In the Forbes magazine's rankings of the Most Expensive ZIP Codes in the United States, Short Hills was listed among the top 100 nationwide, coming in 66th in 2006 (with a median sale price of $1,200,000) and 67th in 2012 (median of $1,951,846).[14][15]
Short Hills is home to the upscale
Mall at Short Hills, also known as the Short Hills Mall, located near affluent communities in neighboring
Morris and
Union counties along the
Passaic River.
Short Hills began as a planned community when Stewart Hartshorn, who became wealthy from developing, perfecting, and manufacturing the self-acting shade roller, purchased 13 acres (53,000 m2) of land in Millburn Township, near the present Hobart Avenue, Parsonage Hill Road, and Chatham Road. Hartshorn's purpose was to create "a harmonious community for people who appreciated nature," and "where natural beauty would not be destroyed by real estate developments, and where people of congenial tastes could dwell together." He later increased his land holdings to 56 acres (230,000 m2) for himself and 1,552 acres (6.28 km2) for the whole village, with each plot not owned by Hartshorn being no larger than 1/2 acre.[16]
Hartshorn chose the name "Short Hills" because it reflected the topography of the region, and also because the local
LenapeNative Americans used that same name to describe the region. One local resident suggested that he call his village "Hartshornville," but he refused, quietly content with Short Hills sharing his initials.
19th century
Hartshorn situated his ideal town near enough to a railroad to allow for an easy commute to
Hoboken and, from there, to
New York City. Hence, his decision in 1879 to build, at his own expense, a
railroad station along the original
Morris and Essex Railroad line. He also persuaded the
United States Post Office to open a branch in his new railroad station in 1880, and in fact, the Post Office has always had a presence in Short Hills from that day and its own ZIP Code, 07078.
Hartshorn deliberately preserved strips of land along the railroad right-of-way from any development west of Old Short Hills Road. These strips separate Hobart Avenue to the north, and Chatham Road to the south, from the railway line. The only structure that has ever stood directly adjacent to the line is the railroad station.
20th century
In 1944, the Hartshorn family also donated Crescent Park to Millburn Township, directly across from the station, with the stipulation that the park always remain open to the public.
After 17 houses were erected, Hartshorn turned his attention to other common elements, including a music hall, which later became the Short Hills Racquets Club.
Stewart Hartshorn died in 1937 at the age of 97. His daughter
Cora survived him, wrote her own history of the hamlet, and helped establish the
Arboretum that bears her name.[17]
In 1968, Temple B'nai Jeshurun relocated from
Newark to a 21-acre (8.5 ha) site in Short Hills. It is the oldest
Reform Jewish congregation in New Jersey and, with 1,100 member families, was one of the largest Jewish congregations in the state at the time of the move. Most of the property was purchased from Congressman
Robert Kean, father of future New Jersey governor
Thomas Kean. The land had been given to Kean's family by
King George III of the United Kingdom.[18][19]
In 1975, the Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society formed in conjunction with the American Bicentennial celebrations. The opening of the
Kearny Connection in 1996, establishing
direct rail service to
Penn Station in
Midtown Manhattan, enhanced real-estate values immensely.
In 2002, local residents planted a memorial tree on the grounds of the railroad station, to honor those of their neighbors who died in the attacks on
September 11, 2001.
