Wayne, NJ

Located less than 20 miles from midtown Manhattan, the township of Wayne was originally inhabited by the Lenni Lenape Indians. In the 18th and 19th centuries it developed into a farming community, and the Morris Canal carried produce to markets. By the late 1800s, the railroad had arrived and Wayne became a vacation spot for wealthy New Yorkers.

The township is named for Anthony Wayne, a gentleman farmer and tanner who was well one of General George Washington's most trusted generals in the American Revolution. Wayne is a suburban community with a population of 54,000. Its schools are highly ranked and it is home to several historic sites and museums, as well as more than 1,000 acres of outdoor trails and several lakes.

Wayne has been home to a number of well-known residents, including Cecil B. DeMille, Queen Latifah, and Tom Cruise, as well as Preakness, the horse for whom the annual race is named. The movies Imaginary Heroes and Broken Flowers were filmed here, as well as some scenes from The Sopranos. At least three times, CNN Money Magazine has ranked Wayne as one of the 100 best places to live in the United States.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Wayne is a retail center with three major shopping centers within its limits. Routes 23, 46 and 80, as well as the Paterson Hamburg Turnpike, run through the township. Wayne is home to Valley National Bank and Toys "R" Us corporate headquarters. The majority of its residents work in professional, management and sales-related occupations.

Some of the most common industries for the residents of Wayne include educational services, health care, social assistance, management and administrative and waste management. Wayne has an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent.

Major employers include the Guard Union Company, U.S. Intec, Geoffrey Inc., and Valley National Bancorp.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Property taxes are high, but Wayne's proximity to both the natural settings and to New York City makes it a desirable place to live. The township's excellent public school system adds to the appeal.

All of the population in the city of Wayne is urban. Neighborhoods and districts of Wayne accommodate around 19,000 houses, of which more than 18,000 are occupied. Of the occupied houses, around 80 percent are owner-occupied. The median home price in Wayne is much higher than the statewide median price.

Some of the prominent areas of Wayne include:

• Pines Lake is a lake community with several beaches and outdoor activities, including swimming, tennis, and sailboating. The neighborhood comprises more than 500 mid- to high-end suburban homes.
• Packanack Lake is an affluent community that comprises several residential neighborhoods and the Packanack Lake Country Club.
• Preakness is an area that is legendary in the horse racing world. A colt named Preakness, for whom the Preakness Stakes Thoroughbred horse race is named, was owned by a stable in Wayne.

SHOPPING

• Willowbrook Mall contains 200 stores, including national chains and department stores, such as Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Lord & Taylor, as well as a food court and restaurants. Fountains of Wayne, a major pop band, took its name from a lawn ornament store located here.
• Wayne Hills Mall, unlike the other two malls in Wayne, is located a short distance away from major highways. Its stores include Kmart and Burlington Coat Factory.
• Wayne Towne Center is an annex of Willowbrook Mall, containing JCPenney, Loehmann's, Borders Books, and Fortunoff.

FAMILY FUN

• High Mountain Park Preserve: One of the largest tracts of forested open space in the New York area, High Mountain Park Preserve contains more than 460 species of plants on more than 1,000 acres. This is a day park only; camping, hunting, trapping, and fishing are prohibited.
• Ice Vault Ice Rink: In addition to public skating, this rink offers hockey programs and ice skating classes for all levels.
• Terhune Memorial Park-Sunnybank: This park, overlooking Pompton Lake, consists of nearly 10 acres of pre-Revolutionary War oak trees. Notably, it was an encampment for the Van Cortlandt Regiment during the American Revolution. It is named for Albert Payson Terhune, author of the Lad series of books, who bred the famous Sunnybank collies in the early 1900s.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Visitors need to make an appointment to tour some of Wayne's historic houses, many of which have been converted into museums by the city's Historical Commission. Other historical houses now serve as private residences or businesses. Some of the township's landmarks include:

• Dey Mansion/Washington's Headquarters Museum: This mansion, built by the Dey family, was used as General George Washington's headquarters in 1780, when the British made continuous raids on New Jersey. Purchased by the city of Wayne in 1930, the house has been restored to its original Revolutionary War-era condition.
• Mead-Van Duyne Historic House Museum: Dating back to 1740, this impressive house is on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Preakness Reformed Church Cemetery: Wayne's only public cemetery, Preakness Cemetery dates back to 1798. Many of its headstones bear the names of significant figures in Wayne's history.
• Schuyler-Colfax Historic House Museum: Wayne's oldest home, it was built around 1700 and passed down through eight generations. Now, the house contains artifacts from each generation.
• Van Riper-Hopper Historic House Museum: Built in 1786, this New Jersey Dutch colonial house is on both the state and national registers of historic sites. Once a farmstead, it takes visitors back to Wayne's early days as a farming community. Tour its historical herb garden and archaeology laboratory. Five of its rooms, containing period furniture, are open for viewing, and it also contains the Wayne Museum, which offers historic skills classes and an annual paint-a-pumpkin festival. It is located on the same property as the Mead-Van Duyne House.

EDUCATION

Wayne is home to William Paterson University, a public university with approximately 11,000 students. It is mainly a commuter school, with the majority of its students living off-campus. The university has 12 intercollegiate sports teams, including NCAA teams in men's baseball and women's softball.

In addition, Wayne is home to a campus of Passaic County Community College.

LOCAL MEDIA

Wayne Today is one of the larger twice-weekly newspapers in the New York area.