Closter (Westergaard, Barbara
"Closter: Bergen"
''New Jersey: A Guide to the State'', p. 78. Rutgers University Press, 2006. . Accessed July 22, 2011. "Known locally as the "hub of the Northern Valley," Closter (pronounced with a long ''o'') was an early settlement - the first individual purchases in the records date to 1701 - and many of its Dutch houses remain (try Hickory La. and Piermont Rd.)") is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

in Bergen County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States. As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, the borough's population was 8,373,DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Closter borough, Bergen County, New Jersey

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

. Accessed December 15, 2011. reflecting a decline of 10 (−0.1%) from the 8,383 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 289 (+3.6%) from the 8,094 counted in the 1990 Census.

History

The

Lenni Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...

Native Americans tilled the soil, hunted in the woods, and fished in the rivers and streams before the Dutch arrived in the early 18th Century. The Dutch settlers, though, left an indelible mark on the area. Early records show that after the English takeover of

New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva P ...

, English Governor

Philip Carteret Rear-Admiral Philip Carteret, Seigneur of Trinity (22 January 1733, Trinity Manor, Jersey – 21 July 1796, Southampton) was a British naval officer and explorer who participated in two of the Royal Navy's circumnavigation expeditions in 176 ...

in 1669 granted a real estate speculator named Balthaser De Hart a strip of property which extended east and west from the Hudson River to the Tiena Kill, and north and south from today's Cresskill into Palisades, New York.Budke, George H., Abstracts of early deeds, patents, mortgages and other instruments affecting the land titles of Rockland County, NY. (New City, New York : Library Association of Rockland County, 1975), pp. 165-167. It is within these geographical boundaries that lies what is now known as Closter. The first land grant deed for the area today known as Closter was not written until April 13, 1671. The northern half of this tract of land consisting of (extending from what is Closter Dock Road northward) was purchased by Barent and Resolvert Nagel on April 25, 1710,April 25, 1710 Deed between Lancaster Symes and Barent and Resolvert Nagel (Early Orange County Deeds, Orange County Court House, Goshen, New York), p. 68 who along with the Vervalen family first settled what is now Closter. The name Closter is of Dutch origin and first appears in a November 18, 1721 deed between the surviving Tappan Patentees and Peter Haring (who owned land in Harrington Park/Norwood east of Tappan Road and between Harrington and Blanche Avenues)—the meets and bounds of the deed begin “Beginning at the bridge which comes out of the Clooster by the Dwars Kill . . ." (At that time, Closter was considered part of New York State). In the

Dutch language Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a second language. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-Europea ...

, ''Klooster'' or "clooster" means "a quiet place, a monastery or cloister." The name was originally pronounced with an "ow" sound, phonetically, "Klowster." The topography gave a sense of isolation and protection, tucked behind the highest point of the Palisades and protected by limited access. Alternatively, sources indicate that the name derives from an early settler named Frederick Closter. Claims have been made that Frederick Closter is a myth that dates back to the 1940s. Later, just before the American Revolution, these isolated settlers began to feel the imposing hand of the British Crown in their lives—not only in governmental affairs but also by the influx of English culture upon their own language and culture. And as a result the "K" in Klooster was dropped and was replaced with a "C" so the now growing village became known as Clooster. By 1795, with the emerging new American culture, the second "o" in Clooster was dropped, and the American English "long o" sound was adopted which led to today's pronunciation of Closter. Reminders of Closter's early Dutch history abound - with local streets named after some of the early families (Bogert, Demarest, Durie, Naugle, Parsells, Vervalen, Auryansen, Haring, and Westervelt), and a rich collection of unique Jersey Dutch houses. The arrival of the

Northern Branch The Northern Branch is a railroad line that runs from Jersey City to Northvale in northeastern New Jersey. The line was constructed in 1859 by the Northern Railroad of New Jersey to connect the New York and Erie Railroad's Piermont Branch te ...

in 1859, followed by additional train service from what became the

West Shore Railroad The West Shore Railroad was the final name of a railroad that ran from Weehawken, New Jersey, on the west bank of the Hudson River opposite New York City, north to Albany, New York, and then west to Buffalo. It was organized as a competitor ...

