Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Berkeley Heights is a township
in Union County
, New Jersey
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 13,183.
Berkeley Heights was originally incorporated as New Providence Township by the New Jersey Legislature
on November 8, 1809, from portions of Springfield Township
, while the area was still part of Essex County
. New Providence Township became part of the newly formed Union County at its creation on March 19, 1857. Portions of the township were taken on March 23, 1869, to create Summit
, and on March 14, 1899, to form the borough of New Providence
. On November 6, 1951, the name of the township was changed to Berkeley Heights, based on the results of a referendum held that day.
In Money
magazine's 2007 Best Places to Live rankings, Berkeley Heights ranked 45th out of a potential 2,800 places in the United States with populations above 7,500 and under 50,000.
In its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places to Live", New Jersey Monthly
magazine ranked Berkeley Heights as the 19th best place to live in New Jersey. In its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" New Jersey Monthly
magazine ranked Berkeley Heights as the 59th best place to live in New Jersey.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the township has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²), of which, 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²) of it is land and 0.16% is water.
Berkeley Heights is located partially on the crest of the Second Watchung Mountain
and in the Passaic River Valley, aptly named as the Passaic River
forms the township's northern border.
Berkeley Heights is located in northwestern Union County, at the confluence of Union, Morris
, and Somerset
Counties. Berkeley Heights is bordered by New Providence
and Summit
to the east, Scotch Plains
to the southeast, Chatham
to the north, Watchung
to the south, and Warren Township
and Long Hill Township
to the west.
A brick walk with personalized bricks engraved with the names of many long-time Berkeley Heights residents runs from near the railroad station towards Kings grocery store. A memorial to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks adjoins a wooded area alongside Park Avenue, just southwest of downtown.
Native Americans
were known to inhabit the region, including the area now known as Berkeley Heights, dating back to the 1524 voyage of Giovanni da Verrazzano to what is now the lower New York Bay.
The earliest construction in Berkeley Heights began in an area that is now part of the 1960 acres (7.9 km²) Watchung Reservation; a Union County park that includes 305 acres (1.2 km²) of the township.
The first European settler was Peter Willcox, who received a 424 acres (1.7 km²) land grant in 1720 from the Elizabethtown Associates. This group bought much of northern New Jersey from the Lenape in the late 17th century. Willcox built a grist and lumber mill across Green Brook.
In 1793, a regional government was formed. It encompassed the area from present-day Springfield Township
, Summit
, New Providence
, and Berkeley Heights, and was called Springfield Township. Growth continued in the area, and by 1809, Springfield Township divided into Springfield Township and New Providence Township. New Providence Township included present day Summit, New Providence, and Berkeley Heights.
In 1845, Mr. Willcox's heirs sold the mill to David Felt, a paper manufacturer from New York. Felt built a small village around the mill aptly named Feltville. It included homes for workers and their families, dormitories, orchards, a post office and a general store with a second floor church.
In 1860, Feltville was sold to sarsaparilla
makers. Other manufacturing operations continued until Feltville went into bankruptcy in 1882. When residents moved away, the area became known as Deserted Village. Village remains consist of seven houses, a store, the mill and a barn. Deserted Village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and is undergoing restoration by the Union County Parks Department. Restoration grants of almost $2 million were received from various state agencies. Deserted Village, in the Watchung Reservation, is open daily for unguided walking tours during daylight hours.
On March 23, 1869, Summit Township (now the City of Summit) seceded from New Providence Township. On March 14, 1899, the Borough of New Providence seceded from New Providence Township. Present day Berkeley Heights remained as New Providence Township. Many of the townships and regional areas in New Jersey were separating into small, locally governed communities at that time due to acts of the New Jersey Legislature
that made it economically advantageous for the communities to due so.
Due to confusion between the adjacent municipalities of the Borough of New Providence and the Township of New Providence, the township conducted a referendum in 1952 and voted to change the name to Berkeley Heights Township. The origin of the township's name has never been fully established, but is believed to have been taken from an area of town that was referred to by this moniker, which itself was assumed to be derived from Lord John Berkeley, who was co-proprietor of New Jersey from 1664 to 1674.
Early life in Berkeley Heights is documented in the Littell-Lord Farmhouse Museum & Farmstead (31 Horseshoe Road in Berkeley Heights), an 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) museum surrounding two houses, one of which was built in the 1750s and the other near the turn of the century.
Among the exhibits are a Victorian master bedroom and a Victorian children's room, furnished with period antiques. The children's room also has reproductions of antique toys, which visitors can play with. The museum, which is on the National Register of Historic Places
, also includes an outbuilding that was used as a summer kitchen, a corncrib dating to the 19th century and a spring house built around a spring and used for refrigeration. The museum is open 2-4 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month from April through December, or by appointment.
