North Bergen is a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

in the northern part of

Hudson County Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States. As of the

2020 U.S. census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, the township had a total population of 63,361. The township was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the

Hudson Palisades The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey and Southeastern New York in the United States. The cliffs s ...

, it is one of the hilliest municipalities in the United States. Like neighboring North Hudson communities, North Bergen is among those places in the nation with the highest population density and a majority Hispanic population.

History

Colonial era

At the time of European colonization the area was the territory of

Hackensack tribe Hackensack was the exonym given by the Dutch colonists to a band of the Lenape, or ''Lenni-Lenape'' ("original men"), a Native American tribe. The name is a Dutch derivation of the Lenape word for what is now the region of northeastern New Jers ...

of the Lenape Native Americans, who maintained a settlement, Espatingh, on the west side of the hills and where a Dutch

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

was established after the

Peach Tree War The Peach Tree War, also known as the Peach War, was a large-scale attack on September 15, 1655 by the Susquehannock Indians and allied tribes on several New Netherland settlements along the North River (Hudson River). The attack was motivated ...

. In 1658, Peter Stuyvesant, then

Director-General of New Netherland This is a list of Directors, appointed by the Dutch West India Company, of the 17th century Dutch province of New Netherland (''Nieuw-Nederland'' in Dutch) in North America. Only the last, Peter Stuyvesant, held the title of Director General. As t ...

, repurchased from them the area now encompassed by the municipalities of Hudson County east of the

Hackensack River The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The drainage basin, watershed of the ri ...

. In 1660 he granted permission to establish the semi-autonomous colony of

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

, with the main village located at today's

Bergen Square Bergen Square, at the intersection of Bergen Avenue and Academy Street in Jersey City, is in the southwestern part of the much larger Journal Square district. A commercial residential area, it contains an eclectic array of architectural styl ...

, considered to be the first chartered municipality in what would become the state of New Jersey. At the time, the area of North Bergen was heavily forested, traversed by paths used by the indigenous and colonizing population and became known as Bergen Woods, a name recalled in today's neighborhood of Bergenwood. After the 1664 surrender of

Fort Amsterdam Fort Amsterdam was a fort on the southern tip of Manhattan at the confluence of the Hudson and East rivers. It was the administrative headquarters for the Dutch and then English/British rule of the colony of New Netherland and subsequently th ...

the entire

New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the East Coast of the United States, east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territor ...

colony came into the possession of the British, who established the

Province of New Jersey The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1783. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland but came under English rule after t ...

. In 1682, the

East Jersey The Province of East Jersey, along with the Province of West Jersey, between 1674 and 1702 in accordance with the Quintipartite Deed, were two distinct political divisions of the Province of New Jersey, which became the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

legislature formed the state's first four counties, including Bergen County, which consisted of all the land in the peninsula between the Hackensack and

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

s; that is, the eastern portions of what today is

and Hudson Counties. In 1693, Bergen County was divided into two townships: Hackensack Township in the north, and Bergen Township, encompassing the

Bergen Neck Bergen Neck is the peninsula between the Upper New York Bay and the Newark Bay in the Hudson County, New Jersey municipalities of Bayonne and Jersey City. Its southernmost tip, Bergen Point, is separated from Staten Island by the Kill van Kul ...

peninsula, in the south. The border between the two townships is the current Hudson-Bergen county line. While settlement was sparse, communities developed along the

Bergen Turnpike Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

at the

Three Pigeons The Three Pigeons was a prominent and famous meeting place in Bergen Township, New Jersey during the revolutionary period, and was used historically as a landmark as well as a popular place for hosting special occasions. Location and name Th ...

and

Maisland Maisland, or Mais Land, was an area in Hudson County, New Jersey. Location The region of Maisland was located on the western slope of the Hudson Palisades. Under the governorship of Philip Carteret, land in the region of Bergen was sold under th ...

, later New Durham. French botanist

André Michaux André Michaux, also styled Andrew Michaud, (8 March 174611 October 1802) was a French botanist and explorer. He is most noted for his study of North American flora. In addition Michaux collected specimens in England, Spain, France, and even Per ...

developed his gardens nearby. On the Hudson River,

Bulls Ferry Bulls Ferry (also Bull's Ferry) is an area along the Hudson River, just north of Weehawken Port Imperial in the towns of West New York, Guttenberg and North Bergen in New Jersey. It takes its name from a pre-Revolutionary settlement belonging to ...

became an important landing for crossings to

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. While ostensibly under British control during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, the area was patrolled by the Americans on

foraging Foraging is searching for wild food resources. It affects an animal's Fitness (biology), fitness because it plays an important role in an animal's ability to survive and reproduce. Optimal foraging theory, Foraging theory is a branch of behaviora ...

, espionage, and raiding expeditions; most notably the

Battle of Bull's Ferry The Battle of Bull's Ferry on 20 and 21 July 1780 saw two American brigades under Brigadier General Anthony Wayne attack a party of Loyalist Americans led by Thomas Ward. The Loyalists successfully defended a blockhouse against an ineffective bom ...

