Leonia, New Jersey
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Leonia is a borough located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2000 census, the borough had a total population of 8,914. It is located near the western approach to the George Washington Bridge.
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Geography
Leonia is located at 40°51'48" North, 73°59'18" West (40.863413, -73.988273)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 4.2 km² (1.6 mi²). 3.9 km² (1.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 7.41% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 8,914 people, 3,271 households, and 2,436 families residing in the borough. The population density is 2,279.3/km² (5,921.3/mi²). There are 3,343 housing units at an average density of 854.8/km² (2,220.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough is 65.74% White, 2.27% African American, 0.09% Native American, 26.06% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.20% from other races, and 2.64% from two or more races. 12.73% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 3,271 households out of which 36.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% are married couples living together, 9.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% are non-families. 22.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.72 and the average family size is 3.20.
In the borough the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough is $72,440, and the median income for a family is $84,591. Males have a median income of $55,156 versus $38,125 for females. The per capita income for the borough is $35,352. 6.5% of the population and 5.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.0% of those under the age of 18 and 1.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Notable Leonians
During much of the 20th century Leonia's location, small size, and culture attracted a large number of academics and artists of all kinds. For this reason Leonia is sometimes referred to as "the Athens of New Jersey".
For instance, in 1890 land owners began marketing plots in Leonia to professors at nearby Columbia University. Another example is the opening in 1915 of the Leonia School of Illustration by Harvey Dunn, and the artists' colony that subsequently emerged over the next decade.
Some notable people who lived in Leonia during part or all of their career:
- physicist Enrico Fermi
- paleontologist Edwin Colbert
- illustrator Harvey Dunn
- painter Grant Reynard
- actor Alan Alda
- actor Freddie Bartholomew
- actor James Noble
- singer Carmel Quinn
- television film critic Gene Shalit
- newspaper columnist Marvin Kitman
- dance critic Arlene Croce
- author Robert Ludlum
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Some notable people who grew up in Leonia:
- Estonian political figure Toomas Hendrik Ilves
- musician David Mansfield
- composer Philip Maneval
- author Perri Klass
- sportswriter Bob Klapisch
- NFL player Ivory Sully
See also
- Mattingly, Paul H. Suburban Landscapes: Culture and Politics in a New York Metropolitan Community. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8018-6680-4.
- Karel, Carol Leonia Images of America Series, Arcadia Pub., 2002. ISBN 0-7385-0973-6
External links
- Leonia official website (http://www.leonianj.gov/)