Alpine, New Jersey

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Borough of Alpine, New Jersey
settlement_type = Borough
nickname =
motto =


imagesize =
image_caption =


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mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Map highlighting Alpine's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey


mapsize1 = 250x200px
map_caption1 = Census Bureau map of Alpine, New Jersey
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = New Jersey
subdivision_name2 = Bergen
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Paul H. Tomasko
leader_title1 = Administrator
leader_name1 = Leslie M. Shenkler
government_type = Borough (New Jersey)
established_title = Incorporated
established_date = April 8, 1903
area_magnitude =
area_total_sq_mi = 9.2
area_total_km2 = 23.8
area_land_sq_mi = 6.4
area_land_km2 = 16.5
area_water_sq_mi = 2.8
area_water_km2 = 7.3
area_water_percent = 30.75
area_urban_sq_mi =
area_urban_km2 =
area_metro_sq_mi =
area_metro_km2 =
population_as_of = 2007
population_footnotes =
population_total = 2451
population_metro =
population_urban =
population_density_km2 = 132.5
population_density_sq_mi = 343.5
timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 40 |latm = 57 |lats = 16 |latNS = N
longd = 73 |longm = 55 |longs = 50 |longEW = W
elevation_m = 155
elevation_ft = 509
elevation_footnotes = [Gnis|885214|Borough of Alpine, Geographic Names Information System, accessed April 22, 2007.]
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 07620
area_code = 201
website = http://www.alpinenj07620.org
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 34-01090GR|2 [ [http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/webrepts/commoncodes/ccc_nj.html A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey] , Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.]
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0874320GR|3
footnotes =

Alpine is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 2,183. Alpine tied with Miami Beach, Florida, ranking number one on Forbes Magazine's "Most Expensive ZIP Codes 2007" list, with a median home sale price of $3.4 million dollars.

For the period between July 2006 and June 2007, Alpine ranked #1 in a tie with Fisher Island, Florida on the ABC News list of most expensive zip codes, with a median home sale price of $3.4 million. [ [http://abcnews.go.com/Business/IndustryInfo/Story?id=3585400 What's the Toniest Town in America?] , ABC News. Accessed September 15, 2007.] [Woolsey, Matt. [http://realestate.msn.com/Buying/Article_forbes.aspx?cp-documentid=5429876&GT1=10431 "Priciest ZIP code? It's not 90210"] , "Forbes". Accessed November 15, 2007.]

"New Jersey Monthly" magazine ranked Alpine as its 15th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey. [ [http://njmonthly.com/articles/best_of/placestolive/best-places-to-live---the-complete-top-towns-list-.html "Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List 1-100"] , "New Jersey Monthly", February 21, 2008. Accessed February 24, 2008.]

Alpine was formed by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1903 from portions of Harrington Township. The borough gained a portion of Cresskill in 1904."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 194.] ["History of Bergen County" p. 336 shows April 13, 1903, as date of formation.]

Geography

Alpine is located at coor dms|40|57|16|N|73|55|50|W|city (40.954346, -73.930472)GR|1 less than 9 miles from Manhattan.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 9.2 square miles (23.8 km²), of which, 6.4 square miles (16.5 km²) of it is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²) of it (30.75%) is water.

Demographics

USCensusPop
1900= 268
1910= 377
1920= 350
1930= 521
1940= 626
1950= 644
1960= 921
1970= 1344
1980= 1549
1990= 1716
2000= 2183
estimate=2451
estyear=2007
estref= [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=Search&geo_id=16000US3400700&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US34%7C16000US3400700&_street=&_county=alpine&_cityTown=alpine&_state=04000US34&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=population_0&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= Census data for Alpine] , United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 3, 2008.]
footnote=Population 1930 - 1990. [ [http://www.wnjpin.net/OneStopCareerCenter/LaborMarketInformation/lmi01/poptrd6.htm Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990] , Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.] [ [http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/planning/data/HistoricalPop.pdf Historical Population Trends in Bergen County (1900 - 2000)] , Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed December 23, 2007.] As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 2,183 people, 708 households, and 623 families residing in the borough. The population density was 343.5 people per square mile (132.5/km²). There were 730 housing units at an average density of 114.9/sq mi (44.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 77.37% White, 1.51% African American, 0.23% Native American, 19.10% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.52% of the population.

There were 708 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.8% were married couples living together, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.0% were non-families. 9.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.08 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the borough the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 20.9% from 25 to 44, 34.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $130,740, and the median income for a family was $134,068. Males had a median income of $87,544 versus $45,536 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $76,995. About 5.4% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Alpine is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year. ["2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book", Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 165.]

