Leonia, New Jersey


Leonia is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 8,937, reflecting an increase of 23 from the 8,914 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 549 from the 8,365 counted in the 1990 Census. It is a suburb of New York City located near the western approach to the George Washington Bridge.
Leonia was formed as the result of a referendum passed on December 5, 1894, from portions of Ridgefield Township. 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. Portions of Leonia were taken on February 19, 1895, to form the Township of Teaneck.
New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Leonia as its 31st best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.

History

The original inhabitants of Leonia were the Hackensack tribe of Native Americans. The population was about 1,000 before the Europeans settled in the area. At the time of the American Revolutionary War, Leonia was known as part of the English Neighborhood, a name that survives in neighboring Englewood. It was settled in 1668 mainly by Dutch and English farmers, making it one of the oldest communities in the state and county. A third of the population was African slaves. It was located on the western slope of the Palisades, and started as a quiet farming community. Leonia's proximity to New York City and its major universities, theaters and performing venues contributed to Leonia's place in the world of art and academics, with many artists and leading thinkers finding a home there in the twentieth century.
The local economy that had been focused on agriculture underwent economic and cultural growth during the late nineteenth century, marked by the introduction of train service and was originally called West Fort Lee. J. Vreeland Moore and other town leaders chose the name "Leonia" in 1865 in honor of American Revolutionary War General Charles Lee, for whom Fort Lee was named.
After traveling through Leonia upon arriving in New Jersey by ferry at Edgewater in 1899, advertising executive Artemus Ward purchased a large piece of land and established the Leonia Heights Land Company to develop and market housing in the community. His advertising attracted many academics and artists who were drawn to Leonia's small size, culture, and location, earning the town's nickname of the "Athens of New Jersey".
In 1915, the Leonia School of Illustration was established by Harvey Dunn, fostering the artists' colony that subsequently emerged over the next decade. By the 1930s, it had the highest number of residents, per capita, in Who's Who in America and 80% of its residents were college graduates. Transportation through the borough was enhanced with access to ferries and trolley systems and Leonia became a refuge for many of America's most creative thinkers which included five Nobel Prize winners.
For 200 years, one of the two major avenues that run north-to-south through Leonia, Grand Avenue was called the English Neighborhood Road. In colonial times, this road served as the main inland route between Paulus Hook, Bergen, and the English Neighborhood. Leonia was a crossroads of the American Revolution and a training ground for American Civil War soldiers.
Historic places in the town include the Civil War Drill Hall and Armory and the Cole-Allaire House, constructed around 1765, making it the oldest dwelling in the borough, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Vreeland House, constructed in 1786 by Dirck Vreeland and expanded in 1815, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Leonia celebrates "Leonia Day" annually on the third Sunday in May.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.635 square miles, including 1.536 square miles of land and 0.099 square miles of water.
While the borough center's elevation is, the western part of the borough can reach and the eastern part of Leonia reaches.
The borough borders the Bergen County municipalities of Englewood, Fort Lee, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park and Teaneck.
Leonia is designated as a Tree City USA, receiving its 21st annual recognition in 2010 from the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Demographics

Census 2010

headed 35 households in 2010, more than double the 17 counted in 2000.
The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $66,271 and the median family income was $91,129. Males had a median income of $54,754 versus $60,057 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $40,030. About 5.8% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 8,914 people, 3,271 households, and 2,436 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,921.3 people per square mile. There were 3,343 housing units at an average density of 2,220.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 65.74% White, 2.27% African American, 0.09% Native American, 26.06% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.20% from other races, and 2.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.73% of the population.
There were 3,271 households, out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $72,440, and the median income for a family was $84,591. Males had a median income of $55,156 versus $38,125 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,352. About 5.0% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.
As of the 2000 Census, 17.24% of Leonia's residents identified themselves as being of Korean ancestry, which was the fourth-highest in the United States and second highest of any municipality in New Jersey — behind neighboring Palisades Park — for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. Additionally, 3.07% of Leonia's residents identified themselves as being of Japanese ancestry, which was the fourth highest of any municipality in New Jersey — behind Fort Lee, Demarest and Edgewater — for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.

