Cliffside Park is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, 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 ...

Bergen County Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.U.S. state of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 25,693, an increase of 2,099 (+8.9%) from the 2010 census count of 23,594, which in turn reflected an increase of 587 (+2.6%) from the 23,007 counted in the 2000 census. Cliffside Park was formed based on the results of a referendum held on January 15, 1895, from portions of Ridgefield 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 October 25, 2012. The borough was formed during the "

Boroughitis Boroughitis (also borough fever or borough mania) was the creation in the 1890s, usually by referendum, of large numbers of small boroughs in the U.S. state of New Jersey, particularly in Bergen County. Attempts by the New Jersey Legislature to ...

" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, as one of two boroughs created in 1895 after 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone. The borough was named for its location as a "Park by the Cliffs". U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg resided in the borough until his death in 2013. Cliffside Park was home to the former Palisades Amusement Park, part of which was located in adjoining Fort Lee. The park operated from 1898 until 1971, remaining one of the most-visited amusement parks in the country until its closure, after which the rides and attractions were removed and the site replaced by high-rise apartment buildings.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the borough had a total area of 0.96 square miles (2.48 km²), all of which was land. Located atop the

Hudson Palisades The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey and Southeastern New York in the United States. The cliffs s ...

, Anderson Avenue and Palisade Avenue are the town's major north–south thoroughfares, the latter offering views of the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

and

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

skyline. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Grantwood and Shadyside. The borough borders the municipalities of Edgewater, Fairview, Fort Lee and Ridgefield in Bergen County, as well as North Bergen in

Hudson County Hudson County is a List of counties in New Jersey, county in the U.S. state of New Jersey, its smallest and most densely populated. Lying in the northeast of the state and on the west bank of the North River (Hudson River), Hudson River, the No ...

. Grantwood is named for Grant's Tomb, located on the opposite shore of the river. Gorge Road runs along the face of the cliff to the Edgewater waterfront.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 23,594 people, 9,948 households, and 6,178 families in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 10,665 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 70.11% (16,541)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3.29% (776) Black or African American, 0.32% (75) Native American, 13.78% (3,252) Asian, 0.05% (11)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 8.65% (2,042) from other races, and 3.80% (897) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28.41% (6,704) of the population. Of the 9,948 households, 23.6% had children under the age of 18; 44.8% were married couples living together; 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 37.9% were non-families. Of all households, 31.6% were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.98. 17.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 91.6 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

shows that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two 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 of und ...

was $67,856 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,782) and the median family income was $80,856 (+/− $5,828). Males had a median income of $53,529 (+/− $4,598) versus $52,134 (+/− $5,805) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $36,157 (+/− $2,000). About 7.3% of families and 10.5% 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 ...

, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over. Same-sex couples headed 56 households in 2010, a decline from the 72 counted in 2000.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 23,007 people, 10,027 households, and 6,036 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 10,375 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 77.85%

, 1.83%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.25% Native American, 12.05% Asian, 0.02%

, 4.97% from other races, and 3.02% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 18.16% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Cliffside Park 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 Cliffside Park borough, Bergen County, New Jersey

. Accessed March 5, 2013. As of the 2000 census, 3.6% of Cliffside Park's residents identified themselves as being of Armenian American ancestry. This was the highest percentage in New Jersey, and the seventh-highest percentage of Armenian American people in any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. Additionally, according to the 2000 Census, 1.3% of Cliffside Park identified themselves as Turkish American, the sixth-highest of any municipality in the United States and four-highest in the state. There were 10,027 households, out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.95. In the borough the population was spread out, with 16.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $46,288, and the median income for a family was $54,915. Males had a median income of $40,114 versus $36,100 for females. The

for the borough was $28,516. About 8.5% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the

, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

, more than three quarters of Cliffside Park residents categorize themselves as being affiliated with a formal religious body. A majority of the borough is Roman Catholic (52.60%), many of whom attend the Roman Catholic Church of the Epiphany on Knox Avenue. 8.12% Jewish; 1.21% Lutheran; 1.20% Episcopalian; 0.84% Methodist; 0.88% Muslim; 0.62% Baptist; 0.46% Pentecostal; and 0.02% Eastern Orthodox Christian.