, brought residents to the community who could commute to Manhattan via the ferry across the Hudson River at the railroad's

Weehawken Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197.

depot. Closter's central location earned it the nickname "Hub of the Northern Valley".Sustainable Closter Initiative
Borough of Closter, April 2008. Accessed September 11, 2017. Closter was formed as an incorporated municipality by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 1, 1904, from portions of Harrington Township. On March 29, 1904, Harrington Park was created from portions of Closter, Harrington Township and Washington Township.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 76. Accessed May 17, 2012. After the turn of the 20th century, Closter changed from being sprawling estates and farms into an upper middle class suburban town. DePalma, Anthony
"Closter"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', February 27, 1983. Accessed July 22, 2011.

Geography

According to the

, the borough had a total area of 3.30 square miles (8.55 km²), including 3.16 square miles (8.18 km²) of land and 0.14 square miles (0.37 km²) of water (4.30%). Closter has a humid subtropical climate similar to the rest of the

Middle Atlantic Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek ...

region of the United States. Closter borders the Bergen County municipalities of

Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...

, Demarest, Emerson, Harrington Park,

Haworth Haworth () is a village in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, in the Pennines, south-west of Keighley, west of Bradford and east of Colne in Lancashire. The surrounding areas include Oakworth and Oxenhope. Nearby villages inc ...

and Norwood.

Demographics

Census 2010

Korean American Korean Americans are Americans of Korean ancestry (mostly from South Korea). In 2015, the Korean-American community constituted about 0.56% of the United States population, or about 1.82 million people, and was the fifth-largest Asian American ...

s accounted for 21.2% of the population.

Same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...

headed 15 households in 2010, an increase from the 10 counted in 2000. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways o ...

was $117,147 (with a margin of error of +/− $14,096) and the median family income was $128,656 (+/− $13,704). Males had a median income of $93,578 (+/− $13,709) versus $64,167 (+/− $13,864) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the borough was $50,501 (+/− $4,636). About 3.2% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

there were 8,383 people, 2,789 households, and 2,320 families residing in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 2,644.3 people per square mile (1,021.0/km²). There were 2,865 housing units at an average density of 903.7 per square mile (349.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 75.32%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 21.56% Asian, 0.93%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.10% Native American, 0.81% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.29% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 4.09% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Closter borough, New Jersey
,

. Accessed March 5, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Closter borough, Bergen County, New Jersey

. Accessed March 5, 2013. As of the 2000 Census, 12.75% of Closter's residents identified themselves as being of

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

n ancestry, which was the seventh highest in the United States and fifth highest of any municipality in New Jersey, for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. As of the 2010 Census, 21.2% residents (1,771 people) indicated that they were of

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

ancestry. There were 2,789 households, out of which 43.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.9% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.8% were non-families. 14.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.30. In the borough the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $83,918, and the median income for a family was $94,543. Males had a median income of $65,848 versus $39,125 for females. The

for the borough was $37,065. About 1.7% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the

, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Closter is governed under the

Borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

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. The governing body is comprised of a Mayor and a Borough Council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council is comprised of 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.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...

, March 2013, p. 165. The Borough form of government used by Closter is a "

weak mayor Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fear t ...

/ 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 A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto ...

ordinances subject to an

override Override may refer to: * Dr. Gregory Herd, a Marvel Comics character formerly named Override * Manual override, a function where an automated system is placed under manual control * Method overriding, a subclassing feature in Object Oriented progr ...

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. , the

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Closter Borough is

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

John C. Glidden Jr., whose term of office ends December 31, 2022. Members of the Closter Borough Council are Council President Alissa J. Latner (R, 2024), Victoria Roti Amitai (R, 2022), Jannie Chung ( D, 2024), Scott M. Devlin (D, 2023), Dolores A. Witko (D, 2023) and Joseph Yammarino (R, 2022).Mayor and Council
Borough of Closter, updated February 16, 2018. Accessed May 7, 2022.''2021 County and Municipal Directory''
Bergen County, New Jersey, June 2021. Accessed May 1, 2022.Bergen County Statement of Vote November 2, 2021 Official results
Bergen County, New Jersey, updated November 17, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.Precinct Summary Results Report - Combined 2020 Bergen County General Election - November 3, 2020 Official Results
Bergen County, New Jersey, December 3, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.Bergen County November 5, 2019 General Election Statement of Vote
Bergen County, New Jersey Clerk, updated December 10, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.Bergen County November 6, 2018 General Election Statement of Vote
Bergen County, New Jersey Clerk, updated February 11, 2019. Accessed September 26, 2019. In January 2015, the Borough Council selected former councilmember Tom Hennessey from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant seat that had been held by John C. Glidden Jr., expiring in 2016 that became vacant when Glidden took office as mayor. In 2017, former Borough Council President Robert Di Dio was appointed to the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy by Governor

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in N ...

