Oakland was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1902, from portions of Franklin Township (now Wyckoff).[23][24] The name comes from the white oak trees in the area.[25]
From the 1940s through the end of the 1960s a summer bungalow colony was developed in a valley in West Oakland on the Ramapo River. This was a refuge for a close-knit group of several score families from the summer heat of New York City and urban New Jersey. During the summer months, the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad provided service at a West Oakland passenger station. This colony was located on the road between Oakland and Pompton Lakes, near a training camp for boxers. In the early morning, a resident could see Joe Louis or Sugar Ray Robinson, among others, running past the summer homes.[citation needed]
One section of streets in the town are named after Native American tribes and Native American first names. Now considered politically incorrect, the borough had a wooden sign posted downtown that read "Once there was [sic] Indians all over this place" which had been donated by a resident who insisted on the wording of the sign as having been a quotation from an author.[27]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 8.77 square miles (22.71 km2), including 8.50 square miles (22.02 km2) of land and 0.27 square miles (0.69 km2) of water (3.06%).[1][2]
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Ramapo Lake and Rotten Pond.[28]
Of the 4,335 households, 39.8% had children under the age of 18; 71.3% were married couples living together; 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 17.7% were non-families. Of all households, 14.3% were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.22.[20]
26.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.9 males.[20]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $111,390 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,160) and the median family income was $114,973 (+/− $7,378). Males had a median income of $82,750 (+/− $6,931) versus $59,349 (+/− $7,903) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $43,651 (+/− $3,082). About 0.7% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.[39]
Same-sex couples headed 21 households in 2010, an increase from the 18 counted in 2000.[40]
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census[17] there were 12,466 people, 4,255 households, and 3,565 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,448.9 inhabitants per square mile (559.4/km2). There were 4,345 housing units at an average density of 505.0 per square mile (195.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.76% White, 0.78% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.70% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.87% of the population.[37][38]
There were 4,255 households, out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.4% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.2% were non-families. 12.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.15.[37][38]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.[37][38]
The median income for a household in the borough was $86,629, and the median income for a family was $93,695. Males had a median income of $62,336 versus $41,092 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,252. About 0.9% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.[37][38]
Economy
Oakland's downtown shopping area is along Ramapo Valley Road (U.S. Route 202), with the Copper Tree Mall being the borough's largest single retail establishment.[41]
There are a few industrial parks in Oakland, the biggest of which is off Long Hill Road near the Franklin Lakes border.[42] The Oakland-McBride Center is the home of Royle Systems Group and of Topcon Medical Systems's United States operations.[43]
Recreation is run by an all-volunteer nine-member Recreation Commission. All members are appointed by the mayor for a five-year term. There are a number of municipal recreational facilities in Oakland. The largest is a recreational area located off Oak Street, known to residents simply as the "Rec Field," but formally known as the Alexander Potash Recreation Complex, which is home to nine baseball and softball fields, six tennis courts, a roller hockey rink, basketball courts, and other facilities.[45]
Camp Tamarack, which was a year round camp operated by the Boy Scouts of America from the late 1920s until the mid-1980s, sits abandoned off of Skyline Drive. The camp ceased all activities and was taken over by the Bergen County park system in 1998.[47] Many of the structures in the camp have been torn down, but some remain standing. Oakland is the current location of the headquarters of the Northern New Jersey Council.[48]
The Rec Field is home to the annual carnival and fireworks that take place during the summer.
Oakland offers a summer camp which runs for six weeks, as well as a "safety camp" for children entering kindergarten at Manito, Dogwood, or Heights.[49]
Crystal Lake Beach Club is a private beach club open Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day weekend; purchase of a membership is required to use the site's facilities.
Holiday Bowl, located on Spruce Street, provides a facility for the high school bowling team, hosts a local league, and rents lanes by the hour.
