The borough of Northvale was formed on March 15, 1916, from the remaining portions of
Harrington Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 4, 1916. With the creation of Northvale, Harrington Township was dissolved. Portions of Northvale were transferred to create the borough of
Rockleigh, as of March 13, 1923.[21] The borough's name derives from its location and topography.[22]
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.27 square miles (3.28 km2), including 1.27 square miles (3.28 km2) of land and <0.01 square miles (0.01 km2) of water (0.24%).[1][2]
Of the 1,564 households, 38.7% had children under the age of 18; 67.8% were married couples living together; 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 19.1% were non-families. Of all households, 16.3% were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.32.[18]
25.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 98.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.8 males.[18]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010
American Community Survey showed that (in 2010
inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income was $86,607 (with a margin of error of +/− $13,519) and the median family income was $89,125 (+/− $16,380). Males had a median income of $66,563 (+/− $14,582) versus $31,228 (+/− $7,496) for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $35,404 (+/− $4,301). About 3.7% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.[32]
Same-sex couples headed 9 households in 2010, an increase of 50% from the 6 counted in 2000.[33]
2000 census
As of the
2000 United States census[15] there were 4,460 people, 1,575 households, and 1,236 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,381.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,305.5/km2). There were 1,596 housing units at an average density of 1,210.0 per square mile (467.2/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 82.91%
White, 0.76%
African American, 0.07%
Native American, 14.06%
Asian, 1.17% from
other races, and 1.03% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 4.73% of the population.[30][31]
There were 1,575 households, out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.2% were
married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.5% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.21.[30][31]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.[30][31]
The median income for a household in the borough was $72,500, and the median income for a family was $81,153. Males had a median income of $50,901 versus $37,563 for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $28,206. About 2.4% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.[30][31]
Government
Local government
Northvale is governed under the
borough 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.[34] 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.[6] The borough form of government used by Northvale is a "
weak mayor / 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 ordinances subject to an
override 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.[35][36]
As of 2023[update], the
mayor of Northvale is
Republican Joseph E. McGuire, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Borough Council are Thomas R. Argiro (
D, 2023), John M. Hogan (D, 2023), Martin Mattessich (R, 2025), Kara McMorrow (R, 2024), Domenich Menafra (R, 2025), Roy Sokoloski (R, 2024; appointed to serve an unexpired term).[3][37][38][39][40][41]
In February 2023, Roy Sokoloski was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Joseph McGuire until he resigned from office.[42]
In December 2015, the borough council selected Michael Small from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat vacated by Gloria Libby, who had left office earlier that month to follow her employer, Mercedes-Benz USA, which had relocated its headquarters from Bergen County to
Atlanta.[43]
In March 2014, Mayor Paul Bazela resigned from office after being convicted of theft in his role as operations manager for the
Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, after a jury found that he had used PVSC employees to repair the homes of individuals connected to him. Then-Borough Council President Ed Piehler was chosen to succeed him as acting mayor.[44]
Federal, state and county representation
Northvale is located in the 5th Congressional District[45] and is part of New Jersey's 39th state legislative district.[46]
Bergen County is governed by a directly elected
County Executive, with legislative functions performed by a
Board of County Commissioners composed of seven members who are elected
at-large to three-year terms in partisan elections on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each November; a Chairman and Vice Chairman are selected from among its seven members at a reorganization meeting held every January. As of 2024[update], the county executive is James J. Tedesco III (
D,
Paramus), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2026.[53]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,699 registered voters in Northvale, of which 701 (26.0% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as
Democrats, 560 (20.7% vs. 21.1%) were registered as
Republicans and 1,437 (53.2% vs. 47.1%) were registered as
Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.[75] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 58.2% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 77.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).[75][76]
In the
2016 presidential election, Republican
Donald Trump received 1,155 votes (51.3% vs. 41.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Hillary Clinton with 994 votes (44.2% vs. 54.8%) and other candidates with 66 votes (2.9% vs. 3.0%), among the 2,250 ballots cast by the borough's 3,060 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.5% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County).[77] In the
2012 presidential election, Republican
Mitt Romney received 1,100 votes (53.3% vs. 43.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Barack Obama with 924 votes (44.8% vs. 54.8%) and other candidates with 21 votes (1.0% vs. 0.9%), among the 2,064 ballots cast by the borough's 2,825 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.1% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County).[78][79] In the