The township owes its rural character to its late development. Until 1941, when the American Telephone and Telegraph Company
built its Bell Laboratories research facility in the township, it was a sleepy farming and resort community. According to a history compiled by the League of Women Voters
in 1963, the population grew from 2,194 in 1940 to 9,500 in 1962.
, established in 1910 by Bolton Hall
, a New York entrepreneur and reformer who believed in the idea of Henry George
, the economist, of single taxation, under which residents pay tax to the community, which, in turn, pays a lump sum to the municipality. Among the early residents of Free Acres were the actor James Cagney
and his wife, Billie.
To this day, residents of Free Acres pay tax to their association, which maintains its streets and swimming pool, approves architectural changes to homes and pays a lump sum in taxes to the municipality.
of 2000, there were 13,407 people, 4,479 households, and 3,717 families residing in the township. The population density
was 2,140.7 people per square mile (826.9/km2). There were 4,562 housing units at an average density of 728.4 per square mile (281.4/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 89.65% White, 1.11% African American, 0.08% Native American, 7.87% Asian, 0.61% from other races
, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.68% of the population.
There were 4,479 households out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.1% were married couples
living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 14.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $107,716, and the median income for a family was $118,862. Males had a median income of $83,175 versus $50,022 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $43,981. About 1.5% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
form of government under the Faulkner Act
. The switch took effect on January 1, 2007. In the fall 2006 elections all seats were open. Under the new form of government, the mayor is directly elected to a four-year term. The Township Committee has been replaced with a Township Council consisting of six members elected to staggered, three-year terms. With all six Township Council seats open in 2006, two councilpersons were elected to one-year terms, after which those seats will be open for three-year terms in 2007. Two other seats were open for two-year terms in 2006. The final two were open for three-year terms from the beginning. The responsibilities of the Township Administrator are unchanged.
, the Mayor of Berkeley Heights is Joseph Bruno. Members of the Township Council are Council President Kevin Hall (2012), Council Vice President Craig Pastore (2012), Ed Delia (2013), Elaine Perna (2011), Tom Pirone (2013) and Bob Woodruff (2011).
The first Township Council under the new form of government was elected in November 2006; accordingly, the Township Committee ceased to exist on December 31, 2006, and the Township Council was inaugurated on January 1, 2007.
In the 2006 election, the Republican nominees were David Cohen for mayor, Louis DiPasquale and John Haddad for three-year terms on the Council, Elaine Perna and Joseph Bruno for two-year Council terms, and David Ronner and Thomas Pirone for one-year terms. The Democrats did not run a mayoral candidate, but did field four Township Council candidates: Thomas Battaglia and Charles Hasz for three-year terms, Alexandra Chirinos for a two-year term, and John Bonacci for a one-year term. In addition, John Miller ran for mayor as an independent write-in candidate. Cohen won the election for mayor. The race between Battaglia and Haddad was very close; in a recount, Battaglia won by 10 votes. The other winning Council candidates were DiPasquale, Perna, Bruno, Pirone, and Bonacci; thus, the Township Council consists of four Republicans and two Democrats. Cohen, DiPasquale, Perna, Bruno, and Ronner were sitting Township Committee members in 2006; Battaglia sat on the Committee in the 1990s. Ronner was the only Township Committee incumbent who was unseated.
On January 1, 2007, the Township Council elected Elaine Perna Council President, after Mayor Cohen broke a tie vote and therefore defeated Louis DiPasquale's candidacy for the presidency. The Council then elected Joseph Bruno Council vice president. The Council president has no authority other than to chair Council meetings in the mayor's absence; the Council vice president chairs meetings in the absence of both the mayor and the Council president. If all three officials are absent, then the remaining Council members must choose a temporary presiding officer.
The Berkeley Heights Municipal Building is located at 29 Park Avenue.
based on the results of the 2010 Census.
serves Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
) are
The Mary Kay McMillin Early Childhood Center (PreK-1st grade; 372 students),
Thomas P. Hughes Elementary School (2-5; 317),
Mountain Park Elementary School (2-5; 282),
William Woodruff Elementary School (2-5; 234),
Columbia Middle School (6-8; 598) and
Governor Livingston High School
(9-12; 1,043 students).
The high school serves public school students of Berkeley Heights Township, along with those from neighboring Borough of Mountainside
who are educated at the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship
with the Mountainside School District
. Governor Livingston also provides programs for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Cognitively Impaired, of which students are enrolled from all over north-central New Jersey.
Governor Livingston was the 24th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 15th in 2008 out of 316 schools.
There are no primary or secondary private schools in Berkeley Heights.
is located on Mountain Avenue and there is also an entrance on Diamond Hill Road. It is the main medical facility in Berkeley Heights.
The Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad, founded in 1942, is located at the corner of Snyder Avenue and Locust Avenue. The closest trauma centers are Morristown Medical Center (Morristown, NJ) and University Hospital in Newark
. The closest hospital emergency room is Overlook Hospital
in Summit
. The all volunteer Rescue Squad provides emergency medical services to the township 7 days per week. As of the summer of 2011 the squad has over 50 members including over 35 certified EMT's. The squad also enlists College Students and has an active High School Cadet program. In 2010 the rescue squad responded to nearly 600 calls for assistance.