Government
Local government
Oakland is governed under the borough 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.[50] The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at large on a partisan basis during 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.[7] The borough form of government used by Oakland 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 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.[51][52][53]
As of 2024[update], the mayor of the Borough of Oakland is Republican Eric Kulmala, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Oakland Borough Council are Council President Steve Saliani (R, 2024), John J. McCann (R, 2025), Pat Pignatelli (R, 2023), Kevin F. Slasinski (R, 2025) and Russ Talamini (R, 2023), and Jodi Goffredo (R, 2024).[3][54][55][56][57][58]
In February 2021, the borough council selected Kevin Slasinksi from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Robert Knapp until he resigned from office the previous month.[59]
Emergency services
The Oakland Fire Department is an all-volunteer squad established in 1909 that came under the supervision of the borough in 1911. There are three firehouses in Oakland. The central station is located on Yawpo Avenue just off Ramapo Valley Road in downtown Oakland.[60]
There is one police station and it is located on Ramapo Valley Road across from the intersection with Walnut Street.[61]
Federal, state, and county representation
Oakland is located in the 9th Congressional District[62] and is part of New Jersey's 39th state legislative district.[63][64][65]
Bergen County is governed by a directly elected County Executive, with legislative functions performed by a Board of County Commissioners composed of seven members who are elected at-large to three-year terms in partisan elections on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each November; a Chairman and Vice Chairman are selected from among its seven members at a reorganization meeting held every January. As of 2024[update], the county executive is James J. Tedesco III (D, Paramus), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2026.[74]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 8,542 registered voters in Oakland, of which 1,718 (20.1% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,700 (31.6% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 4,116 (48.2% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 8 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[98] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 67.0% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 90.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).[98][99]
In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 3,727 votes (53.7% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 2,872 votes (41.4% vs. 54.2%) and other candidates with 336 votes (4.8% vs. 4.6%), among the 7,013 ballots cast by the borough's 9,233 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.0% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County).[100] In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 3,631 votes (55.4% vs. 43.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,845 votes (43.4% vs. 54.8%) and other candidates with 80 votes (1.2% vs. 0.9%), among the 6,555 ballots cast by the borough's 8,952 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.2% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County).[101][102] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 3,900 votes (54.9% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 3,082 votes (43.4% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 60 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 7,106 ballots cast by the borough's 8,974 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.2% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County).[103][104] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 3,938 votes (57.3% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 2,864 votes (41.7% vs. 51.7%) and other candidates with 46 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 6,867 ballots cast by the borough's 8,588 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.0% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).[105]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 67.5% of the vote (2,746 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 31.3% (1,275 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (49 votes), among the 4,129 ballots cast by the borough's 8,623 registered voters (59 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.9%.[106][107] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 2,553 votes (54.3% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,776 votes (37.8% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 312 votes (6.6% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 23 votes (0.5% vs. 0.5%), among the 4,702 ballots cast by the borough's 8,782 registered voters, yielding a 53.5% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).[108]
Education
Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Oakland Public Schools. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,326 students and 130.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.1:1.[109] Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[110]) are
Dogwood Hill Elementary School[111] with 241 students in grades K-5,
Heights Elementary School[112] with 357 students in grades K-5, Accessed February 14, 2024.</ref>
Manito Elementary School[113] with 256 students in grades K-5 and
Valley Middle School[114] with 440 students in grades 6-8.[115][116][117]
Students in ninth through twelfth grades for public school attend the schools of the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, a regional district serving students from Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff.[118][119] Students entering the district as freshmen have the option to attend either of the district's high schools, subject to a choice made during eighth grade.[120][121] Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[122]) are
Indian Hills High School, located in Oakland[123] with 736 students and
Ramapo High School, located in Franklin Lakes[124] with 1,243 students.[125] The district's nine-member board of education oversees the operation of the district; seats on the board are allocated based on population, with three of the nine seats allocated to Oakland.[126] Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff (FLOW district) approved the creation of a regional high school in 1954, with Ramapo High School (in Franklin Lakes) opened in 1957 and Indian Hills High School in 1960.[citation needed]
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 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.[127][128]
Private schools include Barnstable Academy, a college preparatory school for students in fifth through twelfth grades located in a business and industrial park off Long Hill Road;[129]The New Jersey Japanese School, which serves Japanese expatriates to prepare them for the Japanese educational system when the students eventually return to Japan, located next to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church;[130] and the Gerrard Berman Day School (Solomon Schechter of North Jersey), a Jewish day school for students in preschool through eighth grade, located on Spruce Street.[131]
Awards
Oakland was ranked 43rd by Business Week on its list of "Great Places to Raise Kids—for Less", with only two places in New Jersey ranked higher than Oakland: Matawan (12th) and Echelon a neighborhood near Philadelphia (4th). The criteria were test scores in math and reading, number of schools, cost of living, recreational and cultural activities, and risk of crime.[132]
In 2013, Oakland was ranked by New Jersey Monthly as #1 for Young Families: "...Oakland is woodsy and a bit remote, but its midsize homes, good schools and low crime rate make it popular with young families."
