Cedar Grove, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cedar Grove, New Jersey
Township
Cedar Grove Municipal Building and Center Fire Company
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Location of Caldwell in Essex County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Essex County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
Census Bureau map of Cedar Grove, New Jersey
Cedar Grove, New Jersey Location in Essex County, New Jersey Show map of Essex County, New Jersey Cedar Grove, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Cedar Grove, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Essex
Incorporated	February 7, 1892 as Verona Township
Renamed	April 9, 1908 as Cedar Grove
Named for	Cedar trees
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act (council–manager)
• Body	Township Council
Area
• Total	4.36 sq mi (11.29 km2)
• Land	4.24 sq mi (10.97 km2)
• Water	0.12 sq mi (0.32 km2)  2.82%
Area rank	286th of 565 in state 9th of 22 in county
Elevation	243 ft (74 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	12,980
• Estimate  (2023)	13,321
• Rank	196th of 565 in state 15th of 22 in county
• Density	3,063.5/sq mi (1,182.8/km2)
• Density rank	214th of 565 in state 15th of 22 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07009
Area code(s)	973
FIPS code	3401311200
GNIS feature ID	0882222

Cedar Grove is a township in north central Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 12,980, an increase of 569 (+4.6%) from the 2010 census count of 12,411, which in turn reflected an increase of 111 (+0.9%) from the 12,300 counted in the 2000 census.

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Cedar Grove as its fourth-best place to live in Essex County and 17th-best place overall to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.

What is now Cedar Grove was originally incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature as the Township of Verona on February 7, 1892, from portions of Caldwell Township. Portions of the township were taken to create Verona borough, based on the results of a referendum held on April 30, 1907. On April 9, 1908, the name was formally changed to Cedar Grove. The township's name derives from the Eastern Red Cedar trees that once covered its valley and hillsides.

History

Cedar Grove was part of the Horseneck Tract, which was an area that consisted of what are now the municipalities of Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Fairfield, Verona, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Roseland, and portions of Livingston and West Orange.

In 1702, settlers purchased the 14,000 acres (57 km²) Horseneck Tract—so-called because of its irregular shape that suggested a horse's neck and head from the Lenape Native Americans for goods equal to $325. This purchase encompassed much of western Essex County, from the First Mountain to the Passaic River.

Cedar Grove was originally a small farming community. In 1896, Essex County built the county mental institution in Cedar Grove known as Overbrook. In 1908, Cedar Grove was incorporated as a township. In the 1950s and 1960s, Cedar Grove became one of the destination suburbs in Essex County among those looking to escape urban living from Newark and New York City.

Cedar Grove was once home to Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook Ballroom, located on Route 23, which regularly hosted well-known bands and vocalists, including Buddy Rich, Glenn Miller, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, and Jo Stafford. The ballroom, located on the old Pompton Turnpike, still stands, and is used by Sts. Kiril & Methodij Macedonian Orthodox Church. The first dinner theater was opened at the Meadowbrook in the fall of 1959 by Gary and Helga McHugh. It closed in 1973.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 4.36 square miles (11.29 km²), including 4.24 square miles (10.97 km²) of land and 0.12 square miles (0.32 km²) of water (2.82%).

The township is located between the First and Second Watchung Mountains. The center of the township is in a valley that is about 280 feet (85 m) above sea level; however, many sections of Cedar Grove are well above 400 feet (120 m), including the Park Ridge Estates, the abandoned Essex County Hospital Center, and the eastern, southeastern and southern sections of Cedar Grove. Cedar Grove's highest point is on hilltop, where elevations reach 600 feet (180 m) and above. Cedar Grove is located approximately 12 miles (19 km) west of Midtown Manhattan and 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Newark.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Lindsley and Overbrook.

Cedar Grove is bordered by the municipalities of Montclair, North Caldwell and Verona in Essex County; and Little Falls in Passaic County. Most of the eastern portion of the township is bordered by Upper Montclair (a neighborhood in Montclair).

Neighborhoods

The sections of Cedar Grove are:

North End: The North End of Cedar Grove starts after the corner of Fairview Avenue and Pompton Avenue. It consists mostly of homes, but there are some businesses located on Pompton Avenue, and at the corner of E. Lindsley Road and Stevens Avenue. A notable part of the north end of town is the Park Ridge Estates, which contains million-dollar homes.

Central Cedar Grove: This consists of the center of town and extends from the corner of Fairview Avenue and Pompton Avenue to the corner of Bradford Avenue and Pompton Avenue. The central portion of the town contains Cedar Grove's business district. Also, on the west central side of town is the former location of the Essex County Hospital Center, and on the east central side is the Cedar Grove Reservoir and Mills Reservation.

South End: The south end of Cedar Grove is the most urbanized part of the township, as it contains homes that are closer together. The south end extends from the corner of Bradford Avenue and Pompton Avenue to the Verona border. There are mostly homes here, but there are some businesses on Pompton Avenue. Like the north end of town, the south end contains a section of million dollar homes.

Cedar Grove's population density is less than the surrounding towns of Montclair, Verona, and Little Falls, mainly because significant portions of Cedar Grove are owned or previously owned by county or city governments. The Essex County Hospital Center took up a good amount of land and was owned by Essex County. Mills Reservation is a county-owned park, and the Cedar Grove Reservoir property is owned by the City of Newark.

Climate

Cedar Grove has a humid continental climate, with warm/hot humid summers and cool/cold winters. The climate is slightly colder overall during the summer and winter than in New York City because the urban heat island effect is not as prevalent.