Emergency services

Closter has its own fire department formed in 1893. The department responds to an average of 269 calls a year. The Closter Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Corps was formed in 1936, and serves three jurisdictions: Closter, the neighboring borough of

, and the section of the

Palisades Interstate Parkway The Palisades Interstate Parkway (PIP) is a limited-access highway in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. The parkway is a major commuter route into New York City from Rockland and Orange counties in New York and Bergen County in New ...

within Alpine's borders. Closter also has its own police department. Led by Chief John McTeuige, the department includes a captain, three lieutenants, five sergeants, and ten patrol officers. Two of these officers (one lieutenant and one sergeant) comprise the detective bureau of the department.

Federal, state and county representation

Closter is located in the 5th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington; t ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 39th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District
New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 4,930 registered voters in Closter, of which 1,348 (27.3% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,060 (21.5% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 2,519 (51.1% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as

Libertarians Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's enc ...

or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Bergen
New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 4, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 58.9% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 80.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide). In the

2016 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kiri ...

, Democrat

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

received 2,309 votes (58.4% vs. 54.2% countywide), ahead of Republican

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

with 1,478 votes (37.4% vs 41.1% countywide) and other candidates with 96 votes (2.4% vs 3.0% countywide), among the 3,952 ballots cast by the borough's 5,557 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.1% (vs. 73% in Bergen County). In the

2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January ...

, Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

received 1,857 votes (52.3% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,639 votes (46.2% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 30 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,550 ballots cast by the borough's 5,136 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.1% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,184 votes (55.2% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,715 votes (43.4% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates with 28 votes (0.7% vs. 0.8%), among the 3,955 ballots cast by the borough's 5,187 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.2% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County).2008 General Election Results for Closter
, ''

The Record (North Jersey) ''The Record'' (also called ''The North Jersey Record'', ''The Bergen Record'', ''The Sunday Record'' (Sunday edition) and formerly ''The Bergen Evening Record'') is a newspaper in New Jersey, United States. Serving Bergen, Essex, Hudson and ...

''. Accessed November 7, 2008. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

received 2,100 votes (52.6% vs. 51.7% countywide), ahead of Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

with 1,860 votes (46.5% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 27 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 3,996 ballots cast by the borough's 5,086 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.6% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

received 64.2% of the vote (1,183 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 35.0% (646 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (15 votes), among the 1,883 ballots cast by the borough's 4,945 registered voters (39 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 38.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...

received 1,238 ballots cast (48.7% vs. 48.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 1,156 votes (45.5% vs. 45.8%), Independent

Chris Daggett Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...

with 112 votes (4.4% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 7 votes (0.3% vs. 0.5%), among the 2,543 ballots cast by the borough's 5,064 registered voters, yielding a 50.2% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Education

The

Closter Public Schools The Closter Public Schools are a community public school district that educates students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Closter in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprise ...

serve students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2018–2019 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 1,203 students and 94.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.7:1.District information for Closter Public School District
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020. Schools in the district (with 2018–2019 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Hillside Elementary School with 682 students in grades Pre-K–4 and Tenakill Middle School with 511 students in grades 5–8.Hillside Elementary School has also been awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence. Students in ninth through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

s attend

Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...

in Demarest, together with students from Demarest and

. The high school is part of the

Northern Valley Regional High School District The Northern Valley Regional High School District is a comprehensive regional public high school district composed of two public high schools serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Closter, Demarest, Harrington Park, Haworth, ...

, which also serves students from Harrington Park, Northvale, Norwood and Old Tappan. During the 1994–1996 school years, Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Departmen ...

. As of the 2017–2018 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,018 students and 91.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.1:1. Local students had attended Closter High School until Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest opened in 1955, whereupon the Closter school was closed. 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 Bergen County Technical Schools (BCTS) is a county technical school district that serves as the vocational / technical education arm of all the school districts within the 70 municipalities in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The primar ...

, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or

Paramus Paramus ( Waggoner, Walter H ''The New York Times'', February 16, 1966. Accessed October 16, 2018. "Paramus – pronounced puh-RAHM-us, with the accent on the second syllable – may have taken its name from 'perremus' or 'perymus,' Indian for ...

. 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.