Toponymy, secession, and urbanization

On February 22, 1838, Jersey City was incorporated as a separate municipality, and in 1840 Hudson County, comprising the city and Bergen Township, was created from the southern portion of Bergen County. North Bergen was incorporated as a township on April 10, 1843, by an act of the New Jersey Legislature, from the northern portion of Bergen Township. At the time, the town included everything east of the Hackensack River and north of and including what is now

Jersey City Heights The Heights or Jersey City Heights is a district in the north end of Jersey City, New Jersey, atop the New Jersey Palisades overlooking Hoboken to the east and Croxton in the Meadowlands to the west. The southern border of The Heights is ge ...

. The entire region that is now known as North Hudson experienced massive immigration and urbanization during the latter half of the 19th century, and led to the creation of various new towns. Portions of the North Bergen were taken to form Hoboken Township (April 9, 1849, now the City of

Hoboken Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,69 ...

), Hudson Town (April 12, 1852, later part of Hudson City), Hudson City (April 11, 1855, later merged with Jersey City), Guttenberg (formed within the township on March 9, 1859, and set off as an independent municipality on April 1, 1878),

Weehawken Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197.

(March 15, 1859), Union Township and West Hoboken Township (both created on February 28, 1861), Union Hill town (March 29, 1864) and

Secaucus Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 145. Accessed November 13, 2012. During this era many of Hudson County's cemeteries were developed along the town's western slope of the

. At their foot in the Meadowlands, the

Erie Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...

, the

New York, Susquehanna and Western The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (or New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad and also known as the Susie-Q or the Susquehanna) is a Class II American freight railway operating over 400 miles (645 km) of track in th ...

and the West Shore railroads ran right-of-ways to their terminals on the

Hudson Hudson may refer to: People * Hudson (given name) * Hudson (surname) * Henry Hudson, English explorer * Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back * Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...

, the last building its

tunnel A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...

through

Bergen Hill Bergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson Rivers, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet. Rai ...

at North Bergen. The area was important destination during peak

German immigration to the United States German Americans (german: Deutschamerikaner, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 43 million in 2019, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by the Unite ...

and is recalled today in Schuetzen Park, founded in 1874. Further north, Nungesser's Guttenberg Racetrack became a notable and notorious destination which, after its closing, became a proving ground for new technologies: the automobile and the airplane.Ractrack "Winter Racing at New Jersey's Guttenberg Race Track, 1885–1893"
Colin's Ghost: Thoroughbred Racing History, Jan 28, 2010.

20th century

The development of ''Hudson County Boulevard'', which skirts around the west, north and east of North Bergen, was completed in the early 20th century. By 1913 it was considered to be fine for "motoring". The roadway is now known by its two sections: Kennedy Boulevard and

Boulevard East Boulevard East (officially John F. Kennedy Boulevard East, and sometimes referred to as JFK Boulevard East) is a two-way, mostly two lane, scenic county road in the North Hudson, New Jersey municipalities of Weehawken, West New York, Guttenberg ...

. Residential districts along and between the two boulevards were developed.

Bergenline Avenue Bergenline Avenue is a major commercial district in the North Hudson section of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The north–south streets passes through Union City, West New York, Guttenberg, North Bergen. Its southern end is at Uni ...

, a broad street which accommodated the

North Hudson County Railway The North Hudson Railway Company built and operated a streetcar system in Hudson County and southeast Bergen County, New Jersey before and after the start of the 20th century. It was founded by Hillric J. Bonn who became the first President in 1 ...

streetcars to

Nungesser's Nungessers is the name of the confluence of roads that meet at the Hudson and Bergen county line at North Bergen and Fairview in northeastern New Jersey. The area is the former site of the Nungesser's Gutenberg Racetrack, a late 19th-century gam ...

became (and remains) an important commercial and transit corridor. The two boulevard sections met at Bergenline Avenue, at the northwest corner of North Hudson/Braddock Park.

Soon after the opening of the

Lincoln Tunnel Approach Route 495 is a freeway in Hudson County, New Jersey, in the United States that connects the New Jersey Turnpike ( Interstate 95, I-95) at exits 16E and 17 in Secaucus to New York State Route 495 (NY 495) inside the Lincoln Tunnel in Weeh ...

