Wayne, New Jersey Totally Explained

Everything about Wayne New Jersey totally explained

Wayne is a Township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, located less than 20 miles from midtown Manhattan. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 54,069. Wayne was formed as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 12, 1847, from portions of Manchester Township. Totowa was formed from portions of Manchester and Wayne Townships on March 15, 1898.
Wayne was ranked at No. 32 on Money magazine's 2006 "best places" list, among towns in the nation with populations greater than 50,000.
Wayne is home to Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Hills Mall, Wayne Towne Center, and also High Mountain Park Preserve.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 25.2 square miles (65.2 km²), of which, 23.8 square miles (61.7 km²) of it's land and 1.4 square miles (3.5 km²) of it (5.44%) is water. Due to its large geographic area, Wayne shares its borders with 11 neighboring towns. Franklin Lakes and Oakland in Bergen County; Fairfield and North Caldwell in Essex County; Lincoln Park and Pequannock in Morris County; and Haledon, Little Falls, North Haledon, Pompton Lakes and Totowa in Passaic County.

Neighborhoods/Lake Communities

Wayne has a number of lakes, with distinct communities and neighborhoods located around them. These include Pines Lake, Packanack Lake, Lions Head Lake, Tom's Lake and Pompton Lakes (half of which is in Wayne). The Passaic River also flows through a portion of Wayne and often floods near Willowbrook Mall and riverside neighborhoods.

History

In 1694, Arent Schuyler, a young surveyor, miner and land speculator, was sent into north-western New Jersey to investigate rumors that the French were trying to incite the local Lenni-Lenape Native American population to rebel against the English. Schuyler found no evidence of a rebellion, but discovered a rich fertile valley where the Lenni-Lenape grew a variety of crops. Schuyler reported his findings to the English and then convinced Major Anthony Brockholst, Samuel Bayard, Samuel Berry, Hendrick and David Mandeville, George Ryerson and John Mead to invest in the purchase of the land he referred to as the Pompton Valley. The seven chose Schuyler to be negotiator with the Lenape for the rights to the area. Samual Bayard, however, was chosen to negotiate with the East Jersey Company which maintained land rights over the area that's now Wayne. Approximately 5,000 acres were purchased on November 11, 1695. The area now known as Wayne Township then became part of New Barbadoes Township in Bergen County.
In 1710, this same area became part of Saddle River Township in Bergen County. By 1837, the residents of Wayne found themselves in Manchester Township in the newly named Passaic County. Finally, on April 12, 1847 the first Wayne Township organization meeting was held at the Henry Casey House on the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike. The first mayor, called the Chairman of the Township Committee until 1962, was William S. Hogencamp. The citizens voted to name the town after American Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne.
Throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries, Wayne Township remained a peaceful farming community. The Morris Canal ran through the southwestern part of Wayne, carrying produce to market and coal from Pennsylvania. The canal was replaced by the railroad at the end of the 19th century. In the early 20th century, Wayne grew as a vacation retreat for wealthy New Yorkers. In the summer, hordes of people from Manhattan and Brooklyn came to live in the summer bungalows and enjoy the beautiful rivers. World War II marked the impetus for tremendous change in Wayne. Summer bungalows were converted to year-round residences to accommodate factory workers. Following the war, farmland was converted to residential living. As Wayne grew, it adopted its current form of government in 1962. Modern highways, including New Jersey Route 23, U.S. Route 46, and Interstate 80 made Wayne Township easily accessible, and several national firms have located here.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 54,069 people, 18,755 households, and 14,366 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,269.5 people per square mile (876.4/km²). There were 19,218 housing units at an average density of 806.7/sq mi (311.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 90.05% White, 1.66% African American, 0.10% Native American, 5.67% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.17% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.09% of the population.
   There were 18,755 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.19.
   In the township the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
   The median income for a household in the township was $83,651, and the median income for a family was $95,114. Males had a median income of $61,271 versus $39,835 for females. The per capita income for the township was $35,349. About 1.6% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.
   As of 2007, according to "Sperling's Best Places" and Fidelity National Financial, the median income for a household in the township now stands at $91,416, with the income per capita at $40,834. The median home value in Wayne is $599,000.

Government

Local government

Wayne Township is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government. A mayor is elected by the voters in partisan elections to serve a four-year term. A nine-member council forms the legislative branch of the township government. Three council members are elected at large and one from each of six wards for a term of four years.
Wayne's mayor is Christopher P. Vergano, appointed at the 2008 Reorganization Meeting to replace Scott Rumana. Members of the Wayne Township Council are:

First Aid Squad

The Wayne Township Memorial First Aid Squad provides BLS (Basic Life Support) to all to reside in or travel through the Township of Wayne, New Jersey. The squad operates five Type I Rescue Ambulances, three boats, and one Heavy Rescue Vehicle. The First Aid Squad operates from two buildings known as Uptown and Downtown. The Uptown building, located on Hamburg Turnpike, houses three ambulances, Rescue 976 and one boat. The Downtown building, located between Taylor Drive and PAL Drive, houses two ambulances and two boats. The Squad is run by an elected Chief and several other line officers. The township is divided into two zones (Uptown and Downtown).

