Hackensack, New Jersey

Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, and serves as its county seat. It was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921, though it was informally known as Hackensack. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 43,010,  reflecting an increase of 333 (+0.8%) from the 42,677 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 5,628 (+15.2%) from the 37,049 counted in the 1990 Census.

An inner suburb of New York City, Hackensack is located approximately 12 mi northwest of Midtown Manhattan and about 7 mi from the George Washington Bridge. From a number of locations one can see the New York City skyline.

The Metropolitan Campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University borders the Hackensack River in both Hackensack and Teaneck. Hackensack is also the home of the New Jersey Naval Museum and the World War II submarine USS Ling. Astronaut Walter Schirra is perhaps Hackensack's most famous native son.

The city is known for a great diversity of neighborhoods and land uses existing in very close proximity to each other. Within its borders are a massive medical center, a trendy high-rise district about a mile long, classic suburban neighborhoods of single-family houses, stately older homes on acre-plus lots, older two-family neighborhoods, large garden apartment complexes, industrial areas, the Bergen County Jail, a tidal river, Hackensack River County Park, Borg's Woods Nature Preserve, various city parks, large office buildings, a major college campus, a small-city downtown district with a Courthouse, and various small neighborhood business districts. Areas considered suburban single-family residential neighborhoods account for about 1/3 of the city, mostly along the western side.

Geography
Hackensack is located at 40.8894°N, -74.0457°W (40.889398,-74.045698). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 4.346 square miles (11.256 km2), of which 4.180 square miles (10.826 km2) is land and 0.166 square miles (0.430 km2, 3.82%) is water.

The city is bordered by Paramus, River Edge, Teaneck, Bogota, Ridgefield Park, Little Ferry, South Hackensack, Hasbrouck Heights, Lodi, and Maywood.

There are many houses of historic value, and some of these were identified in the 1990 Master Plan. The city does not have any registered historic districts, or any restrictions on preserving the historic facade in any portions of the city.

Demographics
As of 2008, approximately 37.2% of the population was foreign-born. In addition, 60.1% of the population was born in the United States, while 2.7% was born in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, or abroad to American parents. Over 55% of the population over the age of five speak only English in their household, while 31.3% of the population speaks Spanish at home.

The Caucasian population is extremely diverse and largely mainstream in character. People of Italian, Irish, German, Jewish, English, and Polish background exist in sizable numbers, but a broad range of European ethnicities is represented in Hackensack. Many Hackensack residents identifying as "Caucasian" either do not identify strongly with any one ethnic ancestry or have ancestry from two or more European countries. Italian Americans represent 11% of the population, and 6% of the population is of Irish ancestry. Just under 5% of the population are of German descent. Roughly 3.6% of the population are of Polish descent. About 2.1% of the population are of English descent, and 1% of the population is of French descent.

Census 2010
The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $57,676 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,577) and the median family income was $66,911 (+/- $5,433). Males had a median income of $45,880 (+/- $4,012) versus $42,059 (+/- $1,681) for females. The per capita income for the city was $32,036 (+/- $1,809). About 8.9% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 145 households in 2010, an increase from the 112 counted in 2000.

Census 2000
As of the 2000 United States Census there were 42,677 people, 18,113 households, and 9,545 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,358.3 people per square mile (3,999.4/km2). There were 18,945 housing units at an average density of 4,598.2 per square mile (1,775.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 52.61% White, 24.65% African American, 0.45% Native American, 7.45% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 9.71% from other races, and 5.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.92% of the population.

There were 18,113 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.8% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.3% were non-families. 39.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 18.2% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 38.4% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,316, and the median income for a family was $56,953. Males had a median income of $39,636 versus $32,911 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,856. About 6.8% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
Hackensack operates under the 1923 Municipal Manager Law form of New Jersey municipal government. The City Council consists of five members who are elected to four-year terms on a concurrent basis in non-partisan elections. This form of government separates policy making (the work of the mayor and city council) from the execution of policy (the work of the city manager). This maintains professional management and a City-wide perspective through: nonpartisan election, at-large representation, concentration of executive responsibility in the hands of a professional manager accountable to the Mayor and Council, concentration of policy making power in one body: a five-person Mayor and Council. In the several decades in which the City has used the Municipal Manager form of government, Hackensack has had only nine City Managers.

