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*''[[MTV]]: TRL ([[Total Request Live]])'', episode regarding high schools around the country; focused on Tenafly's Technological Department.
*''[[MTV]]: TRL ([[Total Request Live]])'', episode regarding high schools around the country; focused on Tenafly's Technological Department.
*''Nicorette Gum commercial'', filmed in Tenafly's Sunnyside Park
*''Nicorette Gum commercial'', filmed in Tenafly's Sunnyside Park
*Referred to on HBO's ''Entourage'' (2006) by character Ari Gold.


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 18:26, 29 January 2007

Tenafly (pronounced /ˈtɛnəˌflaj/) is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the borough population was 13,806.

The first to settle in Tenafly were the Dutch in the late 1600s. The name "Tenafly" is derived from the Dutch words "Tiene Vly" or "Ten Swamps" which was given by Dutch settlers in 1688.[1] It is sometimes thought to mean "ten holes" from a legend describing Dutch settlers digging ten wells in the town.[citation needed]

Tenafly was incorporated as a borough on January 24, 1894 under an act of the New Jersey Legislature. It was created from portions of the now-defunct Palisades Township.[2]

Geography

Tenafly is located at 40°55′20″N 73°57′50″W / 40.92222°N 73.96389°W / 40.92222; -73.96389Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (40.922139, -73.963772)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 13.5 km² (5.2 mi²). 11.9 km² (4.6 mi²) of it is land and 1.5 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (11.15%) is water.

The eastern half of the town is known as the "East Hill" for its higher elevation in relation to the rest of the borough. The terrain rises rapidly to the east of the downtown area, ending at the spectacular New Jersey Palisades, overlooking the Hudson River. From atop the cliffs, Tenafly residents have a wide-ranging view of New York City.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 13,806 people, 4,774 households, and 3,866 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,156.3/km² (2,993.4/mi²). There were 4,897 housing units at an average density of 410.1/km² (1,061.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 76.79% White, 0.96% African American, 0.09% Native American, 19.08% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.40% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.65% of the population.

There were 4,774 households out of which 43.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.6% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.0% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the borough the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $90,931, and the median income for a family was $111,029. Males had a median income of $79,641 versus $50,617 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $53,170. About 3.5% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Since it became a Borough, Tenafly has been governed by a Mayor and Council who are chosen through partisan elections held in November annually. The Mayor is the chief executive officer and the six Council members handle legislative functions. A full-time Administrator assists the Mayor and Council and coordinates the operations of government departments.

The Mayor is elected to a four-year term and is eligible for re-election. The Mayor presides over all meetings of the Council but may vote only in case of a tie. The Mayor has veto power, which may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the Council.

The Council consists of six members. Two are elected at large each year for three-year terms. As the legislative body, the Council adopts ordinances and resolutions, decides on appropriations, approves appointments made by the Mayor, determines policy, and establishes the functions of the various departments of the local government. Each Council member is chairperson of one of the six standing committees.

The Mayor of Tenafly is Peter Rustin, Independent. Members of the Tenafly Borough Council are:

  • Nadia LaMastra, Democrat (elected 2006, term expires 2009)
  • Michael Lattif, a Democrat - Chairman, Administration & Personnel Committee (Term expires December 31, 2008)
  • Carol Hoernlein, Democrat (elected 2006, term expires 2009)
  • Patrick J. Rouse, Democrat - President, Police Commission (term expires end of 2007)
  • Robert Thompson, Republican - Chairman, Fire Commission (term expires end of 2007)
  • Jon Warms, Democrat (General Election 2006; recently elected to a full term on the Council, to expire end of 2008) - Chairman, Streets, Sanitation, Drainage & Parks Committee (2006)

In November 2005, Councilman Jeffery Romano was arrested in Newark following a drug bust that uncovered forty bags of heroin in his car[3]. Romano resigned from the council in June 2006 after pleading guilty to heroin possession and was replaced, then temporarily, by Jon Warms, who has since been elected to his own full term (Nov. 2006).[4]

