River Edge, New Jersey

River Edge is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 12,049, an increase of 709 (+6.3%) from the 2010 census count of 11,340, which in turn reflected an increase of 394 (+3.6%) from the 10,946 counted in the 2000 census.

The community was originally incorporated as the borough of Riverside by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on June 30, 1894, from portions of Midland Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. On December 1, 1930, the borough's name was changed to River Edge. The borough was formed during the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone. The borough was named for its location along the Hackensack River.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.88 square miles (4.86 km²), including 1.83 square miles (4.75 km²) of land and 0.05 square miles (0.12 km²) of water (2.39%).

A suburb of New York City, River Edge is located approximately 8 miles (13 km) west of Upper Manhattan.

Cherry Hill and North Hackensack are unincorporated communities located within River Edge.

The borough is bordered by the Bergen County municipalities of Hackensack, New Milford, Oradell, Paramus and Teaneck.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 11,340 people, 4,134 households, and 3,163 families in the borough. The population density was 6,116.3 per square mile (2,361.5/km²). There were 4,261 housing units at an average density of 2,298.2 per square mile (887.3/km²). The racial makeup was 73.42% (8,326) White, 1.52% (172) Black or African American, 0.05% (6) Native American, 22.19% (2,516) Asian, 0.08% (9) Pacific Islander, 1.25% (142) from other races, and 1.49% (169) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.66% (869) of the population. Korean Americans accounted for 11.1% of the borough's population.

Of the 4,134 households, 38.8% had children under the age of 18; 64.8% were married couples living together; 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.5% were non-families. Of all households, 20.6% were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.21.

26.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.4 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $97,816 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,136) and the median family income was $109,335 (+/− $12,278). Males had a median income of $71,219 (+/− $6,936) versus $63,305 (+/− $12,071) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $38,772 (+/− $2,392). About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 19 households in 2010, a decrease from the 24 counted in 2000.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 10,946 people, 4,165 households, and 3,102 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,804.5 inhabitants per square mile (2,241.1/km²). There were 4,210 housing units at an average density of 2,232.5 per square mile (862.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 84.12% White, 1.06% African American, 0.08% American Indian, 12.60% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.81% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.31% of the population.

There were 4,165 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $71,792, and the median income for a family was $80,422. Males had a median income of $62,044 versus $41,085 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $33,188. About 2.5% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

River Edge is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is composed of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council is composed of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by River Edge is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

As of 2023, the mayor of the Borough of River Edge is Democrat Thomas R. Papaleo, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. The members of the Borough Council are Council President Michelle Kaufman (D, 2024), Barry Benson (D, 2025), Dario Chinigo (D, 2023), Indira Kinsella (D, 2023), Klodiana Malellari (D, 2024) and Lissa Montisano-Koen (D, 2025).

In January 2020, the borough council selected Indira Kinsella from three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Thomas Papaleo until he resigned to take office as mayor.

In February 2016, the borough council selected Mary Davis from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that was vacated by Edward Mignone when he took office as mayor.

In October 2015, council member Anthony Cappola resigned from office and left the race for an Assembly seat in the 38th Legislative District, following disclosures that he had written and published a 2003 book titled Outrageous that was described as "full of racial slurs, rants and stereotypes".

List of mayors

Federal, state and county representation

River Edge is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 38th state legislative district.

For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 5th congressional district is represented by Josh Gottheimer (D, Wyckoff). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and Bob Menendez (Englewood Cliffs, term ends 2025).

For the 2024-2025 session, the 38th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph Lagana (D, Paramus) and in the General Assembly by Lisa Swain (D, Fair Lawn) and Chris Tully (D, Bergenfield).

Bergen County is governed by a directly elected County Executive, with legislative functions performed by a Board of County Commissioners composed of seven members who are elected at-large to three-year terms in partisan elections on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each November; a Chairman and Vice Chairman are selected from among its seven members at a reorganization meeting held every January. As of 2024, the county executive is James J. Tedesco III (D, Paramus), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2026.

Bergen County's Commissioners are: Thomas J. Sullivan Jr. (D, Montvale, 2025), Chair Germaine M. Ortiz (D, Emerson, 2025), Joan Voss (D, Fort Lee, 2026), Vice Chair Mary J. Amoroso (D, Mahwah, 2025), Rafael Marte (D, Bergenfield, 2026), Steven A. Tanelli (D, North Arlington, 2024) and Tracy Silna Zur (D, Franklin Lakes, 2024).

Bergen County's constitutional officials are: Clerk John S. Hogan (D, Northvale, 2026), Sheriff Anthony Cureton (D, Englewood, 2024) and Surrogate Michael R. Dressler (D, Cresskill, 2026).