, the mayor of the City of Hackensack is John P. Labrosse, Jr. (whose term of office as mayor ends June 30, 2017). Other members of the Hackensack City Council are Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino, David Sims, Leonardo “Leo” Battaglia, and Rose Greenman. John Labrosse, who served as councilman since 2009, and the entire council were elected in May 2013 under the "Citizens for Change" party, which replaced the mayor and three council members who had been supported by the Zisa family. The mayor and deputy mayor will serve four-year terms. In the previous council, mayors and deputy mayors served one-year rotating terms.

In a move to eliminate past Zisa family political influence, the 2013 city council did not reappoint Joseph Zisa, the city attorney; Richard Salkin, the municipal prosecutor; and Scirocco Insurance Group, the city’s insurance broker where former city mayor Jack Zisa is an insurance agent.

City Council candidate Joseph DeFalco, principal of Hackensack High School, died of a heart attack the day of the municipal election in 2005, but was elected despite his death. His running mates agreed to create a rotation under which each of the four surviving members of the New Visions for Hackensack slate would serve for a year as Mayor, creating a series of firsts for the City. Townes took office in 2005 as the city's first black mayor, and Sasso became the first female mayor in 2006. Meneses became Hackensack's first Hispanic mayor when he was sworn in on July 1, 2007, and Melfi took the reins as mayor in 2008. Four of the same five officials were re-elected in 2009 (Townes, Melfi, Sasso, Meneses), along with one opposition candidate, LaBrosse. The city council continued to rotate the mayor's seat, with the exception of Labrosse, and Melfi became mayor again in 2012.

Frank Zisa served as mayor from 1977 to 1981, Fred Cerbo from 1981 to 1989, and John F. "Jack" Zisa (son of Frank Zisa) from 1989 to 2005.

Former Assemblyman Charles "Ken" Zisa served as chief of the Hackensack Police Department from his 1995 appointment to replace John Aletta until May 2010 when he was suspended without pay on charges of official misconduct and insurance fraud. Tomas Padilla was appointed the acting police chief while the police department was being monitored by the Bergen County Prosecutors office. In May 2012, a judge ordered Zisa out of his position as police chief, a decision that cost him his police retirement benefits. In January 2013, Mike Mordaga was appointed the new civilian police director, which replaced the previous position of police chief.

Federal, state and county representation
Hackensack is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 37th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Hackensack had been part of the NJ's 9th congressional district, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Politics
In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 74.9% of the vote here (11,711 ballots cast), outpolling Republican John McCain, who received 22.4% of the vote (3,498 voters), with 15,641 of the 20,616 registered voters (75.9%) participating. In the 2004 election, Democrat John Kerry received 71.0% of the vote here (9,815 votes), over Republican George W. Bush, who received 28.03% (3,870 ballots cast), with 13,818 of 19,013 registered voters (72.7%) turning out.

In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 70.9% of the vote (6,247 voters), over Republican Chris Christie who received around 24.9% (receiving 2,194 votes), with 8,812 of the 19,819 of registered voters (44.5%) turning out to vote.

Education
The Hackensack Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2010-11 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are four K–4 elementary schools — Fairmount Elementary School (532 students), Fanny Meyer Hillers School (474), Jackson Avenue School (417), and Nellie K. Parker School (438) — while 5ive 6ix School serves grades 5 and 6 (618), Hackensack Middle School serves grades 7 and 8 (628), and Hackensack High School serves students in grades 9–12 (1,773).

Hackensack High School serves high school students living in neighboring communities as part of sending/receiving relationships with the respective districts, including South Hackensack, Rochelle Park and Maywood. In addition, Teterboro residents had been able choose between Hackensack High School and Hasbrouck Heights School District's Hasbrouck Heights High School.