In 2011, the historic
Greenwood Gardens opened to the public.[20] It is one of sixteen garden preservation projects in the United States overseen by the
Garden Conservancy.[21]
The median family income was over $200,000 in the 2010 census.[22]Dun & Bradstreet has its headquarters in Short Hills.[23]
Short Hills has five K-4 elementary schools that are part of the
Millburn Township Public Schools:
Deerfield Elementary School,[24]
Glenwood Elementary School,[25]
Hartshorn Elementary School,[26]
South Mountain Elementary School[27] and
Wyoming Elementary School.[28] For fifth grade, students attend the Washington School.[29] Students move on to complete their public school education at Millburn Middle School[30] for grades 6–8 and
Millburn High School for grades 9–12. Short Hills is also home to a private day school,
Far Brook School, which serves students in nursery through eighth grade,[31] and
Pingry School Lower Campus for grades K-5.[32]
Though Short Hills has its own railroad station and post office branch, it does not have an independent government. It remains today a part of the Township of Millburn, and has been a part of it since its inception. Short Hills has a downtown business area that is smaller than downtown Millburn. Located along Chatham Road near the
Short Hills station, it includes the post office, a pharmacy, small eateries, and specialty shops. The train station waiting room operates as a bar and grill during the evening hours and a newsstand and ticket agent are present from early morning hours until noon.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, Short Hills had a total area of 5.211 square miles (13.497 km2), including 5.196 square miles (13.459 km2) of land and 0.015 square miles (0.039 km2) of water (0.29%).[5][33]
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally cool to cold winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification system, Short Hills has a
humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.[34]
Climate data for Short Hills, New Jersey (
Canoe Brook Country Club) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1931–present
According to an analysis in Time magazine in 2014, Short Hills is the wealthiest community in the United States in terms of having the highest percentage of households (69%) with incomes above $150,000 per year.[39][40] According to Forbes magazine, the median income in Short Hills is $229,222.[41]
Of the 4,146 households, 54.1% had children under the age of 18; 81.4% were married couples living together; 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 11.2% were non-families. Of all households, 9.9% were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.18 and the average family size was 3.40.[38]
34.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 19.2% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.3 males.[38]
The Census Bureau's 2006-2010
American Community Survey showed that (in 2010
inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income was $211,989 (with a margin of error of +/- $13,467) and the median family income was $227,262 (+/- $22,938). Males had a median income of $192,625 (+/- $33,436) versus $98,214 (+/- $12,561) for females. The
per capita income for the CDP was $100,875 (+/- $7,868). About 0.6% of families and 0.7% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.[42]
Media references
Philip Roth's first book, Goodbye, Columbus, is mostly set in Short Hills, the home of Neil Klugman's girlfriend and her family.[43]
Short Hills is covered by HomeTowne TV, based in
Summit, which provides local programming and highlights the community.
Max Eisenbud (born 1972, class of 1990), sports agent specializing in tennis[53]
Daniel Errico, children's book author and children's media content creator who is the creator and executive producer of Hulu's kids TV series The Bravest Knight[54]
Gero Park – Swimming, Baseball, Municipal Golf Course
Saint Stephen's Cemetery and The Chapel at Short Hills - Saint Stephen's Cemetery has been serving NJ residents since 1858. The Chapel at Short Hills was later added to accommodate above-ground burials.[84]
^Caldwell, Dave.
"Schools, Shops and Transit, in a Pretty Package", The New York Times, March 8, 2012. Accessed March 18, 2024. "Stewart Hartshorn, a 19th-century tycoon who made his fortune making spring roller shades, clearly did not have a giant mall with Bulgari, Fendi and Dior in mind when he began to buy about 1,500 acres in Essex County with the idea of creating a comfortable commuter suburb."
^Meisner, Marian.
A History of Millburn Township., Millburn, NJ: Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society and Millburn Free Public Library, 2002.
^Strunsky, Steve.
"ON THE MAP; A Plot of Land, From King George III to a Short Hills Synagogue", The New York Times, September 27, 1998. Accessed July 22, 2016. "And Kean happened to have a tract of land in Livingston and Short Hills, which was given to his family by King George III of England [sic]. Kean sold it to the congregation for $10,000 an acre, which was much lower than what it was valued at."
^"Station: Canoe Brook, NJ". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
^"Jabri Abdur-Rahim adjusting swiftly to Blair", NJ Advance Media for
NJ.com, January 6, 2019. Accessed May 7, 2023. "Those three players are Jaylen Blakes of Somerset, Luke Kolaja of Basking Ridge and Jabri Abdur-Rahim of Short Hills."
^Saxon, Wolfgang.