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 6,776 registered voters in River Edge, of which 1,961 (28.9% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,329 (19.6% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 3,485 (51.4% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 59.8% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 80.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

In the 2016 presidential election, Democrat Hillary Clinton received 3,107 votes (55.3% vs. 54.2% countywide), ahead of Republican Donald Trump with 5,618 votes (40.5% vs. 41.1%) and other candidates with 235 votes (4.2% vs. 4.6%), among the 5,690 ballots cast by the borough's 7,477 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.1% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County). In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,723 votes here (53.0% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 2,337 votes (45.5% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 58 votes (1.1% vs. 0.9%), among the 5,134 ballots cast by the borough's 7,065 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.7% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,965 votes here (52.6% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 2,577 votes (45.7% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates with 45 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,633 ballots cast by the borough's 7,100 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.3% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.3% of the vote (2,007 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 40.7% (1,400 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (35 votes), among the 3,522 ballots cast by the borough's 6,801 registered voters (80 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 51.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,714 votes here (46.2% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,702 votes (45.9% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 230 votes (6.2% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 11 votes (0.3% vs. 0.5%), among the 3,707 ballots cast by the borough's 6,921 registered voters, yielding a 53.6% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Education

The River Edge Elementary School District served students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprising two schools, had an enrollment of 1,164 students and 96.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1. Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

• New Bridge Center serving PreK-K,
• Cherry Hill School with 698 students in grades 1-6 on the south side of the borough and

Roosevelt School with 472 students in grades 1-6 on the north side of the borough.

River Edge and neighboring Oradell share a combined public school district for seventh through twelfth grades, River Dell Regional School District which was established in 1958. As of the 2021–22 school year, the high school district, comprising two schools, had an enrollment of 1,606 students and 140.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are River Dell Regional Middle School in River Edge (with 589 students in grades 7-8) and River Dell High School in Oradell (with 999 students in grades 9-12). Seats on the regional school district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with five seats assigned to River Edge.

Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district.

St. Peter Academy is a K–8 Catholic school that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. The school was one of eight private schools recognized in 2017 as an Exemplary High Performing School by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program of the United States Department of Education.

The Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey, which served 1,040 students in nursery through eighth grade as of the start of the September 2013 school year, was founded as the Yeshiva of Hudson County, and was re-established in Bergen County in 1979.

Transportation

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 33.73 miles (54.28 km) of roadways, of which 29.50 miles (47.48 km) were maintained by the municipality, 3.85 miles (6.20 km) by Bergen County and 0.38 miles (0.61 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 4 is the primary highway serving River Edge, running along the borough's southern edge. County Route 503 (Kinderkamack Road) passes north-south through the borough, alongside the Hackensack River.

Public transportation

River Edge has two train stations in the borough, at River Edge (at River Edge Road on the north end of the borough) and New Bridge Landing (at Grand Avenue on the south end of the borough). These stations provide service on NJ Transit's Pascack Valley Line, which runs north–south to Hoboken Terminal with connections via the Secaucus Junction transfer station to New York Penn Station and to other NJ Transit rail service. Connections are available at Hoboken Terminal to other NJ Transit rail lines, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, PATH trains, and NY Waterway ferry service to the World Financial Center and other destinations.

There are parking lots at both the River Edge and New Bridge Landing stations that are available for River Edge residents. Permits are required to use the lots and can be obtained from the borough.

NJ Transit offers bus service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 165 route and local service on the 756 and 762 routes.

The 11T/11AT route of Rockland Coaches also serves the Port Authority Bus Terminal, as well as providing service to Rockland County, New York.

Points of interest

New Bridge Landing is the site of The Bridge That Saved A Nation crossed by the Continental Army and General Washington as they retreated from the British attack on New York City on November 20, 1776.

• Campbell-Christie House is a historic home constructed in April 1774 in what was then Hackensack Township on the east side of the Hackensack River that was moved in its entirety in 1977 from New Milford
• Steuben House was used by George Washington as his headquarters for 16 days in September 1780.
• Demarest House is a historic house near the Van Steuben and Campbell Christie house. It is known for its stove chimney which was a technological advance at the time it was built in 1794. It was originally in New Milford, but then moved to River Edge. It was renovated in 2009 and is open to the public as a museum.

Parks and recreation

Parks in River Edge include:

• Van Saun County Park covers 146 acres (59 ha) in River Edge and Paramus. While the train ride, zoo, carousel, and pony rides are on the Paramus side of the park, the playground, dog park, baseball fields, some walking paths, and Walden Pond are on the River Edge side.
• Veterans Memorial Park – located on Continental Avenue that has a playground, a picnic area, a ball court/roller hockey rink, and a baseball field.
• Brookside Park – located on Greenway Terrace that has a walking path, playground, and a basketball court.
• River Edge Bird Sanctuary and Nature Trail – located on the River Edge/Paramus border, this park has a bird sanctuary and a walking nature trail. It is located behind The Shoppes on IV shopping center in Paramus.
• River Edge Arboretum – located on Elm Avenue next to the River Edge Public Library that has a walking path and tennis courts.
• Cherry Blossom Park – located on Bogert Road next to Cherry Hill Elementary School. It features a variety of flowers and plantings with a walking path and seating areas.
• Kiddie Wonderland was a children's amusement park that operated from 1951 to 1958. It featured rides such as a train ride, carousel, and a small roller coaster. It was located at the end of Main Street where the Hackensack River intersects with Coles Brook. It was later converted into apartments.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with River Edge include:

References

Sources

• Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties) prepared by the Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey); December 1, 1958.
• Clayton, W. Woodford; and Nelson, William. History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men., Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1882.
• Harvey, Cornelius Burnham (ed.), Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey. New York: New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Co., 1900.
• Van Valen, James M. History of Bergen County, New Jersey. New York: New Jersey Publishing and Engraving Co., 1900.
• Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858–1942, History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630–1923, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1923.

External links

• Borough of River Edge official website
• Midbergen Communities website (unofficial)