Houses of worship

The Church of Saint Mary is a faith community in the Roman Catholic tradition. The parish offers daily and weekend masses. The parish conducts religious education for youth and adult enrichment programs. The Church of Saint Mary features 33 notable stained glass windows, sketched by Sister M. Conegunda of the Felician Sisters and crafted by the Cloister Art Studios. Temple Emanu-El is a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

synagogue that offers weekly services in addition to a Hebrew school for children beginning at age 3.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Bergen County. County Route 501, County Route 502 and County Route 505 travel through Closter. Closter can also be reached via the

and

U.S. Route 9W U.S. Route 9W (US 9W) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the states of New Jersey and New York. It begins in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as Fletcher Avenue crosses the US 1–9, US 46, and the Interstate 95 (I-95) approache ...

, which pass through adjacent municipalities.

Public transportation

The

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

167 and 177 bus routes provide service along Schraalenburgh Road to the

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 buse ...

in Midtown Manhattan.

Coach USA Coach USA, LLC is a holding company for various American transportation service providers providing scheduled intercity bus service, local and commuter bus transit, city sightseeing, tour, yellow school bus, and charter bus service across the ...

's Red and Tan Lines provides service from Closter to the Port Authority Bus Terminal via the 20 and 14E bus routes. Saddle River Tours / Ameribus offers service on the 20 / 84 route to the

George Washington Bridge Bus Station The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City. The bus station is owned and operated by the Port Authori ...

Shopping and entertainment

Closter has an outdoor mall called Closter Plaza that includes stores, restaurants and a movie theater. First constructed in the 1960s, a long-term construction project began in July 2015 that added a

Whole Foods Whole Foods Market IP, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon, is an upscale American multinational supermarket chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, which sells products free from hydrogenated fats and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. A US ...

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, f ...

HomeGoods HomeGoods is a chain of home furnishing stores headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts. It was founded as a small chain in 1992, and grew to include hundreds of locations throughout the United States. HomeGoods sells furniture, linens, cooking ...

, and other new businesses to the mall. In August 2012, the mall was used for filming scenes for the film '' The Wolf of Wall Street''. The renovation project was completed in late 2016. The Closter Golf Center includes a two-story driving range and a mini golf course.

Parks and recreation

* Amendola Park – located on Willow Road, features a playground * High Street Park – located at the intersection of High Street and Piermont Road that has a playground and fitness area. * Memorial Field – also known as Veterans Memorial Field. Located on Harrington Avenue, it has a playground, athletic fields, and a bandshell. It also has a memorial of all US Veterans as well as a memorial of those who died on

September 11, 2001 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...

. * Mollicone Park – a baseball field located at the intersection of Knickerbocker Road and Eckerson Avenue. This park was honored after Closter-native

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

veteran, Donald Mollicone. * Ruckman Park – located at the intersection of Piermont and Ruckman roads, that have athletic fields, walking/jogging path, and a playground * Schauble Park – located on Bergenline Avenue, this park has a playground, bike path, and athletic fields.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Closter include: * Coe Finch Austin (1831–1880), botanist and founding member of the

Torrey Botanical Club Torrey Botanical Society (formerly Torrey Botanical Club) was started in the 1860s by colleagues of John Torrey. It is the oldest botanical society in the Americas. The Society promotes the exploration and study of plant life, with particular ...

Abram Belskie Abram Belskie (March 24, 1907 – November 7, 1988) was a British-born sculptor. He is known for his 1939 collaboration with Dr. Robertson Dickinson on the Birth Series Sculptures. Biography Belskie was born in London and grew up in Glasgow, S ...

(1907–1988), British-born sculptor * Benjamin Blackledge (1743–1815), first English teacher in Closter and "the most prominent man in the northern part of Bergen County" * George Dayton (1827–1938), represented Bergen County in the New Jersey Senate from 1875 to 1877 *

Emme Emme may refer to: People: * Ivan Fyodorovich Emme (1763–1839), Russian lieutenant general in the Napoleonic Wars * Otto J. Emme, American politician and World War I veteran * Emme Gerhard (1872–1946), American photographer * Emme Rylan, Am ...

(born 1963),

plus-size model A plus-size model is an individual size 12 and above who is engaged primarily in Model (person), modeling plus-size clothing. Plus-size clothing worn by plus-size models is typically catering for and marketed to either Big & Tall or Tall or Overw ...

* Bill Evans (1929–1980),

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instru ...

and composer who mostly worked in a trio setting * Brian Gorman (born 1959),

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

* Tom Gorman (1919–1986), Major League Baseball

Bruce Harper Bruce Harper (born June 20, 1955) is a retired American football running back and kick returner for the New York Jets of the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Kutztown by the Jets in 1977. Bruce Harper is the all-time kick ...

