Hometown of The Sopranos Star James Gandolfini
Facts on Park Ridge, NJ, from a resident
In a recent conversation with my friend, she mistook The Sopranos for being set entirely in New York. My inner New Jerseyian came out as I corrected her: “It’s actually based in New Jersey. James Gandolfini went to my high school, you know.”
Famous names
I grew up in Park Ridge, NJ, just like Gandolfini, but haven’t watched a lick of the show. All I know is that there’s a plaque in my old high school dedicated to him and an intersection called “James Gandolfini Way.” Other than that, I don’t know much about the guy. But I know a good deal about my hometown.
Another famous name, Richard Nixon, also ended up in Park Ridge. He lived in a gated community after his presidency, something my old history teacher used to always remind us of, called the Bear’s Nest.
I’ve only been in the community once. Dropping off a freshman who had the nerve to say to the security guard, as he rode in my backseat, “She’s with me.” That told me all I needed to know about Bear’s Nest residents.
Location
Park Ridge is a small town. With only 2.61 sq miles, it contains a few chain restaurants, about five bagel shops, at least two large apartment complexes, two elementary schools, three pizzerias, and one Dunkin’ Donuts around the corner from my house. Not much to brag about.
Many of my high school friends characterized it as living in a “bubble.” I disagree. If you only stay within the limits of the town, then sure, but none of us did that. One of the most diverse, unique cities in the United States is in our backyard: New York City. We could break out of that bubble with only a train or car ride. Plus, the famous Jersey shore was only a forty-five-minute drive.
Tax Bracket
According to the U.S. census, the median household income in Park Ridge is $168,269, which you could tell just by living there. The side streets got plowed when snow hit, police dutifully patrolled the streets, and most of the block hired people to mow the lawn.
Some other telling factors were when my classmate got a red convertible for her 16th birthday, the west side of town had McMansions, and I realized my dad was a CFO and a CCO.
But my friends were down-to-earth people. Not everyone got red convertibles, but most of us still got cars. We were able to have pocket change if we asked. Only a select few ascended the middle class in our town, and we didn’t hang out with them.
Overall
While you can search for facts about Park Ridge, you’ll never get the full experience unless you become a resident (or ask someone like me). I’ve worked as a camp counselor, tanned at the town pool, studied at Park Ridge High School, and explored the backroads when I first got my driver’s license. We still experienced normal hardships but were shielded from harsher ones.
I don’t know if Gandolfini enjoyed the same things I did. Maybe he got pizza and bagels, the most New Jersey thing to do, from the same places I did. I do know he graced the stage of Park Ridge High School, which I also did twice in my high school career. At the very least, we can both say that we were raised in a small town called Park Ridge in northern New Jersey.
