Palisades Park is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

Bergen County Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 20,292, an increase of 670 (+3.4%) from the 2010 census count of 19,622, which in turn reflected an increase of 2,549 (+14.9%) from the 17,073 counted in the 2000 census. The borough of Palisades Park was created by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...

on March 22, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township. A portion of its area was annexed by the neighboring borough of Fort Lee in April 1909.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 84. Accessed June 1, 2024. The borough was named for its location atop the New Jersey Palisades. It is one of the largest and fastest-growing ethnic Korean enclaves outside of

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

Koreans Koreans are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula. The majority of Koreans live in the two Korean sovereign states of North and South Korea, which are collectively referred to as Korea. As of 2021, an estimated 7.3 m ...

comprise the majority (65%) of the population of the borough of Palisades Park, the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

with the highest

density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the ratio of a substance's mass to its volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' (or ''d'') can also be u ...

of ethnic

in the

Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the 180th meridian.- The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Geopolitically, ...

and the home of both the highest Korean-American density and percentage of any municipality in the United States. It has been called ''Koreatown on the Hudson'' and ''Little Korea''. The borough's population has grown by 40% since the 1990 census, accelerated by

zoning In urban planning, zoning is a method in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into land-use "zones", each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for ...

laws that permit duplex homes on land previously containing a

single-family detached home A single-family detached home, also called a single-detached dwelling, single-family residence (SFR) or separate house is a free-standing residential building. It is defined in opposition to a multi-family residential dwelling. Definitions ...

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.28 square miles (3.32 km²), including 1.24 square miles (3.21 km²) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.11 km²) of water (3.28%). The borough borders Fort Lee, Leonia, Ridgefield and Ridgefield Park. Morsemere is a neighborhood largely in the northern part of Ridgefield straddling the southern border of Palisades Park. The town's central business district centered around Broad Avenue has been called

Koreatown A Koreatown (), also known as a Little Korea or Little Seoul, is a Korean-dominated ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area outside the Korean Peninsula. History Koreatowns as an East Asian ethnic enclave have only been in existence s ...

In mid-2015, a proposal was submitted by the Korean-American Association of Palisades Park to the mayor and council to add a second name to Broad Avenue, such as "Korean Market Street" (''Meokjagolmok'') or " Korea Way".

History

Until the 1980s, Palisades Park was overwhelmingly Caucasian, a mix of blue-collar workers and professionals whose families originated largely from Italy, Croatia, Germany, and Greece. Its houses were inexpensive, and it had a number of vacant shops and offices. In the 1990s, a continuous stream of Korean immigrants emerged into Palisades Park. A substantial number of affluent and educated

Korean American Korean Americans () are Americans of full or partial Korean ethnic descent. While the broader term Overseas Korean in America () may refer to all ethnic Koreans residing in the United States, the specific designation of Korean American impli ...

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...

s have settled in Bergen County since the early 2000s and have founded various academic and communally supportive organizations, including the Korean Parent Partnership Organization at the

Bergen County Academies Bergen County Academies (BCA) is a tuition-free public magnet high school located in Hackensack, New Jersey, that serves students in the ninth through twelfth grades from all of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school was fo ...

magnet high school and the Korean-American Association of New Jersey. Approximately 120 Korean stores were counted in Palisades Park in 2000, a number which has risen significantly since then, featuring restaurants and

karaoke is a type of interactive entertainment system usually offered in nightclubs and bars, where people sing along to pre-recorded accompaniment using a microphone. Its musical content is an instrumental rendition of a well-known popular song. I ...

('' noraebang'') bars, grocery markets, education centers and bookstores,

financial institution A financial institution, sometimes called a banking institution, is a business entity that provides service as an intermediary for different types of financial monetary transactions. Broadly speaking, there are three major types of financial ins ...

s, offices, electronics vendors, apparel boutiques, and other commercial enterprises. In May 2012, borough officials rejected requests by two diplomatic delegations from

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

to remove a small monument from a public park, a brass plaque on a block of stone, dedicated in 2010 to the memory of

comfort women Comfort women were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. The term ''comfort women'' is a translation of the Japanese , a euphemism ...

