Paramus, New Jersey

Paramus (, with the accent on the second syllable ) is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 26,342,  reflecting an increase of 605 (+2.4%) from the 25,737 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 670 (+2.7%) from the 25,067 counted in the 1990 Census. A suburb of New York City, Paramus is located 15 to 20 mi northwest of Midtown Manhattan and approximately 8 mi west of Upper Manhattan.

Paramus was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 2, 1922, based on the results of a referendum held on April 4, 1922 that passed by a vote of 238 for and 10 against. Paramus was created from portions of Midland Township, which now exists as Rochelle Park.

The borough is one of the largest shopping meccas in the country, generating over $5 billion in annual retail sales,  more than any other ZIP Code in the United States. Paramus has more limited shopping hours, as it has some of the most restrictive blue laws in the nation (even stricter than those prevailing in the rest of Bergen County), banning nearly all retail and white-collar businesses from opening on Sundays. The only exceptions are gas stations, restaurants and grocery stores, and a limited number of other businesses. More than 63% of Bergen County voters rejected a referendum on the ballot in 1993 that would have repealed the county's blue laws, though the Paramus restrictions would have remained in place.

Geography
Paramus is located at 40.94731°N, -74.07099°W (40.947309,-74.070989). According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 10.520 square miles (27.246 km2), of which, 10.470 square miles (27.117 km2) of it is land and 0.050 square miles (0.129 km2) of it (0.47%) is water.

History
The area that became northern New Jersey was occupied for thousands of years by prehistoric indigenous peoples. At the time of European encounter, it was settled by the historic Lenape people. The Lenape language word for the area, Peremessing, which meant that it had an abundant population of Wild Turkey, was anglicized to become the word "Paramus". A large metal statue of a wild turkey in the Paramus Park mall commemorates this history.

Although a 19th-century account says, “The Paramus estate was purchased from the Native Americans for a quart of whiskey and a pound of tobacco”, the historical record of European settlement of Paramus is more detailed.

Albert Saboroweski, whose descendants became known by the family name "Zabriskie", immigrated from Poland via the Dutch ship The Fox in 1662. He settled in the Dutch West Indies Company town of Ackensack, today’s Hackensack, where he started a family. A son, Jacob, was captured by the Lenape and held for 15 years. When he was returned to his family, the Lenape explained to Saboroweski that they had taken the child in order to teach him their language so that he could serve as a translator. They granted Saboroweski approximately 2,000 acre of land which became known as the “Paramus Patent”.

During the American Revolutionary War, the county included both Tories and Patriots, with Patriots “greatly outnumbering” Tories. Although no major battles were fought in Bergen County, Paramus was part of the military activity, as colonial troops were stationed in Ramapo under the command of Aaron Burr. In 1777, the British raided the Hackensack area and Burr marched troops to Paramus, from where he attacked the British, forcing them to withdraw. General George Washington was in Paramus several times during the War: December, 1778; July, 1780; and, December, 1780. Following the Battle of Monmouth, Washington established his headquarters in Paramus in July 1778. Over the advice of his staff, Washington moved his headquarters to Westchester County, New York.

A section of Paramus known as Dunkerhook (meaning dark corner in Dutch) was a free African-American community dating to the early 18th century. Although historical markers on the current site and local oral tradition maintain that this was a slave community, contemporary records document that it was a community of free blacks, not slaves. A group of houses built on Dunkerhook Road by the Zabriskies in the late 18th / early 19th centuries were the center of a community of black farmers, who had been slaves held by the Zabriskie family.

Farview Avenue, located at the highest peak in Paramus, has a clear view of the New York City skyline.

Paramus became one of the "truck farming" areas that helped New Jersey earn its nickname as the “Garden State”. By 1940, Paramus' population was just 4,000, with no town center and 94 retail establishments. Although the opening of the George Washington Bridge in 1931 and the widening of New Jersey Route 17 and New Jersey Route 4 (which intersect in southern Paramus), made the area accessible to millions, “it was not until the 1950’s that massive development hit this section of northern New Jersey”.

