Upper Montclair, New Jersey

Upper Montclair, New Jersey
Census designated place
Upper Montclair business district
Nickname(s): Up-town
Upper Montclair, New Jersey Location of Upper Montclair in Essex County. Inset: Location of Essex County in New Jersey.
Coordinates: 40°50′33″N 74°12′05″W / 40.842576°N 74.201302°WCoordinates: 40°50′33″N 74°12′05″W / 40.842576°N 74.201302°W
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Essex
Township	Montclair
Area[1][2]
• Total	2.536 sq mi (6.569 km^2)
• Land	2.535 sq mi (6.567 km^2)
• Water	0.001 sq mi (0.002 km^2)  0.04%
Elevation[3]	322 ft (98 m)
Population (2010 Census)[4]
• Total	11,565
• Density	1,699.9/sq mi (656.3/km^2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	07043[5]
Area code(s)	862/973
FIPS code	3475020[1][6][7]
GNIS feature ID	2584034[1][8]
Website	http://www.montclairnjusa.org/

Upper Montclair is a census-designated place (CDP), unincorporated community and neighborhood within Montclair in Essex County, New Jersey, United States.^[9][10] As of the 2010 United States Census, the population for the CDP was 11,565.^[4] The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP code 07043.^[5] It is often misperceived, even by Montclair residents, to be a separate municipality from Montclair, perhaps aided by this postal designation.

History

The area now known as Upper Montclair was first developed in the early 18th century as a rural community known as Speertown, named for John Speer, an early Dutch settler. The area remained a rural hamlet for much of that century. The modern township of Montclair, including Upper Montclair, was incorporated in 1868 from part of Bloomfield Township.^[11]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of 2.536 square miles (6.569 km²), of which, 2.535 square miles (6.567 km²) of it was land and 0.001 square miles (0.002 km²) of it (0.04%) was water.^[1][12]

Upper Montclair is north of Watchung Avenue, covering one-third of Montclair's township area.

Demographics

At the 2010 United States Census, there were 11,565 people, 4,178 households, and 3,146 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,561.4 per square mile (1,761.2/km²). There were 4,310 housing units at an average density of 1,699.9 per square mile (656.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 83.99% (9,713) White, 6.46% (747) Black or African American, 0.10% (12) Native American, 4.18% (483) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.31% (151) from other races, and 3.97% (459) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.61% (649) of the population.^[4]

There were 4,178 households, of which 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.8% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.23.^[4]

In the CDP, 29.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 33.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.1 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males.^[4]

Education

Mt. Hebron Middle School

Upper Montclair is in the township of Montclair and is served by the Montclair Public Schools. More than a quarter of the district's schools are found in Upper Montclair. These include Bradford Elementary and Northeast Elementary, which are two of seven elementary schools in Montclair, and Mt. Hebron Middle School, which is one of three middle schools. Part of Montclair State University's campus is in Upper Montclair.

Upper Montclair is also home to several private schools. They include Lacordaire Academy, Lacordaire Academy Elementary Division and St. Cassian's School.

Transportation

Upper Montclair is very well connected to the rest of New Jersey and New York City on account of its transportation infrastructure. The only types of public transportation in Upper Montclair are buses and trains, both provided by New Jersey Transit, although commuter bus service to Manhattan is provided by DeCamp Bus Lines.

Rail

Mountain Avenue station

New Jersey Transit's Montclair-Boonton Line Runs through the neighborhood of Upper Montclair. In total in Upper Montclair there are a total of three train stations of the overall Montclair total of seven. This is because the stations in Montclair are very close together, sometimes under a mile apart. New Jersey Transit train stations are Upper Montclair, Mountain Avenue, and Montclair Heights. From 1889 to 1928, Valley Road, a major road, had an electric trolley line.

Bus

#66, stopping in Upper Montclair

The area is also on NJ Transit's bus route 28, which goes from Montclair State University or Willowbrook Mall along Valley Road through Montclair, Glen Ridge and Bloomfield, to Downtown Newark. This bus route goes along Valley road for the great majority of its path in Upper Montclair, in some places on the route of Decamp's Number 66. Also, two DeCamp Bus Lines routes take commuters to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York. Some Number 33 buses go along Grove Street, on the Eastern side of the neighborhood, while number 66 goes on Valley Road, in the West, then the central Park Street.

Road

Upper Montclair has road connections to the rest of Montclair, Cedar Grove, Little Falls, Clifton, and Bloomfield. Just north of the neighborhood's border are U.S. Route 46 and New Jersey Route 3.

Commerce

The commercial zone at the center of Upper Montclair, Upper Montclair Business District is home to several restaurants and shops. Unlike many of Montclair's other commercial zones, it has outlets of several major chain stores. In 2009–2010, several new national and local merchants opened in the area. Montclair Station Restaurant & Bar was opened in the historic Upper Montclair train station. Upper Montclair also has both a park, Anderson Park, and a railway station, Upper Montclair, nearby. There is a post office here.

