Cedar Grove

Cedar Grove is a township in north central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 12,411, reflecting an increase of 111 (+0.9%) from the 12,300 counted in the 2000 Census. The township's name derives from the Eastern Red Cedar trees that once covered its valley and hillsides. In 1896, Essex County built the county mental institution in Cedar Grove known as Overbrook. In the 1950s and 1960s, Cedar Grove became one of the destination suburbs in Essex County among those looking to escape urban living from Newark and New York City. The center of the township is in a valley that is about 280 feet (85 m) above sea level; however, many sections of Cedar Grove are well above 400 feet (120 m) The township is located approximately 12 miles (19 km) west of Midtown Manhattan and 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Newark. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Lindsley, Overbrook, Montclair, and Verona. New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Cedar Grove as its 4th best place to live in Essex county and 17th best overall in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey. The first dinner theater was opened at the Meadowbrook in the fall of 1959 by Gary and Helga McHugh. It closed in 1973. A notable part of the north end of the town is the Park Ridge Estates, which contains the million-dollar-dollar Park Ridge Reservation.

History

Cedar Grove was part of the Horseneck Tract, which was an area that consisted of what are now the municipalities of Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Fairfield, Verona, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Roseland, and portions of Livingston and West Orange. In 1896, Essex County built the county mental institution in Cedar Grove known as Overbrook. The first dinner theater was opened at the Meadowbrook in the fall of 1959 by Gary and Helga McHugh. The ballroom, located on the old Pompton Turnpike, still stands, and is used by St. Kiril & Methodij Macedonian Orthodox Church. In the 1950s and 1960s Cedar Grove became one of the destination suburbs in Essex County among those looking to escape urban living from Newark and New York City. It was once home to Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook Ballroom, which regularly hosted well-known bands and vocalists, including Buddy Rich, Glenn Miller, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, and Jo Stafford. It closed in 1973 and is now used by the Sts. Kirill & Methodija Macedonian Church. It is located on Route 23, just south of the Passaic River, in what is now the town of West Orange, New Jersey. In 1702, settlers purchased the 14,000 acres (57 km²) Horsenesk Tract because of its irregular shape that suggested a horse's neck and head from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans for $325.

Geography

Cedar Grove is located approximately 12 miles (19 km) west of Midtown Manhattan and 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Newark. It consists mostly of homes, but there are some businesses located on Pompton Avenue, and at the corner of E. Lindsley Road and Stevens Avenue. Cedar Grove is bordered by the municipalities of Montclair, North Caldwell and Verona in Essex County; and Little Falls in Passaic County. The township is located between the First and Second Watchung Mountains. The center of the township is in a valley that is about 280 feet (85 m) above sea level; however, many sections of Cedar Grove are well above 400 feet (120 m), including the Park Ridge Estates, the abandoned Essex County Hospital Center, and the eastern, southeastern and southern sections ofedar Grove. In January 1996, Cedar Grove received about record snowfall 3 feet (0.91 m) from the Blizzard of 1996 from the city of New York City. It is located in an area that has a humid continental climate, with warm/hot humid summers and cool/cold winters. The climate is slightly colder overall during the summer and winter than in New. York City because the urban heat island is not as prevalent. It has a record high of 44 inches (1,100 mm) a year, with average high temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s and lows in the lower to mid 20s. The town's population density is less than the surrounding towns of Mont Clair, Verona, and little Falls.

Demographics

The 2010 U.S. census counted 12,411 people, 4,523 households, and 3,216 families in the township. The median household income was $95,152 (with a margin of error of +/ $4,156) and the median family Income was $117,935 (+/ $15,917) In the 2000 Census, 29.7% of Cedar Grove's residents identified themselves as being of Italian ancestry (adjusted from the 34.8% reported to reflect the fact that residents reported multiple ancestries), the 18th highest of all municipalities in New Jersey. There was also a large Irish population, accounting for 21.7 percent of the population in the 2000 census, with another 12.1% of German ancestry. In the township, the population was 5.2% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 21.6%. from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 23.7%. from 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.12. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 82.9 males. The per capita income for the borough was $46,514. About none of families and 0.5% of the residents were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 1.4% ofThose age 65 or over. The racial makeup of the township was 90.05% White, 2.99% African American, 0.05%. Native American,5.42% Asian,0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.20%.

