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Leonia is a
borough A borough is an administrative division in various 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 In the Middle Ag ...
in
Bergen County Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.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 Delawa ...
, United States. As of the
2010 United States census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...
, the borough's population was 8,937,DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Leonia borough, Bergen County, New Jersey
,
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 th ...
. Accessed March 7, 2013.
Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Leonia borough
,
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north ...
. Accessed March 7, 2013.
reflecting an increase of 23 (+0.3%) from the 8,914 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 549 (+6.6%) from the 8,365 counted in the 1990 Census. It is a suburb 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 ...
located near the western approach to the George Washington Bridge. Leonia was formed as the result of a referendum passed on December 5, 1894, from portions of Ridgefield Township. The borough was formed during the "
boroughitis Boroughitis (also borough fever or borough mania) was the creation in the 1890s, usually by referendum, of large numbers of small boroughs in the U.S. state of New Jersey, particularly in Bergen County. Attempts by the New Jersey Legislature ...
" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone. Portions of Leonia were taken on February 19, 1895, to form the Township of Teaneck.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 80. Accessed May 9, 2012.
''
New Jersey Monthly ''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey. The magazine was started in 1976. It is based in Morristown. In addition to articles of general interest, the publication fe ...
'' magazine ranked Leonia as its 31st best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.


History

The original inhabitants of Leonia were the
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 Je ...
(Ashkineshacky) of Native Americans. The population was about 1,000 before the Europeans settled in the area. At the time of 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 ...
, Leonia was known as part of the English Neighborhood, a name that survives in neighboring Englewood. It was settled in 1668 mainly by Dutch and
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
farmers, making it one of the oldest communities in the state and county. A third of the population was African slaves. It was located on the western slope of the Palisades, and started as a quiet farming community. Leonia's proximity to
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 ...
and its major universities, theaters and performing venues contributed to Leonia's place in the world of art and academics, with many artists and leading thinkers finding a home there in the twentieth century. The local economy that had been focused on agriculture underwent economic and cultural growth during the late nineteenth century, marked by the introduction of train service and was originally called West Fort Lee. J. Vreeland Moore and other town leaders chose the name "Leonia" in 1865 in honor of
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 ...
General Charles Lee, for whom Fort Lee was named. After traveling through Leonia upon arriving in New Jersey by ferry at Edgewater in 1899, advertising executive Artemus Ward purchased a large piece of land and established the Leonia Heights Land Company to develop and market housing in the community. His advertising attracted many academics and artists who were drawn to Leonia's small size, culture, and location, earning the town's nickname of the "Athens of New Jersey". In 1915, the Leonia School of Illustration was established by Harvey Dunn, fostering the artists' colony that subsequently emerged over the next decade.Falkenstein, Michelle
"Jersey Footlights"
''
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 31, 2005. Accessed November 7, 2018. "Dunn settled in Leonia in 1914 to be near the New York market for illustration and enjoyed a successful career."
By the 1930s, it had the highest number of residents, per capita, in '' Who's Who in America'' and 80% of its residents were college graduates. Transportation through the borough was enhanced with access to ferries and trolley systems and Leonia became a refuge for many of America's most creative thinkers which included five Nobel Prize winners.Cheslow, Jerry
"Well-Read, Well-Shaded and Well-Placed"
''
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 ...
'', June 15, 1997. Accessed July 13, 2011. "Among the other widely used facilities is the Civil War Drill Hall, a cavernous building constructed by the New Jersey Blues Infantry regiment as a training center in 1859. The hall is now home to the Players Guild of Leonia, established in 1919 and the oldest community theater group in New Jersey."
For 200 years, one of the two major avenues that run north-to-south through Leonia, Grand Avenue (the other one is Broad Avenue) was called the English Neighborhood Road. In colonial times, this road served as the main inland route between Paulus Hook, Bergen, and the English Neighborhood. Leonia was a crossroads of the American Revolution and a training ground for
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
soldiers. Historic places in the town include the Civil War Drill Hall and Armory and the Cole-Allaire House, constructed around 1765, making it the oldest dwelling in the borough, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Vreeland House, constructed in 1786 by Dirck Vreeland and expanded in 1815, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Leonia celebrates "Leonia Day" annually on the third Sunday in May.