During the 1950s and 60s, Paramus, lacking any master plan until 1969, was redeveloped into two shopping corridors when its farmers and outside developers saw that shopping malls were more lucrative than produce farming. “It was a developer’s dream: flat cleared land adjacent to major arterials and accessible to a growing suburban population and the country’s largest city – with no planning restrictions”. New York had a state sales tax, but New Jersey had none, so with the opening of Manhattan department stores in the Bergen Mall (1957), the Garden State Plaza(1957) and Alexander's (1961), Paramus became the “first stop outside New York City for shopping”. From 1948-58, the population of Paramus increased from 6,000 to 23,000, the number of retail establishments tripled from 111 to 319, and annual retail sales increased from $5.5 million to $112 million. By the 1980s, when the population had increased slightly over 1960s levels, retail sales had climbed to $1 billion.

2010 Census
The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $104,986 (with a margin of error of +/- $9,111) and the median family income was $123,848 (+/- $7,952). Males had a median income of $77,325 (+/- $5,222) versus $52,702 (+/- $4,983) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $40,024. About 1.6% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 35 households in 2010.

2000 Census
As of the 2000 United States Census there were 25,737 people, 8,082 households, and 6,780 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,457.7 people per square mile (949.1/km2). There were 8,209 housing units at an average density of 783.9 per square mile (302.7/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 79.19% White, 1.13% African American, 0.05% Native American, 17.23% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.87% of the population.

There were 8,082 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.3% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.1% were non-families. 14.4% 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 3.00 and the average family size was 3.32.

In the borough the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $76,918, and the median income for a family was $84,406. Males had a median income of $56,635 versus $37,450 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,295. About 1.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
Paramus is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office and only votes to break a tie. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.

, the Mayor is Richard LaBarbiera, whose term of office ends December 31, 2014. Borough Council Members are Ralph Amato (2013), Maria Elena Bellinger (D, 2014), Joseph Lagana (D, 2014), Tom LoCicero (R, 2012), Eric Nazziola (R, 2013) and Michael Rohdieck (R, 2012).

In the November 2011 general election, Democratic challengers Maria Elena Bellinger and Joseph Lagana unseated Republican incumbents Cathy Bentz and Maureen O'Brien.

Alan Brundage announced his resignation at a December 2011 council meeting, citing his promotion to captain in the Bergen County Police Department.

Federal, state and county representation
Paramus is located in the 5th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 38th state legislative district.

Politics
As of Election Day, November 4, 2008, there were 16,333 registered voters. Of registered voters, 4,556 (27.9% of all registered voters) were registered as Democrats, 3,413 (20.9%) were registered as Republicans and 8,359 (51.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were five voters registered to other parties.

In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 47.4% of the vote here (5,850 ballots cast), falling short of Republican John McCain, who received 51.7% of the vote (6,381 votes), with 75.9% of registered voters participating. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 52.3% of the vote here, out-polling Democrat John Kerry, who received around 46.5%., on turnout of 76.3% of registered voters.

Public Library
There are two public libraries in Paramus. There is the Main Library on Century Road. There is also the Charles E. Reid Branch library on Midland Avenue, which was originally a four-room schoolhouse built in 1876.

The borough's original Public Library, known locally as the Howland House, was originally located at the intersection of Spring Valley Road and Howland Avenue. It was demolished sometime in the late 1990s. A September 11, 2001 memorial park now exists at the site known as Howland Memorial Grove.

Education
The Paramus 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 five K-4 schools — Memorial Elementary School (338 students), Midland Elementary School (259), Parkway Elementary School (242), Ridge Ranch Elementary School (334) and Stony Lane Elementary School (215) — Eastbrook Middle School (637) and Westbrook Middle School (704) for grades 5–8 and Paramus High School for grades 9–12 (1,348). Three of the district's schools have been formally designated as National Blue Ribbon Schools: Paramus High School in 1988-89, Parkway Elementary School in 1987-88 and Ridge Ranch Elementary School in 1998-99.

Paramus is home to many private religious schools. Paramus Catholic High School is a co-educational Roman Catholic high school founded in 1965 and operated by the Archdiocese of Newark. With more than 1,500 students, it has the largest enrollment of any Roman Catholic high school in the state of New Jersey. It is also the location of Visitation Academy, a K-8 Catholic school also overseen by the Newark Archdiocese.

Paramus is home to Yavneh Academy and Yeshivat Noam, founded in 2001, are K-8 co-ed Jewish day schools. Frisch School is a Modern Orthodox Jewish yeshiva serving grades 9–12 that describes itself as the nation's second largest coed yeshiva high school.