Transportation
Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], Oakland had a total of 67.62 miles (108.82 km) of roadways, of which 54.95 miles (88.43 km) were maintained by the borough, 9.45 miles (15.21 km) by Bergen County and 3.22 miles (5.18 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[133]
WVNJ AM-1160 is licensed to Oakland.[145]
Oakland Patch provides hyperlocal content about news and events in Oakland, as part of the Patch Media network.[146] The Franklin Lakes / Oakland Suburban News is published weekly, with additional news available online in conjunction with The Record.[147] The Oakland Journal is an online hyper-local news source that covers local political, civic and social events.[148] The borough also has its own Communications Commission[149] which publishes a monthly e-newsletter and operates its own local access television channel, Oakland TV[150] (airing on optimum Channel 77, which can be seen within the borough and also on Verizon fios Channel 45, which can be seen throughout western Bergen County) among other responsibilities.
Peter "Produce Pete" Napolitano (born 1945), grocer known for his television news produce segments and as a spokesman for the Pathmark supermarket chain who owns Napolitano's Produce in the borough[164]
^ abMayor & Council, Borough of Oakland. Accessed January 9, 2024. "The Governing Body consists of the Mayor, who is elected for a four-year term, and six (6) Councilmembers who are elected for three-year terms. The Mayor is considered the CEO and only votes in the case of a tie."
^Spiewak, Anna. "Lots to offer at a reasonable cost", The Record, October 24, 2009. Accessed December 26, 2011. "Ramapo Valley Road (Route 202) is considered the main street in the borough, around which the downtown core is centered. The Copper Tree Mall, a strip mall with a small indoor section, is the dominant retail location."
^Horsley, Carter B. "Industrial Zones Gain New Stature", The New York Times, September 20, 1981. Accessed December 26, 2011. "The company has another mixed-use development straddling the border between Oakland and Franklin Lakes in New Jersey where it is building 80 single-family homes on one-acre lots next to the 200-acre Oakland McBride Office and Technical Center."
^Verostek, Michael. "Kwartler Associates Sell Oakland-McBride Center for $12M: BD Oakland Partners Purchases Oakland Flex". May 4, 2011. Accessed December 26, 2011. "Kwartler Associates, Inc., the Wladwick-based asset management corporation, sold Oakland-McBride Center, a 121,000-square-foot flex building located at 11 Bauer Drive in Oakland, NJ to BD Oakland Partners, LP for about $12 million, or about $100 per square foot. Oakland-McBride Center, constructed in 1972, is the headquarters of fiber optics provider Royle Systems Group, and US headquarters of optical device manufacturer Topcon Medical Systems, a subsidiary of Topcon Corporation."
^Verdon, Joan. "Kid Brands CEO resigns, board chair takes helm", The Record, September 12, 2011. Accessed December 26, 2011. "Crain was at the helm of the company as it changed its name for Russ Berrie and Co. to Kid Brands, and relocated its headquarters twice, first from Oakland to Wayne, and then to East Rutherford, where the newly streamlined company had 10 employees."
^Camp Tamarack, NY-NJ-CT Botany Online. Accessed October 29, 2013. "1998 -- the camp was purchased from the boy scouts by Bergen County N.J. and by Oakland N.J. with the aid of state funds."
^Service Center location, Boys Scouts of America, Northern New Jersey Council. Accessed October 29, 2013.
^Guide to a Borough Council Meeting, Borough of Oakland. Accessed May 31, 2024. "Oakland is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The Governing Body consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprised of six members who are elected at-large on a basis. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The six Borough Council members serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year during the November General Election."
^Borough Council Regular Meeting Minutes for February 24, 2021, Borough of Oakland. Accessed May 3, 2022. "WHEREAS, Robert Knapp resigned as a Council member on February 2, 2021; and WHEREAS, on February 16, 2021 the Republican County Committee submitted the names of three nominees for a successor to fill Mr. Knapp’s vacancy; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Oakland has considered the nominees and desire to make an appointment in accordance with N.J.S.A.40A:16-11; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Oakland that Kevin Slasinksi is hereby appointed Council person for the Borough of Oakland as successor to Robert Knapp"
^History, Oakland Fire Department. Accessed October 4, 2019. "It needs to be noted that the initial formation of the fire department in 1909 was a serious but informal affair and would not be officially associated with Oakland for another 2 1/2 years. In December, 1911 the Oakland Volunteer Fire Department was officially born with the passage of an ordinance by the mayor and council establishing it as a formal part of this borough."