The Berkeley Heights Fire Department is a volunteer fire department with 40 members that operate out of a fire station located at 411 Hamilton Avenue, across from the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue. The department has three engines, one ladder truck, a rescue truck with the Jaws of Life, an air truck, and several support vehicles. In 2010 the department responded to 665 calls.
There are three Swimming clubs located in Berkeley Heights: the Berkeley Heights Community Pool (Locust Avenue), the Berkeley Swim Club (behind Columbia Park), and Berkeley Aquatic (off of Springfield Avenue).
Also, the Watchung Reservation
and Passaic Valley Park are in the township and maintained by Union County. The Watchung Reservation has hiking trails, horseback riding trails, a large lake (Lake Surprise), the Deserted Village of Feltville, and picnic areas.
Berkeley Heights is served by Interstate 78
, which runs from the Holland Tunnel
to the Pennsylvania
State Line.
station is part of the Gladstone Branch
of the New Jersey Transit
commuter rail system, serving Hoboken Terminal
, Newark Broad Street Station, and Penn Station
in Midtown Manhattan
. Berkeley Heights is also in close proximity of the Summit
train station, which provides frequent commuter rail service to New York City
.
NJ Transit offers local bus service on the 986 route. Lakeland Bus Lines also provides commuter bus service to New York City Port Authority Bus Terminal
and a connection to Gladstone.
Freight rail transportation was, until recently, provided by Norfolk Southern via off-peak use of New Jersey Transit's Gladstone Branch line. The Berkeley Heights plant of Reheis Chemical located on Snyder Avenue was the last freight customer on the Gladstone Branch.
Newark Liberty International Airport
is approximately 18 miles (29 km) east of Berkeley Heights.
Township (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
in Union County
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 536,499. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Elizabeth. Union County ranks 93rd among the highest-income counties in the United States. It also ranks 74th in...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 13,183.
Berkeley Heights was originally incorporated as New Providence Township by the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on November 8, 1809, from portions of Springfield Township
Springfield Township, Union County, New Jersey
Township of Springfield is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population increased to a record high of 15,817....
, while the area was still part of Essex County
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
. New Providence Township became part of the newly formed Union County at its creation on March 19, 1857. Portions of the township were taken on March 23, 1869, to create Summit
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
, and on March 14, 1899, to form the borough of New Providence
New Providence, New Jersey
New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County...
. On November 6, 1951, the name of the township was changed to Berkeley Heights, based on the results of a referendum held that day.
In Money
Money (magazine)
Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...
magazine's 2007 Best Places to Live rankings, Berkeley Heights ranked 45th out of a potential 2,800 places in the United States with populations above 7,500 and under 50,000.
In its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places to Live", New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine ranked Berkeley Heights as the 19th best place to live in New Jersey. In its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine ranked Berkeley Heights as the 59th best place to live in New Jersey.
Geography
Berkeley Heights is located at 40.677405°N 74.429711°W (40.677405, -74.429711).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²), of which, 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²) of it is land and 0.16% is water.
Berkeley Heights is located partially on the crest of the Second Watchung Mountain
Watchung Mountains
The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between 400 ft. and 500 ft. high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States...
and in the Passaic River Valley, aptly named as the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
forms the township's northern border.
Berkeley Heights is located in northwestern Union County, at the confluence of Union, Morris
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, and Somerset
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 2010, the population was 323,444. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Somerville....
Counties. Berkeley Heights is bordered by New Providence
New Providence, New Jersey
New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County...
and Summit
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
to the east, Scotch Plains
Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Scotch Plains is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the township population increased to a record high of 23,510.-History:...
to the southeast, Chatham
Chatham, New Jersey
Chatham refers to two neighboring municipalities in Morris County, New Jersey – Chatham Borough and Chatham Township. The two are separate municipalities, the first a municipality that was settled in 1710 as a colonial English village in the Province of New Jersey...
to the north, Watchung
Watchung, New Jersey
Watchung is a Borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,801.Watchung was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 23, 1826, from portions of North Plainfield Township based on the results...
to the south, and Warren Township
Warren Township, New Jersey
Warren Township is a Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 15,311....
and Long Hill Township
Long Hill Township, New Jersey
-Local government:Long Hill Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for...
to the west.
Downtown
Downtown Berkeley Heights is located along Springfield Avenue, approximately between the Plainfield Ave. intersection and the Snyder Avenue intersection. In addition, a post office, the Municipal Building, police station, train station, Walgreens, Stop & Shop and other shops and services are located in this downtown section.A brick walk with personalized bricks engraved with the names of many long-time Berkeley Heights residents runs from near the railroad station towards Kings grocery store. A memorial to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks adjoins a wooded area alongside Park Avenue, just southwest of downtown.
