From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 78,672.
Clifton was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 26, 1917, replacing Acquackanonk Township, based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier.[8] Clifton is listed under five different zip codes (07011, 07012, 07013, 07014, 07015).[9]
Geography
Clifton is located at 40°52′04″N 74°09′16″W / 40.867899°N 74.154520°W / 40.867899; -74.154520 (40.867899, -74.154520).[10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.4 square miles (29.5 km2), of which, 11.3 square miles (29.3 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2) of it (0.88%) is water.
Clifton is located 10 miles west of New York City off both Route 3 and Route 46. The city is also served by the Garden State Parkway, Route 19 and Route 21.
Demographics
| Historical populations |
| Census |
Pop. |
|
%± |
| 1930 |
46,875 |
|
—
|
| 1940 |
48,827 |
|
4.2% |
| 1950 |
64,511 |
|
32.1% |
| 1960 |
82,084 |
|
27.2% |
| 1970 |
82,437 |
|
0.4% |
| 1980 |
74,388 |
|
−9.8% |
| 1990 |
71,742 |
|
−3.6% |
| 2000 |
78,672 |
|
9.7% |
| Est. 2008 |
78,219 |
[4] |
−0.6% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[11] |
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 78,672 people, 30,244 households, and 20,354 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,965.2 people per square mile (2,688.1/km2). There were 31,060 housing units at an average density of 2,749.9/sq mi (1,061.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 66.22% White, 2.89% African American, 0.24% Native American, 6.44% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 9.60% from other races, and 4.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.84% of the population.
There were 30,244 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the city the population was 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $50,619, and the median income for a family was $60,688. Males had a median income of $40,143 versus $32,090 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,638. About 4.3% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
The largest ancestry groups in Clifton are Italian American (17%), Polish American (13%), Irish American (9%) and German American (8%).[12] Many Turkish, Albanian, and Ukrainian immigrants also live in Clifton. There are significant populations of Hispanics, Arabs, Filipinos, Chinese, and Indians as well. Recent demographic changes include a substantial influx of Orthodox Jews in the areas bordering Passaic, a major orthodox enclave.
Government
Local government
The city of Clifton is governed under the 1923 Municipal Manager Law. The government consists of a City Council comprising seven council members, with all positions elected at large in nonpartisan elections to four-terms of office on a concurrent basis.[1]
The Mayor of Clifton is James Anzaldi. Members of the Town Council are Joseph Cupoli, Peter C. Eagler, Frank C. Fusco, Steven Hatala Jr., Gloria J. Kolodziej, and Matt Ward.[2]
Federal, state and county representation
Clifton is in the Eighth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 34th Legislative District.[13]
New Jersey's Eighth Congressional District, covering the southern portion of Passaic County and northern sections of Essex County, is represented by Bill Pascrell Jr. (D, Paterson). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
For the 2010-2011 Legislative Session, the 34th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nia Gill (D, Montclair) and in the Assembly by Thomas P. Giblin (D, Montclair) and Sheila Y. Oliver (D, East Orange).[14] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[15] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[16]
Passaic County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who are elected to staggered three-year terms on an at-large basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year.[17] As of January 2010, Passaic County's Freeholders (and the year their term ends) are Freeholder Director Bruce James (2012, D-Clifton), Freeholder Deputy Director Pat Lepore (2011, D-Woodland Park), Deborah E. Ciambrone (2013, R-Wayne), Terry Duffy (2011, D-West Milford), Greyson P. Hannigan (2012, D-Paterson), Michael Marrotta (2013, R-Wayne), Edward O'Connell (2013, R-Wanaque).[18]
Emergency Services
Fire
Education
The Clifton Public Schools serve nearly 11,000 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district are fourteen elementary schools serving grades K-5, two middle schools serving grades 6-8 (Christopher Columbus Middle School and Woodrow Wilson Middle School) and Clifton High School for grades 9-12.
Clifton High School's Marching Band, "The Showband of the Northeast", is well-known internationally.