Bergen Community College is based in Paramus, with other satellite centers located elsewhere around the county. The bulk of the college's 17,000 students working towards degrees are located at the main campus in Paramus.

The Bergen campus of Berkeley College is located in Paramus.

Public transportation
New Jersey Transit bus routes 144, 145, 148, 155, 157, 162, 163, 164, 165 and 168 serve the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan; the 171 and 175 routes provide service to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station ; and local service is offered in the 709, 722, 751, 752, 753, 755, 756, 758, 762 and 770 routes.

Roads
Route 17, Route 4, and the Garden State Parkway pass through Paramus.

Commerce
Paramus is known for its multitude of stores and malls. It has five major indoor shopping centers, due to its easy access for residents in the areas of Bergen County and Passaic County in New Jersey and Rockland County in New York. New Jersey also does not levy a sales tax on clothes and shoes, which makes it an attractive shopping destination for people even further away in New York City, who pay sales tax on clothing items above $110 in price, in addition to the lower standard rate of 7% in New Jersey, compared to 8⅜ in New York City. The spending levels generated by the malls have made Paramus one of the top retail ZIP codes in the country.

On Route 4, are The Outlets at Bergen Town Center (known as the Bergen Mall until 2006) and the Shoppes on IV. On Route 17, are Paramus Park and the Fashion Center. At the intersection of Routes 4 and 17 is Paramus's biggest and most famous mall, Westfield Garden State Plaza. Westfield Garden State Plaza is the largest mall in the Westfield Groups' global portfolio with a gross leasable area of 2128402 sqft.

Paramus, along with the rest of Bergen County, has strict blue laws preventing stores selling non-food items from opening on Sundays. Although it started as a religious observance, it is kept on the books due to a desire of the residents of Paramus to have one day a week when traffic is tolerable in the town. This law was called into question most recently when a BJ's Wholesale Club opened at the 4/17 junction. BJ's was allowed to open on Sundays, but is only allowed to sell food and basic necessities. The store has been structured to deny access for shoppers to purchase items that cannot be purchased on Sunday. Paramus has its own blue laws that are significantly more restrictive than those in effect in other communities in Bergen County. It is one of the last places in the United States to have such an extensive blue law.

Local blue laws in Paramus were first proposed in 1957, while the Bergen Mall and Garden State Plaza were under construction. The legislation was motivated by fears that the two new malls would aggravate the already-severe highway congestion caused by local retail businesses along the borough's highways.

The Paramus Borough Code forbids the performance of any "worldly employment" on Sunday, with exceptions for charity, and the sale of newspapers, drugs, meals, prepared food and cigarettes, among a limited number of exceptions. Even work performed inside one's own home is prohibited, unless one can "prove to the satisfaction of the Judge that he uniformly keeps the seventh day of the week commonly known as the 'Sabbath'...". In spite of its six-day shopping week, Paramus consistently has the most retail sales of any ZIP Code in the United States. Many national chain stores boast Paramus as their most prominent locations, including Nordstrom, in which the Paramus store is their best-performing chainwide. There are 25 retailers that occupy multiple stores in Paramus, including Macy's which had outlets in three malls for a period of time. Some retail analysts view Paramus as being two markets, centered on the two major highways. Lord & Taylor has two locations in Paramus, giving Paramus the distinction of the only town with more than one Lord & Taylor location.

An unsuccessful 2010 proposal by Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie would have ended the state's blue laws (now only enforced in Bergen County), with the governor citing industry estimates that the $1.1 billion in added retail revenue on Sundays would generate an additional $65 million in sales taxes for the state. In November 2012, Governor Chris Christie issued an executive order temporarily suspending the blue laws in both Bergen County and Paramus due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, a decision that was upheld despite a court challenege by the Borough of Paramus. The blue law suspension was in effect on Sunday, November 11, but was back in effect the following Sunday.

Mall history

 * 1957 – Garden State Plaza was built by Muscarelli Construction Company on 198 acre at the intersection of Routes 4 and 17.
 * 1957 – The Bergen Mall was built on 101 acre on an area east of the Plaza on Route 4.
 * 1968 – The Fashion Center was built on 35 acre. The owners originally referred to its location as being in Ridgewood/Paramus to appeal to the Ridgewood population. Over the years, the references to Ridgewood became somewhat lost.
 * 1974 – Paramus Park was built by the Rouse Company. The last of the large centers was built on 66 acre in the middle of an area where the old farms were located.
 * 2003 – IKEA opens its third-largest store at the intersection of Routes 4 and 17, on the site of the old Alexander's department store. It was joined the next year by three other retailers, Bed Bath and Beyond, Christmas Tree Shops, and Sports Authority.