2008 presidential election, Republican
John McCain received 1,206 votes (54.9% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 949 votes (43.2% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 14 votes (0.6% vs. 0.8%), among the 2,198 ballots cast by the borough's 2,798 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.6% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County).[80][81] In the
2004 presidential election, Republican
George W. Bush received 1,188 votes (55.9% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat
John Kerry with 912 votes (42.9% vs. 51.7%) and other candidates with 14 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 2,125 ballots cast by the borough's 2,743 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.5% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).[82]
In the
2013 gubernatorial election, Republican
Chris Christie received 65.8% of the vote (876 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barbara Buono with 32.6% (434 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (22 votes), among the 1,371 ballots cast by the borough's 2,739 registered voters (39 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 50.1%.[83][84] In the
2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 842 votes (54.1% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Jon Corzine with 606 votes (38.9% vs. 48.0%), Independent
Chris Daggett with 73 votes (4.7% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 5 votes (0.3% vs. 0.5%), among the 1,557 ballots cast by the borough's 2,722 registered voters, yielding a 57.2% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).[85]
Education
The
Northvale Public Schools serve students in
kindergarten through
eighth grade at Northvale Public School.[86][87] Students from
Rockleigh, a non-operating school district, attend the district as part of a
sending/receiving relationship.[88][89] As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 545 students and 48.5 classroom teachers (on an
FTE basis), for a
student–teacher ratio of 11.2:1.[90] In the 2012–13 school year, Thomas Jefferson School (for grades K–4) and Nathan Hale School (for grades 5–8) were combined to create the Northvale Public School, as part of an effort to reduce costs associated with running two separate schools that shared a common campus and corridor.[91]
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, which include the
Bergen County Academies in
Hackensack, and the
Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or
Paramus. 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.[98][99]
Economy
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Transportation
Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 22.67 miles (36.48 km) of roadways, of which 20.11 miles (32.36 km) were maintained by the municipality and 2.56 miles (4.12 km) by Bergen County.[100]
The television show Ed, which ran from 2000 to 2004, was filmed in Northvale. The interior and exterior shots for "Stuckeybowl" were filmed at the now closed and demolished bowling alley, formerly known as "Country Club Lanes".[106] Housing for seniors ages 55+ now exists on the site.
In the 2008
USA Network series In Plain Sight, during the episode, Stan by Me, two FBI agents are murdered and a federally protected witness is kidnapped in Northvale.[citation needed]
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Northvale include:
John Calabro (1914–1994), artist and sculptor who has created coins, medals, plaques, busts, statutes and heroic-size works of famous events and notable figures from the world of politics, sports and entertainment[107]
^Mayor and Council Meeting Minutes for February 8, 2023, Borough of Northvale. Accessed March 14, 2023. "WHEREAS, there is a vacancy on the Borough Council as a result of the resignation of Joseph McGuire, who was a member of the Republican party, and... NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Governing body of the Borough of Northvale does hereby appoint Roy Sokoloski, who is one of the names submitted by the Republican Committee to fill the vacant seat as authorized by N.J.S.A. 40A:16-11."
^Bahrenburg, Caitlyn.
"Northvale taps candidate who lost election bid to fill vacant seat", Northern Valley Suburbanite, December 16, 2015. Accessed May 20, 2016. "On Dec. 8 the Mayor and Council appointed Michael Small to fill the unexpired three-year term of former Councilwoman Gloria Libby, who resigned on Dec. 1. Libby stepped down to continue her role as a senior campaign specialist for Mercedes Benz, which relocated its headquarters from Montvale to Atlanta, Ga. in July."
^Na, Myles.
"Northvale mayor guilty of theft, misconduct applauded at resignation", NJ Advance Media for
NJ.com, March 11, 2014. Accessed October 4, 2018. "Residents gave a tearful Mayor Paul Bazela a standing ovation Monday evening after he resigned at an emergency borough meeting, the Record reported. Bazela, 47, was an operations manager for the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission found guilty earlier Monday by a jury in Paterson on theft and misconduct charges. He and other officials assigned PVSC workers to fix the homes of friends and relatives."
^Biography, Congressman Josh Gottheimer. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Josh now lives in Wyckoff, New Jersey with Marla, his wife who was a federal prosecutor, and their two young children, Ellie and Ben."
^Biography of Bob Menendez,
United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "Menendez, who started his political career in Union City, moved in September from Paramus to one of Harrison's new apartment buildings near the town's PATH station.."
^Cattafi, Kristie.
"Democrats pick Bergenfield councilman to fill vacancy on Bergen County commissioners board", The Record, March 13, 2023. Accessed March 16, 2023. "A Democratic councilman from Bergenfield will be sworn in as a Bergen County commissioner Wednesday night, filling a vacancy on the governing body for almost 1 million residents. Rafael Marte will serve until Dec. 31, taking on the unexpired term left by former Commissioner Ramon Hache, a Democrat who resigned last week to lead the Ridgewood YMCA as its chief executive officer."