Arts and culture

Leonia is home to the Players Guild of Leonia, which operates as the oldest continuing theatre troupe in the state of New Jersey, and is one of the oldest community theatre groups in the state with continuous performances since 1919. Performances have included comedies, tragedies, classics, and musicals. The Guild's production of One Mad Night in 1940 was the first three-act play performed on television, when it was broadcast on WPTZ, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1963, the Children's Show was instituted and continues each spring. Between 1968 and 1998, the Guild produced Theatre in the Park. Since 2002, the Players' Guild of Leonia has produced a Playwright's Showcase featuring original scripts. The Guild operates out of the historic Civil War Drill Hall Theatre on Grand Avenue which is leased from the borough. Recent productions include Lovers and Other Strangers, The Glass Menagerie, Love, Loss, and What I Wore and Hair. Upcoming productions include a fall production of Guys and Dolls.
Since 2000, Leonia has also been home to Summerstage at Leonia, which produces a Broadway-style family musical each summer in the last two weeks of July. Originally, Summerstage performances were held in the Leonia High School Little Theater, but now take place at the Civil War Drill Hall Theater. Auditions are held in May and open to all in the NY metro area. Past shows have included The Wizard of Oz, Carousel, The Sound of Music, Annie, Oliver, Les Miserables,My Fair Lady, and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.
The Leonia Chamber Musicians Society, founded in 1973, is made up of professional musicians who reside in Leonia, has been performing classical music concerts four times a year at various venues in the borough.
Sculpture for Leonia aims to build the art and cultural environment in Leonia through the display of outdoor sculpture throughout the community and in the Erika and David Boyd Sculpture Garden, which is located on the grounds of the Leonia Borough Annex. This group sponsors an annual Taste of Leonia fundraiser. Leonia Arts provides a calendar of all arts events in Leonia.

Parks and recreation

Leonia has five public recreational areas, of which only the Leonia Swim Club requires a membership fee. The recreation areas include Wood Park, located on the corner of Broad Avenue and Fort Lee Road; Sylvan Park and the Leonia Swim Club, both on Grand Avenue near Sylvan Avenue; and the Recreational Center on Broad Avenue which has an indoor basketball court.
Overpeck County Park, a Bergen County park that is located in Leonia, Ridgefield Park, and Teaneck, is home of the county's World Trade Center Memorial.

Government

Local government

Leonia is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 218 of 565 municipalities statewide that use this form, the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body consists 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 has six members who are 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 Leonia 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.
, the Mayor of Leonia is Democrat Judah Zeigler, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. The members of the Leonia Borough Council are Council President Pasquale A. "Pat" Fusco, Maureen E. Davis, Bernadette Flaim, Gregory Makroulakis, Joanne Choi Terrell and William N. "Bill" Ziegler.
Joanne Choi Terrell was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had been held by Benjamin Choi until he resigned from office in July 2019 to accept a position as a judge in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Peter Knott was appointed to fill the seat vacated by John DeSimone when he took office as mayor and won election to serve the balance of the term through December 2013.
Pat Fusco was appointed in August 2013 to fill the vacant seat of Ik-Seong "I.S." Pak, who had resigned earlier that month citing personal issues. Mark Minichiello was elected in November 2013 to serve the balance of the term.

Federal, state and county representation

Leonia is located in the 9th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 37th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 4,713 registered voters in Leonia, of which 2,493 were registered as Democrats, 598 were registered as Republicans and 1,619 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered to other parties. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 52.7% were registered to vote, including 67.9% of those ages 18 and over.
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,451 votes, ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,135 votes and other candidates with 47 votes, among the 3,668 ballots cast by the borough's 5,065 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.4%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,604 votes, ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,273 votes and other candidates with 30 votes, among the 3,953 ballots cast by the borough's 5,050 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.3%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 2,468 votes, ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 1,327 votes and other candidates with 25 votes, among the 3,835 ballots cast by the borough's 4,878 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.6%.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 50.8% of the vote, ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 47.9%, and other candidates with 1.3%, among the 2,205 ballots cast by the borough's 4,826 registered voters, for a turnout of 45.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 1,682 ballots cast, ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 901 votes, Independent Chris Daggett with 120 votes and other candidates with 7 votes, among the 2,773 ballots cast by the borough's 4,880 registered voters, yielding a 56.8% turnout.

Education

Leonia is served by its public system and by a number of private schools.
The Leonia Public Schools serve students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprising three schools, had an enrollment of 1,952 students and 170.6 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 11.4:1. Schools in the district are
Anna C. Scott Elementary School with 663 students in grades PreK-5,
Leonia Middle School with 533 students in grades 6-8 and
Leonia High School with 740 students in grades 9-12. Students from Edgewater attend the district's schools for grades 7-12 as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Edgewater Public Schools.
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. John the Evangelist School was a Catholic school for students in grades PreK-8, operating under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. After 72 years and generations of graduates, it was closed in June 2013.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Bergen County, by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
Route 93 runs north-south for through the center of the borough, connecting Palisades Park and Englewood. Interstate 95 curves along the borough's northern border while U.S. Route 1/9 and U.S. Route 46 briefly enter along the western border with Fort Lee.
Effective January 22, 2018, Leonia officials banned nonresidents from using residential streets during rush hours. However, due to complaints from business owners citing decreased revenues, Leonia officials are reconsidering.

Public transportation

bus route 166 provides local and express service from Broad Avenue to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, and route 182 services the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal, with local service offered on the 751, 755 and 756 routes.
Rockland Coaches provides service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on the 11T/11AT, 14ET, 20T and 21T routes.
The Northern Branch Corridor Project is a proposal to extend the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to restore passenger train service on the CSX tracks, which offered passenger service decades before and is now used for occasional freight service. NJ Transit's plan would include a station in Leonia.

Notable people

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