Government

Local government

Cliffside Park is governed under the

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 At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

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 includes 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 ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 160. The borough form of government used by Cliffside Park 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 A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president (government title), president or monarch vetoes a bill (law), bill to stop it from becoming statutory law, law. In many countries, veto powe ...

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. , the Mayor of Cliffside Park is Democrat Thomas Calabrese, who was elected to serve a term of office ending December 31, 2027. Members of the borough council are Council President John Chmielewski (D, 2024), Peter J. Colao (D, 2025), Kenneth J. Corcoran (D, 2025), Dana Martinotti (D, 2026), Selvie Nikaj (D, 2024) and Eurice Rojas (R, 2026).Governing Body
Borough of Cliffside Park. Accessed April 21, 2024.''2024 County and Municipal Directory''

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Official Statement of Vote 2023 General Election - November 7, 2023 Official Results

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Bergen County November 8, 2022 General Election Statement of Vote

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Bergen County Statement of Vote November 2, 2021 Official results

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Gerald Calabrese, who was elected to the borough council in 1955 and had served continuously as mayor of Cliffside Park from 1965 until his death in April 2015, making him the longest-serving mayor in state history. In June 2015, Peter Colao was appointed to fill the vacant council seat expiring in December 2016 that had been held by Calabrese before he was selected to fill the vacancy as mayor.

Federal, state, and county representation

Cliffside Park is located in the 9th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 36th 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 2011, there were a total of 11,107 registered voters in Cliffside Park, of which 4,749 (42.8% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,166 (10.5% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 5,185 (46.7% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 7 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Bergen
New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 3, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 47.1% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 56.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide). In recent years, Cliffside Park has leaned strongly toward the Democratic Party. In the 2016 presidential election, Democrat

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

received 5,474 votes (61.1% 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 is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

with 3,119 votes (34.8% vs. 41.1% countywide) and other candidates with 221 votes (2.5% vs. 3.0% countywide), among the 8,953 ballots cast by the borough's 12,979 registered voters for a turnout of 68.9% (vs. 73% in Bergen County). In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat

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

received 5,410 votes (66.0% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

with 2,627 votes (32.0% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 64 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 8,203 ballots cast by the borough's 11,870 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.1% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 5,348 votes (61.9% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

with 3,095 votes (35.8% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates with 88 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 8,636 ballots cast by the borough's 11,775 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.3% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County).2008 General Election Results for Cliffside Park
, '' The Record''. Accessed November 7, 2008. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, 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 ...

received 52.0% of the vote (2,298 cast), ahead of Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

with 47.0% (2,077 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (47 votes), among the 4,639 ballots cast by the borough's 11,249 registered voters (217 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.2%. 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 f ...

received 3,305 ballots cast (59.8% vs. 48.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 1,914 votes (34.6% vs. 45.8%), independent Chris Daggett with 202 votes (3.7% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 24 votes (0.4% vs. 0.5%), among the 5,529 ballots cast by the borough's 11,381 registered voters, yielding a 48.6% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Local elections

In the 2010 General Election, Democratic incumbents Thomas Calabrese (3,167 votes) and Kenneth Corcoran (3,111 votes) were re-elected to three-year terms of office after being challenged by Republican Party candidates Eric Soto (1,835 votes) and Michelle Talamo (1,836 votes). In the 2009 General Election, Democratic incumbents Bernard J. Fontana (2,943 votes) and Donna M. Spoto (2,983 votes) were re-elected over Republican Party candidates John Mitchell (2,040 votes) and Eric Soto (2,004 votes).