^Northvale Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Northvale Public Schools. Accessed July 25, 2022. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Kindergarten through Grade 8 in the Northvale School District. Composition: The Northvale School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Northvale."
^Board of Education, Borough of Rockleigh. Accessed June 9, 2020. "Rockleigh Borough is a 'sending district' in that there is no public school within the Borough. The Borough of Northvale is the 'receiving district' for elementary and high school public school children who reside in Rockleigh."
^Harris, Chris.
"Giving Northvale school a new name isn't so easy", The Record, September 9, 2012. Accessed October 14, 2014. "A decision to consolidate and rename the borough's two public schools has raised the ire of several residents.... Changing the name of the Northvale schools — which last year were the Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and the Nathan Hale Middle School — to Northvale Public School was not done lightly, Superintendent Michael Pinajian said."
^Home page,
Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, backed up by the
Internet Archive as of December 4, 2011. Accessed October 14, 2014. "Welcome to Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, home of the Golden Knights. Although our students reside in four different towns; Harrington Park, Northvale, Norwood, and Old Tappan, once they arrive here they are treated as one."
^Rockleigh Public Services,
Rockleigh, New Jersey. Accessed October 14, 2014. "Rockleigh Borough is a 'sending district' in that there is no public school within the Borough, except for three special-education schools administered by Bergen County.... The Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, a nationally ranked high school, receives older children from Rockleigh Borough."
^Northern Valley Regional High School District 2016 Report Card Narrative,
New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 1, 2020. "Located in the upper North Eastern corner of the state, Northern Valley Regional is comprised two high schools, Northern Valley at Demarest and Northern Valley at Old Tappan.... Our long standing successful and cost efficient Pre-K-12 consortium remains an exemplar model of shared services including seven local Pre-K-8 districts that send their students to the regional high schools: Closter, Demarest, Harrington Park, Haworth, Northvale, Norwood and Old Tappan."
^Our Communities,
Northern Valley Regional High School District. Accessed May 31, 2016. "The seven towns that make up the Northern Valley Regional High School District - Closter, Demarest, Harrington Park, Haworth, Northvale, Norwood, and Old Tappan - are situated in the northeast corner of Bergen County, New Jersey."
^Perez, Chris.
"Saddle River Tours pick up cancelled bus routes in Northern Valley", Northern Valley Suburbanite, May 8, 2014. Accessed July 2, 2014. "Rockland Coaches have made the decision to discontinue several bus lines that have serviced residents in the Northern Valley area. As of May 5, the 11C, 14K, and 20/84 routes to the George Washington Bridge bus terminal have ceased operation under Coach USA. Commuter routes 11C and 20/84 will now be serviced by Saddle River Tours."
^Galant, Debra.
"Bowling, Once a First Date, Now Takes Back Seat", The New York Times, December 10, 2000. Accessed October 4, 2018. "And the most famous bowling house in New Jersey is the fictional Stuckeybowl, a defunct bowling alley in Northvale, which is now the set of the NBC series Ed."
^Haney, Thomas V.
"Sculptor Creates ‘Friends’", The New York Times, August 13, 1972. Accessed November 22, 2017. "Northvale — 'It's a pleasure to work among friends such as these,' John Calabro said, with a gentle sweep of his hand, as the artist‐sculptor introduced his visitor to the companions he has gathered in the studio of his home here.... Mr. Calabro does much of his work, except for heroic size projects, in the studio of his home on Campora Drive here. He had the house built to his specifications and took possession in 1964, moving from Demarest."
^Chinen, Nate.
"Bob Porter, Eminent Producer, Broadcaster and Writer, and Pillar of WBGO, Has Died at 80",
WBGO, April 10, 2021. Accessed April 10, 2021. "Bob Porter, a prolific record producer and heralded jazz and blues authority whose voice has been heard continuously on the air at WBGO since its earliest signal in 1979, died on Saturday at his home in Northvale, N.J. He was 80."
^Boggan, Tim.
2013 USATT Hall of Fame - Player Inductee: Terese Terranova,
USA Table Tennis. Accessed January 26, 2020. "She participated in sports through all her years of elementary and high school. Northern Valley Regional High School is where she became very competitive in basketball, judo, swimming, track and field, and semi-pro basketball.... In 1971, while moving from Northvale, NJ, to Fort Lauderdale, FL, fate appeared in the form of a terrible auto accident."
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.