History
The LenapeLenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
were known to inhabit the region, including the area now known as Berkeley Heights, dating back to the 1524 voyage of Giovanni da Verrazzano to what is now the lower New York Bay.
The earliest construction in Berkeley Heights began in an area that is now part of the 1960 acres (7.9 km²) Watchung Reservation; a Union County park that includes 305 acres (1.2 km²) of the township.
The first European settler was Peter Willcox, who received a 424 acres (1.7 km²) land grant in 1720 from the Elizabethtown Associates. This group bought much of northern New Jersey from the Lenape in the late 17th century. Willcox built a grist and lumber mill across Green Brook.
In 1793, a regional government was formed. It encompassed the area from present-day Springfield Township
Springfield Township, Union County, New Jersey
Township of Springfield is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population increased to a record high of 15,817....
, Summit
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
, New Providence
New Providence, New Jersey
New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County...
, and Berkeley Heights, and was called Springfield Township. Growth continued in the area, and by 1809, Springfield Township divided into Springfield Township and New Providence Township. New Providence Township included present day Summit, New Providence, and Berkeley Heights.
In 1845, Mr. Willcox's heirs sold the mill to David Felt, a paper manufacturer from New York. Felt built a small village around the mill aptly named Feltville. It included homes for workers and their families, dormitories, orchards, a post office and a general store with a second floor church.
In 1860, Feltville was sold to sarsaparilla
Sarsaparilla
is a perennial trailing vine with prickly stems that is native to Central America. Common names include Sarsaparilla , Honduran Sarsaparilla, and Jamaican Sarsaparilla...
makers. Other manufacturing operations continued until Feltville went into bankruptcy in 1882. When residents moved away, the area became known as Deserted Village. Village remains consist of seven houses, a store, the mill and a barn. Deserted Village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and is undergoing restoration by the Union County Parks Department. Restoration grants of almost $2 million were received from various state agencies. Deserted Village, in the Watchung Reservation, is open daily for unguided walking tours during daylight hours.
On March 23, 1869, Summit Township (now the City of Summit) seceded from New Providence Township. On March 14, 1899, the Borough of New Providence seceded from New Providence Township. Present day Berkeley Heights remained as New Providence Township. Many of the townships and regional areas in New Jersey were separating into small, locally governed communities at that time due to acts of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
that made it economically advantageous for the communities to due so.
Due to confusion between the adjacent municipalities of the Borough of New Providence and the Township of New Providence, the township conducted a referendum in 1952 and voted to change the name to Berkeley Heights Township. The origin of the township's name has never been fully established, but is believed to have been taken from an area of town that was referred to by this moniker, which itself was assumed to be derived from Lord John Berkeley, who was co-proprietor of New Jersey from 1664 to 1674.
Early life in Berkeley Heights is documented in the Littell-Lord Farmhouse Museum & Farmstead (31 Horseshoe Road in Berkeley Heights), an 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) museum surrounding two houses, one of which was built in the 1750s and the other near the turn of the century.
Among the exhibits are a Victorian master bedroom and a Victorian children's room, furnished with period antiques. The children's room also has reproductions of antique toys, which visitors can play with. The museum, which is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, also includes an outbuilding that was used as a summer kitchen, a corncrib dating to the 19th century and a spring house built around a spring and used for refrigeration. The museum is open 2-4 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month from April through December, or by appointment.
The township owes its rural character to its late development. Until 1941, when the American Telephone and Telegraph Company
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
built its Bell Laboratories research facility in the township, it was a sleepy farming and resort community. According to a history compiled by the League of Women Voters
League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters is an American political organization founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt during the last meeting of the National American Woman Suffrage Association approximately six months before the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution gave women the right to vote...
in 1963, the population grew from 2,194 in 1940 to 9,500 in 1962.
Free Acres
Another early Berkeley Heights community of note is the 67 acres (271,139.6 m²) Free AcresFree Acres
Free Acres is an unincorporated community located within Berkeley Heights and Watchung, New Jersey, United States. Free Acres was created in 1910 as a social experiment by Bolton Hall, an Irish-born New York entrepreneur, reformer and follower of Tolstoy...
, established in 1910 by Bolton Hall
Bolton Hall (activist)
Bolton Hall was an American lawyer, author and activist who worked on behalf of the poor and was the originator of the back-to-the-land movement in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century.-Activism:...
, a New York entrepreneur and reformer who believed in the idea of Henry George
Henry George
Henry George was an American writer, politician and political economist, who was the most influential proponent of the land value tax, also known as the "single tax" on land...
, the economist, of single taxation, under which residents pay tax to the community, which, in turn, pays a lump sum to the municipality. Among the early residents of Free Acres were the actor James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
and his wife, Billie.