List of mayors

Cliffside Park was formed in 1895 and has the

form of New Jersey municipal government. It has had numerous mayors, a number of whom served non-consecutive terms. Gerald Calabrese was longest serving mayor (50 years) in New Jersey at the time of his death. The following is a list of previous mayors: *Thomas Calabrese (D) 2015 acting, 2016 to present * Gerald Calabrese (D) (1961–1963, 1965 to 2015) the longest-serving mayor in

*James F Madden (1963–1965) *Frederick F. Dyer (R) (1958 to 1959) *Francis J. Murphy (1954–1957) *Edward Ulrich (R) (1952–1959) *William T. Michaelson (1950 to 1951) He was indicted in 1951, and again in 1953, on charges of failure to enforce gambling laws, but the charges were dropped in 1955. * Joseph C. Woodcock (1939–1943) *Thomas A. Fox (1934–1939) Died in office in his third term. *Frank A. Meyer (1931–1934) * Joseph W. Marini (R) (1924–1929, 1944–1947), twice defeated Edward Aloysius Kenney, an unsuccessful candidate who ran as an independent in 1921, as a Republican in 1923, and as a Democrat in 1927. (Kenney later defeated Marini in a race for the U.S. House of Representatives.) Became

New Jersey Superior Court The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with statewide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The New Jersey Constitution of 1947 establishes the power of the New Jersey courts: under Article Six of the State Consti ...

judge.

New Jersey Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

1944-1945 *John C. Cadien (1918–1924) Instrumental in the establishment of Cliffside Park Public Library *S. Wood McClave (1910–1914) *John E. Ferdinand (1904–1906) *August Neuman (1895–1904, 1906–1910, 1914–1918) An investor in Palisades Amusement Park, he was the first mayor of the borough. He asked the wife of Gaetano Bresci to move out of the town after her husband assassinated

Umberto I of Italy Umberto I (; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination in 1900. His reign saw Italy's expansion into the Horn of Africa, as well as the creation of the Triple Alliance (1882), Triple Alliance a ...

. Served as

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

1895–1914. He was briefly shunned by townsfolk after a forgery of his signature.

Education

The Cliffside Park School District serves public school students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 3,074 students and 255.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 12.0:1.District information for Cliffside Park School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed December 1, 2022. Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the

) are Number 3 School with 358 students in grades PreK-4, Number 4 School with 485 students in grades K-5, Number 5 School with 275 students in grades PreK-4, Number 6 School / Cliffside Park Middle School with 692 students in grades 5-8 and Cliffside Park High School with 1,192 students in grades 9-12. Students from Fairview attend the district's high school as part of a

sending/receiving relationship A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts hav ...

with the Fairview Public Schools. 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 Bergen County Academies (BCA) is a tuition-free public magnet high school located in Hackensack, New Jersey, that serves students in the ninth through twelfth grades from all of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school was fo ...

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. For generations, the borough was the home of Epiphany School, an elementary school of the Roman Catholic Church of the Epiphany. Completed in 1930, having been constructed under the direction of Msgr. Anthony J. Ferretti, the school was staffed by the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth ( Convent Station, New Jersey). In 2005, due to changing demographics and low enrollment, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark decided to merge Epiphany School with Christ the Teacher Interparochial School in

Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee is a Borough (New Jersey), borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop The Palisades (Hudson River), The Palisades. As of the 2020 Uni ...

, which is jointly sponsored by Epiphany RC Church, Madonna RC Church (Fort Lee), Holy Trinity RC Church (Fort Lee) and Holy Rosary RC Church (Edgewater).

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Bergen County. Palisade Avenue and Anderson Avenue are the main north–south roads of Cliffside Park.

Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...

bus lines 156, 159 and

181 Year 181 ( CLXXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Burrus (or, less frequently, year 934 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 181 for this ye ...

offer service to and from

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

; the 22 route serves

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

; and the 751 and 755 offer local service.

Popular culture

Many films have had scenes filmed in Cliffside Park. Exteriors for '' The Vampire'' (1913), directed by

Robert G. Vignola Robert G. Vignola (born Rocco Giuseppe Vignola, August 7, 1882 – October 25, 1953) was an Italian-American actor, screenwriter, and film director. A former stage actor, he appeared in many motion pictures produced by Kalem Company and later mov ...

and starring Alice Hollister and Harry F. Millarde were filmed in the borough. Scenes from ''

Cop Land ''Cop Land'' is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by James Mangold. It stars Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro, with Peter Berg, Janeane Garofalo, Robert Patrick, Michael Rapaport, Annabell ...

'', directed by

James Mangold James Allen Mangold (born December 16, 1963) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Noted for his versatility in tackling a range of genres, Mangold made his debut as a film director with ''Heavy (film), Heavy'' (1995), and gai ...

and starring

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...

Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor and film producer, known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running associatio ...

and

Ray Liotta Raymond Allen Liotta (; December 18, 1954 – May 26, 2022) was an American actor. He first gained attention for his role in the film '' Something Wild'' (1986), which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination. He was best known for his portray ...

were filmed here. Portions of the 1988 film ''

Big Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * Big (film), ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big'', a 2023 Taiwanese children's film starring Van Fan and Chie Tanaka * ''Big!'', a ...

'', starring

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

and directed by

Penny Marshall Carole Penny MarshallBorn Carole Penny Marshall in 1943, as per ''My Mother Was Nuts, a Memoir'', p. 10; . Copyright 2012 (October 15, 1943 – December 17, 2018) was an American actress, film director, and producer. She is best known for ...

, were filmed in Cliffside Park. The exterior shown for the Heffernan house that was used in CBS sitcom ''

The King of Queens ''The King of Queens'' is an American television sitcom that ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007, with a total of 207 half-hour episodes spanning nine seasons. The series was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, who al ...

'' is located in the borough.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Cliffside Park include: * Randi Altschul (born 1960), toy inventor * Oksana Baiul (born 1977),

figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic d ...

* Ed Benguiat (1927–2020),

typographer Typography is the art and technique of Typesetting, arranging type to make written language legibility, legible, readability, readable and beauty, appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, Point (typogra ...

and lettering artist who crafted over 600 typeface designs including Bookman,

Souvenir A souvenir ( French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and trans ...

and the eponymous ITC Benguiat *

Betsy Blair Betsy Blair (born Elizabeth Winifred Boger; December 11, 1923March 13, 2009) was an American actress of film and stage, long based in London. Blair pursued a career in entertainment from the age of eight, and as a child worked as an amateur danc ...

(1923–2009), actress of film and stage, long based in London * Nick Borelli (1905–1992), professional football player who spent one season in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

with the Newark Tornadoes in 1930 * Clinton Calabrese (born 1986), politician who has represented the 36th Legislative District in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

since February 2018 * Gerald Calabrese (1925–2015), former professional basketball player who served 50 consecutive years as mayor of Cliffside Park * Rene Paul Chambellan (1893–1955), architectural sculptor * Ann Corio (1909–1999), burlesque stripper, actress * William J. Dorgan (1921–2003), was a politician who served in the

, as Mayor of Palisades Park, New Jersey, and as a member of the Bergen County

Board of Chosen Freeholders In New Jersey, a Board of County Commissioners (until 2020 named the Board of Chosen Freeholders) is the elected county-wide government board in each of the state's 21 counties. In the five counties that have an elected county executive, the ...

Joseph Dunninger Joseph Dunninger (April 28, 1892 – March 9, 1975), known as "The Amazing Dunninger", was one of the most famous and proficient Mentalism, mentalists of all time. He was one of the pioneer performers of Magic (illusion), magic on radio and tele ...

(1892–1975), mentalist * Ruth Brewer Eisenberg (1902–1996), "Ivory" of '' Ebony and Ivory'' *

Bruce Elia Bruce Louis Elia (born January 10, 1953) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football on both the offensive and defensive teams for the Ohio State ...

(born 1953), former NFL football player / local businessman *

Eileen Farrell Eileen Farrell (February 13, 1920 – March 23, 2002) was an American soprano who had a nearly 60-year-long career performing both classical and popular music in concerts, theatres, on radio and television, and on disc. NPR noted, "She possessed ...

(1920–2002), opera singer * Frank H. Field (1922–2013), chemist and mass spectrometrist known for his work in the development of

chemical ionization Chemical ionization (CI) is a ionization, soft ionization technique used in mass spectrometry. This was first introduced by Burnaby Munson and Frank H. Field in 1966. This technique is a branch of gaseous ion-molecule chemistry. Reagent gas molec ...

* Fred C. Galda (1918–1997), Superior Court judge and mayor of

Paramus, New Jersey 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 ...

Gloria Gaynor Gloria Fowles (born September 7, 1943), known professionally as Gloria Gaynor, is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" (1978), "I Have a Right, Let Me Know (I Have a Right)" (1979), "I Am What I Am (Broadway mus ...

(born 1949), singer * Ray Gillen (1959–1993), former member of

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...

* Heidi Groskreutz (born 1981), dancer and finalist on the second season of '' So You Think You Can Dance'' * Valerie Huttle (born 1956), politician who represented the 37th Legislative District in the

from 2006 to 2022 * Alfred J. Kahn (1919–2009), social policy expert * Edward Aloysius Kenney (1884–1938), member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

* Frank Lautenberg (1924–2013),

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

* Gus Lesnevich (1915–1964), boxer * Remy Ma (born 1981),

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

-winning rapper *

John Marin John Marin (December 23, 1870 – October 2, 1953) was an early American modernist visual artist. He is known for his abstract landscape paintings and watercolors. Early life and education Marin was born on December 23, 1870, in Rutherford, N ...

(1870–1953), artist known for his watercolors * Ralph Mercado (1941–2009), promoter of

Latin American music The music of Latin America refers to music originating from Latin America, namely the Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese-speaking regions of the Americas south of the United States. Latin American music highly incorpor ...

Otto Messmer Otto James Messmer (; August 16, 1892 – October 28, 1983) was an American animator known for his work on the Felix the Cat cartoons and comic strip produced by the Pat Sullivan studio. The extent of Messmer's role in the creation and popula ...

(1892–1983), animatorHsu, Eric
"Cliffside Park, this is your life"
'' The Record'', March 22, 2007, backed up by the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

as of March 13, 2016. Accessed September 10, 2017. "One section includes a list of the town's famous residents, including telepathist Joseph Dunninger; boxer Gus Lesnevich; and Otto Messmer, an animator sometimes credited as the creator of Felix the Cat." * Ed Mioduszewski (1931–2010), former NFL football player * Chris Neild (born 1987), NFL player * Randy Neumann (born 1948), boxing referee and former professional boxerRandy Neumann profile
New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame. Accessed December 1, 2016. "Randy Neumann was born and raised in Cliffside Park, NJ the town which earlier produced the late, great World Light heavyweight Champion, Gus Lesnevich." *

Charles Henry Niehaus Charles Henry Niehaus (January 24, 1855 – June 19, 1935) was an American sculptor. Early life and education Niehaus was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to German parents. He began working as a marble and wood carver, and then gained entrance to the ...

(1855–1935), sculptor * Archibald Olpp (1882–1949), member of the

* Daphne Oz (born 1986), author and talk show host *

Mehmet Oz Mehmet Cengiz Oz ( ; ; born June 11, 1960), also known as Dr. Oz (), is an American television presenter, physician, author, educator and government official serving as the 17th administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sinc ...

(born 1960), cardiothoracic surgeon, talk show host and author * Joe Pantoliano (born 1951), actor * Patrick J. Roma (1949–2017), lawyer and politician who represented the 38th Legislative District in the

from 1988 to 1997 * Julia Scotti,

transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...

stand-up comedian Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage and delivers humorous and satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical acts. These performances are typically composed of rehear ...

* Harold Snyder (1922–2008), co-founder of generic drug manufacturer Biocraft Laboratories * Manny Suárez (born 1993), basketball player who has competed internationally on the Chile national team * Joseph C. Woodcock (1925–1997), politician who served in the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...

and as

Bergen County Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Maysoon Zayid Maysoon Zayid () is an American actress and comedian. Of Palestinian descent, she is known as one of America's first Muslim women comedians. Early life Zayid was born in New Jersey in 1974. She described herself in a BBC interview as "a Palesti ...

(born 1974), actress, comedian and activistHeydarpour, Roja
"The Comic Is Palestinian, the Jokes Bawdy"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', November 21, 2006. Accessed March 22, 2011. "Ms. Zayid, who has a home in Cliffside Park, N.J., recently returned from Hollywood, where she lived while working on developing her one-woman show."

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, Nelson
''History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men.''
Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1882. * 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

Borough of Cliffside Park website

Cliffside Park Online

Cliffside Park Public Library
{{Authority control 1895 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in New Jersey Boroughs in Bergen County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1895