^Salant, Jonathan D. "Big change, N.J.! 1.4M shifting to another congressional district. Use our tracker before voting.", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 31, 2022. Accessed December 8, 2022. "But now more than 1.4 million residents are moving due to new district lines drawn by New Jersey’s independent redistricting commission to reflect population shifts under the 2020 census.... Redistricting will shift 106 municipalities — nearly one in five — into new congressional districts.... Moving from the 5th District, currently represented by Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer, to the 9th District, represented by Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. - Franklin Lakes, Lodi, Oakland, Rochelle Park"
^Biography, Congressman Bill Pascrell. Accessed January 3, 2019. "A native son of Paterson, N.J., Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. has built a life of public service upon the principles he learned while growing up on the south side of the Silk City."
^Cattafi, Kristie. "Democrats pick Bergenfield councilman to fill vacancy on Bergen County commissioners board", The Record, March 13, 2023. Accessed March 16, 2023. "A Democratic councilman from Bergenfield will be sworn in as a Bergen County commissioner Wednesday night, filling a vacancy on the governing body for almost 1 million residents. Rafael Marte will serve until Dec. 31, taking on the unexpired term left by former Commissioner Ramon Hache, a Democrat who resigned last week to lead the Ridgewood YMCA as its chief executive officer."
^Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. Accessed March 16, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades nine through twelve in the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. Composition: The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Wyckoff."
^Van Dusen, Matthew. "Ramapo-Indian Hills schools chief to retire.", The Record, October 24, 2007. Accessed March 16, 2020. "Later, parents of Oakland students protested their lack of choice, and students in Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes and Oakland can now attend either school."
^Board Members, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. Accessed March 16, 2020. "The Board of Education is comprised of nine citizens who are elected by the public in the November general election. Each member serves a three year term. Representatives are elected from each of the constituent districts based on population. Currently, there are four representatives from Wyckoff, three from Oakland and two from Franklin Lakes."
^About, Barnstable Academy. Accessed October 29, 2013. "Barnstable Academy is a college-prep private school for students in grades 5-12. Here, bright students and diverse learners receive individualized attention in a safe environment and are given the tools and confidence to achieve their highest possible academic and personal achievement."
^Hanley, Robert. "Freight Line To Restore Passengers", The New York Times, June 7, 1992. Accessed October 19, 2016. "N.J. Transit would use the tracks under an agreement with the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway Corporation of Cooperstown, N.Y. Possible New York LinkThe new line would veer from the existing Bergen County Main Line in Hawthorne and run for about 30 miles through Midland Park, Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes and Oakland in western Bergen County; Pompton Lakes, Riverdale, Butler, Bloomingdale, Newfoundland and Oak Ridge in Passaic and Morris County, and then into Stockholm and Beaver Lake, two hamlets in eastern Sussex County, about an hour's ride from Hoboken."
^Torrejon, Rodrigo. "Toys For Tots train to stop in Oakland, Wyckoff and Midland Park", Franklin Lakes - Oakland Suburban News, December 3, 2015. Accessed October 19, 2016. "Oakland will be one of eight stops that day on the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYSW) at Route 202 and West Oakland Avenue to collect toys gathered by various agencies for the Marine charity."
^O'Toole, Mike. "NJ & NY Toys For Tots trains: December 6, 7, 13, 14 2014", United Railroad Historical Society News Blog, October 31, 2014, backed up by the Internet Archive as of March 4, 2016. Accessed July 8, 2018. "On Saturday, December 6th, the train will stop in Rochelle Park, Hawthorne, Wortendyke, Wyckoff, Oakland, Pompton Lakes, and Butler along the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway."
^Spelling, Ian. "Ennui Enterprise: Oakland native Jonathan Ames strikes gold with Bored to Death", (201) magazine, June 1, 2011. Accessed September 12, 2015. "Ames' years in Oakland, he notes, helped shape his life and career path. His mother was a teacher and a poet, and his father was a salesman and a voracious reader. He studied at Indian Hills High School."