, the Susquehanna Transfer was opened in August 1939 to accommodate passengers who wished to transfer to buses through the

. It closed in 1966. At the time of its construction in 1949, the

WOR TV Tower WOR TV Tower was a lattice tower used for FM- and TV-broadcasting at North Bergen, New Jersey, USA. The 420-ton tower was built in 1949. At the time of its construction, it was the tenth-tallest man-made structure in the world.Woodcliff Section, was the tenth-tallest man-made structure in the world. The tower was dismantled in 1956 but in 1967, about half a mile (2500 m) to the east, the 34-story, 369-feet (112 m)

Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connectin ...

apartment building was constructed on the tip of the Palisades.. In the early 1960s two notable paleontological finds of

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s from the

Newark Basin The Newark Basin is a sediment-filled rift basin located mainly in northern New Jersey but also stretching into south-eastern Pennsylvania and southern New York. It is part of the system of Eastern North America Rift Basins. Geology Approximat ...

were made near the foot of the cliffs at one of several former quarries, the Granton, of which today's avenue is a namesake. The former

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envi ...

remained an

archeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...

until at least 1980. North Hudson Park was renamed the James J. Braddock North Hudson County Park. In 1935, while living in North Bergen, local hero

James J. Braddock James Walter Braddock (June 7, 1905 – November 29, 1974) was an American boxer who was the world heavyweight champion from 1935 to 1937. Fighting under the name James J. Braddock (ostensibly to follow the pattern set by two prior world boxing ...

won the world heavyweight championship in one of the most stunning upsets in boxing history. In contrast to other Hudson County communities during the latter half of the century, North Bergen grew significantly in population. Many residents are part of the wave of

Spanish language Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a world language, global language with more than 500 millio ...

speakers which had begun in the 1960s with Cuban

émigré An ''émigré'' () is a person who has emigrated, often with a connotation of political or social self-exile. The word is the past participle of the French ''émigrer'', "to emigrate". French Huguenots Many French Huguenots fled France followin ...

s, leading to the nickname,

Havana on the Hudson Havana on the Hudson is a nickname for the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The name is derived from the Cuban capital Havana and from northern Hudson County's geographic proximity to the Hudson River. During the latter ...

.Gray, Jerry
"Hudson County a Harbinger of a New Hispanic Influence"
''The New York Times'', February 23, 1991. Accessed January 1, 2015.

Geography

In 1850, the township was roughly rectangular. When the municipalities along the Hudson River (what are now Guttenberg, West New York, Union City and Weehawken) broke away, it left North Bergen roughly an inverted "L", or "axe-shaped". Its northern section stretches east–west and is south of the Bergen County communities of

Cliffside Park Cliffside Park is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 23,594,Edgewater, Fairview and Ridgefield. To the east, the

creates the shared border with the borough of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. It shares a border with Carlstadt in the

. Its north–south section lies between

Secaucus Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,Guttenberg,

West New York West New York is a town in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, situated upon the New Jersey Palisades. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 52,912. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates ...

and Union City, with which it meets Jersey City at a single point at its southern end. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the township had a total area of 5.57 square miles (14.43 km²), including 5.14 square miles (13.30 km²) of land and 0.44 square miles (1.13 km²) of water (7.83%). North Bergen has diverse geological features. Partially situated on the

, the

rise from the waterfront, while the northern part of the town sits atop the plateau. The

cuesta A cuesta (from Spanish ''cuesta'' "slope") is a hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side, and a steep slope on the other. In geology the term is more specifically applied to a ridge where a harder sedimentary rock overlies a softer laye ...

, or slope, on its west side makes North Bergen the city with the second-most hills per square mile in the United States after

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, some of which are extremely steep. A rock formation along the slope (located at ) is composed of unusual

serpentinite Serpentinite is a rock composed predominantly of one or more serpentine group minerals, the name originating from the similarity of the texture of the rock to that of the skin of a snake. Serpentinite has been called ''serpentine'' or ''se ...

rock and made up of small rock cliffs. Because of this, it is one of the few undeveloped parts of North Bergen. Low-lying areas along the west side are part of the

New Jersey Meadowlands New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeastern New Jersey in the United States, a few miles to the west of ...

. The unusual shape and diverse topography of North Bergen have created diverse historical and contemporary

neighborhoods A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...

: *

runs to

Nungessers Nungessers is the name of the confluence of roads that meet at the Hudson and Bergen county line at North Bergen and Fairview in northeastern New Jersey. The area is the former site of the Nungesser's Gutenberg Racetrack, a late 19th-century gam ...

at the Fairview border near North Hudson Park. It has been described as the longest commercial avenue in the state, with over 300 retail stores and restaurants.Pérez-Stable, Marifeli
"That other Cuban community"
, copy of article from ''

The Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and headquartered in Doral, Florida, a city in western Miami-Dade County and the Miami metropolitan area, several miles west of Downtown Miami.Racetrack A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...

section, between Bergenline and Kennedy Boulevard on the plateau.Lasky, Julie
"North Bergen, N.J.: Reasonably Priced and Minutes From Manhattan"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', July 29, 2020.Accessed August 18, 2022. "In addition to the high- and low-rise condos and apartment buildings near the waterfront, there is the Racetrack district, between Bergenline Avenue and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, named for a notorious 19th-century gambling attraction that evolved into an amusement park.... Bergenwood lies between John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Tonnelle Avenue and has especially steep grades." * Bergenwood, on the steep slopes of the west side of the Palisades. * New Durham, site of colonial American

near the

and

Tonnelle Avenue U.S. Route 1/9 (US 1/9) is the long concurrency of US 1 and US 9 from their junction in Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, north to New York City. The route is a multilane road with some freeway portions that runs through ...