On Election Day, November 7, 2006, voters filled two three-year terms on the Borough Council held by Republicans Charles M. Lipson and Joseph Salvatore, and the unexpired two-year term that had been filled by Jon Warms to replace Jeffrey Romano. As of Election Day, the council was split 3-3 between Democrats and Republicans. The Democrats swept all three seats, with challengers Carol Hoernlein (2,634 votes) and Nadia LaMastra (2,587) elected, defeating incumbents Salvatore (1,689) and Lipson (1,662). Jon Warms (with 2,696 votes) was elected to serve the balance of the two-year term, defeating Republican challenger (and longtime former Councilman and one-time Republican Mayoral primary candidate) William S. Saunders (1,556). As of January 1, 2007, when Hoernlein and LaMastra take office, the Democrats will have a 5-1 edge.[5][6]

Tenafly's partisan political domination by Democrats (US Sen. Robert Menendez defeated his GOP challenger Tom Kean, Jr. here in the 2006 general election by a 2-1 margin; as well, Democrats up- and down-ballot were victorious within the Borough in '06, each Dem. candidate winning in each of the community's 11 election districts) is quite ironic. Tenafly, as much as any other municipality in Bergen County, is indicative of the "national inner suburban" and affluent move to the left throughout the 1990's and into the first decade of the 21st century. Prior to 1995, only Republicans had served as Tenafly's Mayor. Additionally, not only has local voter registration, while still dominated by undeclared voters, flipped, within about the same period of time from slightly Republican-leaning to slightly Democratic-leaning, but now with a 5-1 grip (Democrats') on the Borough Council, as of Jan. 2007, Tenafly truly has swung from a traditional WASP-dominated, Republican-voting sleepy bedroom community; to, within a remarkably small period of years, a more diverse (particularly in religious terms), youthful, equally if not more affluent than ever before, typical NYC-centric Bergen County liberal, Democratic-voting suburb. As recently as the early and mid-1990's, almost year after year, Democrats did not even put up a nominee in general elections for Borough Council. Ironic, indeed, following the leftward-trend of Bergen County and New Jersey, we now see this Borough almost politically, ideologically, completely converse to where it was around ten years ago. This trend seems to be continuing and has not regressed locally or stayed stagnant.

Federal, state and county representation

The former Tenafly Railroad Station, currently a restaurant

Tenafly is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 37th Legislative District.[7]

For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 5th congressional district is represented by Josh Gottheimer (D, Tenafly).[8][9] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and Andy Kim (Moorestown, term ends 2031).[10]

For the 2024-2025 session, the 37th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Gordon M. Johnson (D, Englewood) and in the General Assembly by Shama Haider (D, Tenafly) and Ellen Park (D, Englewood Cliffs).[11] Template:NJ Governor

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 2025, the county executive is James J. Tedesco III (D, Paramus), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2026.[12]

Bergen County's Commissioners are: Thomas J. Sullivan Jr. (D, Montvale, 2025),[13] Chair Germaine M. Ortiz (D, Emerson, 2025),[14] Joan Voss (D, Fort Lee, 2026),[15] Vice Chair Mary J. Amoroso (D, Mahwah, 2025),[16] Rafael Marte (D, Bergenfield, 2026),[17] Steven A. Tanelli (D, North Arlington, 2027)[18] and Tracy Silna Zur (D, Franklin Lakes, 2027).[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]

Bergen County's constitutional officials are: Clerk John S. Hogan (D, Northvale, 2026),[27][28] Sheriff Anthony Cureton (D, Englewood, 2027)[29][30] and Surrogate Michael R. Dressler (D, Cresskill, 2026).[31][32][22][33]

Politics

As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 14,214 in Tenafly, there were 8,633 registered voters (60.7% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 1,769 (20.5% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,407 (16.3% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 5,454 (63.2% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There were three voters registered to other parties.[34]

On the national level, Tenafly leans towards the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 61% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 38%.[35]

Education

The Tenafly Public Schools serve students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district are four K-5 elementary schools (Mackay School, Maugham School, Smith School and Stillman School), Tenafly Middle School for grades 6-8 and Tenafly High School for grades 9-12. Students from Alpine attend Tenafly High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship.

