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The Borough of
Woodcliff Lake is nestled in the northwest portion of
Bergen County
,
New Jersey
. It occupies an area of approximately 2,300 acres, equivalent to
3.6 square miles. It is part of an area generally referred to as the
Pascack
Valley
.
Originally, the
Alonquin Indians were the first settlers in this fertile area of
Pascack
Valley
. When the Dutch East India Company settled nearby
Manhattan
in the early 1600’s, they exchanged glass beads and other trinkets
for the coveted Indian beaver pelt. Beaver hats were the rage in
Europe
at the time, especially among the English who were willing to pay
top prices for quality pelts.
As the beaver
trade diminished, the settlers found new riches in
New Amsterdam
. Beyond the
Palisades
were rolling hills and verdant valleys that the early settlers
transformed into a productive agrarian society.
The Borough was
incorporated in 1894 under the name of Woodcliff. The word “
Lake
” was appended to the name in 1910 to be the same as that of the
Post Office. Today, it thrives as an upscale community. The form of
government requires election of a Mayor (four year term) and six (6)
Town Council (staggered three year terms) members.
It is essentially
a fully developed community, with less than two percent of the
Borough’s total land area classified as vacant land. Nearly all of
the residential development consists of single family detached
dwellings on lots of 15,000 square feet or greater. Demographics
provides the 2000 Census information.
Notable Corporate
residents include Ingersoll Rand World headquarters, BMW North
America headquarters, a Hilton Hotel, Perillo Tours Corporate
Headquarters (where a tenant was the former President Nixon), and a
number of recently constructed office multi-tenant buildings. Sony
and KPMG are significant occupants in the multi-tenant buildings.
There are two
large recreational areas in the borough. Wood Dale Park (a
County
Park
) occupies 55 acres in the eastern portion of the Borough and has a
large pond, walking paths, children’s playground and tennis
courts. The Old Mill Complex is the other site and is located on the
east side of town. It contains a large swimming area, tennis courts
and full size athletic fields for a variety of sports. Throughout
the year, community celebrations are held in both these areas in a
festive atmosphere that all families enjoy. The town has a diverse
program of recreational sports for both youth and adults.
Dedicated leaders
supportive residents, and committed borough officials have all
shared a role in providing the Borough of Woodcliff Lake with a
legacy founded on cooperation, hard work, a commitment to youth, and
a determination to see that excellence is not just a vision, but a
reality.
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