To this day, residents of Free Acres pay tax to their association, which maintains its streets and swimming pool, approves architectural changes to homes and pays a lump sum in taxes to the municipality.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 13,407 people, 4,479 households, and 3,717 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,140.7 people per square mile (826.9/km2). There were 4,562 housing units at an average density of 728.4 per square mile (281.4/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 89.65% White, 1.11% African American, 0.08% Native American, 7.87% Asian, 0.61% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.68% of the population.
There were 4,479 households out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 14.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $107,716, and the median income for a family was $118,862. Males had a median income of $83,175 versus $50,022 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the township was $43,981. About 1.5% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
In accordance with a ballot question that was passed in November 2005, Berkeley Heights switched from a Township Committee form to a Mayor-Council-AdministratorFaulkner Act (Mayor-Council-Administrator)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Mayor-Council-Administrator form of government....
form of government under the Faulkner Act
Faulkner Act (New Jersey)
The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H...
. The switch took effect on January 1, 2007. In the fall 2006 elections all seats were open. Under the new form of government, the mayor is directly elected to a four-year term. The Township Committee has been replaced with a Township Council consisting of six members elected to staggered, three-year terms. With all six Township Council seats open in 2006, two councilpersons were elected to one-year terms, after which those seats will be open for three-year terms in 2007. Two other seats were open for two-year terms in 2006. The final two were open for three-year terms from the beginning. The responsibilities of the Township Administrator are unchanged.
, the Mayor of Berkeley Heights is Joseph Bruno. Members of the Township Council are Council President Kevin Hall (2012), Council Vice President Craig Pastore (2012), Ed Delia (2013), Elaine Perna (2011), Tom Pirone (2013) and Bob Woodruff (2011).
The first Township Council under the new form of government was elected in November 2006; accordingly, the Township Committee ceased to exist on December 31, 2006, and the Township Council was inaugurated on January 1, 2007.
In the 2006 election, the Republican nominees were David Cohen for mayor, Louis DiPasquale and John Haddad for three-year terms on the Council, Elaine Perna and Joseph Bruno for two-year Council terms, and David Ronner and Thomas Pirone for one-year terms. The Democrats did not run a mayoral candidate, but did field four Township Council candidates: Thomas Battaglia and Charles Hasz for three-year terms, Alexandra Chirinos for a two-year term, and John Bonacci for a one-year term. In addition, John Miller ran for mayor as an independent write-in candidate. Cohen won the election for mayor. The race between Battaglia and Haddad was very close; in a recount, Battaglia won by 10 votes. The other winning Council candidates were DiPasquale, Perna, Bruno, Pirone, and Bonacci; thus, the Township Council consists of four Republicans and two Democrats. Cohen, DiPasquale, Perna, Bruno, and Ronner were sitting Township Committee members in 2006; Battaglia sat on the Committee in the 1990s. Ronner was the only Township Committee incumbent who was unseated.
On January 1, 2007, the Township Council elected Elaine Perna Council President, after Mayor Cohen broke a tie vote and therefore defeated Louis DiPasquale's candidacy for the presidency. The Council then elected Joseph Bruno Council vice president. The Council president has no authority other than to chair Council meetings in the mayor's absence; the Council vice president chairs meetings in the absence of both the mayor and the Council president. If all three officials are absent, then the remaining Council members must choose a temporary presiding officer.
The Berkeley Heights Municipal Building is located at 29 Park Avenue.
Federal, state and county representation
Berkeley Heights Township is in the 7th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district. The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment CommissionNew Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...
based on the results of the 2010 Census.
Public schools
The Berkeley Heights Public SchoolsBerkeley Heights Public Schools
The Berkeley Heights Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district serving students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Berkeley Heights in Union County, New Jersey....
serves Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
) are
The Mary Kay McMillin Early Childhood Center (PreK-1st grade; 372 students),
Thomas P. Hughes Elementary School (2-5; 317),
Mountain Park Elementary School (2-5; 282),
William Woodruff Elementary School (2-5; 234),
Columbia Middle School (6-8; 598) and
Governor Livingston High School
Governor Livingston High School
Governor Livingston High School, known informally as GL, is a comprehensive four-year co-educational public high school located in Berkeley Heights, in Union County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Berkeley Heights Public Schools...
(9-12; 1,043 students).
The high school serves public school students of Berkeley Heights Township, along with those from neighboring Borough of Mountainside
Mountainside, New Jersey
If you are looking for the community in Ontario, see Mountainside, Ontario.Mountainside is a borough in Union County, New Jersey, United States...
who are educated at the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship
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 have grown as part of a historical relationship...
with the Mountainside School District
Mountainside School District
The Mountainside School District is a community public school district, that serves students in Kindergarten through eighth grade in the borough of Mountainside, in Union County, New Jersey, United States....
. Governor Livingston also provides programs for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Cognitively Impaired, of which students are enrolled from all over north-central New Jersey.
Governor Livingston was the 24th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 15th in 2008 out of 316 schools.