The current mayor of Alpine is Paul H. Tomasko (D, term ends December 31, 2010. Members of the Alpine Borough Council are Council President Vicki Frankel (D, 2009), Michael Cacouris (D, 2009), Paul Garjian (D, 2008), Gayle Gerstein (D, 2010), Sidney Merians (D, 2010) and Ronny Siegel (D, 2008). [ [http://www.alpinenj07620.org/id5.html Mayor & Council] , Borough of Alpine. Accessed July 3, 2008.] [http://co.bergen.nj.us/ParksPDF/CountyDirectory.pdf "County of Bergen: 2008 County and Municipal Directory"] , Bergen County, New Jersey, p. 35. Accessed July 3, 2008.]

In elections held on November 6, 2007, incumbent Democrats Gayle Gerstein and Sidney Merians ran unopposed and were re-elected to the council to a second and third term respectively. [ [http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkyJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MjE3MzQ1 "Alpine municipal elections"] , "The Record (Bergen County)", November 3, 2007. Accessed November 15, 2007.] [ [http://www.northjersey.com/dngmedia/media_server/tr/2007/11/06election/bergencounty2007.html Bergen County election results] , "The Record (Bergen County)", November 7, 2007. Accessed November 10, 2007.]

On Election Day, November 7, 2006, Democrats swept all three open seats unopposed, with Paul H. Tomasko (443 votes) reelected as Mayor, and Michael Cacouris (412) and Vicki Frankel (399) winning additional terms on the Borough Council. ["Election 2006: Municipal Results", "The Record (Bergen County)", November 8, 2006, p. L-2.] [ [http://151.198.187.55/countyclerk/2006%20General/2006_General.pdf Bergen County 2006 General Election Results] , Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed February 1, 2007.]

Federal, state and county representation

Alpine is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 39th Legislative District. [ [http://www.lwvnj.org/pubs/CG06.pdf 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government] , New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 54. Accessed August 30, 2006.]

Politics

As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 2,340, there were 1,359 registered voters (58.1% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 184 (13.5% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 380 (28.0% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 794 (58.4% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There was one voter registered to another party. ["County of Bergen: Voter Statistics by Municipality, Ward & District," Bergen County, New Jersey, dated April 1, 2006.]

On the national level, Alpine leans toward the Republican Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 56% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry, who received around 43%. [ [http://www.nj.gov/lps/elections/2004results/04_Municipality_pdf%27s/presidential_bergen_co_2004.pdf 2004 Presidential Election results: Bergen County] , New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety: Division of Elections, dated December 13, 2004.]

Education

The Alpine Public School, is a K-8 community school district serving a total of 134 students at the Alpine School, as of the 2005-06 school year. [ [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3400870 Data for the Alpine Elementary School] , National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed march 8, 2008.] Public school students attend Tenafly High School in Tenafly for grades 9 - 12, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Tenafly Public Schools. [Alvarado, Monsy. [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-73067554.html "Alpine to keep sending students to Tenafly"] , "The Record (Bergen County)", April 4, 2003. Accessed January 2, 2008."ALPINE - The borough's high school students will continue to attend Tenafly High School under a new contract approved by the Board of Education this week."]

Transportation

U.S. Route 9W, the Palisades Interstate Parkway and County Route 502 all pass through Alpine.

Media

Alpine is home to the tower and laboratory built by Edwin Howard Armstrong after RCA evicted him from the Empire State Building. Armstrong's experimental FM station, W2XMN, broadcast from various locations on the tower, first on 42.8 MHz; later on 44.1 MHz; and finally on 93.1 MHz in the modern FM band. The laboratory building and the tower still stand; the 400-foot (122-m) tower is home to many two-way radio users, one modern FM station (Fairleigh Dickinson University's WFDU), and backup transmitters for several of New York's television stations. The tower served as a primary tower for the stations after September 11 when the World Trade Center was destroyed. There was some local opposition to this scheme, but the move was temporary, as the stations affected moved their primary broadcast facilities to the Empire State Building. The original lab building is home to a static display of historic communications equipment and offices; the USA Network cable channel operated from this building in the late 1970s.