. * Meadowview, behind the Municipal Building between the many cemeteries. *

, on the Hudson waterfront, site of Roc Harbor,

Palisades Medical Center Palisades Medical Center (PMC) is a 186-bed hospital located in North Bergen, New Jersey, United States, that serves a population of 400,000 in Hudson County and in Southern Bergen County. The non-profit medical center is part of the Hackensack Me ...

and the

Hudson River Waterfront Walkway The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, also known as the Hudson River Walkway, is a promenade along the Hudson Waterfront in New Jersey. The ongoing and incomplete project located on Kill van Kull and the western shore of Upper New York Bay and th ...

Babbitt Babbitt may refer to: Fiction * ''Babbitt'' (novel), a 1922 novel by Sinclair Lewis ** ''Babbitt'' (1924 film), a 1924 silent film based on the novel ** ''Babbitt'' (1934 film), a 1934 film based on the novel *Babbit, the family name of the titl ...

, in the Meadowlands district, a part of which is a wetlands preserve known as the Eastern Brackish Marsh. * Woodcliff on The Palisades around the North Hudson Park. * Transfer Station near the

tripoint A tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints as of 2020. Nearly half are situated in rivers, l ...

with Union City and Jersey City near

Paterson Plank Road Paterson Plank Road is a road that runs through Passaic, Bergen and Hudson Counties in northeastern New Jersey. The route, originally laid in the colonial era, connects the city of Paterson and the Hudson River waterfront. It has largely been su ...

, Kennedy Boulevard, and Secaucus Road in

Secaucus Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,unincorporated communities An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include

Homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres *Homestead principle, a legal concept t ...

, Granton, Hudson Heights, New Durham, Shadyside,

and Tyler Park. The town has seven cemeteries, more than any other town in the county, including some, such as

Weehawken Cemetery The Weehawken Cemetery, like neighboring Hoboken Cemetery, is not located in its namesake town of Weehawken but rather on the western slope of the Hudson Palisades in North Bergen, New Jersey, with its main entrance on Bergen Turnpike. At its east ...

and

Hoboken Cemetery The Hoboken Cemetery is located at 5500 Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen, New Jersey, United States. in the New Durham, North Bergen, New Durham section. It was owned by the Hoboken, New Jersey, City of Hoboken. The Flower Hill Cemetery borders it ...

, that were at one time designated for other towns. This may be due to the layout of the county in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with North Bergen having more land than its more densely populated neighbors, which had to bury their dead outside of town. It may also date back to the Civil War era. Among these cemeteries are Flower Hill Cemetery and

Grove Church Cemetery The Grove Church Cemetery is a nonsectarian cemetery,Brooklyn Fairchild Sons, p. 63. located on the western slope of the Hudson Palisades, along with several other cemeteries in a string of green open space, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United ...

.Passantino, Joseph
"Time of year for reflection; Weehawken cemetery actually lies in North Bergen"
''

The Hudson Reporter ''The Hudson Reporter'' is a newspaper chain based in Hudson County, New Jersey. ''The Hudson Reporter'' publications mainly focus on local politics and community news. The oldest newspaper in the chain is the ''Hoboken Reporter'', founded in 1983. ...

'', October 19, 2014. Accessed November 13, 2019. "Other North Bergen resting places are the Grove Reformed Church cemetery, Flower Hill Cemetery, Hoboken Cemetery, Machpelah Cemetery, Bergen Crest Mausoleum, and Garden State Crematory."

Demographics

2010 Census

2000 Census

As of the

2000 United States census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...

there were 58,092 people, 21,236 households, and 14,249 families residing in the township. The population density was 11,179.6 people per square mile (4,313.4/km²). There were 22,009 housing units at an average density of 1, 634.2/km² (4,235.5/sq mi). The racial makeup of the township was 67.36%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 2.72%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.40% Native American, 6.47%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 15.53% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 7.47% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 57.25% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for North Bergen township, New Jersey

. Accessed November 12, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for North Bergen township, Hudson County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed November 12, 2012. There were 21,236 households, out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.33. In the township the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males. Males had a median income of $35,626 versus $29,067 for females. The per capita income for the township was $20,058. About 9.6% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

North Bergen has several retail districts, along

, and near Transfer Station. Portions of the city are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. Union City was selected in 1996 as one of a group of seven zones added to participate in the program. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the UEZ, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the % rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in April 1995, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in April 2026. The zone was established based on legislation passed in February 1995 through the efforts of Senator Sacco, one of the sponsors of legislation creating the zones.