Geography

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 th ...
, the borough had a total area of 1.63 square miles (4.22 km2), including 1.52 square miles (3.94 km2) of land and 0.11 square miles (0.27 km2) of water (6.50%). While the borough center's elevation is , the western part of the borough can reach and the eastern part of Leonia reaches . The borough borders the Bergen County municipalities of Englewood, Fort Lee, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park and Teaneck. Leonia is designated as a
Tree City USA The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 350 million trees in neighborhoods, communities ...
, receiving its 21st annual recognition in 2010 from the
National Arbor Day Foundation The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 350 million trees in neighborhoods, communities ...
.


Demographics


Census 2010

Same-sex couples headed 35 households in 2010, more than double the 17 counted in 2000. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...
showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal 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 ...
was $66,271 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,365) and the median family income was $91,129 (+/− $16,890). Males had a median income of $54,754 (+/− $8,175) versus $60,057 (+/− $8,680) for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the borough was $40,030 (+/− $4,132). About 5.8% of families and 9.1% 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 12.2% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.


Census 2000

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 c ...
there were 8,914 people, 3,271 households, and 2,436 families residing in the borough. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was 5,921.3 people per square mile (2,279.3/km2). There were 3,343 housing units at an average density of 2,220.6 per square mile (854.8/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 65.74%
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 ...
, 2.27%
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 ...
, 0.09% Native American, 26.06% Asian, 0.01%
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 ...
, 3.20% from other races, and 2.64% 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 for ...
or Latino of any race were 12.73% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Leonia borough
,
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 th ...
. Accessed December 16, 2011.
DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Leonia borough, New Jersey
,
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 th ...
. Accessed July 10, 2012.
There were 3,271 households, out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.20. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $72,440, and the median income for a family was $84,591. Males had a median income of $55,156 versus $38,125 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the borough was $35,352. About 5.0% of families and 6.5% 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 9.0% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 Census, 17.24% of Leonia's residents identified themselves as being of
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...
n ancestry, which was the fourth-highest in the United States and second highest of any municipality in New Jersey—behind neighboring Palisades Park (36.38%)—for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. Additionally, 3.07% of Leonia's residents identified themselves as being of
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
ese ancestry, which was the fourth highest of any municipality in New Jersey — behind Fort Lee (6.09%), Demarest (3.72%) and Edgewater (3.22%)—for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.


Arts and culture

Leonia is home to the Players Guild of Leonia, which operates as the oldest continuing theatre troupe in the state of New Jersey, and is one of the oldest community theatre groups in the state with continuous performances since 1919. Performances have included comedies, tragedies, classics, and musicals. The Guild's production of ''One Mad Night'' in 1940 was the first three-act play performed on television, when it was broadcast on
WPTZ WPTZ (channel 5) is a television station City of license, licensed to Plattsburgh, New York, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for the Burlington, Vermont–Plattsburgh, New York Media market, market. It is owned by Hearst Television ...
, in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. In 1963, the Children's Show was instituted and continues each spring. Between 1968 and 1998, the Guild produced Theatre in the Park. Since 2002, the Players' Guild of Leonia has produced a Playwright's Showcase featuring original scripts. The Guild operates out of the historic Civil War Drill Hall Theatre on Grand Avenue which is leased from the borough. Recent productions include ''Lovers and Other Strangers'', ''The Glass Menagerie'', ''Love, Loss, and What I Wore'' and ''Hair''. Upcoming productions include a fall production of ''Guys and Dolls''. Since 2000, Leonia has also been home to Summerstage at Leonia, which produces a Broadway-style family musical each summer in the last two weeks of July. Originally, Summerstage performances were held in the Leonia High School Little Theater, but now take place at the Civil War Drill Hall Theater. Auditions are held in May and open to all in the NY metro area. Past shows have included ''The Wizard of Oz'', ''Carousel'', ''The Sound of Music'', ''Annie'', ''Oliver'', ''Les Miserables'', ''My Fair Lady'', and ''How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying''. The Leonia Chamber Musicians Society, founded in 1973, is made up of professional musicians who reside in Leonia, has been performing classical music concerts four times a year at various venues in the borough. Sculpture for Leonia aims to build the art and cultural environment in Leonia through the display of outdoor sculpture throughout the community and in the Erika and David Boyd Sculpture Garden, which is located on the grounds of the Leonia Borough Annex. This group sponsors an annual Taste of Leonia fundraiser. Leonia Arts provides a calendar of all arts events in Leonia.


