Madison, New Jersey

Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 16,530. It also is known as "The Rose City."

Geography
Madison is located at 40.75875°N, -74.4161°W (40.758750, -74.416098).

According to the United States Census Bureau, it has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.9 km2), all of it land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,530 people, 5,520 households, and 3,786 families. The population density was 3,935.6 people per square mile (1,519.6/km2). There were 5,641 housing units at an average density of 1,343.1/sq mi (518.6/km2). The racial makeup of the population was 89.69% White, 3.00% African American, 0.13% Native American, 3.77% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.97% of the population.

There were 5,520 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.05.

The population was spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 17.6% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household was $82,847, and the median income for a family was $101,798. Males had a median income of $62,303 versus $42,097 for females. The per capita income was $38,416. About 2.0% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

History
During the British colonial period, the earliest settlers of European descent arrived in this portion of New Jersey about 1715 and established "Bottle Hill" at the crossroads of Ridgedale Avenue and Kings Road. The Luke Miller house at 105 Ridgedale Avenue is thought to be the oldest remaining home, having been built around 1730. Morris County, created in 1739, was divided into three townships. The portion of Madison north of Kings Road was put under the governance of Hanover Township and the portion to the south, under the governance of Morris Township. A meeting house for the Presbyterian Church of South Hanover, as Madison was called at the time, was started in 1747 where the Presbyterian Cemetery still exists between Kings Road and Madison Avenue.

During a reorganization of Morris County in 1806, Chatham Township was formed to include the villages of the current Madison, Chatham, and Florham Park as well as the lands still governed by the current Chatham Township, and thus the governmental division of the village was ended. In 1834, the name of the village was changed to Madison. On December 27, 1889, based on the results of a referendum passed on December 24, 1889, the village seceded from Chatham Township and adopted the borough form of government in order to develop a local water supply system for its population of 3,250. Madison annexed additional portions of Chatham Township in 1891, and each year from 1894–1898, followed by an exchange of land in 1899 with Chatham Township. Madison's growth accelerated after the Civil War. The railroad provided good transportation for its farm produce. Later, the railroad made possible the establishment of a flourishing rose growing industry, still commemorated in Madison's nickname, The Rose City. The Morris and Essex Lines became one of America's first commuter railroads, attracting well-to-do families and contributing to the development of "Millionaire's Row," which stretched from downtown Madison to downtown Morristown. One of the first houses to be built on "Millionaire's Row was the Ross Estate.

The rose industry and the large estates in the area attracted working class people of all kinds. As a result, Madison very early developed a diverse population, both in terms of socio-economic status and ethnic background. The original settlers were of British stock; French settlers came after the American Revolution; African Americans have been members of the community from early in the 19th century; Irish came in the mid-19th century; and then Germans and Italians around the turn of the 20th century. To this day there is a substantial population of Italian descent in Madison. Today Madison remains a diverse community, with many of the more recent newcomers arriving from Central and South America, and from Asia.

Local government
Madison 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. 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 of Madison is Mary-Anna Holden (term ends December 31, 2011; in office since January 1, 2008). Members of the borough council are Council President Jeannie Tsukamoto (ends 2010; in office since 2008), Robert H. Conley (ends 2011; since July 6, 2005), Astri J. Baillie (ends 2010; since 2002), Vincent Esposito (ends 2012, since January 28, 2008), Sebastian J. Cerciello (ends 2011, since November 6, 2010), and Donald R. Links (ends 2012, since 2010).

Federal, state and county representation
Madison is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 21st Legislative District.

Public schools
The Madison Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) consist of three elementary schools &mdash; Central Avenue School (K-5, 479 students), Kings Road School (K-5, 310 students) and Torey J. Sabatini School (K-5, 328 students) &mdash; Madison Junior School (6,7,and 8, 440 students) and Madison High School (grades 9-12,764 students).

Private schools
Saint Vincent Martyr School (SVMS) is a Catholic school that serves students in grades PK-3 through six, operated under the auspices of the Saint Vincent parish. SVMS is a recipient of the No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon award for 2005-2006.

Higher education
Seton Hall College was established in Madison in 1856. The campus was relocated to its current location in South Orange, New Jersey in the late 19th century.