(born 1955), former NFL running back and kick returner who played for the New York Jets *

Israel Horowitz Israel Albert Horowitz (often known as I. A. Horowitz or Al Horowitz) (November 15, 1907 – January 18, 1973) was an American International Master of chess. He is most remembered today for the books he wrote about chess. In 1989 he was induct ...

(1916–2008),

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

who became an editor and columnist on classical music at '' Billboard'' magazine * Richard Hunt (1951–1992), puppeteer best known for his association with

The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...

Helen Jepson Helen Jepson (November 28, 1904 – September 16, 1997) was an American lyric soprano. Early years Jepson was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania, on November 28, 1904, (Two sources give her birthday as November 28, 1906.) DeLong, Thomas A. (199 ...

(1904–1997),

lyric soprano A lyric soprano is a type of operatic soprano voice that has a warm quality with a bright, full timbre that can be heard over an orchestra. The lyric soprano voice generally has a higher tessitura than a soubrette and usually plays ingenues and ot ...

who was lead soprano at the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...

from 1935 to 1941 *

Marcel Jovine Marcel Jovine (1921 – January 20, 2003), was an Italian-born American sculptor who was best known as the creator of the toys "The Visible Man" and "The Visible Woman". He also created the municipal seal for the Borough of Closter, New Jersey, w ...

(1921–2003), sculptor and creator of The Visible Man, The Visible Woman and The Closter SealCahill, William
A History of Closter's Sculptors
Closter Historic Preservation Commission. Accessed December 11, 2011. "The fourth notable artist-resident of Closter was Marcel Jovine (1921–2003).... Jovine turned to fine art when the Borough of Closter asked him to create its seal, which commemorates the ride of the Closter Horseman." * Philip Kwon, deputy counsel for the

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ, is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorize ...

* Tommy La Stella (born 1989), second baseman for the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...

and Chicago Cubs * London Lee (born 1935), comedian billed as "The Rich Kid" *

Robert Lipsyte Robert Michael Lipsyte (born January 16, 1938) is an American sports journalist and author and former Ombudsman for ESPN. He is a member of the Board of Contributors for ''USA Todays Forum Page, part of the newspaper's Opinion section. He re ...

(born 1938), sports journalist and author *

Sam Lipsyte Sam Lipsyte (born 1968) is an American novelist and short story writer. Life The son of the sports journalist Robert Lipsyte, Sam Lipsyte was born in New York City and raised in Closter, New Jersey, where he attended Northern Valley Regional Hi ...

(born 1968), author * Rich Luzzi (born 1978), frontman for

Rev Theory Rev Theory (formerly known as Revelation Theory) is an American rock band formed in 2002 in North Andover, Massachusetts. The band has released four studio albums: ''Truth Is Currency'' (2005), '' Light It Up'' (2008), ''Justice'' (2011) and '' ...

* Joseph Muller (1883–1939), collector, sailor and employee of the New York Public Library *

J. Massey Rhind John Massey Rhind (9 July 1860 – 1 January 1936) was a Scottish-American sculptor. Among Rhind's better known works is the marble statue of Dr. Crawford W. Long located in the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington D.C. (1926). E ...

(1860–1936), sculptor * Mike Stanton (born 1967), former MLB relief pitcher who played for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

Tom Waddell Tom Waddell (born Thomas Flubacher; November 1, 1937 – July 11, 1987) was an American physician, decathlete who competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics, and founder of the Gay Olympics (later known as the '' Gay Games''). Early life Waddell was b ...

(born 1958), former Major League Baseball pitchervia

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

"Baseball career good fit for hurler"
'' The Rock Hill Herald'', August 3, 1981. Accessed July 28, 2011. "Former clothing salesman Tom Waddell's new career as a baseball pitcher for the Anderson Braves suits him fine.... The Closter, N.J. native signed as a free agent and is now pitching for the Braves' team in the South Atlantic League."

Sources

* ''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. * Clayton, W. Woodford; and Nelson, William
''History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men.''
Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1882. * Garbe-Morillo, Patricia
''Closter and Alpine''

Arcadia Publishing Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publ ...

Images of America series, 2001. . * Harvey, Cornelius Burnham (ed.)
''Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey.''
New York: New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Co., 1900. * Van Valen, James M
''History of Bergen County, New Jersey.''
New York: New Jersey Publishing and Engraving Co., 1900. * Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858–1942
''History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630–1923''
Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1923.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1904 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in Bergen County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1904