Parks and recreation

Leonia has five public recreational areas, of which only the Leonia Swim Club requires a membership fee. The recreation areas include Wood Park, located on the corner of Broad Avenue and Fort Lee Road; Sylvan Park and the Leonia Swim Club, both on Grand Avenue near Sylvan Avenue; and the Recreational Center on Broad Avenue which has an indoor basketball court. Field Station: Dinosaurs is a popular Dinosaur-themed park located just south of I-95. Overpeck County Park, a Bergen County park that is located in Leonia, Ridgefield Park, and Teaneck, is home of the county's World Trade Center Memorial.


Government


Local government

Leonia is governed under the
Borough A borough is an administrative division in various 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 In the Middle Ag ...
form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of a Mayor 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 than ...
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 is comprised of six members who are 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 (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 157.
The Borough form of government used by Leonia is a "
weak mayor Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fear t ...
/ 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 or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto ...
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. , the
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a 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 responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
of Leonia is Democrat Judah Zeigler, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023.About the Mayor - Judah Zeigler
Borough of Leonia. Accessed May 7, 2022.
The members of the Leonia Borough Council are Council President Bernadette Flaim (D, 2022), Pasquale A. "Pat" Fusco (D, 2023), Maureen E. Davis (D, 2023), Louis Grandelis (D, 2024), Joanne Choi Terrell (D, 2024).Mayor and Council
Borough of Leonia. Accessed May 7, 2022.
''2021 County and Municipal Directory''
Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the most populous 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 most populous 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 most populous 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 most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Hoboken, New Jersey 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 58,690 ...
. Peter Knott was appointed to fill the seat vacated by John DeSimone when he took office as mayor and won election to serve the balance of the term through December 2013. Pat Fusco was appointed in August 2013 to fill the vacant seat of Ik-Seong "I.S." Pak, who had resigned earlier that month citing personal issues. Mark Minichiello was elected in November 2013 to serve the balance of the term.


Federal, state, and county representation

Leonia is located in the 5th Congressional District2022 Redistricting Plan
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, 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 artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as ...
. Accessed February 1, 2020.
''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. 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
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.


Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 4,713 registered voters in Leonia, of which 2,493 (52.9% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 598 (12.7% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 1,619 (34.4% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Bergen
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 artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as ...
Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 9, 2013.
Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 52.7% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 67.9% 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 served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
received 2,451 votes (66.8% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican
Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts ...
with 1,135 votes (30.9% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 47 votes (1.3% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,668 ballots cast by the borough's 5,065 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.4% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,604 votes (65.9% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of Republican
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two te ...
with 1,273 votes (32.2% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates with 30 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 3,953 ballots cast by the borough's 5,050 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.3% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County).2008 General Election Results for Leonia
''
The Record The Record may refer to: Music * ''The Record'' (album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Records, an English power pop band * '' Their Greatest Hits: The Record'', a 2001 greatest-hits album by the pop-music group Bee G ...
''. Accessed July 13, 2011.
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 2,468 votes (64.4% vs. 51.7% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 1,327 votes (34.6% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 25 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 3,835 ballots cast by the borough's 4,878 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.6% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county). 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 50.8% of the vote (1,078 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 47.9% (1,015 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (27 votes), among the 2,205 ballots cast by the borough's 4,826 registered voters (85 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 1,682 ballots cast (60.7% vs. 48.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 901 votes (32.5% vs. 45.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 120 votes (4.3% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 7 votes (0.3% vs. 0.5%), among the 2,773 ballots cast by the borough's 4,880 registered voters, yielding a 56.8% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).