^Barone, Matt. "Happy to Be 'Bored to Death'", Inside Jersey, April 6, 2011. Accessed September 12, 2015. "The prolific 47-year-old writer was born and raised in Oakland, where he attended Indian Hills High School."
^Staff. "Roger Baldwin, 97, Is Dead; Crusader For Civil Rights Founded The A.C.L.U.", The New York Times, August 27, 1981. Accessed May 16, 2016. "Roger Baldwin, who founded the American Civil Liberties Union in 1920 and crusaded for the causes of freedom at home and abroad, died yesterday of heart failure in Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J. He was 97 years old and lived in Oakland, N.J."
^Assemblywoman DeAnne DeFuccio, New Jersey Assembly Republicans. Accessed December 9, 2022. "A lifelong resident of Bergen County, she was born in Oakland and grew up in Franklin Lakes. Her grandfather, William F. Kelly, represented Hudson County in the state Senate for 16 years."
^Levin, Jay. "Casting director Louis DiGiaimo of Oakland dies at 77", The Record, December 22, 2015. Accessed May 25, 2016. "Louis DiGiaimo of Oakland, a casting director who worked on blockbuster movies and who recommended a relatively unknown Brad Pitt for a role in the classic road flick Thelma & Louise, died Saturday.... Mr. DiGiaimo, a 42-year resident of Oakland, is survived by his wife of 53 years; his children, Luann McGonigle of Ramsey and Louis J. DiGiaimo of Cedar Run; a brother, Paul DiGiaimo of Florida; and six grandchildren."
^Mitgang, Herbert. "Madge Evans, Stage-Film Actress", The New York Times, April 28, 1981. Accessed May 25, 2016. "Madge Evans, a popular actress who frequently portrayed the cleancut, decent American woman in films and on stage during the 30s, died of cancer Sunday night at her home in Oakland, N.J., where she had lived for many years with her husband, the playwright Sidney Kingsley."
^Flint, Peter B. "Sidney Kingsley, Playwright, Is Dead at 88; Creator of Dead End and Men in White", The New York Times, March 21, 1995. Accessed May 25, 2016. "Sidney Kingsley, who brought the gritty drama of mean city streets into the theater in plays including Dead End and Detective Story and who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1933 for his first Broadway play, Men in White, died yesterday at his home in Oakland, N.J."
^Longsdorf, Amy. "N.J. writer puts her mark on Hollywood", The Record, July 20, 2009. Accessed August 4, 2011. "Screenwriter and former Oakland resident Karen McCullah Lutz is the first to admit she owes New Jersey a big debt of gratitude. Spending four years at Indian Hills High School sparked her love of Springsteen and the Paramus Park Mall, but Lutz is particularly grateful for an even more lasting Garden State gift."
^Klein, Alvin. "Silver Screen is Gold for Bergen Youth", The New York Times, December 20, 1981. Accessed October 19, 2016. "Oakland... The young actor, who lives in this Bergen County community, considers himself, at 15, a 'veteran of show business'... Having finished three more films since On Golden Pond, Doug is in what he calls a 'hiatus,' which means that he's back in Indian Hills High School as a sophomore and taking exams, instead of traveling around with a tutor."
^Bloom, Susan. "Growth Stock: Produce Pete explains why Jersey produce beats all.", New Jersey Monthly, March 14, 2011. Accessed September 12, 2015. "The Jersey born and raised fruit-and-vegetable guru affectionately known as Produce Pete is as authentic as his Bergen County roots and the Garden State produce he proudly promotes.... Though officially retired from the grueling 20-hour workdays of his retail operation, the 66-year-old Oakland resident still relishes the opportunity to help people navigate their local produce aisle or farmer's market."
^Staff. "Oakland's Mike Teel cut by Seattle Seahawks", The Record, May 20, 2010. Accessed February 22, 2011. "Teel, an Oakland native, was a sixth-round draft choice of Seattle in 2009 after his record-setting career at Rutgers."
^Rosenthal, Andrew. "For the Soviet Emigres, Gorbachev Stirs Both Optimism and Skepticism", The New York Times, December 5, 1987. Accessed May 25, 2016. "Valentin Turchin, who teaches computer sciences at the City College of New York and lives in Oakland, N.J., said: 'Both sides of Gorbachev's new era must be stressed. What he says is significant and unprecedented, but at the same time, it should be seen only as a beginning. In addition, we generally have the impression that during the last months, things have started curving down.'"
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.