Tenafly High School was awarded the prestigious Blue Ribbon School Award, awarded by the United States Department of Education at a special assembly to the Tenafly High School Community on September 20, 2005. Tenafly was the only high school in New Jersey and one of 38 public high schools in the U.S. to receive the 2005 Blue Ribbon School Award.[36]

Tenafly High School was the 2nd ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2006 cover story on the state's Top Public High Schools.[37]

Class of 2006 Graduation at Tenafly High School

Noted residents

Noted residents of Tenafly and those of note who were born in the borough include:

Several movies and TV shows have been filmed in Tenafly including:

References

  1. ^ If You're Thinking of Living in: Tenafly, accessed September 7, 2006
  2. ^ About Tenafly, accessed September 7, 2006
  3. ^ Tenafly Councilman Arrested, The New York Times, accessed September 7, 2005
  4. ^ Bergen County Briefs, The Record (Bergen County), accessed September 7, 2006
  5. ^ Tenafly Election Guide, The Record (Bergen County), November 1, 2006
  6. ^ Tenafly election results, The Record (Bergen County), November 8, 2006
  7. ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 65, accessed August 30, 2006
  8. ^ Directory of Representatives: New Jersey, United States House of Representatives. Accessed January 3, 2019.
  9. ^ Biography, Congressman Josh Gottheimer. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Josh now lives in Wyckoff, New Jersey with Marla, his wife who was a federal prosecutor, and their two young children, Ellie and Ben."
  10. ^ States in the Senate: New Jersey, United States Senate. Accessed January 23, 2025. "Cory A. Booker (D) Hometown: Newark; Andy Kim (D) Hometown: Moorestown"
  11. ^ Legislative Roster for District 37, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 20, 2024.
  12. ^ County Executive, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  13. ^ Vice Chairman Commissioner Chairman Thomas J. Sullivan, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  14. ^ Commissioner Vice Chairwoman Germaine M. Ortiz, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  15. ^ Commissioner Chair Pro Tempore Dr. Joan M. Voss, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  16. ^ Commissioner Mary J. Amoroso, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  17. ^ Cattafi, Kristie. "Democrats pick Bergenfield councilman to fill vacancy on Bergen County commissioners board", The Record, March 13, 2023. Accessed March 16, 2023. "A Democratic councilman from Bergenfield will be sworn in as a Bergen County commissioner Wednesday night, filling a vacancy on the governing body for almost 1 million residents. Rafael Marte will serve until Dec. 31, taking on the unexpired term left by former Commissioner Ramon Hache, a Democrat who resigned last week to lead the Ridgewood YMCA as its chief executive officer."
  18. ^ Commissioner Steven A. Tanelli, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  19. ^ Commissioner Tracy Silna Zur, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  20. ^ Board of County Commissioners, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  21. ^ 2022 County Data Sheet, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  22. ^ a b 2022 County and Municipal Directory, Bergen County, New Jersey, March 2022. Accessed January 30, 2023.
  23. ^ Bergen County November 8, 2022 General Election Statement of Vote, Bergen County, New Jersey Clerk, updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.
  24. ^ Bergen County Statement of Vote November 2, 2021 Official results, Bergen County, New Jersey, updated November 17, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  25. ^ Precinct Summary Results Report - Combined 2020 Bergen County General Election - November 3, 2020 Official Results, Bergen County, New Jersey, December 3, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.
  26. ^ Bergen County November 5, 2019 General Election Statement of Vote, Bergen County, New Jersey Clerk, updated December 10, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.
  27. ^ About the Clerk, Bergen County Clerk. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  28. ^ Clerks, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  29. ^ Sheriff Anthony Cureton, Bergen County Sheriff's Office. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  30. ^ Sheriffs, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  31. ^ Michael R. Dressler, Bergen County Surrogate's Court. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  32. ^ Surrogates, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  33. ^ Constitutional Officers, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2023.
  34. ^ "County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," dated April 1, 2006
  35. ^ 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety: Division of Elections, dated September 7, 2006
  36. ^ "Schools selected as No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools in 2005". Retrieved May 2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  37. ^ Top Public High Schools in New Jersey, New Jersey Monthly, September 2006
  38. ^ Aoki Will Leave Powerboat Racing, The New York Times, February 7, 1983
  39. ^ Gregg Berhalter Profile, accessed November 30, 2006
  40. ^ Hope Davis: the always-true actress talks toppling expectations and taking the offbeat path with a fellow traveler, Interview (magazine), February 2005
  41. ^ Radar Report: Sixties teen icon and singer-songwriter LESLEY GORE records her first album in 30 years, ASCAP, accessed December 18, 2006. "Lesley Gore, one-time Tenafly, New Jersey high school junior who catapulted to becoming 1963's version of Avril Lavigne or Britney Spears"

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