Education

Leonia is served by its public system and by a number of private schools. The Leonia Public Schools serve students from
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, 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 three schools, had an enrollment of 1,952 students and 170.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a
student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...
of 11.4:1.District information for Leonia Public School District
National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district financ ...
. Accessed April 1, 2020.
Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the
National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district financ ...
) are Anna C. Scott Elementary School with 663 students in grades Pre-K–5, Leonia Middle School with 533 students in grades 6–8 and Leonia High School with 740 students in grades 9–12. Students from Edgewater attend the district's schools for grades 7–12 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 Edgewater Public Schools. 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
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 Bergen County, New Jersey. The school was founded by John Grieco, also fou ...
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. St. John the Evangelist School was a
Catholic school Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syste ...
for students in grades Pre-K–8, operating under the supervision of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark The Archdiocese of Newark is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jer ...
. After 72 years and generations of graduates, it was closed in June 2013.


Transportation


Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Bergen County, 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 transportat ...
and by the
New Jersey Turnpike Authority The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, which are two toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge T ...
. Route 93 (Grand Avenue) runs north-south for through the center of the borough, connecting Palisades Park and Englewood.
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...
(the
New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not cons ...
) curves along the borough's northern border while U.S. Route 1/9 and U.S. Route 46 briefly enter along the western border with Fort Lee. Effective January 22, 2018, Leonia officials banned nonresidents from using residential streets (defined as all streets except Fort Lee Road, Grand Avenue, and Broad Avenue) during rush hours. However, due to complaints from business owners citing decreased revenues, Leonia officials are reconsidering.


Public transportation

NJ Transit bus route
166 Year 166 ( CLXVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Pudens and Pollio (or, less frequently, year 919 ''Ab urbe condita' ...
provides local and express service from Broad Avenue to the
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 bus ...
in
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildi ...
, and route 182 serves the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal, with local service offered on the 751, 755 and 756 routes. Rockland Coaches provides service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on the 11T/11AT, 14ET, 20T and 21T routes. The Northern Branch Corridor Project is a proposal to extend the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to restore passenger train service on the CSX tracks, which offered passenger service decades before and is now used for occasional freight service. NJ Transit's plan would include a station in Leonia.


Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Leonia include: * Alan Alda (born 1936), actorCheslow, Jerr
"Well-Read, Well-Shaded and Well-Placed"
''
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 ...
'', June 15, 1997. Accessed October 18, 2013. "Much later, its residents included five Nobel Prize winners, among them Enrico Fermi, one of the developers of the atomic bomb, and Willard Libby, who discovered radiocarbon dating; Sammy Davis Jr., Pat Boone and Alan Alda, the entertainers, and Robert Ludlum, the author."
* Arlene Alda (born 1933), photographer and author * Robert J. Alexander (1918–2010), political activist who studied the trade union movement in Latin America and dissident communist political parties * Elizabeth Baranger (1927–2019), physicist and academic administrator at the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
, whose research concerned shell model calculations in
nuclear physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies t ...
* Freddie Bartholomew (1924–1992), child actorKarels, Carol
''Leonia''
p. 127. Arcadia Publishing, 2002. . Accessed October 21, 2015. "By the 1970s, Leonia was home to may professional musicians, writers, and entertainers. Many - such as Alan Alda, an actor and director; Carmel Quinn a singer; Freddie Bartholomew, a child star; And Robert Ludlum, an actor, producer and author - contributed to the cultural life of the community. Others - such as singer Pat Boone, comic Buddy Hackett, and singer Sammy Davis Jr. - lived here because of its proximity to New York City."
* Jeff Bell (1943–2018), Republican nominee for U.S. Senate from New Jersey in 2014 * Robert Birmelin (born 1933), figurative painter, printmaker and draughtsman *
Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...
(born 1934), singer *
Anthony Bourdain Anthony Michael Bourdain (; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian who starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition. Bourda ...
(1956–2018), chef, author and television personality * Rutherford Boyd (1884–1951), artistAlmenas, Maxim
"Saying goodbye to David Boyd"
''
The Record The Record may refer to: Music * ''The Record'' (album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Records, an English power pop band * '' Their Greatest Hits: The Record'', a 2001 greatest-hits album by the pop-music group Bee G ...
'', March 4, 2010. Accessed January 3, 2012. "The tours usually ended at 112 Prospect St. — not just because it was Boyd's home, but because it's the oldest standing house in the entire Borough, built in 1760. Many Leonians have ventured to see the home, which is on the National Register of Historic Sites. 'His dad, Rutherford oyd a prominent artist, was attracted to the area because of the network of artists that congregated here,' said son-in-law Bill Ziegler, referring to a time when Leonia was a thriving artist colony. 'He saw the property as he was walking through town one day and decided right then and there to buy it n 1916'"
*
Verona Burkhard Verona Burkhard (1910–2004) was an American artist, known for her murals painted for the U.S. Treasury Department. She participated in four public projects including three United States post office murals and five murals completed for the Immig ...
(1910–2004), artist, known for her murals painted for the U.S. Treasury Department * Carolee Carmello (born 1962), actress *
Charles Shepard Chapman Charles Shepard Chapman (June 2, 1879 – December 15, 1962) was an American Painting, painter, perhaps best remembered for his landscape of the Grand Canyon at the American Museum of Natural History. Early life and education Chapman was born in ...
(1879–1962), painter best remembered for his landscape of the Grand Canyon at the
American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 int ...
* Kathleen Clark, playwright *
Edwin H. Colbert Edwin Harris "Ned" Colbert (September 28, 1905 – November 15, 2001)O'Connor, Anahad ''The New York Times'', November 25, 2001. was a distinguished American vertebrate paleontologist and prolific researcher and author. Born in Clarinda, Iowa, he ...
(1905–2001), paleontologist and author * Dan Colen (born 1979), artist * Paul Collins (born 1956), rock musician and author, best known for his work in the power pop groups The Nerves and The Beat * Robin Cook (born 1940), physician and novelist * Sam Coppola (1932–2012), actor who played hardware store owner 'Dan Fusco' in the 1977 film '' Saturday Night Fever'' *
Alexander Dallin Alexander Davidovich Dallin (21 May 1924 – 22 July 2000) was an American historian, political scientist, and international relations scholar at Columbia University, where he was the Adlai Stevenson Professor of International Relations and the ...
(1924–2000), historian, political scientist, and international relations scholar at Columbia University *
John Darrow John Darrow (born Harry Simpson; 17 July 1907 – 24 February 1980) was an American actor of the late silent and early talking film eras. Biography Born in Leonia, New Jersey in 1907, Darrow began acting in theater with a stock company, right ...
(1907–1980), actor of the late silent and early talking film eras * Sammy Davis Jr. (1925–1990), entertainer * Wm Theodore de Bary (1919–2017), Sinologist and East Asian literary scholar who was a professor and administrator at
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
for nearly 70 years * Priscilla Dean (1896–1987), actress popular in
silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
as well as in theatre, with a career spanning two decades *
Dorothy Dinnerstein Dorothy Dinnerstein (April 4, 1923 – December 17, 1992) was an American academic and activist, best known for her 1976 book ''The Mermaid and the Minotaur''. Drawing from elements of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis, particularly as developed by ...
(1923–1992), feminist activist, author and academic * Acheson J. Duncan (1904–1995), statistician and authority in
quality control Quality control (QC) is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production. ISO 9000 defines quality control as "a part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements". This approach place ...
* Harvey Dunn (1884–1952), illustrator *
Gregg Edelman Gregg Edelman (born September 12, 1958) is an American movie, television and theatre actor. Biography Edelman was born in Chicago, Illinois, attended Niles North High School, where he starred as Li'l Abner opposite future soap star Nancy Lee Gra ...