With over 3,600 students enrolled at Clifton High School, it is the largest single facility high school in New Jersey; Elizabeth High School has more students, but they are spread over multiple campuses.[19] There have been efforts to build an additional site for incoming freshmen of Clifton High School to attend. However, this has been met with strict opposition but opened in September 2009 to select incoming Freshman to alleviate overcrowding.[20] The Board of Education of Clifton has an agreement with the Boys and Girls Club of Clifton which is located on Colfax Avenue as well to have students partake of gym class there. There is word of building onto the high school with a possible fifth wing, that would have construction onto the City Hall grounds. The Clifton High School Mustangs were the North I, Group IV Football State Champs 2006, defeating Eastside High School (Paterson 26-0).[21]
Popular culture references
- The character of Rupert Pupkin in Martin Scorsese's film The King of Comedy comes from Clifton.[22]
- The movie Donnie Brasco, which starred Johnny Depp and Al Pacino, was filmed partially in Clifton in 1996.[23]
- Many scenes from The Sopranos were filmed in town, including the parking lot of the Valley Regency on Valley Road, Main Memorial Park, and Clifton High School. The golf scenes were filmed at the Upper Montclair Country Club.
- New York Yankee Hall of Famers Yogi Berra and Phil Rizzuto owned a bowling alley in Clifton called "Rizzuto-Berra Bowling Lanes."[24] The alley, later known as Astro Bowl, was located in the Styertowne Shopping Center in the Allwood section of town and remained open until 1999.
- The Upper Montclair Country Club was home to the NFL Golf Classic. The Sybase Classic golf tournament is held there ever year.[25]
- Baseball Hall of Famer Honus Wagner played his last two seasons (1896–97) of minor league baseball for the Paterson Silk Sox. While the team was named Paterson, their stadium was within the Clifton city limits. Doherty Field was located off of Main Avenue behind the Doherty Silk Mill.
Commerce
- Linens 'n Things, bedding and home furnishings retailer, is headquartered in Clifton; the company is now bankrupt and liquidating its assets.
- Clifton Commons, a shopping center located near Route 3, featuring several stores and a 16-screen AMC theater
- Promenade Shops at Clifton is a new upscale mall located on Route 3 West.
- The Hot Grill, a popular hot dog restaurant located on Lexington Avenue.
- Rutt's Hut, another popular hot dog restaurant is located at the east end of Delawana Avenue.
- The Tick-Tock Diner, a popular diner located on Route 3 West.
- Trains at the Clifton station go to Newark and Manhattan.
Notable natives and residents
- Michael Abrams (born 1953), psychologist and author of numerous works on Cognitive behavior therapy. Originator with renowned psychologist Albert Ellis of the Rational-Emotive theory of human personality.[citation needed]
- Jay Alford (born 1983), defensive lineman and long snapper for the Super Bowl XLII champion New York Giants.[citation needed]
- David Chase (born 1945), creator of The Sopranos.[26]
- Dow H. Drukker (1872–1963), represented New Jersey's 6th congressional district from 1914-1919.[27]
- Hector Fonseca (born circa 1974), deejay and music producer[28]
- Moe Hindi [1]]] (born 1987), American Actor.
- Father Mychal F. Judge (1933–2001), FDNY Chaplain, who was the first official death of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.[citation needed]
- Chris Karcz (born 1983), midfielder/forward for Red Bull New York.[29]
- Ernest Mario (born 1938), pharmaceutical executive.[30]
- Ronald F. Maxwell (born 1949), movie director.[31]
- Chris Opperman (born 1978), modern composer who performed on Steve Vai's Grammy-nominated composition "Lotus Feet" grew up in Clifton and attended CHS.[32]
- Morris Pashman (1912–1999), New Jersey Supreme Court Justice.[33]
- Angelo Paternoster (born 1919) Offensive Tackle for the Washington Redskins.
- Giuseppe Rossi (born 1987), Italian American soccer player.[34]
- Jon Seda (born 1970), actor best known for his roles in NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street and the movie Selena.
- Steve Smith (born 1985), wide receiver for the New York Giants.[35]
- Dave Szott (born 1967), former NFL offensive lineman for the New York Jets.[36][37]
- Lawrence Tynes (born 1978), kicker for the New York Giants.[38]
- Dave White (born 1979), Derringer Award-winning mystery author and educator.[39]
References
- ^ a b 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2006, p. 165.
- ^ a b City Council, City of Clifton. Accessed May 28, 2008.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographical Names Information System: City of Clifton, Geographic Names Information System, accessed November 12, 2007.
- ^ a b Census data for Clifton city, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 24, 2009.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 209.
- ^ The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey | Zip Codes:
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ Clifton, NJ Ancestry & Family History, Epodunk, accessed April 21, 2007.
- ^ 2008 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 56. Accessed September 30, 2009.
- ^ "Legislative Roster: 2010-2011 Session". New Jersey Legislature. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp. Retrieved 2010-02-08.