Economy

Most of the commercial zone in Cedar Grove is located on Route 23. The central business district starts at about Sweetwood Drive and extends to Little Falls Road just after the railroad bridge. The township has an industrial district located along Commerce Road, which is offRoute 23. In this district, there are light industrial factories and different types of commercial businesses. The town has a population of about 2,000. It is located in the eastern part of the county. The population of the township is about 1,200. It has an economy of about 1.5 million people. The unemployment rate is about 2.5%. It is in the mid-teens for the area's residents. The economy is about 7.5 per cent for the region's residents, compared to the national average of 7.7 per cent. It's in the middle of the state for the time of year, with an unemployment rate of 2.8 per cent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Parks and recreation

Cedar Grove has several parks and recreational areas within the township. These include county parks, town parks, and Recreational areas. There are three county parks located in Cedar Grove. There is also a community pool, a high school, and a park/playground at the back of the high school. The township is home to the New York State Psychiatric Center, which opened in 2003. It is also the site of a number of mental health facilities, including a psychiatric unit and a behavioral health unit for the elderly. The town is also home to New York University, which is located in the nearby town of Staten Island. It was founded in 1876. It has been named after a former mayor of the town, who died in office in 1883. It also has a school, a hospital, a fire station, a school gym, a library, and several other public buildings. The community pool is open from the Saturday before Memorial Day to Labor Day. It features a 50-meter pool with 25-meter lanes, three diving boards (two small and a large one), and a water slide. The high school has a quarter-mile track for running or walking, as well as a football field, soccer field, and baseball field. The county park is a 157.15-acre (0.6360 km²) protected wooded area with trails for walking and an overlook of New York City. It includes tennis courts, two baseball fields, two playgrounds, a bocce court, and public bathrooms.

Government

Cedar Grove operates within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under Council-Manager plan B form of municipal government. As of 2022, members of the Township Council are Mayor Peter H. Tanella, Deputy Mayor Joseph Maceri, Kerry Peterson, Melissa Skabich and Joseph Zichelli. The County Executive is Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. (D, Roseland), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2022. Essex County is governed by a directly-elected County Executive, with legislative functions performed by the Board of County Commissioners. New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and Bob Menendez (Harrison, term end 2025) Cedar Grove is located in the 11th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 40th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Cedar Grove had been part of the 8th Congressional district. For the 117th U.S. Congress, New NJ's Eleventh Congressional District is represented by Mikie Sherrill (D, Montclair). For the 2022-2023 session, the 40th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature isrepresented in the State Senate by Kristin Corrado (R, Totowa) and in the General Assembly by Christopher DePhillips (R) and Kevin J. Rooney (R), both of whom are elected on an at-large basis. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government.

Education

The Cedar Grove Schools serve public school students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2019-2020 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,613 students and 148.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a studentteacher ratio of 10.9:1. In September 2021, North End School was one of nine schools in New Jersey recognized by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Washington Academy is an approved private school for special education. St. Catherine of Siena School is located on Bradford Avenue and operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. The school is located in the former Leonard R. Parks Elementary School on Route 23. It serves students ages 321 (Pre-K12th Grade) and is a member of the National Association of Private Special Education Centers (NAPSEC), a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of private special education schools.

Transportation

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 47.09 miles (75.78 km) of roadways, of which 34.59 miles (55.67 km) were maintained by the municipality. Route 23 bisects Cedar Grove, making the township accessible via major highways including Interstate 80, Interstate 280, U.S. Route 46, Route 3, and the Garden State Parkway. Cedar Grove is also centrally located to New York City, Newark, Paterson, and Morristown. In September 2012, as part of budget cuts, NJ Transit suspended service to Newark on the 75 line. The Erie Railroad's Caldwell Branch ran between Little Falls and West Caldwell, but trains were sparsely scheduled and the line was destroyed in the 1970s. The 11 and 195 bus lines provide transportation to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. The 195 bus line provides transportation to Newark and Paterson. The township is served by NJ Transit bus service, with the 11 line running to Newark, the 195 line to Paterson and the 11 to Newark. It is also served by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, which maintains 9.22 miles (14.84 km) by Essex County and 3.28 miles (5.28 km) for the state. The Township has a population of 2,744. It has one of the highest concentrations of African-American residents in New Jersey. It also has the highest percentage of Hispanic residents in the state, with 2.7% of the population living in or near Cedar Grove.

Local media

The Verona-Cedar Grove Times is a weekly newspaper that publishes every Thursday. The Cedar Grove Observer publishes 50 weeks a year. The newspaper serves Cedar Grove and Verona. The Internet is also covered by the newspaper and the Internet. The Times is published every Thursday and the Observer is published 50 weeks every year.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Cedar Grove, Essex County, New Jersey = 18.9. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 1. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Cedar Grove = 3.7 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 12,980 individuals with a median age of 45.7 age the population grows by 3.86% in Cedar Grove, Essex County, New Jersey population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,063.5 residents per square mile of area (1,182.8/km²). There are average 2.52 people per household in the 4,659 households with an average household income of $99,403 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.80% of the available work force and has dropped -3.41% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 22.38%. The number of physicians in Cedar Grove per 100,000 population = 319.6.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Cedar Grove = 49 inches and the annual snowfall = 20.3 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 124. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 205. 86 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 20.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 47, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Cedar Grove, Essex County, New Jersey which are owned by the occupant = 77.29%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 50 years with median home cost = $445,200 and home appreciation of 1.83%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $28.54 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $8,947 per student. There are 13.7 students for each teacher in the school, 707 students for each Librarian and 468 students for each Counselor. 4.61% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 27.49% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 14.01% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).