, tens of thousands of women and girls, many Korean, who were forced into

sexual slavery Sexual slavery and sexual exploitation is an attachment of any ownership rights, right over one or more people with the intent of Coercion, coercing or otherwise forcing them to engage in Human sexual activity, sexual activities. This includ ...

by Japanese soldiers during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Days later, a

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

n delegation endorsed the borough's decision. The first Japanese delegation cited apologies offered by their country's government for its involvement as justifying the removal of the monument, while officials from the second delegation controversially claimed that "comfort women were a lie". However, in neighboring Fort Lee, various Korean American groups could not reach consensus on the design and wording for such a monument as of early April 2013. In May 2014, the Palisades Park Public Library created a memorial dedicated to the victims of the tragic sinking of the ''Sewol'' ferry off the South Korean coast on April 16, 2014.

Demographics

The per capita Korean American population of Bergen County, 6.3% by the 2010 United States Census, (increasing to 6.9% by the 2011

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

), is the highest of any county in the United States, with all of the nation's top ten municipalities by percentage of Korean population and an absolute total of 56,773 Korean Americans (increasing to 63,247 by the 2011 American Community Survey) living in the county. The concentration of Korean Americans in Palisades Park in turn is the highest of any municipality in the United States, at 52% of the population, enumerating 10,115 residents of Korean ancestry as of the 2010 Census. Palisades Park is often referred to as the ''Korean

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

''. Along with Koreatowns in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

, Bergen County serves as the nexus for an overall Korean American population of 218,764 individuals in the Greater New York Combined Statistical Area, the second largest population of ethnic Koreans outside of Korea. BroadAveColumbiaKoreatownPalisadesPk

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 19,622 people, 6,934 households, and 5,020 families in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 7,362 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 28.90% (5,670)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.96% (385) Black or African American, 0.31% (60) Native American, 57.84% (11,350) Asian, 0.05% (10)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 9.00% (1,765) from other races, and 1.95% (382) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.22% (3,575) of the population. Of the 6,934 households, 26.1% had children under the age of 18; 53.7% were married couples living together; 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.6% were non-families. Of all households, 19.8% were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.20. 16.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 37.9% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 99.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 98.3 males. As of the 2010 Census, 51.5% of the population (10,115) reported themselves as being of Korean ancestry,Semple, Kirk
"In New Jersey, Memorial for 'Comfort Women' Deepens Old Animosity"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', May 18, 2012. Accessed June 30, 2012. "The monument, a brass plaque on a block of stone, was dedicated in 2010 to the memory of so-called comfort women, tens of thousands of women and girls, many Korean, who were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese soldiers during World War II. " with both the highest Korean-American density and percentage of any municipality in the United States. Broad Avenue has been characterized as a major epicenter of

life. Based on data from the 2012-2016

, 80.9% of borough residents did not speak English as their dominant language, the third-highest percentage in the state; the

Korean language Korean is the first language, native language for about 81 million people, mostly of Koreans, Korean descent. It is the national language of both South Korea and North Korea. In the south, the language is known as () and in the north, it is kn ...

is spoken at home by more than half of the residents of Palisades Park. Same-sex couples headed 41 households in 2010, an increase from the 37 counted in 2000. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $55,602 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,300) and the median family income was $66,725 (+/− $8,196). Males had a median income of $43,919 (+/− $8,170) versus $46,014 (+/− $6,780) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $30,666 (+/− $2,900). About 12.0% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 17,073 people, 6,247 households, and 4,447 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 6,386 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 48.27%

, 1.38%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.19% Native American, 41.09% Asian, 0.03%

, 5.80% from other races, and 3.24% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 16.48% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Palisades Park borough, New Jersey
,

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

. Accessed March 11, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Palisades Park borough, Bergen County, New Jersey

. Accessed March 11, 2013. In 2000, 36.38% of Palisades Park residents identified as being of Korean heritage. This was the highest percentage of Korean Americans of any place in the country with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry and more than double that of second-ranked

Cerritos, California Cerritos (; Spanish for "Little hills") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of several cities that constitute the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. It was municipal corporation, incorporated on ...

. Also in the 2000 Census, 3.1% of Palisades Park's residents identified themselves as being of

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

n ancestry. This was the second highest percentage of people with Croatian ancestry in any place in New Jersey with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. There were 6,247 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.20. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 37.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $48,015, and the median income for a family was $54,503. Males had a median income of $37,204 versus $31,997 for females. The

for the borough was $22,607. About 8.5% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the

, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Palisades Park is governed under the

form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The government is comprised of a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

and a borough council, with all positions elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

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

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 157. The borough form of government used by Palisades Park is a " weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president (government title), president or monarch vetoes a bill (law), bill to stop it from becoming statutory law, law. In many countries, veto powe ...

ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. In July 2015 Gina S. Kim became the borough's municipal clerk, reflecting the growing political influence of the Korean American population. Korean Americans, who compose more than half of the borough's population and have attended town meetings in large numbers, have requested Korean interpreters to be present at these meetings as of August 2016. In 2017, the borough created a Korean language version of its website. , the mayor of Palisades Park is Democrat Chong "Paul" Kim, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. His predecessor, Christopher Chung, was the first Korean-American mayor in Bergen County, and second ever in New Jersey. Members of the Palisades Park Borough Council are Council President Cynthia A. Pirrera (D, 2023), Stephanie S. Jang (R, 2024), Son K. "Andy" Min (D, 2025), Suk Min (D, 2024; appointed to serve an unexpired term), Jae K. Park (R, 2023) and Michael P. Vietri (D, 2025).Mayor and Council
Borough of Palisades Park. Accessed March 15, 2023.''2024 County and Municipal Directory''

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Bergen County Statement of Vote November 2, 2021 Official results

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Precinct Summary Results Report - Combined 2020 Bergen County General Election - November 3, 2020 Official Results

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Bergen County November 5, 2019 General Election Statement of Vote

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

two days after the primary election. The race was extremely close with Christopher Chung winning by a narrow margin. Lorraine Rotundo made the post in response to the massive number of Koreans at the voting booths. She stated that Palisades Park should "go to hell," and said that the Korean residents could "have this F'n town." She later went on to post that only English should be spoken in the Borough Hall. Former mayor James Rotundo apologized on behalf of his mother and strongly denounced her comments. "I'm disgusted with her statement," he said. Rotundo claimed that he was not raised by these sentiments. Christopher Chung was sworn into office as a council member in January 2014, having been selected by the council from among three names submitted by the Democratic Municipal Committee to fill the vacant seat of Jason Kim, who had resigned earlier that month.

Federal, state and county representation

Palisades Park is located in the 5th Congressional District2022 Redistricting Plan

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 ...

, December 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 37th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019. In redistricting following the 2010 census, the borough was in the 9th congressional district, which was in effect from 2013 to 2022.Plan Components Report

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were 6,410 registered voters, of which 1,839 (28.7% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,128 (17.6% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 3,443 (53.7% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.Voter Registration Summary - Bergen

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 12, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 32.7% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 39.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide). In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat

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

received 2,487 votes here (67.1% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

with 1,147 votes (31.0% vs. 43.5%), for a turnout of 53.5% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

received 50.6% of the vote (919 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 47.6% (864 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (33 votes), among the 1,878 ballots cast by the borough's 6,473 registered voters (62 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 29.0%.

Culture

Palisades Park has emerged as a dominant nexus of Korean American culture.Jersey Dispatch: Bergen County Koreatown
/ref> Palisades Park High School has hosted national

Kumdo Kumdo () is a modern Korean martial art derived from kendo, the Japanese discipline of swordsmanship. The name is also romanized as Kŏmdo, Keomdo, Gumdo, and Geomdo. Kumdo, commonly translated as "the way of the sword," encompasses various swo ...

martial arts tournaments. Broad Avenue has been referred to as a "Korean food walk of fame", with diverse offerings. Palisades Park now incorporates the highest concentration of Korean restaurants within a one-mile radius in the United States, and Broad Avenue has evolved into a Korean dessert destination as well. Korean Chinese cuisine is now also available in Koreatown, as is misugaru.

Bulgogi Bulgogi ( , , ; , ) is a '' gui'' (Korean-style grilled or roasted dish) made of thin, marinated slices of meat, most commonly beef, grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle. It is also often stir-fried in a pan in home cooking. Sirl ...

and galbi are staples on Broad Avenue in the Palisades Park. Korean

café A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargi ...

s have become a major cultural element within Palisades Park, not only for the coffee, '' bingsu'' (shaved ice), and

pastries Pastry refers to a variety of doughs (often enriched with fat or eggs), as well as the sweet and savoury baked goods made from them. The dough may be accordingly called pastry dough for clarity. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bak ...