Due to the blue law, all malls in Paramus (as with the rest of Bergen County) are closed on Sunday. Malls are also required to be closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, with early closing (half days) on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Stores may not open before 7:00 AM or remain open after 11:00 PM.

Entertainment
In 1931, one of the earliest drive-in theaters opened in Paramus, and boasted the world's largest and brightest screen, located behind what is now Westfield Garden State Plaza. The Paramus Drive-In closed in 1987. The last movie presentation there was a double- feature, 'Crocodile Dundee' and 'The Untouchables'.

Paramus' lone movie theater complex is a 16-screen AMC Theatres located in an area of new construction at Westfield Garden State Plaza. Two theatres which have been closed within the last five years include the Route 4 Tenplex and the Cineplex Odeon Route 17 Triplex, once located next to Westfield Garden State Plaza on Route 17. The Triplex theatre was opened in 1965 by Century Theatres and was closed on January 19, 2006, by Loews Cineplex Entertainment. The Tenplex on Route 4 was closed on May 24, 2007, the day before the new AMC Theatres opened at Westfield Garden State Plaza. The Cinema 35 was also closed when the Plaza 35 Shopping Center was renovated in 2005.

Parks and recreation
Paramus is the home to two county parks. On the eastern side of the borough is Van Saun County Park, which features Bergen County's only zoo, home to a wide variety of wild and domestic animals living in recreated habitats natural to each species. On the western side of the borough is Saddle River County Park which features a 6 mi bike path reaching from Ridgewood to Rochelle Park.

The borough also has four golf courses. Two are open to the public with the Paramus Golf Course operated by the borough and Orchard Hills County Golf Course+ operated by the county. Two private golf course are also located in Paramus, they are the Ridgewood Country Club and Arcola Country Club. In 2008, the Paramus Golf Course opened up a miniature golf course that is themed after the town of Paramus as well as the state of New Jersey. Turkey statues are scattered around the course to celebrate Paramus as the "land of the wild turkeys."

Emergency services
The Paramus Fire Department is a volunteer organization consisting of 4 companies. Company 1 (E1-T1) is located at East Firehouse Lane, across from the Fashion Center. Company 2 (E2-E22) is located on Spring Valley Road, and is nicknamed "Spring Valley Fire Company #2." Company 3 (E3-HazMat-Foam3) is located at 198 West Midland Ave. Company 4 (E4-T4-E44) is on Farview Avenue and is nicknamed "Farview Fire Company #4." Paramus also has a separate volunteer rescue squad (Rescue 7 & 9) specializing in motor vehicle extrication.

The borough's Ambulance Corps is staffed 24 hours a day for quick response. There are crews stationed at the Life Safety complex, located next to the Rescue building, and at Fire Company 3. A separate volunteer Ambulance Corps exists, largely for stand-by purposes at large events. The Paramus Police Department, which responds to 60,000 calls annually, is located on Carlough Drive right next to borough hall.

