Bill Ciandella, a salesman for Wonder Bread, moved his family from Ridgefield Park in 1989 into a house of his dreams. He's especially fond of the porch he built. Ciandella, who has three daughters and coaches one of them in softball, says the school system is one of the borough's appeals. His brother Mark, a landscaper, began visiting, took to liking the neighborhood, and moved in around the corner. While his porch is one of the more elaborately designed, with pink and white posts supporting the roof, it is similar to dozens of others in the borough in that it features the American flag.
Some homeowners are veterans, and others simply feel patriotic.
But homeowners also distinguish their homes with banners featuring images of everything from ladybugs to cartoon characters to flowers to insignias of professional sports teams. The water also gives the town its identity. Dennis Stankiewicz, who arrived six years ago from Paterson, loves Pompton Lake, and the chance to fish from his boat. I can sneak here, fish for an hour, an hour and a half. If I have to go back, and need access to my computer, I can do it.