, but also as communal gathering places. Korean and English are both spoken prevalently in Palisades Park. Korean is spoken at home by more than half of the residents of Palisades Park and nearby Englewood Cliffs, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released in 2017. Retail signs using

Hangul The Korean alphabet is the modern writing system for the Korean language. In North Korea, the alphabet is known as (), and in South Korea, it is known as (). The letters for the five basic consonants reflect the shape of the speech organs ...

are ubiquitous. In 1996, an ordinance was passed that storefront signage be same size in English as in Korean. Additionally, as of 2010, more than 15 percent of Palisades Park’s residents speak Spanish.

Education

The Palisades Park Public School District serves students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,786 students and 145.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 12.2:1.District information for Palisades Park School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed February 1, 2024. Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the

) are Charles R. Smith Early Childhood Center with 242 students in grades PreK-K, Lindbergh Elementary School with 769 students in grades 1-6 and Palisades Park High School with 745 students in grades 7-12. Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the

in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district. According to ''

The Record The Record may refer to: Music * The Record (Fear album), ''The Record'' (Fear album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Record (Boygenius album), ''The Record'' (Boygenius album), a 2023 studio album by the indie rock supe ...

'', the Korean-American Association of New Jersey petitioned Palisades Park school officials in 2013 to use textbooks that refer to the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...

as the '' East Sea'' as well.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Bergen County and by the

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 transport ...

. Roadways in Palisades Park include U.S. Route 1/9, U.S. Route 46, Route 5, Route 63, Route 93 and County Route 501. The nearby

George Washington Bridge The George Washington Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting Fort Lee in Bergen County, New Jersey, with the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is named after George W ...

, the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge, provides access to Palisades Park from

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

via adjacent Fort Lee.George Washington Bridge

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, (PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ) is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate c ...

. Accessed August 31, 2014. "The iconic GWB is not only a marvel of engineering. It is also the busiest bridge in the world."Rife, Judy
"George Washington Bridge turns 75 years old; Huge flag, cake part of celebration"
, '' Times Herald-Record'', October 24, 2006. Accessed August 31, 2014.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service between the borough and the

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

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

on the 127, 154, 155, 157, 166 and 168 routes, to

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

on the 83 route, with local service offered on the 751 and 755 bus lines. Rockland Coaches provides service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on routes 11T/11AT and 20/20T.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Palisades Park include: * Barbara Bennett (1906–1958), stage and film actress and dancer * John J. Dickerson (1900–1966), politician who served as Mayor of Palisades Park from 1939 to 1952, and was Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee * William J. Dorgan (1921–2003), Bergen County Freeholder Director and member of the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

who served as mayor of Palisades Park from 1960 to 1967 * Don Guardian (born 1953), politician who has represented the 2nd Legislative District in the

since 2022 * Barbara McLean (1903–1996), film editor who won the 1944

Academy Award for Film Editing The Academy Award for Best Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. For 33 consecutive year ...

for the film '' Wilson'' * Patrick J. Roma (1949–2017), lawyer and politician who represented the 38th Legislative District in the

from 1988 to 1997 * Elaine Romagnoli (1942–2021), businesswoman and community leader who founded and ran restaurants and lesbian bars in New York City * V. H. Viglielmo (1926–2016), scholar and translator of Japanese literatureOchner, Nobuko; and Ridgeway, William N
''Confluences: studies from East to West in honor of V.H. Viglielmo''
p. viii. College of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature, University of Hawaii, 2005. . Accessed December 12, 2013. "Valdo H. Viglielmo was born on December 11, 1926, in Palisades Park, New Jersey."

References

Sources

* ''Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties)'' prepared by the Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey); December 1, 1958. * Clayton, W. Woodford; and Nelson, William
''History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men.''
Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1882. * Harvey, Cornelius Burnham (ed.)
''Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey.''
New York: New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Co., 1900. * Van Valen, James M
''History of Bergen County, New Jersey.''
New York: New Jersey Publishing and Engraving Co., 1900. * Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858–1942
''History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630–1923''
Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1923.

External links

Official website

Palisades Park Public School District
*
Palisades Park Public School District

Palisades Park Public Library Multimedia Center

{{Authority control 1899 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in New Jersey Boroughs in Bergen County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1899