Points of interest

Rio Vista is an upscale neighborhood in the southern section of Alpine. Rio Vista is home to Devil's Tower, a stone clock tower that is claimed to be haunted. The tower was originally built by sugar baron Manuel Rionda (1854-1943) in order to allow his wife to see New York from the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. The legend has it that when his wife saw him with another woman, she committed suicide by jumping off the tower. After becoming upset over his wife's death, Rionda stopped all work on the tower. [ [http://www.scripophily.net/riovistaland.html Riovista Land Corporation certificate] , accessed January 30, 2007.] In reality Harriet Rionda died of natural causes in 1922 and was interred nearby for approximately 20 years; her coffin was moved to Brookside Cemetery, Englewood. The estate was later [http://www.riovista.net/projects/completed/alpine.html sub-divided] into 197 housing sites consisting of miles of roadway, infrastructure, and related facilities in the mid 1980s.

The New Jersey Section of the Palisades Interstate Park runs the length of Alpine along the top of the New Jersey Palisades and along the Hudson River.

The Alpine Boat Basin serves as both a public picnic area and small marina for private boats. The area is a scenic riverfront picnic area and boat basin, plus beach for car-top boat launches (canoe and kayak), with fishing, access to hiking trails and Henry Hudson Drive, restrooms, water, vending machines, and public phones. The area also has Alpine Pavilion, an open-air stone picnic pavilion built in 1934 by the Civil Works Administration (available for rental), as well as the historic Blackledge-Kearney House.

Popular Culture

In his 2008 Kill the Messenger Tour special on HBO, Chris Rock mentions that he lives in a multi-million dollar house in Alpine, New Jersey. ("Don't hate the player - hate the game!" Rock then retorts to his astonished audience). Rock then goes on to say that the only other black people that can afford to live in his neighborhood are three of the greatest living black artists, Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z and Eddie Murphy. He then asks the audience if they know what his white next-door neighbor does for a living. Rock screams, "He's a dentist... a fucking dentist! He ain't in the dental hall of fame. He ain't the world's greatest dentist?" He's just a regular old 'pull ya teeth' dentist. If he were a black dentist, he'd have to have invented teeth!" [Chris Rock in performance on HBO, No Apologies Tour (NY, South Africa, London) .]