Parks

Upper Montclair is home to many parks and nature reserves. Within Upper Montclair there are Anderson Park, Yantacaw Brook Park, the Bonsal Nature Reserve, Mountainside Park, the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, and parts of Mills Reservation and Brookdale Park. In addition, Upper Montclair has the Mountainside Public Pool, which is the largest of the three public pools in Montclair.

Upper Montclair also has Immaculate Conception Cemetery and Mount Hebron Cemetery.

Gallery

• Upper Montclair Gallery
• 

  Business district in Upper Montclair, which is around the intersection of Valley Road and Bellevue Avenue

• 

  Upper Montclair's library, which is called the Bellevue Branch

• 

  A landmark in Upper Montclair, a clock owned by Chase bank that is situated in the center of town and was installed around 1910. About 2004, the clock was sent away for needed refurbishment.

• 

  Anderson Park

• 

  Presby Memorial Iris Gardens

• 

  A movie being filmed in Upper Montclair

• 

  the Montclair Women's Club

• 

  Brookdale Park

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Upper Montclair include:

Yael Averbuch

• Joe Walsh (born 1947), an American singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer.
  

  Aldrin walks on the surface of the Moon during Apollo 11.
• Buzz Aldrin (born 1930), Astronaut who was the second man to walk on the Moon.^[13]
• Yael Averbuch (born 1986), soccer player.^[14]
• Raymond A. Brown (1915–2009), attorney whose clients included Black Liberation Army member Assata Shakur, boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter and "Dr. X" physician Mario Jascalevich.^[15]
• Margaret Colin (born 1958), actress^[16]
• Justin Deas (born 1948), actor.^[16]
• Howard Krongard, head of the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of State.^[17][18]
• Dr. Leo Sternbach (1908–2005), chemist, invented precursor to Valium.^[19][20]
• Rosemary Rice (1925–2012), actress best known for her role as Katrin on CBS-TV series Mama.
• Ingrid Wells (born 1989), soccer player.^[21]

References

1. Gazetteer of New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 13, 2013.
2. GCT-PH1: Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – State – Place and (in selected states) County Subdivision from 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 12, 2012.
3. "Upper Montclair Census Designated Place". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
4. DP-1 – Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Upper Montclair CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 11, 2012.
5. Look Up a ZIP Code for Upper Montclair, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed June 12, 2012.
6. American FactFinder, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
7. A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed June 12, 2012.
8. US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
9. New Jersey: 2010 – Population and Housing Unit Counts – 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32), United States Census Bureau, August 2012. Accessed November 6, 2012.
10. Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed April 19, 2015.
11. History of Montclair, Township of Montclair. Accessed June 14, 2015.
12. US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
13. Smaridge, Norah. "Tombstones, Manhole Covers and The Ancient Art of Rubbing; The Ancient Art of Rubbing", The New York Times, July 27, 1975. Accessed June 27, 2012. "In Upper Montclair, N.J., for instance, on a small stone outside his boyhood home, an inscription commemorates astronaut Buzz Aldrin."
15. Berger, Joseph. "Raymond A. Brown, Civil Rights Lawyer, Dies at 94", The New York Times, October 11, 2009. Accessed October 12, 2009.
16. Klein, Alvin. "Baldwin Girl Finds Camelot (on Broadway)", The New York Times, February 22, 1998. Accessed October 10, 2012. "Ms. Colin's Hofstra years lasted from 1976 to 1979, with time out for soap opera stints like Edge of Night and As the World Turns. On World, she played opposite the man she later married, Justin Deas, who is now appearing in the recurring role of Buzz in Guiding Light. He was Tom; she was Margo. A year and a half ago the couple, married 10 years, and their sons, Sam, 8, and Joe, 4, moved from an apartment in Manhattan to 'a mansion for the money' in Upper Montclair, N.J."
17. Howard J. Krongard, Inspector General, United States Department of State. Accessed September 20, 2007.
18. Staff. "WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Mara Krongard, Benjamin Shreck", The New York Times, June 22, 2003. Accessed June 27, 2012. "Mara Lynn Krongard, the daughter of Paula S. Krongard and Howard J. Krongard, both of Upper Montclair, N.J., was married last evening to Benjamin Robert Shreck, a son of Cherie L. Shreck and Dr. Robert R. Shreck of Des Moines."
19. Pearce, Jeremy. "Leo Sternbach, 97, Valium Creator, Dies", The New York Times, October 1, 2005. Accessed October 17, 2007. "The couple lived in Upper Montclair, N.J., until last year, when they moved to Chapel Hill."
20. Inventor of Valium and National Inventors Hall of Fame, Roche, September 30, 2005. Accessed October 17, 2007. "A devoted family man, Sternbach lived with his wife, Herta, in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, from 1943 to 2003..."
21. Staff. "Ingrid Wells Named ECAC Division I Women's Soccer All-Star Third major award for Wells this season", Georgetown Hoyas, December 2, 2009. Accessed June 27, 2012. "Georgetown University women's soccer player Ingrid Wells (Upper Montclair, N.J./Montclair) has been named a First Team All-Star Selection by the Eastern College Athletic Conference."