigenbaum (born 1936), computer scientist who collaborated on the development of the first expert system Dendral.
• Lucio Fernandez, Cuban-American politician and entertainer, who served as the city's Commissioner of Public Affairs.
• Louis Freeh (born 1950), former FBI director.
• Greg Herenda (born 1961), head coach of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights men's basketball team.
• Ice-T (born 1958), rap music pioneer and actor.
• Dan Kurzman (1922–2010), military historian.
• AJ Lee (born 1987), professional wrestler signed to WWE.
• Lionel Loueke (born 1973), African Jazz guitarist and sideman to Herbie Hancock.
• Luigi Lucioni (1900–1988), painter known for his realistic and precisely drawn still lifes, landscapes, and portraits. Lucioni's family emigrated from Malnate, Italy in 1911 to New York City, and then subsequently lived for a time in North Bergen.
• Kiomy Luperon, Aruban footballer who plays as a forward for the Aruba women's national team.
• Steve Mocco (born 1981), Olympic wrestler.
• Ed Murawinski (born 1951), award-winning cartoonist for the Daily News.
• Fred Orlofsky (born 1937), retired artistic gymnast who competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
• Jesse Pike (1890–1986), cyclist who competed in two events at the 1912 Summer Olympics.
• Bill Raisch (1905–1984), dancer and actor, known as the One-Armed Man pursued by Richard Kimble (David Janssen) on the 1963-67 TV series The Fugitive.
• Feisal Abdul Rauf (born 1948), Muslim imam, author and activist.
• Evan Rodriguez (born 1988), NFL fullback and tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Wilbur Ross (born 1937), investor and former banker.
• Nicholas Sacco (born 1946), politician who has served in the State Senate and as Mayor of North Bergen.
• John Scarne (1903–1985), author, expert on gambling, card games and magic tricks.
• Herbert H. Shaw (1930–2016), independent politician and perennial candidate who has run for office more than 75 times over five decades under the "Politicians Are Crooks" banner.
• Rena Sofer (born 1968), actress.
• Robert Sundholm (born 1941), outsider artist.
• Lou Tepe (born 1930), offensive lineman who played for three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Terese Terranova (born 1947), retired para table tennis player who won two gold medals at the 1988 Summer Paralympics.
• Guy F. Tozzoli (1922–2013), directed development of the World Trade Center.
• Hal Turner (born 1962), far-right political commentator and radio host.
• Yordenis Ugás (born 1986) amateur lightweight boxer.
• Anthony P. Vainieri (born 1928), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from the 32nd Legislative District from 1984 to 1986.
• Mariusz Wach (born 1979), heavyweight boxer.

See also

In Spanish: North Bergen para niños