communityprof.jpg (4752 bytes)


Alpine

Alpine is a small rural community offering prestige and privacy, an easy commute to the financial capital of the world and three major airports, an excellent school system, extremely low taxes and an extraordinary sense of community pride.  The average home sale price ranked amongst the highest in the nation.

Back to Top

 


Bergenfield

During most of its nearly 300 years of existence as a community, Bergenfield bore the name Shraalenburg.  In 1873 Jersey City and Albany Railroad, the first to operate through the community, decided to build a station in the southern half of Shraalenburg.  It asked the residents to name the station.  Several mass meetings produced frustration, but no name.  The exasperated railroad officials on the day before the first trains were scheduled to run sent a ticket imprint "Bergen Fields".  When the borough was incorporated its leaders modified it to the more urban "Bergenfield".  The Borough of Bergenfield was incorporated on June 25, 1894.  It is one of the 256 boroughs in New Jersey for which the state has set no standards of size, population, or other characteristics.  The Bergenfield municipal government derives all its powers from state statutes and operated under title 40 of the Revised State Statutes and the New Jersey State Constitution of 1947.

Back to Top

 


Closter

Indians of the Lenni Lenape tribe occupied the land now called CLOSTER.  They were displaced by the Europeans, predominantly the Dutch.  For 200 years Dutch was the common language.   Most of the colonial architecture in the Hudson River Valley was Dutch in origin and over 20 of these original homes still remain and are used by Closter residents.   No other town in Bergen County boasts so great a concentration of houses built in or prior to 1740.  In 1904 the borough of Closter was incorporated and present town boundaries were established encompassing 3.31 square miles with 150 acres of reservoirs and streams.

Back to Top

 

Cresskill

Cresskill has much history within its 2 square miles.  Camp Merritt was built during World War I as a major Army distribution site.   The monument which stands tall at the intersection of Madison Avenue and Knickerbocker Road is a memorial and serves as a famous marker.  Conveniently located to major highways and eight miles to the George Washington Bridge makes this town very desirable.  The borough of Cresskill is special in its blend of people and their strong support of town activities.   Cresskill is unique and its townspeople are proud to call it home.

Back to Top

 

Demarest

Demarest, only 2.5 square miles, is a small, affluent, friendly bedroom community just eight miles from the George Washington Bridge, nestled around the Tenakill Brook Duck Pond and the 19th century Railroad Station.   It is bordered on the north by Closter, the south by Cresskill, the west by Haworth and the east by Alpine.  Most new residents are professionals or business executives who like the small town charm, peaceful atmosphere, fine schools and the simple commute to New York.

Back to Top

 

Dumont

Dumont's corporate existence as a borough dates back to July 19, 1894 when a certificate of incorporation was filed under the name "Borough of Schraalenburg", by which the area known as Dumont seceded territorially and politically from Old Palisades Township and perpetuated the Holland Dutch name by which the neighborhood embracing the present "Twin Borough" of Bergenfield and Dumont had been known since the time of the early settlers.  The Borough's name changed in 1898 in honor of the First Mayor, Dumont Clarke.  Houses with historical background remain as landmarks from Colonial days and can still be found in Dumont, such as the Albert Zabriskie house built about 1750.   It is part of the Dutch Colonial stone house at Number 2 Colonial Court, and is the oldest structure still standing in Dumont  and registered by the American Historical Society.

Back to Top

 

Englewood

Englewood's population is far more diverse than that of most suburbs, including many of its Bergen County neighbors.  Occupations range from highly paid professions to unskilled trades.  At present Englewood is a sophisticated city which combines much of its historic grace with an exciting cosmopolitan atmosphere.  It has many contrasts: elaborate Victorian mansions and modern low rise condominiums; quiet tree-lined residential neighborhoods and the bustling central business district; large estates and affordable apartments.

Back to Top

 

Englewood Cliffs

Englewood Cliffs is situated atop the Palisades north of Fort Lee.  It is a town whose residents take pride in the appearance of their homes.  It was named “Tree City USA” because of its incredible foliage and perfectly manicured properties.  Englewood Cliffs is a quiet affluent suburb just minutes to midtown Manhattan by bus or car.  Route 9W, known as the “Trillion Dollar Mile”, runs along the Palisades, and is home to corporations such as Citicorp, Unilever / Best Foods, CNBC, Lipton, Lucky Goldstar, and many other corporations.  Because of these prestigious companies, Englewood Cliffs boasts one of the lowest tax rates in the state of New Jersey.

Back to Top

 

Harrington Park

This community of picturesque neighborhoods exemplifies the charm of small town life.  A unique blend of stately older homes contrasts nicely with the many newer ones in reflecting the natural beauty of the area.   Conveniently located, Harrington Park is minutes from regional shopping malls and excellent commuter transportation.   with a population of approximately 5,000, Harrington Park has a central public elementary school and a private grammar school.   Students attend Northern Valley Regional High School in Old Tappan to complete their secondary education.

Back to Top

 

Haworth

Although historical records are imprecise, Haworth is believed to take is name from Haworth, England, a hamlet made famous by the Bronte sisters.  The first European settlers were not English, but Dutch farmers who carved our arable fields from thick forests.   The rural tranquility of the area remains undisturbed with tutor-style homes and its ancient trees towering to commanding heights.  Haworth is a beautiful single-family community just forty-five minutes from famous Broadway in New York City.

Back to Top

 

Northvale

In 1686, the land that is now Northvale was purchased from the Indians by the Tappan Patent Company.  At the time, the land still belonged to New York State.   That changed in 1800 when a dispute over the land was settled between the states and Northvale became part of Harrington Township.  The town adopted the name Northvale in 1887.

The towns early settlers were German and Dutch.  At the onset of World War II, there were 900 people living in Northvale and 180 men were drafted.   The Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, dedicated in 1962, was the first circular school in New Jersey.

Back to Top

 

Norwood

Norwood, consisting of 2.90 square miles, borders Northvale to the north, Harrington Park to the west, Alpine to the east and Closter to the south.  It is part of the historic grounds of Old Harrington Township, and seceded from the parent township in March 1905 and was organized.

Back to Top

 

Old Tappan

The Delaware Indian word "Tuphanne" is where the name Tappan is derived from.  It means cold water.  Why it was named Old Tappan no one knows, but it is believed that it was to distinguish it from Tappan, New York, of which Old Tappan was formerly a part.  In 1704, Cosyn Haring, one of the original sixteen patentees, obtained a land grant from Queen Anne of England for most of the land which is now Old Tappan.

Back to Top

 

Rockleigh

Located in the northeast of Bergen county, Rockleigh is a lush rural community on the New York state line.  A sleepy town of about 300 residents, it is divided into 3 sections; the industrial park, Bergen County Golf Course, and a historic region with homes dating back to the 18th century.  These houses are on 1 acre lots.

Rockleigh has no retail stores.  There is 1 gas and service station and 1 horse farm.  There is no police station; Bergen County Police patrol the area.  There is no school system; Rockleigh's children attend at neighboring towns.  The town houses Volvo Corporation of America and United Airlines.

Back to Top

 

Tenafly

The Borough of Tenafly was incorporated on January 24, 1894.  However, early references to "Tiene Vly" (Dutch - Ten Swamps) and "Tenevlay" (Willow Meadow, also Little Valley) date back to 1688 when a large tract of land was granted to Colonel Jacobus Van Cortland.  One of his three daughters, Mrs. Depeyster, inherited most of the area that is now Tenafly. 

Back to Top