Private schools
There are three private pre-kindergarten schools in Berkeley Heights. The Westminster Nursery School is located at the corner of Plainfield Avenue and Mountain Avenue, the Union Village Nursery is located bordering Warren Township at the corner of Mountain Avenue and Hillcrest Road, and the Diamond Hill Montessori is located along Diamond Hill Road opposite McMane Avenue.There are no primary or secondary private schools in Berkeley Heights.
Health
The Summit Medical GroupSummit Medical Group
Summit Medical Group is a physician-owned, for-profit, multispecialty medical practice headquartered in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. It was founded in 1929 by William H. Lawrence, MD, and Maynard G. Bensley, MD as The Diagnostic Group of Summit. It expanded to a second location in 1950...
is located on Mountain Avenue and there is also an entrance on Diamond Hill Road. It is the main medical facility in Berkeley Heights.
Public library
The Berkeley Heights Public Library at 290 Plainfield Avenue, next to the Church of the Little Flower and across from the Columbia Middle School, is a member of the Infolink region of libraries, the Morris Union Federation (MUF) and the Middlesex Union Reciprocal Agreement Libraries (MURAL). The library catalog is available online.Police, fire, and emergency services
The Berkeley Heights Police Department is located at the Municipal Building, 29 Park Avenue. This is also the location of the Berkeley Heights Municipal Court.The Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad, founded in 1942, is located at the corner of Snyder Avenue and Locust Avenue. The closest trauma centers are Morristown Medical Center (Morristown, NJ) and University Hospital in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. The closest hospital emergency room is Overlook Hospital
Overlook Hospital
Overlook Hospital is a 504-bed non-profit teaching hospital located in Summit, New Jersey, United States, 20 miles west of New York City. On a hill in the center of the city, the hospital is one of Summit's three largest employers and offers medical services to Summit and surrounding communities in...
in Summit
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
. The all volunteer Rescue Squad provides emergency medical services to the township 7 days per week. As of the summer of 2011 the squad has over 50 members including over 35 certified EMT's. The squad also enlists College Students and has an active High School Cadet program. In 2010 the rescue squad responded to nearly 600 calls for assistance.
The Berkeley Heights Fire Department is a volunteer fire department with 40 members that operate out of a fire station located at 411 Hamilton Avenue, across from the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue. The department has three engines, one ladder truck, a rescue truck with the Jaws of Life, an air truck, and several support vehicles. In 2010 the department responded to 665 calls.
Parks and recreation
Located in Berkeley Heights are many municipal parks, including the largest one, Columbia Park (located along Plainfield Avenue). Columbia Park boasts tennis courts, two baseball fields, basketball courts, and a large children's play area. It is owned by the Recreation Commission. In addition to those located at each of the schools, athletic fields are located along Horseshoe Road (Sansone Field) and along Springfield Avenue (Passaic River Park).There are three Swimming clubs located in Berkeley Heights: the Berkeley Heights Community Pool (Locust Avenue), the Berkeley Swim Club (behind Columbia Park), and Berkeley Aquatic (off of Springfield Avenue).
Also, the Watchung Reservation
Watchung Reservation
Watchung Reservation is the largest park in Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is bounded by the city of Summit, the borough of Mountainside, the townships of Berkeley Heights, Scotch Plains, and Springfield. The reservation consists mainly of the upper valley of Blue Brook, between the...
and Passaic Valley Park are in the township and maintained by Union County. The Watchung Reservation has hiking trails, horseback riding trails, a large lake (Lake Surprise), the Deserted Village of Feltville, and picnic areas.
Roads
The major roads in Berkeley Heights are Springfield Avenue, Mountain Avenue, Snyder Avenue, Plainfield Avenue, and Park Avenue. Springfield Avenue and Mountain Avenue run east-west, Snyder Avenue and Plainfield Avenue run north-south, while Park Avenue runs northeast-southwest. Each of these roads is heavily residential (except parts of Springfield Avenue) with only one travel lane in each direction.Berkeley Heights is served by Interstate 78
Interstate 78
Interstate 78 is an Interstate Highway in the Northeast United States, running 144 miles from Interstate 81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown, Pennsylvania, and western and northern New Jersey to the Holland Tunnel and Lower Manhattan in New York City.I-78 is a major road...
, which runs from the Holland Tunnel
Holland Tunnel
The Holland Tunnel is a highway tunnel under the Hudson River connecting the island of Manhattan in New York City with Jersey City, New Jersey at Interstate 78 on the mainland. Unusual for an American public works project, it is not named for a government official, politician, or local hero or...
to the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
State Line.
Public transportation
The Berkeley HeightsBerkeley Heights (NJT station)
Berkeley Heights Station is a New Jersey Transit station in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey along the Gladstone Branch of the Morris and Essex line. It is located on Sherman Avenue, at the corner of Plainfield Avenue. It is 1 block east of Springfield Avenue....
station is part of the Gladstone Branch
Gladstone Branch
The Gladstone Branch is a branch of New Jersey Transit's Morris and Essex Lines. The Gladstone Branch primarily serves commuter trains; freight service is no longer operated...
of the New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
commuter rail system, serving Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
, Newark Broad Street Station, and Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
. Berkeley Heights is also in close proximity of the Summit
Summit (NJT station)
Summit Station is a train station located in Summit, New Jersey, which is served by New Jersey Transit's Morris & Essex Lines . The station is located between Union Place on the north and Broad Street on the south, with station access via either side, and between Summit Avenue on the east and Maple...
train station, which provides frequent commuter rail service to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
NJ Transit offers local bus service on the 986 route. Lakeland Bus Lines also provides commuter bus service to New York City Port Authority Bus Terminal
Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City...
and a connection to Gladstone.
Freight rail transportation was, until recently, provided by Norfolk Southern via off-peak use of New Jersey Transit's Gladstone Branch line. The Berkeley Heights plant of Reheis Chemical located on Snyder Avenue was the last freight customer on the Gladstone Branch.
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
is approximately 18 miles (29 km) east of Berkeley Heights.
Business and industry
- Berkeley Heights is home to the Murray Hill Bell Labs headquarters of Alcatel-LucentAlcatel-LucentAlcatel-Lucent is a global telecommunications corporation, headquartered in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France. It provides telecommunications solutions to service providers, enterprises, and governments around the world, enabling these customers to deliver voice, data, and video services...
. The transistorTransistorA transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
, solar cellSolar cellA solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
, and laserLaserA laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
were invented in this facility when it was part of AT&TAT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
. - Berkeley Heights is also home to L'OréalL'OréalThe L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
USA's New Jersey headquarters.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Berkeley Heights include:- Al AronowitzAl AronowitzAlfred Gilbert Aronowitz was an American rock journalist best known for introducing Bob Dylan and The Beatles in 1964.Aronowitz was born in Bordentown, New Jersey...
(1928–2005), rock journalist who claimed that Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
wrote his famous "Mr. Tambourine Man" in Aronowitz's former Berkeley Heights home. - Steve BalboniSteve BalboniStephen Charles Balboni is a retired Major League Baseball player with the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, and Texas Rangers. He was a player with home run power and a tendency to strike out. He was nicknamed "Bye Bye" because of his home run hitting prowess...
(born 1957), former New York Yankee. - BEDlight for BlueEYESBEDlight for BlueEYESBedlight for Blue Eyes was an alternative rock band from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey signed to Trustkill Records. Their debut album, The Dawn, was released in August 2005; the album reached #45 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. In 2005 guitarist Justin Ortiz left the band to pursue folk...
, an alternative rock band. - Dennis BoutsikarisDennis BoutsikarisDennis Boutsikaris is an American two-time Obie-Award winning character actor. He is a Broadway Actor and frequent television guest star and leading man in made-for-TV movies...
(born 1952), actor. - James CagneyJames CagneyJames Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
(1899–1986), actor, formerly resided in Free Acres. - David CantorDavid CantorDavid Cantor is an American actor and singer from New York City best known for his stage work in musical theatre, including appearances on Broadway in the musical Evita and in both comic and dramatic roles in a number of national tours, Off-Broadway and regional productions...
(born 1954), actor. - John CarliniJohn CarliniJohn Carlini is an American Grammy nominated jazz guitarist and arranger based in New Jersey notable for blending bluegrass and jazz. He has performed with David Grisman, mandolin player Don Stiernberg, singer Bill Robinson, Bucky Pizzarelli, Rio Clemente, flatpicking guitarist Tony Rice, and many...
, jazz guitaristJazz guitaristJazz guitarists are guitar players who play jazz music on the guitar using an approach to playing chords, melodies, and improvised solo lines which is called jazz guitar playing. The guitar has fulfilled the roles of accompanist and soloist in small and large ensembles and also as an unaccompanied...
. - Ronald ChenRonald ChenRonald Chen was, until January 2010, the New Jersey Public Advocate. He was nominated to fill the position on January 5, 2006, by Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine. He was the first Public Advocate to serve in the post since 1994, when the job was abolished by former Governor Christine Todd Whitman...
, Public AdvocatePublic AdvocatePublic Advocate is a governmental position similar to an ombudsman. Depending on the jurisdiction it can be an elected or appointed position.-See also:* New York City Public Advocate...
of New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, nominated to fill the position on January 5, 2006, by Governor of New JerseyGovernor of New JerseyThe Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Jon CorzineJon CorzineJon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
. - Christopher DurangChristopher DurangChristopher Ferdinand Durang is an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. His work was especially popular in the 1980s.- Life :...
(born 1949), playwright and actor. - Scott GimpleScott Gimple-Early life:Gimple grew up in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey and graduated from Governor Livingston High School. He graduated from the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television.-Film and television:...
, television and comic book writer. - Bolton HallBolton Hall (activist)Bolton Hall was an American lawyer, author and activist who worked on behalf of the poor and was the originator of the back-to-the-land movement in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century.-Activism:...
(1854–1938), founder of Free Acres. - MacKinlay KantorMacKinlay KantorMacKinlay Kantor , born Benjamin McKinlay Kantor, was an American journalist, novelist and screenwriter. He wrote more than 30 novels, several based on the American Civil War, and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1956 for his 1955 novel Andersonville, about the Confederate prisoner of war camp...
(1904–77), screenwriter and novelist, formerly resided in Free Acres. - Harry KellyHarry Kelly (anarchist)Harry May Kelly was an American anarchist and lifelong activist in the Modern School movement.- Early life and work :...
(1871–1953), anarchist. - Victor KilianVictor KilianVictor Arthur Kilian was an American actor who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses in the 1950s....
(1891–1979), actor. - P. F. KlugeP. F. KlugePaul Frederick Kluge , commonly known as P. F. Kluge, is a novelist living in Gambier, Ohio.Kluge was raised in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. He graduated from Kenyon College in Gambier in 1964 and teaches creative writing there now...
(born 1942), novelist. - Mary Jo KopechneMary Jo KopechneMary Jo Kopechne was an American teacher, secretary, and political campaign specialist who died in a car accident in Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts on July 18, 1969, while a passenger in a car being driven by U.S. Senator Edward M...
(1940–69), a young political aide hailing from Berkeley Heights, drowned off Chappaquiddick IslandChappaquiddick IslandChappaquiddick Island is a small island off the eastern end of the larger island of Martha's Vineyard and is part of the town of Edgartown, Massachusetts. The island's name became internationally recognized following the July 18, 1969 incident, for which U.S. Senator Edward M...
when Senator Ted KennedyTed KennedyEdward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
(D-Mass.) drove his car off a bridge on July 18, 1969. - John R. Pierce (1910–2002), communications engineer, scientist, and father of the communications satellite.
- Dennis RitchieDennis RitchieDennis MacAlistair Ritchie , was an American computer scientist who "helped shape the digital era." He created the C programming language and, with long-time colleague Ken Thompson, the UNIX operating system...
(1941–2011), creator of the C programming language and co-inventor of the UNIX operating system. - Bertha RunkleBertha RunkleBertha Runkle was an American novelist and playwright born in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. From a literary family, she wrote five novels. Her first and best known, The Helmet of Navarre, was made into a Broadway play.-Literary family:...
(1879–1958), novelist and playwright. - Peter SagalPeter SagalPeter Sagal is an American playwright, screenwriter, actor, and host of the National Public Radio game show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He is originally from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, although he currently resides in Oak Park, Illinois. Sagal attended Harvard University in Cambridge,...
(born 1965), playwrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, screenwriterScreenwriterScreenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, and host of the National Public Radio game showGame showA game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
. - Jill SantorielloJill SantorielloJill Santoriello is an American musician, composer, lyricist, and author. She is a self-taught musician whose award winning first musical A Tale of Two Cities was an Outer Critics Circle Award nominee for Outstanding New Musical in 2009.Santoriello was born in Summit, New Jersey and grew up in...
, playwrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and author of the new Broadway musical A Tale of Two CitiesA Tale of Two Cities (musical)A Tale of Two Cities is a musical with book, music and lyrics by Jill Santoriello based on the novel of the same name by Charles Dickens....
, graduated from Governor Livingston High SchoolGovernor Livingston High SchoolGovernor Livingston High School, known informally as GL, is a comprehensive four-year co-educational public high school located in Berkeley Heights, in Union County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Berkeley Heights Public Schools...
. - Thorne SmithThorne SmithJames Thorne Smith Jr. , was an American writer of humorous supernatural fantasy fiction.He is best known today for the three Topper novels, comic fantasy fiction that sold millions of copies in the early 1930s...
(1892–1934), author. - Zenon SnylykZenon SnylykZenon Snylyk is a former Ukrainian-American soccer player. He played for numerous ethnic Ukrainian amateur and professional clubs in both the U.S. and Canada over a twenty year career. He also earned five caps with the U.S. national team between 1957 and 1963 and was a member 1956 U.S...
(1923–2002), soccer player. - Jim Cramer (born 1955), CNBC business correspondent and former hedge fund manager.
External links
- Official Township Website
- Berkeley Heights Fire Department
- Berkeley Heights Public Schools
- Berkeley Heights Education Foundation
- Data for the Berkeley Heights Public Schools, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Useful Town Website
- Free Acres Website
- Berkeley Heights Public Library
- Berkeley Heights Police
- The Alternative Press - Online Daily Newspaper for Berkeley Heights, Summit and New Providence
- The Independent Press - Newspaper of Berkeley Heights and New Providence