Education

Public School

The Wayne Public Schools operate 14 public schools in Wayne. Elementary Schools

A. P. Terhune

Packanack

Theunis Dey Middle Schools

George Washington Middle School

Schuyler-Colfax Middle School

Anthony Wayne Middle School

High Schools

Wayne Hills High School (for students living north of Ratzer Road)

Wayne Valley High School (for students living south of Ratzer Road)

Other schools

Passaic County Technical Institute

William Paterson University

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School

Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School

De Paul Catholic High School

Many other private elementary and high schools

Transportation

Wayne is criss-crossed by several major roadways, including Interstate 80, Interstate 287, U.S. Route 46, U.S. Route 202 and Route 23.
   Wayne is served by the Mountain View New Jersey Transit station, offering service on the Montclair-Boonton Line to Hoboken Terminal or on Midtown Direct trains (about 55%) to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan via the Secaucus Junction. A Wayne-Route 23 station opened in January 2008 which offers train service via the Montclair-Boonton Line and regular bus service into the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.
   NJ Transit provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 191, 193, 194 and 195; to Newark on the 11, 28 (Saturday and Sunday only) and 75 routes, with local service provided on the MCM1, 704, 705, 712, 744, 748, 970 and 971 routes.
   Wayne is 25.9 miles from Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark / Elizabeth, and 31.3 miles from LaGuardia Airport in Flushing, Queens.

Notable residents

Some noted current and former residents include:

Alan Alda (1936-), television actor, writer, and director best known as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H.

Will Allen (1978-), Starting Defensive Back for the Miami Dolphins.

Paul Bernbaum, writer of Hollywoodland.

Tom Cruise (1962-), Academy Award-nominated movie actor.

Dramarama, the alternative rock band, formed in 1983 in Wayne and achieved success with the song, Anything, Anything (I’ll Give You). The band features most of its original members, including frontman and singer/songwriter John Easdale, and guitarists Mark "Mr. E Boy" Englert and Chris Carter, all of whom graduated from Wayne Hills High School in 1979.

Lisa Edelstein (1967-), award-winning American actress and playwright

Brandon Jacobs (1982-), Running back for the New York Giants

Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959), film pioneer and director of The Ten Commandments.

Justin Crimmins, CFO of the Chili's restaurant chain.

Lou Duva, Hall of Fame Boxing trainer and manager.

Queen Latifah (1970-), rap musician and Academy Award-nominated movie and television actress.

LL Cool J (1968-), hip hop musician and movie actor.

Gene Mayer (1956-), former tennis player from the United States who won fourteen singles titles during his career. At Wayne Valley, he went unbeaten in his two years on the tennis team.

Darryl "DMC" McDaniels (1964-), hip hop music pioneer and founding member of the group Run-D.M.C..

Ryan Neill (1982-), Football long snapper and defensive end for the Buffalo Bills

Greg Olsen (1985-), Highly ranked Football Tight End prospect, Chicago Bears' 2007 first-round draft pick (31st overall).

Rich Seubert (1979-), Starting Left Guard for the New York Giants. Has come back from a gruesome leg injury to regain his starting job.

Major General Guy C. Swan III, commanding general of the Military District of Washington.

David Tyree (1980-), Wide Receiver for the New York Giants and a 2005 Pro Bowl selection

George Washington (1732-1799), Founding Father and the first President of the United States. He resided in Dey Mansion during the American Revolutionary War before the area was called Wayne.

Interesting facts

Wayne is home to Toys "R" Us' corporate headquarters

Wayne is home of the 1984 Girls AAU National Cross Country Championship Team (15-16 year old age group).

Wayne is the home of the 1970 Little League World Series Champions.

The Preakness Stakes, a race in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, was named after a race horse from Wayne's Preakness Stables, who won the Dinner-Stakes race at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, sponsored by the Maryland Jockey Club on October 25, 1870.

The indie rock band Fountains of Wayne took their name from a lawn ornament store of the same name located in the township on the westbound side of U.S. Route 46, though no members of the band are from the town. The HBO series The Sopranos also filmed an episode at the same store.

In a Hans and Franz sketch from Saturday Night Live, the pair says they're opening up a gym in Wayne.

Wayne's ZIP code (07470) is a palindrome. This fact was noted on an episode of the television series Full House.

A 74-foot-tall Norway Spruce from Wayne was selected as the 2005 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The tree, which weighed in at nine tons and was 42 feet wide, was Rockefeller Center’s 73rd Christmas tree. The Rockefeller Center tree was lit on November 30, 2005, and Wayne's contribution to New York City's holiday tradition remained lit through January 6, 2006.

A scene from the movie Broken Flowers with Bill Murray, Frances Conroy and Christopher McDonald shows the McMansions across the street from Preakness Hills Country Club on Ratzer Road during its construction stages, as well as a newer housing development off of Alps Road at the corner of Ratzer Road.

Wayne is home to the Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps, a DCI Division III World Champion in 2005.

Filming on location

The Sopranos (TV Series)

Strangers with Candy (TV Series)

Tonight at Noon (2007)

(2006)

The House is Burning (2006)

Broken Flowers (2005)

Bellclair Times (2005)

Brobot (2005)

Imaginary Heroes (2004)

Unwound (2003)

Two Weeks Notice (2002)

Kountdown to Korn (TV - 2002)

Dummy (2002)

Dead Students Society (1998)

City Hall (1996)

Hackers (1995)

Ghoul School (1990)

Firstborn (1984)

Carnivals (1973)

The Adventures of Pete & Pete (TV Series)Further Information

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