The Bergen County Academies, a public magnet high school located in Hackensack, serves the high school population of Bergen County, as part of the Bergen County Technical Schools district.

Bergen Community College has a location in Hackensack. The Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center, is located at 355 Main Street at the corner of Passaic Street.

The Metropolitan Campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University straddles the Hackensack River in both Hackensack and Teaneck.

The First Baptist Church runs a K-12 school called Hackensack Christian School that was established in 1973 and is located at Union Street and Conklin Place.

Padre Pio Academy is a K-8 school operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.

The YCS George Washington School is a nonprofit private school for classified students ages 5–14 who are experiencing behavioral and/or emotional difficulties. Its population consists of students who reside at the YCS Holley Child Care and Development Center in Hackensack and students within the surrounding communities whose needs cannot be adequately met in special education programs within their districts.

Transportation
The city is served by three train stations on New Jersey Transit's Pascack Valley Line, two of them in Hackensack. Anderson Street Station serves central Hackensack while Essex Street Station serves southern portions of the city. The New Bridge Landing Station, located adjacent to the city line in River Edge also serves the northernmost parts of Hackensack, including The Shops at Riverside.

New Jersey Transit buses include lines 144, 157, 162, 163, 164, 165 and 168 serving the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan; the 175, 178 and 182 to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station; the 76 to Newark; the 83 route to Jersey City; and local service on the 709, 712, 751, 752, 753, 755, 756, 762, 770, 772 and 780 lines. Many of the bus routes stop, originate and terminate at the Hackensack Bus Terminal, a regional transit hub. Route 1X jitney of Fordham Transit originates/terminates at the bus terminal with service Inwood, Manhattan via Fort Lee Road.

Interstate 80, Route 17, Route 4, and County Route 503 cross Hackensack, while there are many other main roads in Hackensack. Several bridges, including the Court Street Bridge, span the Hackensack River.

The Passaic-Bergen Rail Line is a planned light-rail system that will have two stops in Hackensack.

Fire
The city is served by the professional firefighters of the Hackensack Fire Department, whose chief is Thomas Freeman. The Hackensack Fire Department was established April 1, 1871, and Bergen Hook & Ladder Co. 1 was created two months later as the city's first fire company. In 1911, a full-time fire department was created.

The Hackensack Ford dealership fire on July 1, 1988, resulted in the deaths of five firefighters after a bowstring truss roof collapsed. A message issued a minute before the collapse ordering firefighters out was never received due to defective communications equipment and two firefighters who had survived the initial collapse could not be rescued as their calls for help were not received.

Nine firefighters from Hackensack have died in the line of duty.

The department operates out of four fire stations, located throughout the city, and operates and maintains a fire apparatus fleet of four engines, one ladder, two rescue vehicles, a special operations unit and two command vehicles.

Ambulance
The Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps provides emergency medical services to Hackensack and other nearby towns through mutual aid agreements. The Corps operates nightly from 6pm to 6am, and 24 hours on Saturday and Sundays. Daytime EMS is provided seven days a week by the Hackensack University Medical Center's ambulance service, overlapping volunteer coverage on weekends. Both the Hackensack University Medical Center and Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corps are dispatched by MICCOM, the Northern New Jersey Mobile Intensive Care Communications. MICCOM provides dispatch and emergency medical call taking with pre-arrival instructions and updates.

History
The first inhabitants of the area were the Lenni Lenape, an Algonquian people (later known as the as the Delaware Indians) who lived along the valley of what they called the Achinigeu-hach, or "Ackingsah-sack", meaning stony ground (today the Hackensack River). A representation of Chief Oratam of the Achkinhenhcky appears on the Hackensack municipal seal.

Settlement by the Dutch West India Company in New Netherland on west banks of the North River (Hudson River) across from New Amsterdam (present-day lower Manhattan) began in the 1630s at Pavonia, eventually leading to the establishment of Bergen (at today's Bergen Square in Jersey City) in 1660.