January tends to be the coldest month, with average high temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s and lows in the lower to mid 20s. July is the warmest months with high temperatures in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s. From April to June and from September to early November, Cedar Grove enjoys temperatures from the lower 60s to upper 70s. Rainfall is plentiful, with around 44 inches (1,100 mm) a year. Snowfall is common from mid January to early March and nor'easters can bring a lot of snow. In January 1996, Cedar Grove received record snowfall of about 3 feet (0.91 m) from the Blizzard of 1996.

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 12,411 people, 4,523 households, and 3,216 families in the township. The population density was 2,918.6 per square mile (1,126.9/km²). There were 4,661 housing units at an average density of 1,096.1 per square mile (423.2/km²). The racial makeup was 89.01% (11,047) White, 2.47% (306) Black or African American, 0.05% (6) Native American, 6.53% (811) Asian, 0.01% (1) Pacific Islander, 0.85% (106) from other races, and 1.08% (134) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.86% (727) of the population.

Of the 4,523 households, 29.7% had children under the age of 18; 59.5% were married couples living together; 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.9% were non-families. Of all households, 25.4% were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.12.

20.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 87.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 82.9 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $95,152 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,156) and the median family income was $117,935 (+/− $15,917). Males had a median income of $81,330 (+/− $13,013) versus $51,525 (+/− $6,616) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $46,514 (+/− $3,662). About none of families and 0.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Most of the commercial zone in Cedar Grove is located on Route 23. The central business district starts at about Sweetwood Drive and extends to Little Falls Road just after the railroad bridge.

The township has an industrial district located along Commerce Road, which is off Route 23. In this district, there are light industrial factories and different types of commercial businesses.

Parks and recreation

Cedar Grove has several parks and recreational areas within the township. These include county parks, town parks, and recreational areas.

County parks

There are two county parks located in Cedar Grove.

• Mills Reservation, a county park, consisting of a 157.15-acre (0.6360 km²) protected wooded area with trails for walking and an overlook of New York City.
• Hilltop Reservation, composed of lands in the grounds of the former Essex Mountain Sanitorium, opened in spring 2003.

Parks

• Community Park – this park is located near the center of the town off Little Falls Road. It features a baseball field, a large field used for various sports, a barbecue area, two playgrounds, a bocce court, and entrances to the Lenape Trail, which provide an opportunity for running, walking, and biking.
• Elmer Bowden Taylor Memorial Park – this park and its recreational facilities is located on Little Falls Road; near Bowden Road. It includes tennis courts, basketball court, small playground, and public bathroom. Named for Elmer Bowden Taylor, Cedar Grove resident killed in action in World War I while flying with the Lafayette Flying Corps.
• South End School Park, This park/playground is located on the grounds of South End Elementary School on Harper Terrace. Features include basketball courts, two baseball fields, and a playground.
• North End School Park is nearly identical to South End School's park.
• Cedar Grove High School, in the back of the high school, there is a quarter-mile track for running or walking. There is also a football field, soccer field, and baseball field.

Recreational areas

• Tennis courts are located along Little Falls Road, all for public use.
• Cedar Grove Community Pool, a community pool which opened in 1963. It features a large pool with 50-meter lanes and 25-meter lanes, three diving boards (two small and a large one), and a water slide. Also, there is a baby pool for children under five. There is a snack bar for refreshments, sun decks for sunbathing, and basketball courts. The pool is open from the Saturday before Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Education

Public schools

The Cedar Grove Schools serve public school students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,613 students and 148.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are North End Elementary School with 258 students in grades Pre-K–4, South End Elementary School with 327 students in grades Pre-K–4, Cedar Grove Memorial Middle School with 500 students in grades 5–8, and Cedar Grove High School with 496 students in grades 9–12. In September 2021, North End School was one of nine schools in New Jersey recognized by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.

Private schools

Washington Academy is an approved private school for special education. Founded in 1982, the Academy provides specialized academic and behavioral services to students whose disabilities disrupt their academic and behavioral growth and progress. It serves students ages 3–21 (Pre-K–12th Grade). Washington Academy is a member of the National Association of Private Special Education Centers (NAPSEC), a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of private special education schools. The school is located in the former Leonard R. Parks Elementary School on Route 23.

St. Catherine of Siena School, founded in 1958, is located on Bradford Avenue and operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.

Transportation

Route 23 in Cedar Grove

Cedar Grove station on the Caldwell Branch of the Erie Railroad in 1909

Roads and highways

As of May 2010^[update], the township had a total of 47.09 miles (75.78 km) of roadways, of which 34.59 miles (55.67 km) were maintained by the municipality, 9.22 miles (14.84 km) by Essex County and 3.28 miles (5.28 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 23 bisects Cedar Grove, making the township accessible via major highways including Interstate 80, Interstate 280, U.S. Route 46, Route 3, and the Garden State Parkway. Cedar Grove is also centrally located to New York City, Newark, Paterson, and Morristown.

Public transportation

Cedar Grove is served by NJ Transit bus service. The 11 bus line provides service to Newark. The 195 bus line provides transportation to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. In September 2012, as part of budget cuts, NJ Transit suspended service to Newark on the 75 line.

Commuter train stations are located in the neighboring communities of Little Falls and Montclair. The Erie Railroad's Caldwell Branch ran between Little Falls and West Caldwell, but trains were sparsely scheduled and the line was destroyed in the 1970s.

Local media

Newspapers

The Verona-Cedar Grove Times, a weekly newspaper that publishes every Thursday, serves Cedar Grove and Verona.

The Cedar Grove Observer, which publishes 50 weeks a year, serves Cedar Grove.

Internet

Local news is covered by the Cedar Grove Observer and the Verona-Cedar Grove Times.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Cedar Grove include: