Closter New Jersey

Living in Closter

Just ten minutes from the George Washington Bridge, with attractive 18th and 19th Century Houses sprinkled around town, Closter NJ is the perfect location for the commuter with a big-city job who’s looking for a small-town way of life. Spread out over 3.2 square miles, the borough is a mixture of charming shops, mini-malls, and tranquil neighborhoods. Rising some 500′ above the Hudson River, the Palisades Cliffs offer some of the most spectacular scenery in the state of New Jersey. It was on these slopes that early pre-revolutionary settlements were established and 19th and 20th century mansions were built. No other town in Bergen County can pride itself on so great a concentration of houses built in or prior to 1740. Over 20 of these original Closter homes still remain and are still used by Closter residents.

Closter schools and education system

This stable community boasts a population of well-educated, employed homeowners whose household incomes are significantly above New Jersey state average. Quality education is paramount throughout Closter where high school students average a combined SAT score of 1128. Education of the youth is a year-round happening in Closter. When school is out, the Closter Nature Center offers 136 acres of ponds, streams, meadows and forest to be explored by young people in small classes led by a trained naturalist with an assistant — natural world is a source of learning and adventure. Pre-schoolers to teens enjoy local public or private schools: Temple Beth El Nursery School, Hillside Elementary School, Tenakill Middle School, Northern Valley Regional High School and Saint Mary Parish School.

Closter nature and sports

The population of approximately 8383 enjoys its 13.5-mile proximity to NYC. In the borough, residents can take advantage of the Closter Swim Club Athletic Programs: Tennis, Ice Skating Facilities, the Closter Nature Center with Nature Program, Arts & Crafts, and the Closter 4 Theater. In addition, 25 Acres of Conservation Area, four local parks offering an array of activities, five public playgrounds, four athletic fields, and a private swimming pool are accessible. In 1904 the Borough of Closter was incorporated. Celebrating its 100th Anniversary, Closter’s history is on display at the Closter Historical Society.

Closter museum and arts

Visitors to the Belskie Museum of Art and Science view sculptures of the late Abram Belskie, a Scots native who made Closter his home for 57 years. Belskie was not only incredibly talented in the fine arts, he was also an outstanding contributor to the medical field, creating with Dr. Robert Latou Dickinson a revolutionary line of three-dimensional medical models used to teach generations of medical students. Not only have Closter Lions who built the museum reclaimed an important part of the community’s history, they have honored an artistic heritage that brought beauty into the world while making it a safer place.

Closter temples and worship

Closter include a diverse group of houses of worship: AME Zion Church, Emmaus Mission Church, First Congregational Church, Kingdom of God Jehovah’s Witnesses, Korean Gillbott Church, Reformed Church of Closter, Sadhu Veswani Center, St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Temple Beth el of Northern Valley, and Temple Emanu-El of Closter. Temple Emanu-el moved from Englewood to Closter in March 2003. Closter’s abandoned or unwanted cats and dogs have a friend at the Animal Welfare Society Inc. (CLAWS). CLAWS, not a shelter, rescue and foster abandoned animals and works to find the best permanent homes for these animals.

Closter real estate and building style

There has been a recent movement for the construction of 3,000-4,000 square foot new Colonial style homes in Closter, New Jersey, resulting in the demolishing of tract homes that were built in the 1950’s. The borough of Closter enjoys some of the most scenic landscapes in northeastern Bergen County in the Northern Valley.