"Lee Bickmore, Ex-Chairman Of National Biscuit Company", The New York Times, June 12, 1986. Accessed September 15, 2015. "Lee Smith Bickmore, who rose from a sales job with the National Biscuit Company in Pocatello, Idaho, to the chairmanship of the company, died last Saturday in Vero Beach, Fla., where he lived in retirement. He was 78 years old and a former resident of Short Hills, N.J. "
^Politi, Steve.
"Sochi Olympics 2014: No stone left unturned by Andrew Catalon, the voice of curling (Politi)", NJ Advance Media for
NJ.com, February 9, 2014, updated March 29, 2019. Accessed February 15, 2020. "Becoming the Voice of American Curling was not exactly something Andrew Catalon had envisioned when he decided to become a broadcaster.... And so began an unlikely gig for the Short Hills native, one that has helped springboard his career to bigger things."
^Delevingne, Lawrence.
"For Leon Cooperman, a long fall from dizzying heights",
CNBC, September 21, 2016. Accessed October 6, 2016. "Leon Cooperman is addicted to investing. The hedge fund manager's stock-junkie lifestyle starts at 5:15 a.m. on weekdays, when he wakes up in the Short Hills, New Jersey, house he's lived in for 36 years."
^Staff.
"Joseph P. Day's Home Robbed $20,000 Gems; Butler and Chauffeur Gone--Abandon Auto", The New York Times, September 4, 1920. Accessed September 15, 2015. "When Mrs. Charlotte Pope, mother-in-law of Joseph P. Day, real estate expert, was at dinner Thursday evening in Mr. Day's country residence, Pleasant Days, Short Hills, N.J., sneak thieves entered Mrs. Pope's room on the second floor, broke open a jewel box which they found in the drawer of the chiffonier and escaped with jewelry valued at $20,000."
^Lattman, Peter.
"Dealmaker for the Shotmakers", The New York Times, August 26, 2012. Accessed March 18, 2024. "Growing up in Short Hills, N.J., Eisenbud dreamed of competing at the United States Open."
^Ramirez, Anthony.
"Metro Briefing", The New York Times, March 14, 2001. Accessed September 15, 2015. "The case dates to a 1994 golf outing at the East Orange Golf Course, when John Ferolito of Short Hills hit a mulligan, or second tee shot, and struck Jeffrey Schick in the eye, knocking him unconscious. He sued."
^Bonelli, Winnie.
"From "Tiara Flicks" To English Romance"Archived 2017-10-18 at the
Wayback Machine, The Independent, August 22, 2007. Accessed May 10, 2012. "So what was the common denominator that enabled Hathaway to relate to Austen? "Loneliness," the Brooklyn-born, Short Hills, NJ-reared actress confessed."
^"Adm. Herbert G. Hopwood Dies; Pacific Fleet Commander, '58–60", The New York Times, September 16, 1966. Accessed November 28, 2007. "Adm. Herbert Gladstone Hopwood, who was commander in chief of the United States Pacific Fleet at his retirement from the Navy in 1960, died this morning in St. Barnabas Hospital. He was 67 years old and lived at 68 Tennyson Drive in Short Hills."
^Harris, Patricia.
"First job hunt leads to first novel", The Item of Millburn and Short Hills, October 21, 2004. Accessed May 27, 2018. "Author Ariel Horn, who grew up in the township and graduated from college two years ago, has fond memories of her formative days at Millburn High School."
^#278 Peter Kellogg, Forbes. Accessed September 15, 2015. "Residence: Short Hills, New Jersey, United States, North America"
^Strauss, Robert.
"Here's something to squawk about"Archived 2012-07-24 at
archive.today, Coloradan magazine, June 1, 2009. Accessed September 15, 2015. "Kernen, 53, stays out of the limelight living in Short Hills, N.J., a bedroom community 45 minutes from CNBC's studios in suburban New Jersey, a few miles northwest of Wall Street."
^Lieber, Jill.