Oratam, sachem of the Lenni Lenape, deeded the land along mid-Hackensack River to the Dutch in 1665. The area was soon taken by the English in 1667, but kept its Dutch name. Philip Cartaret, governor of what became the proprietary colony of East Jersey granted land to Captain John Berry in the area of Achter Kol and soon after took up residence and called it "New Barbadoes," after having resided on the island of Barbadoes. In 1669, a deed was confirmed for the large tract (2260 acre) given earlier by Oratem to Sarah Kiersted in gratitude for her work as emissary and interpreter. Other grants were given at the English Neighborhood.

In 1675, the East Jersey Legislature established the administrative districts: (Bergen, Essex, Middlesex, and Monmouth). In 1683, Bergen (along with the three other counties) was officially recognized as an independent county by the Provincial Assembly. The seal of Bergen County bearing this date includes an image of an agreement between the settlers and the natives.

New Barbadoes Township, together with Acquackanonk Township, were formed by Royal Charter on October 31, 1693.

In 1700, the village of Hackensack was little more than the area around Main Street from the Courthouse to around Anderson Street. New Barbadoes Township included what is now Maywood, Rochelle Park, Paramus and River Edge, along with those portions of Oradell that are west of the Hackensack River. These areas were all very sparsely populated and consisted of farm fields, woods and swamplands. The few roads that existed then included the streets now known as Kinderkamack Road, Paramus Road/Passaic Street and Essex Street. The southernmost portions of what is now Hackensack were not part of New Barbadoes Township at that time.

The neighborhood that came to be known as the village of Hackensack (today the area encompassing Bergen County's municipal buildings in Hackensack) was a part of Essex County until 1710, when Bergen County, by royal decree of Queen Anne of Great Britain, was enlarged and the Township of New Barbadoes was removed from Essex County and added to Bergen County.

In 1710, the village of Hackensack in the newly formed Township of New Barbadoes was designated as being more centrally located and more easily reached by the majority of the Bergen County’s inhabitants, and hence was chosen as the county seat of Bergen County, as it remains today. The earliest records of the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders date back to 1715, at which time agreement was made to build a courthouse and jail complex, which was completed in 1716.

During the American Revolutionary War, George Washington headquartered in the village of Hackensack in November 1776 during the retreat from Fort Lee via New Bridge Landing and camped on 'The Green' across from the First Dutch Reformed Church on November 20, 1776. A raid by British forces against Hackensack on March 23, 1780, resulted in the destruction by fire of the original courthouse structure.

The Hackensack Improvement Commission was incorporated by an Act of the state legislature approved on April 1, 1868, within New Barbadoes township and including the village of Hackensack, with authority to develop sewers and other improvements in Hackensack.

The New Jersey Legislature passed the Township School Act in 1894, under which each village, borough, town, or city in New Jersey was delegated responsibility for its own public schools through the office of the county superintendent. Hackensack established a local board of education in 1894, as required by the new law, which took over operation of schools located in the township and established Hackensack High School. The 1894 act allowed local residents, by petition, to change municipal boundaries at will, setting off fearsome political battles statewide.

After many departures, secessions, and de-annexations due to what is now referred to as Boroughitis, all that was left of New Barbadoes Township was the village of Hackensack and its surrounding neighborhoods of Fairmount, Red Hill and Cherry Hill. In 1896, New Barbadoes acquired a portion of Lodi Township covering an area south of Essex Street from the bend of Essex Street to the Maywood border. That same year the Hackensack Improvement commission was abolished and the City of Hackensack and New Barbadoes Township became coterminous.

The final parcel lost by New Barbadoes Township was the northeastern corner of what is now Little Ferry, which was incorporated in September 1894.

An act of the State Legislature incorporated the Fairmount section of New Barbadoes with the Hackensack Improvement Commission, and eliminated New Barbadoes Township as a political entity. On November 21, 1921, based on the results of a referendum held on November 8, 1921, New Barbadoes Township received its charter to incorporate as a city and officially took on its name “Hackensack,” a name derived from its original inhabitants, the Lenni Lenape, who named it "Ackingsah-sack".