(born 1958), actor *
Emme Emme may refer to: People: * Ivan Fyodorovich Emme (1763–1839), Russian lieutenant general in the Napoleonic Wars * Otto J. Emme, American politician and World War I veteran * Emme Gerhard (1872–1946), American photographer * Emme Rylan, Am ...
(born 1963), plus-size supermodel *
Enrico Fermi Enrico Fermi (; 29 September 1901 – 28 November 1954) was an Italian (later naturalized American) physicist and the creator of the world's first nuclear reactor, the Chicago Pile-1. He has been called the "architect of the nuclear age" an ...
(1901–1954), Nobel Prize–winning physicist * Morton Fried (1923–1986), professor of
anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...
at
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
*
Ralph Fuller Ralph Briggs Fuller (March 9, 1890 – August 16, 1963) was an American cartoonist best known for his long-running comic strip '' Oaky Doaks'', featuring the humorous adventures of a good-hearted knight in the Middle Ages. He signed the strips RB ...
(1890–1963), cartoonist best known for his long running
comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics ter ...
'' Oaky Doaks''Mattingly, Paul H
''Suburban Landscapes: Culture and Politics in a New York Metropolitan Community''
p. 228. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. . Accessed May 16, 2016. "Ralph Fuller, one of the mainstays of the Leonia artist colony during the interwar years, was the creator of the highly successful nationally syndicated comic strip, ''Oaky Doaks''."
* Maria Goeppert Mayer (1906–1972), Nobel Prize-winning physicist * Buddy Hackett (1924–2003), comedian * Marvin Harris (1927–2001), anthropologist *
Richard Howell Richard Howell (October 25, 1754April 28, 1802) was the third governor of New Jersey from 1794 to 1801. Early life and military career Howell was born in Newark in the Colony of Delaware. He was a lawyer and soldier of the early United States ...
(born 1955), a freelance comics artist who drew the second series of
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...
' '' The Vision and the Scarlet Witch'', which was primarily set in Leonia * Toomas Hendrik Ilves (born 1953), President of Estonia *
Phil Jackson Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 a ...
(born 1945), basketball coach * Leland Jacobs (1907–1992), professor emeritus of education who was known for his education in the field of prose and poetry * Sid Jacobson (1929 - 2022) American comic books writer. He was managing editor and editor in chief for Harvey Comics. * Albert Journeay (1890–1972), football player who was captain of the
Penn Quakers football The Penn Quakers football program is the college football team at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The Penn Quakers have competed in the Ivy League since its inaugural season of 1956, and are a Division I Football Champion ...
team in 1914 *
Marshall Kay Marshall Kay (November 10, 1904 – September 4, 1975) was a geologist and professor at Columbia University. He is best known for his studies of the Ordovician of New York, Newfoundland, and Nevada, but his studies were global and he published ...
(1904–1975),
geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...
and professor at
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
* Marvin Kitman (born 1929), television critic, humorist, and author *
Bob Klapisch Roberto Salvador "Bob" Klapisch is a sportswriter for ''the Newark Star Ledger''. He has previously written for '' The New York Times'', '' New York Post'', ESPN, Fox Sports and '' New York Daily News'', and has written six books about baseball in ...
, sportswriter *
David Klass David Klass is an American screenwriter and novelist. He has written more than 40 screenplays for Hollywood studios and published 14 young adult novels. His screenplays are primarily character-based thrillers for adults, while his novels often te ...
,
screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...
and
novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire ...
*
Perri Klass Perri Klass (born 1958) is an American pediatrician and writer who has published extensively about her medical training and pediatric practice. Among her subjects have been the issues of women in medicine, relationships between doctors and patient ...
, pediatrician and writer who has published extensively about her medical training and pediatric practice * Dick Kryhoski (1925–2007), first baseman who played in Major League Baseball for five different teams between 1949 and 1955 * Willard Libby (1908–1980), Nobel Prize–winning scientist who played a lead role in the development of
radiocarbon dating Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. The method was de ...
* Robert Ludlum (1927–2001), author *
Philip Maneval Philip Maneval (born 1956) is an American composer and arts administrator. As a composer, Maneval has written more than 35 solo, chamber music and orchestral works which have been played by groups including the Chicago String Quartet and Miami ...
(born 1956), composer *
David Mansfield David Mansfield (born September 13, 1956) is an American musician and composer. Mansfield was raised in Leonia, New Jersey. His father, Newton Mansfield was a first violinist in the New York Philharmonic. David played guitar, pedal steel guita ...
(born 1956), stringed-instrument musician and composer *
Vera Maxwell Vera Huppe Maxwell (April 22, 1901 – January 15, 1995) was an American pioneering sportswear and fashion designer. Background and personal life Born Vera Huppe in The Bronx, Maxwell spent part of her childhood in Austria. She attended Leo ...
(1901–1995), fashion designer * John C. McCloy (1876–1945), sailor twice awarded the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
*
Bob McFadden Robert McFadden (January 19, 1923 – January 7, 2000) was an American singer, impressionist, and voice-over actor perhaps best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His most popular television cartoon characters included Mil ...
(1923–2000), voiceover actor * Boris Moishezon (1937–1993), mathematician * J. Vreeland Moore (1824–1903), brigadier general of the 1st New Jersey Regiment who played a major role in the borough's formation * Robert F. Murphy (1924–1990), anthropologist * Norman D. Newell (1909–2005), professor of
geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other Astronomical object, astronomical objects, the features or rock (geology), rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology ...
at
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, and chairman and curator of
invertebrate paleontology Invertebrate paleontology (also spelled invertebrate palaeontology) is sometimes described as invertebrate paleozoology or invertebrate paleobiology. Whether it is considered to be a subfield of paleontology, paleozoology, or paleobiology, this ...
at the
American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 int ...
* James Noble (1922–2016), actor * Christiane Noll (born 1968), singer and actress known for her work in musicals and on the concert stage * Frank C. Osmers Jr. (1907–1977), represented
New Jersey's 9th congressional district New Jersey's 9th congressional district is represented in Congress by Democrat Bill Pascrell, who resides in Paterson. Congressman Pascrell was first elected in 1996 from the old 8th district (prior to the 2010 census), defeating incumbent Wi ...
from 1939–1943 and 1951–1965 * Clara Elsene Peck (1883–1968),
illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complic ...
and painter known for her illustrations of women and children in the early 20th century * Mary Beth Peil (born 1940), actress *
Howard Post Howard "Howie" Post (November 2, 1926 – May 21, 2010) Alternate source: "'Dropouts' cartoonist Howard Post dies in NJ at 83", Associated Press via ''The Washington Post'', May 24, 2010 was an American animator, cartoonist, and comic strip and ...
(1926–2010), animator, cartoonist, and comic strip and comic book writer-artist, known for his syndicated newspaper comic strip ''The Dropouts''. *
Carmel Quinn Carmel Quinn (31 July 1925 – 6 March 2021) was an Irish-American entertainer who appeared on Broadway, television and radio after immigrating to the United States in 1954. Biography Quinn was born in July 1925 and educated in Dublin. Her fa ...
(1925–2021), singer *
Lucinda Rosenfeld Lucinda Rosenfeld (born December 31, 1969, in New York City) is an American novelist. Career Her first novel, ''What She Saw in Roger Mancuso, Gunter Hopstock, Jason Barry Gold, Spitty Clark, Jack Geezo, Humphrey Fung, Claude Duvet, Bruce Bled ...
(born 1969), novelist * Ben Ryan (1892–1968),
songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...
who wrote the music and lyrics to the popular song '' (The Gang that Sang) Heart of My Heart'' *
Giorgio Santelli ''Maestro'' Giorgio Santelli (25 November 1897 – 8 October 1985) was a fencer and fencing master who was part of the Italian team that won the gold medal in Fencing at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's team sabre, Men's team sabre at the 1 ...
(1897–1985), fencer and
fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, ...
master who was part of the Italian team that won the gold medal in Men's team sabre at the
1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...
and was the largest mid-20th century influence in raising the quality and popularity of fencing in the United States * Warner R. Schilling (1925–2013), political scientist and international relations scholar at Columbia University * Gene Shalit (born 1926), longtime film critic on network television * Willa Shalit (born 1955), artist, theatrical and television producer, photographer, author/editor, and social conscious entrepreneurKahn, Toby
"Gene Shalit's Daughter Willa Has Casts of Characters Ranging from Brooke Shields to President Reagan"
''
People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
'', February 10, 1986. Accessed December 28, 2017. "Even as a young girl growing up in Leonia, N.J., Willa was fascinated with faces."
* Arshavir Shirakian (1900–1973), Armenian writer who was noted for his assassination of
Said Halim Pasha Mehmed Said Halim Pasha ( ota, سعيد حليم پاشا ; tr, Sait Halim Paşa; 18 or 28 January 1865 or 19 February 1864 – 6 December 1921) was an Ottoman statesman of Albanian originDanişmend (1971), p. 102 who served as Grand Vizier o ...
and
Cemal Azmi Cemal Azmi (1868 – April 17, 1922), also spelled Jemal Azmi, was an Ottoman politician and governor of the Trebizond (now Trabzon) Vilayet (province) during World War I and the final years of the Ottoman Empire. He was one of the perpetr ...
as an act of vengeance for their roles in the
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily through t ...
* Ivory Sully (born 1957), NFL football player for
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
and
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
* Al B. Sure! (born 1968), singer, songwriter and producer *
David Syrett David Syrett (January 8, 1939 in White Plains, New York – October 18, 2004 in Leonia, New Jersey) was Distinguished Professor of History at Queens College, City University of New York in Flushing, New York, and a widely respected researcher and d ...
(1939–2004), Professor of History at
Queens College Queens College (QC) is a public college in the Queens borough of New York City. It is part of the City University of New York system. Its 80-acre campus is primarily located in Flushing, Queens. It has a student body representing more than 170 ...
and researcher and documentary editor on eighteenth-century British naval history and the Battle of the Atlantic during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
*
Harold Urey Harold Clayton Urey ( ; April 29, 1893 – January 5, 1981) was an American physical chemist whose pioneering work on isotopes earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934 for the discovery of deuterium. He played a significant role in th ...
(1893–1981), Nobel Prize–winning chemistStaff
"3 Nobel Winners for Town"
''
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 ...
'', November 4, 1960. Accessed March 30, 2011.
* Henry S. Walbridge (1801–1869), member of the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from New York who served from 1851 to 1852 * Lyndon Woodside (1935–2005), 10th conductor of the
Oratorio Society of New York The Oratorio Society of New York is a not-for-profit membership organization that performs choral music in the oratorio style. Founded in 1873 by conductor Leopold Damrosch and is the third oldest musical organization in New York City. The Society h ...