"Freedom is music to Larionov's ears", USA Today, January 27, 2004. Accessed September 15, 2015. "Larionov, at 43 the oldest player in the NHL and in his 14th and final season in professional hockey as a center with the New Jersey Devils, hears music everywhere he turns. At home in Short Hills, N.J., daughters Alyonka, 16, and Diana, 13, are busy launching a pop music career, singing practically around the clock."
^McQuiston, John T.
"Robert D. Lilley Is Dead At 74; Former President Of A.T.&T.", The New York Times, October 18, 1986. Accessed May 21, 2020. "Robert D. Lilley, former president of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company and chairman of a New Jersey commission that investigated the 1967 Newark riots, died Wednesday at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan after a heart attack. He was 74 years old and lived in Short Hills, N.J."
^Interview with John C. McGinley, Ability, accessed April 21, 2007. "JM: I was born in New York and raised in New Jersey. CC: What part of New Jersey? JM: Short Hills, which is a beautiful suburb of New York."
^Horner, Shirley.
"About Books", The New York Times, October 3, 1993. Accessed July 28, 2021. "Previous residents of the award, which has come to be known as the Michael, include Mary Higgins Clark of Saddle River, Belva Plain of Short Hills, Wende and Harry Devlin of Mountainside, the Nobel laureate Dr.
Arno Penzias of Highland Park and Gay Talese of Ocean City."
^Staff.
"Interview: Meet Columbia’s Alex Rosenberg", The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, January 17, 2013. Accessed February 17, 2018. "I am from Short Hills, New Jersey where I attended Millburn High school for four years and then went to prep school at Peddie for one year because I felt that I needed another year to improve my strength and get ready for college life."
^Atmonavage, Joseph.
"Devils goalie Cory Schneider puts N.J. home on market for $2.9M", NJ Advance Media for
NJ.com, May 17, 2018. Accessed May 24, 2018. "New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider, who inked a seven-year, $42 million contract in 2014 to stay with the team, put his 6,900-square-foot Short Hills home on the market Wednesday for just under $2.9 million, according to its Trulia listing."
^"Obituary: Janet S. Stoltzfus", Town Topics, March 10, 2004. Accessed October 23, 2022. "She grew up in Summit and Short Hills, graduated in 1948 from the Kent Place School in Summit, and received her B.A. in English from Wellesley College in 1952, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa."
^Fitzgerald's Legislative Manual, 1970, p. 388. Accessed April 21, 2020. "James H. Wallwork (Rep., Short Hills) - James H. Wallwork lives at 94 Canoe Brook Road, Short Hills."
^Voreacos, David.
"N.J. Judge Retains Case Over Estate of Formosa's Wang (Update1)",
Bloomberg L.P., August 13, 2009. Accessed September 15, 2015. "Wang died of cardiopulmonary arrest on Oct. 15 at his house in Short Hills, New Jersey, two days after arriving from Taiwan. He traveled to Short Hills "numerous times on a regular basis every year of the last twenty-plus years of his life," and lived there in the 1980s, according to the complaint."
^Staff.
"Win A Joyous Return For Wilfs", St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 14, 2005. Accessed November 13, 2015. "Oh, the joy! The Wilfs of Short Hills, N.J., were unremitting fans of their beloved Giants, but they never felt football bliss quite like the Vikings' victory over the Giants on Sunday. 'I wanted this for a long time,' said Zygi Wilf after the Vikings survived a heart-pounding finish for their first road victory of the season."
^She's got the look, The Observer, July 16, 2006, accessed April 26, 2007. "She was born Rachel Zoe Rosenzweig in New York and grew up in Short Hills, New Jersey, the daughter of wealthy art collectors."
^Capuzzo, Jill L.
"From 'Saturday Night Live' to '700 Sundays'", The New York Times, December 12, 2004. Accessed November 13, 2015. "For one thing, it has allowed him to move his family back East, to Short Hills, from Los Angeles, where the Zweibels have been living for the last 15 years."