Popular culture

 * In Ghostbusters II a woman claims that she met an alien at the Paramus Holiday Inn: "I received this information from an alien. As I told my husband, it was in the Paramus Holiday Inn, I was having a drink at the bar, alone, and this alien approached me. He started talking to me. He bought me a drink, and then I think he must have used some kind of a ray or a mind control device because he forced me to follow him to his room and that's where he told me about the end of the world."
 * The 1993 Saturday Night Live spin-off movie Coneheads is set in Paramus. Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin's characters decide to move to and permanently reside in the town so daughter Michelle Burke can attend Paramus High School. Aykroyd's character "Beldar Conehead" spends his days in Paramus teaching driving lessons and playing golf.
 * Vinnie Fiorello from the popular band Less Than Jake, which has a song called "24 Hours in Paramus" on the album titled "Losers, Kings, and Things We Don't Understand."
 * In the movie Ransom, Mel Gibson and Gary Sinise drive right past the now-defunct tenplex movie theater located on Route 4.
 * Several episodes of The Sopranos, the HBO mob drama, have used Paramus locations. Westfield Garden State Plaza was used as the "Paramus Mall," and the Ramsey Outdoor Store on Route 17 became the "Ramsey Outdoor," and a character is "whacked" at the remnants of the Old Mill Bathing Beach on Paramus Road. In the final episode of the series, a scene with Paulie Walnuts is shot in Paramus, where he was in a car, driving past a gas station.
 * Arcola Amusement Park (Arcola section Rochelle Park/Paramus) was built in 1926 which covered about 20 acre. A fire destroyed it in 1929.
 * Burn After Reading a 2008 film by the Coen Brothers was partly filmed in Paramus at the site of the old Tower Records annex building located on Route 17S.
 * The Colbert Report, during its Threat Down segment on April 24, 2008, listed the bear sightings in Paramus as the Number 1 threat to our country. The Paramus Park mall was also shown in the segment.
 * In the Captain America: The First Avenger film, Paramus is mentioned as a fictitious hometown used by Steve Rogers for one of his multiple attempts to enlist in the military.
 * Many episodes of Primetime: What Would You Do? have been filmed at various locations in Paramus.

Notable people
Notable current and former residents of Paramus include:
 * John Bancker Aycrigg (1798–1856), member of the United States Congress from New Jersey.
 * Joe Benigno (born 1953), sports radio personality on WFAN.
 * Chase Blackburn (born 1983), linebacker for the New York Giants and a member of the Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI champion Giants.
 * Galit Chait (born 1975), ice dancer who represented Israel internationally from 1995 to 2006.
 * Joseph Coniglio (born 1943), former member of the New Jersey Senate.
 * Spero Dedes (born 1979), Los Angeles Lakers radio commentator, NFL Network television host, and CBS NCAA tournament basketball announcer.
 * Jim Dray (born 1986), tight end who has played for the Arizona Cardinals.
 * The Escape Engine, former hardcore/punk rock band formed in Paramus from 2002-2006.
 * Mark Fields (born c. 1961), Ford Motor Company executive.
 * Dean Friedman (born 1955), one-hit wonder with the top tune "Ariel" in 1977. A lyric in the song references "the waterfall in Paramus Park."
 * Fred C. Galda (c. 1918-1997), former mayor of Paramus who oversaw the implementation of the borough's blue laws in 1958.
 * Peter Gennaro (1919–2000), Tony Award-winning dancer and choreographer.
 * Matt Ghaffari (born 1961), Olympic wrestler.
 * Jamie Gold (born 1969), winner of the 2006 World Series of Poker.
 * Charles Samuel Joelson (1916–99), represented New Jersey's 8th congressional district.
 * Louis F. Kosco (born 1932), politician who served in both the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey Senate.
 * Lloyd Levin, film producer whose work includes United 93.
 * Tony Lip, actor who appeared on The Sopranos, playing the role of Carmine Lupertazzi.
 * Howard Lorber (born 1948), CEO of the Vector Group.
 * Dean Obeidallah, Arab/Italian-American comedian.
 * George Olsen (1893–1971), bandleader and proprietor of Olsen's Restaurant in the 1950s and '60s.
 * Lauren Passarelli (born 1960), musician and educator.
 * John Bartow Prevost (1766–1825), first Judge of the Superior Court of the Territory of Orleans.
 * Kazbek Tambi (born 1961), former professional soccer player.
 * Theodore Trautwein (1920–2000), judge who sentenced a reporter from The New York Times to 40 days in jail in the "Dr. X" trial of Mario Jascalevich.
 * Trixter, a glam metal band, formed in Paramus.
 * Connie Wagner (born 1948), member of the New Jersey General Assembly.
 * Elaine Zayak (born 1965), one of the world's top figure skaters in the early 1980s.

Historic sites
Paramus is home to the following locations on the National Register of Historic Places:


 * Midland School – 239 W. Midland Avenue (added 1978)
 * Terhune House – 470 Paramus Road (added 1996)
 * Terhune-Gardner-Lindenmeyr House – 218 Paramus Road (added 1972)
 * Harmon Van Dien House – 449 Paramus Road (added 1983)
 * Zabriskie Tenant House – 273 Dunkerhook Road (added 1984). The house was demolished in July 2012 by a housing developer who owned the property, after efforts to preserve or relocate the house failed.