Hudson News Hudson, one of the largest travel retailers in North America, is a wholly owned subsidiary of international travel retailer Dufry AG of Basel. Based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States, the Company operates more than 970 Hudson, Hudson ...

and

Liz Claiborne Anne Elisabeth Jane Claiborne (March 31, 1929 – June 26, 2007) was an American fashion designer and businesswoman. Her success was built upon stylish yet affordable apparel for career women featuring colorfully tailored separates that co ...

are large employers. New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway operates five

intermodal freight transport Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation (e.g., rail, ship, aircraft, and truck), without any handling of the freight itself when changing ...

facilities within the township.

Government

Local government

North Bergen has been governed under the

Walsh Act The Walsh Act is a legislation in the U.S. state of New Jersey that permits municipalities to adopt a non-partisan commission form of government. The legislation was signed by Governor of New Jersey Woodrow Wilson on April 25, 1911. The commiss ...

form of New Jersey municipal government since 1931. The township is one of 30 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use the form of government. The governing body is comprised of five commissioners elected at-large to the Township Committee in

non-partisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers s ...

elections to serve four-year terms of office on a concurrent basis. After each election, each individual is assigned to head one of the five commissions and the commissioners select one of their members to serve as mayor.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...

, March 2013, p. 142. , members of the North Bergen Township Committee are Mayor

Nicholas Sacco Nicholas J. Sacco (born November 17, 1946) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 1994, where he represents the 32nd Legislative District. Sacco serves in the Senate as the chair ...

(

Commissioner of Public Affairs The Walsh Act is a legislation in the U.S. state of New Jersey that permits local government, municipalities to adopt a non-partisan City commission government, commission form of government. The legislation was signed by Governor of New Jersey W ...

), Hugo D. Cabrera (

Commissioner of Parks and Public Property The Walsh Act is a legislation in the U.S. state of New Jersey that permits municipalities to adopt a non-partisan commission form of government. The legislation was signed by Governor of New Jersey Woodrow Wilson on April 25, 1911. The commis ...

), Frank Gargiulo (

Commissioner of Public Works The Walsh Act is a legislation in the U.S. state of New Jersey that permits municipalities to adopt a non-partisan commission form of government. The legislation was signed by Governor of New Jersey Woodrow Wilson on April 25, 1911. The commissi ...

), Julio Marenco ( Commissioner of Revenue and Finance) and Allen Pascual (

Commissioner of Public Safety The New Jersey Commissioner of Public Safety heads one of the departments in those local governments in New Jersey that operate under the Walsh Act form of municipal governance, with oversight over the police and fire departments. This is a standalo ...

), all serving concurrent terms of office ending in May 2023.Directory
North Bergen Township. Accessed June 26, 2022.Elected Officials
Hudson County, New Jersey Clerk. Accessed June 26, 2022.2019 May Municipal Election North Bergen - West New York Unofficial Results
Hudson County, New Jersey Clerk, updated May 17, 2019. Accessed November 14, 2019.

Corruption

After serving as Township Clerk from 1971 to 1979, local political leader Joseph Mocco was arrested on August 7, 1986, on charges of illegally dumping tons of construction material within North Bergen and other nearby communities. Mocco was convicted and began serving a prison sentence in July 1995. Mocco was paroled in 1999, with several special conditions imposed on him upon his release by the New Jersey State Parole Board designed to prohibit him from working or participating in local elections. In February 2004, Peter Perez, former commissioner in charge of Parks and Recreation, was sentenced to serve six months in a federal prison for accepting kickbacks and bribes from a contractor who had several business contracts with the township. He received a reduced sentence in light of his cooperation with authorities. On March 27, 2008, North Bergen Athletic Director Jerry Maietta and Guidance Counselor Ralph Marino were among 45 men swept up in a Bergen County raid. Bergen County Prosecutors described the two as lower level operatives in an expansive network of bookies, package holders, drug dealers and drug distributors. Other transactions included knock off woman purses and human organs. On September 11, 2012, North Bergen's Superintendent of the Department of Public Works James Wiley pleaded guilty to one count of second degree conspiracy to commit official misconduct. Wiley was convicted for using the town's resources to participate in political campaigns. In November 2015, two DPW supervisors were sentenced to five years in prison, following their convictions on charges that they had directed department workers to work on political campaigns and perform work on behalf of supervisors and other officials. In 2013, a report issued by the office of the

New Jersey State Comptroller The New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) is an independent agency of the Government of New Jersey created by an act of the New Jersey Legislature, state legislature in 2007 in order to make government more efficient, accountable and tran ...

revealed that an attorney for North Bergen made $18,800 a year plus health benefits, but township officials had no idea what he was doing, or whether he was even at work. It was reported that he was hired between the years of 1988 and 1990. He had been actively working until 2006, when he had a falling out with a township official and stopped receiving legal work. Despite not being assigned work, the attorney told investigators that throughout his employment with the township, he was routinely solicited to make political contributions to Nick Sacco's political allies. His contributions in 2012 to this committee totaled $6,600.