In 1933, Hackensack adopted the Manager form of government under the terms of the 1923 Municipal Manager Law, with five Council persons all elected at-large and a mayor selected by the council from among its members.

Points of interest


The city historian is Albert Dib. Walking tours are conducted of historic markers in downtown Hackensack, in and around The Green and lower Main Street, and a virtual historic walking tour is available as far north as the Pascack Valley Line crossing at Main Street.

First Dutch Reformed Church (“Church on The Green”); built 1696. In 1696 Major Berry donated land for the First Dutch Reformed Church, erected in that same year, (which still stands in Hackensack today as the oldest church in Bergen County and the second oldest church in New Jersey). The following is list of notable people buried in the Church's adjoining cemetery:


 * Enoch Poor, one of George Washington’s officers.
 * Richard Varick, former mayor of the city of New York and former New York Attorney General
 * Interment records for First Dutch Reformed Churchyard

Bergen County's largest newspaper, The Record, a publication of the North Jersey Media Group had called Hackensack its home until moving to Woodland Park. Its 33 acre campus is now largely abandoned and likely to be redeveloped for mixed use office/retail/residential, in associated with the river walkway project.

New Jersey Naval Museum and the World War II submarine USS Ling, a Balao class submarine, and several smaller water vessels and artifacts. The museum is open select weekdays for group tours.

Other points of interest within the city include the Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack River County Park, Borg's Woods Nature Preserve, the Ice House rink, the Bergen County Court House and the Bergen Museum of Art & Science.

The Shops at Riverside (formerly known as Riverside Square Mall), is an upscale shopping center located at the intersection of Route 4 and Hackensack Avenue at the northern edge of the city along the Hackensack River. The mall, which is in the process of a fairly significant expansion, is anchored by a number of high-end department stores and restaurants, including Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co., Pottery Barn and Barnes & Noble. The mall is known for its marble floors, and attracts a great many upper income shoppers from Manhattan and Northern Bergen County.

Hackensack's Main Street is devoted to shopping and most of its iconic landmarks, including the United Jersey Bank headquarters building and the former Woolworth site that is now a housewares store. The only remaining major store on Hackensack's Main Street is Sears Roebuck and Co. The historic Sears building is located on the corner of Main and Anderson Street and is still in operation today. The site is close to the Anderson Street train station, and has been open since the 1930s.

Bergen County Jail is a detention center for both sentenced and unsentenced prisoners. It is located on South River Street. The County is in the process of moving the County Police from the northern end of the city to a new site across from the Jail. The former site will be redeveloped as a "transit village" complex associated with the New Bridge Landing rail station in adjoining River Edge.

The city's Johnson Public Library at 274 Main Street is a member of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System.

Bowler City- a bowling alley that consists of 50 bowling lanes, a cafeteria, an arcade, party rooms, and a bar. Bowler City is owned by Nationwide Bowling Centers

Ice House- a skating rink that is home to the New Jersey Avalanche and high school hockey teams such as the Bergen Catholic Crusaders, River Dell Golden Hawks, Hackensack Comets, Ridgewood Maroons, Glen Rock Panthers, Paramus Spartans, Paramus Catholic Paladins, Northern Valley Demarest, and the Dumont Huskies. It opened in 1996. 

Local media
Radio station WNYM at 970 AM, is licensed to Hackensack and has its transmitter in the city. The station is currently owned by Salem Communications with a Conservative Talk format. During the 1970s, it played a Top 40 music radio format for several years, competing (unsuccessfully) with Top 40 powerhouse 77 WABC (AM).

Popular culture
Hackensack has been mentioned in the lyrics of songs by several musical artists, many of whom have lived in New Jersey or New York City. The town was home to the original Van Gelder recording studio at 25 Prospect Avenue where the jazz musicians Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk recorded some of their landmark work. Monk recorded a tribute to Rudy Van Gelder entitled "Hackensack". Other notable examples of Hackensack in songs include:
 * Fountains of Wayne, "Hackensack". (Welcome Interstate Managers, 2003)
 * Johnny Cash, "I've Been Everywhere" (Unchained) a 1996 cover of a number 1 hit in Country Music in November 1962 in the United States by Hank Snow
 * Peter Schickele (under the pseudonym P.D.Q. Bach), "O Little Town of Hackensack", a parody of the traditional carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem".
 * "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" by Billy Joel includes the lines "Who needs a house out in Hackensack? Is that all you get for your money?"
 * "Hackensack" by Katy Perry, 2009.

Hackensack also appears in movies, books and television.
 * In the 1978 film Superman: The Movie, Hackensack was to have been ground zero for a nuclear missile launched by Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), as Superman (Christopher Reeve) is slowly dying from exposure to kryptonite.
 * F. Scott Fitzgerald went to the prep school, the Newman School, in Hackensack in 1911.
 * The 1985 film Brewster's Millions starred Richard Pryor, who played a pitcher for the Hackensack Bulls, a fictional minor-league baseball team (the outfield had a railroad track across it)
 * In the 1998 film Bride of Chucky, Chucky's human body is said to be buried in a fictional Hackensack cemetery.

Notable people
Notable current and former residents of Hackensack include:
 * Phil Arnold (1909-1968), actor.
 * Debby Boone (born 1956), singer.
 * Warren Boroson (born 1935), author and journalist.
 * Adam Boyd (1746–1835) represented New Jersey in Congress from 1803 to 1805, and again from 1808 to 1813.
 * Philip Carey (1925–2009), actor who starred in One Life to Live.
 * Samuel Cooper (1798–1876), career soldier who was Adjutant General of the United States Army, and later Adjutant General of the Confederate States Army.
 * Dave Davis (born 1942), former professional ten-pin bowler; 1967 PBA Player of the Year and PBA Hall of Famer.
 * Harold Dow (1947-2010), correspondent on 48 Hours.
 * Jim Finn (born 1976), New York Giants fullback.
 * Dave Fiore (born 1974), offensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins.
 * Percy Keese Fitzhugh (1876–1950), author of many popular children's books.
 * Silvia Fontana (born 1976), figure skater who represented Italy at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
 * Mike Fratello (born 1947), former NBA coach.
 * Elene Gedevanishvili (born 1990), figure skater who represented the nation of Georgia at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
 * Doug Glanville (born August 25, 1970), former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and the Texas Rangers.
 * David Grisman (born 1945), mandolin player.
 * Harry Harper (1895-1963), Major League baseball pitcher from 1913 to 1923.
 * Archibald C. Hart (1873–1935), represented New Jersey's 6th congressional district from 1912–1913 and 1913-1917.
 * Matt Herr (born 1976), ice hockey forward who played for parts of four NHL seasons.
 * John Huyler (1808–1870), represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1857-1859.
 * Mark Ingram, Jr. (born 1989), Heisman Trophy winning running back and BCS National Champion at Alabama, currently plays for the New Orleans Saints.
 * Eric Karros (born 1967), former Major League Baseball player.
 * James McEachin (born 1930), actor and author.
 * Earl Schenck Miers (1910-1972), historian who wrote extensively about the American Civil War.
 * Dan Oates (born 1955), Police Chief of Aurora, Colorado, site of the 2012 Aurora shooting in which 12 moviegoers were killed.
 * Frederick Albion Ober (1849–1913), naturalist and writer.
 * Dave Scott (born 1953), offensive lineman who played for the Atlanta Falcons.
 * Rudy Van Gelder (born 1924), recording engineer who taped many jazz albums for Blue Note Records in his Hackensack recording studio in the 1950s.
 * Douglas Watt (1914–2009), theater critic for the Daily News''.
 * Teresa Weatherspoon (born 1965), professional basketball player, former member of the WNBA's New York Liberty.
 * Bill Willoughby (born 1957), former NBA Player who, along with Darryl Dawkins, were the first high school players drafted by the National Basketball Association after they graduated in 1975.