- ^ "About the Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/about/. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "About the Lieutenant Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/lt/. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ The Role of The Freeholders, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed April 21, 2008
- ^ 2010 Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed February 3, 2010
- ^ Clifton High's hallway gridlock, The Record (Bergen County), December 6, 2006. Accessed August 26, 2007. "Clifton High School, circa 1962, is the largest single high school in the state. Only Elizabeth High School has more students, but they are spread out over five campuses."
- ^ Spadora, Brian (2006, January 31). Clifton Pushing 500-Student School ; Undeterred By Defeat of Expansion Plan. Retrieved from http://www.redorbit.com/news/education/375897/clifton_pushing_500student_school__undeterred_by_defeat_of_expansion/
- ^ 2006 Football Tournament - North I, Group IV, NJSIAA. Accessed December 4, 2006.
- ^ King Of Comedy Script - Dialogue Transcript, accessed December 1, 2006.
- ^ Beckerman, Jim. "ALL THE WORLD'S A SET: MOVIE MANIA HITS N.J.", The Record (Bergen County), May 18, 1996. Accessed December 10, 2008.
- ^ Pezzano, Chuck. "Rizzuto enjoyed a big role in bowling; Sport attractive to baseball figures.", The Record (Bergen County), August 20, 2007. "Rizzuto-Berra Bowling Lanes in Clifton, originally owned by Rizzuto and fellow icon Yogi Berra, was a favorite bowling spot for more than 40 years before giving way to a bank of shopping center stores."
- ^ http://www.sybaseclassic.com/folders.asp?action=display&record=1
- ^ DeCaro, Frank. "No Longer the Punch-Line State; Lauryn Hill, the Sopranos and others are unapologetic New Jerseyans.", The New York Times, April 4, 1999."Growing up in Clifton and North Caldwell, Mr. Chase said, New Jersey seemed very exciting and very mysterious, not dull and predictable as many New Yorkers like to believe."
- ^ Dow Henry Drukker profile, United States Congress. Accessed July 16, 2007.
- ^ DJ Profiles: Hector Fonseca from www.noizemag.com
- ^ "Clifton's Karcz joining Red Bulls", The Record (Bergen County), July 3, 2007. Accessed July 28, 2007. "Clifton native Chris Karcz, who played at Rutgers, has been signed by the Red Bulls.... The midfielder/forward was a three-time All-Big East Conference selection at Rutgers and was a first-team All-American in his senior year at Clifton High School."
- ^ Ratish, Robert. "PHARMACY GRADUATE PLEDGES $5M SHOT IN ARM FOR RUTGERS -- SCHOOL TO BE RENAMED FOR FORMER CLIFTON MAN, The Record (Bergen County), December 16, 2001. Accessed May 13, 2007.
- ^ Spiewak, Anna. "Convenience, location make Clifton the right spot", The Record (Bergen County), January 6, 2008. Accessed May 28, 2008. "Several personalities also hail from Clifton, including psychologist and author of numerous works on cognitive behavior therapy Michael Adams, Italian-American soccer player Giuseppe Rossi, former New York Jets lineman Dave Szott, movie director Ronald F. Maxwell and David Chase, creator of The Sopranos."
- ^ Chris Opperman: Present-Day Composer, Oppymusic.com 4.2. Accessed July 23, 2007. "Pianist/composer Chris Opperman grew up in Clifton, New Jersey and attended Berklee."
- ^ Honan, William H. "Morris Pashman, 87, Champion of Free Speech on New Jersey's Highest Court", The New York Times, October 10, 1999. Accessed October 19, 2009.
- ^ My Country, 'Tis of Thee, ESPN, November 30, 2005. "Flying under the radar of most is 18-year-old Giuseppe Rossi, a striker born in New Jersey, whose parents are from Italy. Rossi was brought up in the soccer hotbed of Clifton, N.J., where his father coached soccer."
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3739206
- ^ Szott tears ACL in non-contact drill, New York Jets press release dated May 29, 2002.
- ^ 15-Year NFL Veteran Dave Szott Joins Local Advisory Board, press release dated October 8, 2004.
- ^ Pedulla, Tom. "Tynes never lost confidence in his kicking or his family", USA Today, January 29, 2008. Accessed February 7, 2008. "Tynes' wife, watching by herself at their Clifton, N.J., home after putting the twins to bed, held a muted celebration."
- ^ Theodore, Jeff (August 4, 2008). "Keeping tabs on Jersey's 'Evil'". The Jersey Journal.
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