Federal, state and county representation

North Bergen is located in the 8th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington; t ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 32nd state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District
New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2010 Census, North Bergen had been split between the and the , a change made by the

that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 62, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 30,595 registered voters in North Bergen, of which 18,816 (61.5%) were registered as Democrats, 2,462 (8.0%) were registered as Republicans and 9,301 (30.4%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 16 voters registered to other parties. In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

received 78.1% of the vote (15,600 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 21.1% (4,209 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (164 votes), among the 20,134 ballots cast by the township's 32,627 registered voters (161 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 61.7%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 69.6% of the vote here (14,791 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 28.7% (6,100 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (169 votes), among the 21,254 ballots cast by the town's 34,402 registered voters, for a turnout of 61.8%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

received 65.4% of the vote here (12,783 ballots cast), outpolling Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

with 33.5% (6,541 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (118 votes), among the 19,540 ballots cast by the town's 30,540 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 64.0. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

received 60.5% of the vote (6,802 cast), ahead of Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in N ...

with 38.2% (4,296 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (147 votes), among the 11,704 ballots cast by the township's 33,134 registered voters (459 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 35.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...

received 73.9% of the vote here (9,680 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 22.3% (2,922 votes), Independent

Chris Daggett Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...

with 1.5% (200 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (151 votes), among the 13,106 ballots cast by the town's 28,555 registered voters, yielding a 45.9% turnout.

Public safety

The North Bergen Police Force was founded in 1923, replacing the peace force known as "roundsmen", who began patrolling the township at night in 1907. North Bergen's fire department merged with those of the neighboring communities of Guttenberg, Union City,

and

in 1999 to form

North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue provides fire protection and first responder emergency medical services to the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey. Included in their protection area are the communities of North Bergen, Union City, ...

(NHRFR). Engine 1, Engine 6, Engine 9 / Battalion 3, Engine 13 and Ladder 5 are all located in North Bergen. NHRFR and North Bergen Emergency Medical Services (headquartered at 63rd Street and Granton Avenue) were among the many Hudson County agencies that responded to the January 2009 crash of

Flight 1549 US Airways Flight 1549 was a regularly scheduled US Airways flight from New York City (LaGuardia Airport), to Charlotte and Seattle, in the United States. On January 15, 2009, the Airbus A320 serving the flight struck a flock of birds short ...

, as did

, where 57 of the survivors were treated for injuries.

Education

The

North Bergen School District The North Bergen School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from North Bergen, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2018–19 school yea ...

serves students in

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of seven schools, had an enrollment of 7,576 students and 581.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.0:1.District information for North Bergen School District
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Franklin School (612 students; in grades 1–8), Robert Fulton School (1,180; K–8), John F. Kennedy School (529; 1–8), Lincoln School (1,355; Pre-K–8), Horace Mann School (1,111; 1–8), McKinley School (334; K–8) and

North Bergen High School North Bergen High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade from North Bergen, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the North Bergen School District. T ...

(2,376; 9–12) Students from Guttenberg attend the district's high school as part of a

sending/receiving relationship A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts hav ...

with the

Guttenberg Public School District The Guttenberg Public School District is a community public school district that serves students in Pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Guttenberg, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprising o ...

. North Bergen had been the location of

High Tech High School High Tech High School is a full-time public magnet high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Secaucus, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Hudson County Schools of Technology. Since its e ...

, a county

magnet school In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities (usually school boards) as school ...

for ninth through

s. The

Hudson County Schools of Technology The Hudson County Schools of Technology is a public school district based in North Bergen that offers career and vocational education for public middle school and high school students in sixth through twelfth grades, and for adult students thro ...

constructed a new site for the school in

Secaucus Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transporta ...

and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Route 495 travels between the

Lincoln Tunnel The Lincoln Tunnel is an approximately tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey, to the west with Midtown Manhattan in New York City to the east. It carries New Jersey Route 495 on the New Jersey side and unsigned Ne ...

and the New Jersey Turnpike ( Interstate 95) with interchanges for Route 3 and U.S. Route 1/9, which runs north–south on the western edge side of town. CR 501 and CR 505 pass through on the eastern side of town.

Public transportation

Public transportation in North Bergen is provided by bus and light rail service. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) service is available at the

Tonnelle Avenue station Tonnelle Avenue is a ground-level station on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) located at 51st Street in North Bergen, New Jersey. The station opened for service on February 25, 2006. Service from the station travels to West Side Avenue in ...

and Bergenline Avenue station (in Union City) to points in

, Jersey City and Bayonne. Bus service is provided along busy north–south corridors on Kennedy Boulevard,

, and

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

and privately operated dollar vans within

, and to

and

, New York City.

is a major origination and transfer point. Lines terminating at

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 buse ...

in Midtown Manhattan are the 121, 125, 127, 128, 154, 156, 158,

159 Year 159 ( CLIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time in Roman territories, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Quintillus and Priscus (or, less frequently, year ...