In 1867, Drew University was founded and continues to operate in Madison, on a wooded campus near downtown.

A portion of Fairleigh Dickinson University's College at Florham is located in Madison on a former estate.

Transportation
New Jersey Transit's Madison station provides commuter service on the Morristown Line, with trains heading to Hoboken Terminal, and to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan via the Kearny Connection.

Business
Madison's downtown is a thriving central business district. It is supported by a downtown development commission and a downtown manager. The Madison Civic Commercial Historic District, which includes much of "downtown" as well as the borough hall and the train station, is listed on the State Register of Historic Places. The borough hall and the train station were donated to the community by Geraldine R. Dodge. Vacant commercial space is a rarity. In recent years Madison has become noted for the number and quality of its restaurants.

Giralda Farms, a planned office development, occupies 175 acres (0.7 km2) of the former Geraldine R. Dodge estate in Madison. Five of a possible seven projects have been completed. These include the corporate headquarters of the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company, Maersk Lines, Quest Diagnostics, and Wyeth (formerly called American Home Products), and the offices of Schering-Plough. Development regulations for the former estate require that 85% of the land be maintained as open space with almost all vehicle parking underground.

Sister city
Madison, New Jersey has three sister cities: Madison, Connecticut, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, and Marigliano, Campania, Italy.

Points of interest

 * Drew University
 * Florence and Robert Zuck Arboretum
 * Fairleigh Dickinson University

Film and television
An episode of Friday Night Lights was filmed in parts of Madison
 * Episodes of the television series, The Sopranos, were filmed in Madison. A scene was filmed on the Drew University campus. Another scene was filmed at Rod's Steak House, just outside the borough limits.
 * Portions of A Beautiful Mind were filmed at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
 * The Madison train station played the role of Cranford, New Jersey in the 2005 film, Guess Who starring Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher. The train station, the Hartley-Dodge Memorial building, and the center of Madison, serve as backdrops to this movie.  An entire panorama of the town is shown during the final credits.
 * Hartley Dodge Memorial (Borough Hall) appears in a scene of The World According to Garp starring Glenn Close and Robin Williams.
 * Scenes from Rich and Famous (1981), George Cukor's final film, were shot on Lincoln Place, and show the Madison Theatre and the train station as backdrops.
 * Scenes from The Family Stone (2005) were shot downtown at the intersection of Main Street and Waverly Place and Drew University. Despite the fact that the fictional town is supposed to be in New England, one can clearly see a NJ Transit train crossing through Waverly Place in one of the scenes.
 * Robert Ludlum's novel The Bourne Identity mentions "a private airfield in Madison, New Jersey". The 2002 film version does not include this reference.

Notable residents
Notable current and former residents include:
 * Andy Breckman (born 1955), creator and producer of television series Monk, former Saturday Night Live writer, radio personality.
 * Tucker Carlson (born 1969), pundit who currently hosts Tucker, a national television news show on MSNBC.
 * Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge (1882–1973), philanthropist and noted lover of dogs.
 * Janeane Garofalo (born 1964), actor, comedian, author and activist moved to Madison at age nine, where she remained until she graduated from high school.
 * Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria (born 1933), daughter of Tsar Boris III and Tsaritsa Ioanna of Bulgaria and the sister of HM Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria, the deposed monarch.
 * Don Newcombe (born 1926), former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1949–51 and 1954–58), Cincinnati Reds (1958–60) and Cleveland Indians (1960).
 * Neil O'Donnell (born 1966), former NFL quarterback.
 * Charles H. Totty (1873–1939), horticulturalist.
 * Eddie Trunk (born 1964), heavy metal radio host.
 * JoJo Starbuck JoJo was a two time Olympic figure skater, in five world championships, is a US Figure Skating Hall of Famer, she starred in Ice Capades, and performed at Metropolitan Opera House and on Broadway in John Curry's Ice Dancing. She moved to Madison in 1997 with her husband and twin sons.
 * Aubrey E. Robinson, (Born 1923, Died 2000) Chief Federal Judge of the District Court of the District of Columbia, appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966. He was the second African American to be appointed to this position. Robinson was a graduate of Cornell Law school. The Robinson family sent 5 men to Cornell, all of whom grew up in Madison and graduated with advanced degrees.