In popular culture

Leonia briefly served as the home of
Scarlet Witch Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 19 ...
and Vision in several
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...
storylines from the 1980s, mainly in '' The Vision and the Scarlet Witch'' series, the second of which was drawn by Leonia resident
Richard Howell Richard Howell (October 25, 1754April 28, 1802) was the third governor of New Jersey from 1794 to 1801. Early life and military career Howell was born in Newark in the Colony of Delaware. He was a lawyer and soldier of the early United States ...
. This domestic storyline was later loosely adapted in the 2021 TV series '' WandaVision'', although the location was changed to the fictional town of Westview, New Jersey.


See also

*
List of U.S. cities with significant Korean-American populations Cities with significant Korean American populations represent municipalities with critical masses of Korean Americans in their total urban or suburban populations. Information is based on the 2005-2009 American Community Survey or as specified in ...


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. * Karels, Carol
''Leonia''
Images of America Series, Arcadia Publishing, 2002. . * Mattingly, Paul H
''Suburban Landscapes: Culture and Politics in a New York Metropolitan Community''
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. . * 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


Leonia official website

Leonia Public Schools
*
School Data for the Leonia Public Schools
National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district financ ...

Leonia website that has easy access to Leonia official website, fire department, ambulance corps, and public schools

Information about programs and initiatives in Leonia, New Jersey
{{Authority control 1894 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in Bergen County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1894