, 165, 166, 168, 320 routes. The 181 and 188 lines terminate at

George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City. The bus station is owned and operated by the Port Authori ...

Upper Manhattan Upper Manhattan is the most northern region of the New York City borough of Manhattan. Its southern boundary has been variously defined, but some of the most common usages are 96th Street, the northern boundary of Central Park (110th Street), ...

. Lines 22, 23, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88 and 89 terminate either at

Journal Square Journal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper ''Jersey Journal'' whose headquarters were located there from 1911 to 2013. The "square" itself is ...

or Hoboken Terminal. The 751 (New Jersey bus), 751 travels to Edgewater and Hackensack, New Jersey, Hackensack. Dollar vans in the New York metropolitan area, Jitney commuter buses operate along Bergenline Avenue, providing service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, the Newport Centre (shopping mall), Newport Centre and other local destinations. The county's most frequent route for dollar buses, jitneys operate along Bergenline Avenue as frequently as one bus every minute, some operated by Spanish Transportation.

Media and culture

North Bergen is located within the Media in New York City, New York media market, with most of its daily papers available for sale or delivery. ''The Jersey Journal'' is a local daily paper based in Jersey City. Local weeklies include the free bilingual paper, ''Hudson Dispatch Weekly'', (named for the former daily ''Hudson Dispatch''), ''North Bergen Reporter'' (part of

group of local weeklies), and the Spanish language ''El Especialito''. ''River View Observer'' is a monthly newspaper that covers the Hudson Waterfront market. Online new
HudsonCountyView.comHudsonTV.com
and th
HudPost.com
all cover local North Bergen news. In the late 2000s, North Bergen,

, Union City, Guttenberg, and

came to be dubbed collectively as "NoHu", a North Hudson haven for local performing and fine artists, many of whom are immigrants from Latin America and other countries, in part due to lower housing costs compared to those in nearby art havens such as

, Jersey City and

.Paul, Mary; and Matzner, Caren
"Scores of artists find a place in N. Hudson WNY, Union City, Weehawken, and North Bergen becoming 'NoHu'"
''

'', May 6, 2008. Accessed November 13, 2019. "The North Hudson artists who know each other have dubbed the area 'NoHu,' and some hope to eventually rival more established art Meccas like SoHo."

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with North Bergen include: * 070 Shake (born ), stage name of rapper Danielle Balbuena * Mohamed Mahmood Alessa, charged in 2010 with conspiring to join a terrorist group and kill, maim, and kidnap people outside the U.S. * Carlos Alomar (born 1951), musician, musical director, songwriter * Christopher Amoroso (1972–2001), Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) officer who died in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks * Kyle Anderson (basketball), Kyle Anderson (born 1993), NBA basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies * Rick Apodaca (born 1980), Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican professional basketball player who has played in the NCAA, USBL, National Basketball Development League, NBDL, and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico * Coco Austin (born 1979), actress, dancer, model and wife of rapper/actor Ice-T"Ice-T turns from cop-killing talk to posing nude"
MSNBC. November 3, 2006. Accessed November 12, 2012. "North Bergen, N.J. — U.S. rapper Ice-T once gained fame talking about killing cops. Now the controversy over his latest album has led him to compare himself to a peace-loving John Lennon." * Lidia Bastianich (born 1947), chef, Emmy Award-winning television host, author, and restaurateur * Odell Beckham Jr. (born 1992), wide receiver for the New York Giants *