Noted residents

Notable current and former residents of Alpine include:
* Gioia Marconi Braga, daughter of Guglielmo Marconi and chairwoman of the Marconi Foundation. [Kamin, Arthur Z. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C05EFD81E3CF930A15753C1A962958260 "State Becomes a Part of Celebrating Marconi's Achievements"] , "The New York Times", October 23, 1994. Accessed July 6, 2008. "Mrs. Braga, who has lived in Alpine 40 years, said the Marconi International Fellowship Council had an endowment of about $3 million and her goal was to raise it to $4 million."]
* Damon Dash (born 1971), hip-hop entrepreneur.Century, Douglas. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/arts/music/11cent.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1171568108-1pz1/OJee/4fGSWjvrJ/bw Alpine, N.J., Home of Hip-Hop Royalty] , "The New York Times", February 11, 2007.]
* Eddie Einhorn (born 1936), part owner of the Chicago White Sox. [Cahillane, Kevin. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E6D61430F936A1575AC0A9639C8B63 "WORTH NOTING; White Sox Fans? Say It Ain't So"] , "The New York Times", September 25, 2005. Accessed December 9, 2007. "Mr. Einhorn -- who was born and raised in Paterson and lives in Alpine -- is the flamboyant yin to the steely yang of the principal owner, Jerry Reinsdorf."]
* Patrick Ewing (born 1962), former center for the New York Knicks.
* Fabolous (born 1977), rap artist.
* Henry Clay Frick II (1919-2007), physician and head of the Frick Collection. [Hevesi, Dennis. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03E6DD173EF936A25751C0A9619C8B63&scp=1&sq=%22Henry+Clay+Frick+II%22&st=nyt "Henry Clay Frick II, 87, Physician And President of Frick Collection"] , "The New York Times", February 15, 2007. Accessed February 12, 2008.]
* Andre Harrell (born 1960), founder of Uptown Records.
* Matt Herr (born 1976) ice hockey forward who played for part of four NHL seasons. [Wallace, William N. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E5DC1E38F936A15750C0A96E958260 "COLLEGES HOCKEY: NOTEBOOK -- DIVISION III; Middlebury Makes It Four Straight Titles"] , "The New York Times", March 25, 1998. Accessed December 18, 2007. "Herr, the captain from the Hotchkiss School and Alpine, N.J., was held back by injuries earlier, but is fit now."]
* O'Kelly Isley, Jr. (1937-1986), founding member of the Isley Brothers. [Associated Press. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE2DF153CF930A35757C0A960948260 " O'KELLY ISLEY"] , "The New York Times", April 3, 1986. Accessed October 8, 2007. "He was 48 years old and lived in Alpine. Born Dec. 25, 1937, Mr. Isley grew up in Cincinnati and began his musical career singing gospel with his brothers, who performed with their mother accompanying on piano."]
* Jay-Z (born 1969), rap artist. [http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/2007/02/19/star-neighborhoods-celebrity-forbeslife-cx_mw_0220starstudded_slide_2.html In Pictures: Star-Studded Neighborhoods] , "Forbes", February 19, 2007. "Celebrity Residents: P. Diddy, Jay-Z, Russell Simmons."]
* Lil' Kim (born 1975), rap artist, who rapped about her new hometown in her song "Aunt Dot" ("Come on Shanice, I'm takin' you to my house in Alpine") [http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNjcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY3ODgxMDkmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3 Rappers making the move to Bergen County] , "The Record (Bergen County)", October 10, 2005.]
* Eric Maskin (born 1950), co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. [Silverstein, Marilyn. [http://www.njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/110807/njNobelWinner.html "Nobel winner who's at home with Einstein"] , "New Jersey Jewish News", November 8, 2007. Accessed January 22, 2008. "A native of New York, Maskin grew up in New Jersey, in a nonreligious Jewish home in the town of Alpine."]
* Eddie Murphy (born 1961) comedian, actor who has appeared in the "Beverly Hills Cop" series and as the voice of Donkey in the "Shrek" series. [Friendly, David T. [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/680691012.html?dids=680691012:680691012&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=May+19%2C+1985&author=DAVID+T+FRIENDLY&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=THE+EDDIE+MURPHY+SCRIPT+DERBY%3A+WINNER+TAKES+ALL&pqatl=google "THE EDDIE MURPHY SCRIPT DERBY: WINNER TAKES ALL"] , "Los Angeles Times", May 19, 1985. Accessed Septemebr 14, 2008. "On a recent Sunday morning, Eddie Murphy glanced out the living room window of his Alpine, N.J., home and noticed a neighbor standing in the front yard. Under his arm the man carried a script, a sight that made Murphy take a deep breath as he opened the front door."]
* P. Diddy (born 1969), rap artist.
* Joe Piscopo (born 1951), actor, best known as a cast member of "Saturday Night Live". [Strauss, Robert. [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/07njPERSON.html?_r=1&oref=slogin "So Jersey, He Deserves His Own Rest Area"] , "The New York Times", August 7, 2005. Accessed October 25, 2007. "Mr. Piscopo's father, also named Joe, was a lawyer and the family mostly lived in Essex County, the younger Joe graduating from West Essex High School in North Caldwell. With his "Saturday Night Live" fame, he moved to one of the richest corners of New Jersey, Alpine, persuading Mr. Murphy to join him there in that wealthy enclave by the Palisades."]
* Chris Rock (born 1965), comedian, movie star.
* Dr. Joseph Dello Russo, LASIK pioneer
* Gary Sheffield (born 1968), baseball player.
* Russell Simmons (born 1957), hip-hop entrepreneur.
* Wesley Snipes (born 1962), actor.
* Joseph A. Unanue (born 1925), President of Goya Foods from 1976-2004. [Jackson, Herb. [http://www.northjersey.com/news/njpolitics/17121111.html "GOP rival urges probe of Senate hopeful"] , "The Record (Bergen County)", March 29, 2008. Accessed July 3, 2008. "Rival Senate candidate Murray Sabrin on Friday seized on Andy Unanue's admission that he lived in New York City since 2004 while continuing to vote and register his cars using his parents' address in Alpine."]
* Brian "Baby" Williams (born 1969), of the Cash Money Millionaires.Fact|date=September 2008
*Stevie Wonder (born 1950), musician. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05E3D61638F934A15753C1A963948260 "IF YOU'RE THINKING OF LIVING IN ALPINE"] , "The New York Times", October 27, 1985.]

Sources

*"History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630-1923;" by "Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858-1942."
*"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.

References

External links

* [http://www.alpinenj07620.org Official web site]
* [http://www.alpine.k12.nj.us/ Alpine Elementary School]
*NJReportCard|03|0080|010|Alpine Elementary School
* [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3400870 Data for the Alpine Elementary School] , National Center for Education Statistics
* [http://www.tenafly.k12.nj.us/hs/index.htm Tenafly High School]
* [http://www.njpalisades.org/picnic.htm#Alpine Alpine Picnic Area]
* [http://www.riovista.net/index.html Rio Vista]