(1905–1974), heavyweight boxing champion from 1935 to 1937 * John O. Brennan (born 1955), Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security in the Obama White House * James L. Brooks (born 1940), television and film director * Dan Callandrillo, former professional basketball player * Edd Cartier (1914–2008), pulp magazine illustrator * Richard S. Castellano, Richard Castellano (1933–1988), American actor * C. Judson Child Jr. (1923–2004), seventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta * Gene Cornish (born 1944), guitarist and harmonica player who is an original member of the 1960s blue-eyed soul band The Rascals * Leo Cullum (1942–2010), cartoonist best known for his work in ''The New Yorker'' * Frank Cumiskey (1912–2014), artistic gymnast who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics, in the 1936 Summer Olympics, and in the 1948 Summer Olympics * Paquito D'Rivera (born 1948), musician, composer * Joey Diaz (born 1963), stand-up comedian and actor * Henry Escalante, pop musician, one of 15 finalists from 2007 season of MTV reality show ''Making Menudo (band), Menudo'' * Edward Feigenbaum (born 1936), computer scientist who collaborated on the development of the first expert system Dendral * Lucio Fernandez, Cuban-American politician and entertainer, who served as the city's Commissioner of Public Affairs * Louis Freeh (born 1950), former Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI director * Melissa Fumero (born 1982), actress best known for her role as Amy Santiago in the comedy series ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine''. * Greg Herenda (born 1961), former head coach of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights men's basketball team * Ice-T (born 1958), rap music pioneer and actor * Dan Kurzman (1922–2010), military historian * AJ Lee (born 1987), professional wrestler signed to WWE * Lionel Loueke (born 1973), African Jazz guitarist and sideman to Herbie Hancock * Luigi Lucioni (1900–1988), painter known for his realistic and precisely drawn still lifes, Landscape art, landscapes, and portraits. Lucioni's family emigrated from Malnate, Italy in 1911 to New York City, and then subsequently lived for a time in North BergenEmbury, Stuart P. (2006). "Chapter One: The Early Years". ''The Art and Life of Luigi Lucioni''. Embury Publishing Company. pp. 1 -4. * Steve Mocco (born 1981), Olympic wrestler * Ed Murawinski (born 1951), award-winning cartoonist for the ''New York Daily News, Daily News'' * Fred Orlofsky (born 1937), retired artistic gymnastics, artistic gymnast who competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics * Jesse Pike (1890–1986), cycle sport, cyclist who competed in two events at the 1912 Summer OlympicsJesse Pike Olympic Results
Sports-Reference.com. Accessed June 12, 2015. * Bill Raisch (1905–1984), dancer and actor, known as the One-Armed Man pursued by Richard Kimble (David Janssen) on the 1963-67 TV series ''The Fugitive (1963 TV series), The Fugitive''Whitty, Stephen
"Family Viewing: 'Lonely Are the Brave'"
NJ.com, May 18, 2013. Accessed November 13, 2015. "Fun trivia: That one-armed man who takes on Douglas in the bar fight? Bill Raisch from North Bergen, the same actor David Janssen was always searching for on ''The Fugitive.''" * Feisal Abdul Rauf (born 1948), Muslim imam, author and activistTirella, Tricia; and Diaz, Lana Rose
"'Ground zero mosque' imam is NB resident, UC property owner"
''

'', September 5, 2010, pp. 3 and 8. Accessed November 13, 2019. "According to The Record, which spawned many spinoff reports quoting the paper, and the Hudson Reporter's own searches of property records, Imam Feisal A. Rauf, a North Bergen resident, owns four properties in Union City, and one in North Bergen." * Evan Rodriguez (born 1988), NFL fullback and tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers * Wilbur Ross (born 1937), investor and former banker *

(born 1946), politician who has served in the New Jersey Senate, State Senate and as Mayor of North BergenSenator Sacco's legislative web page
New Jersey Legislature. Accessed April 11, 2008. * John Scarne (1903–1985), author, expert on gambling, card games and magic tricks * Herbert H. Shaw (1930–2016), independent politician and perennial candidate who has run for office more than 75 times over five decades under the "Politicians Are Crooks" banner * Rena Sofer (born 1968), actress * Robert Sundholm (born 1941), outsider artist * Lou Tepe (born 1930), offensive lineman who played for three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers * Terese Terranova (born 1947), retired para table tennis player who won two gold medals at the 1988 Summer Paralympics * Guy F. Tozzoli (1922–2013), directed development of the World Trade Center (1973–2001), World Trade Center * Hal Turner (born 1962), far-right political commentator and radio host * Yordenis Ugás (born 1986) amateur lightweight boxer * Anthony P. Vainieri (born 1928), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from the New Jersey's 32nd legislative district, 32nd Legislative District from 1984 to 1986 * Mariusz Wach (born 1979), heavyweight boxer

In popular culture

* ''Oak Hill'', a low-budget film starring Sally Kirkland, and directed by former Guttenberg mayor Peter Lavilla, about three former entertainers whose depression and addiction has led them to a homeless shelter, was filmed in both Union City's PERC homeless shelter, and a synagogue in North Bergen. In 2008, it was entered into the Sundance Film Festival, Sundance, Tribeca Film Festival, Tribeca, and

Film Festivals. * ''Cinderella Man'', a film starring Russell Crowe as boxer

, depicted North Bergen during the Great Depression. A city park bears his name. *North Bergen was the production base for the NBC drama ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', with scenes set in the police station and courtroom filmed on a stage at NBC's Central Archives building on West Side Avenue. * ''Meat Men'' is a Food Network reality show about Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors, a North Bergen-based family-owned and -operated meat supplier.Fujimori, Sachi
"'Meat Men' goes behind the scenes with North Bergen celebrity butcher Pat LaFrieda "
''The Record (North Jersey), The Record'', April 9, 2012. Accessed January 1, 2015. "The third-generation butcher and his North Bergen business, Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors, premiere tonight in ''Meat Men,'' a Food Network show that aims to tell the surprisingly dramatic story of how meat lands on plates at New York's top restaurants."

References

External links

* {{authority control North Bergen, New Jersey, 1843 establishments in New Jersey New Jersey Meadowlands District New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zones North Hudson, New Jersey Populated places established in 1843 New Jersey populated places on the Hudson River Townships in Hudson County, New Jersey Walsh Act