Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair, New Jersey
Township
Township of Montclair
Panoramic view of Montclair, New Jersey
Seal
Map of Montclair in Essex County. Inset: Location of Essex County in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Montclair, New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°49′28″N 74°12′44″W / 40.824415°N 74.212352°W / 40.824415; -74.212352Coordinates: 40°49′28″N 74°12′44″W / 40.824415°N 74.212352°W / 40.824415; -74.212352[1][2]
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Essex
Incorporated	April 15, 1868 (as township)
Reincorporated	February 24, 1894 (as town)
Government[3]
• Type	Faulkner Act (Council-Manager)
• Mayor	Robert D. Jackson (term ends June 30, 2016)[4]
• Manager	Marc D. Dashield[5]
• Clerk	Linda S. Wanat[6]
Area[2]
• Total	6.315 sq mi (16.357 km2)
• Land	6.308 sq mi (16.339 km2)
• Water	0.007 sq mi (0.018 km2)  0.11%
Area rank	250th of 566 in state 6th of 22 in county[2]
Elevation[7]	299 ft (91 m)
Population (2010 Census)[8][9][10]
• Total	37,669
• Estimate (2012[11])	37,851
• Rank	60th of 566 in state 6th of 22 in county[12]
• Density	5,971.2/sq mi (2,305.5/km2)
• Density rank	85th of 566 in state 10th of 22 in county[12]
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (EDT) (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	07042-07044[13][14]
Area code(s)	973[15]
FIPS code	3401347500[16][2][17]
GNIS feature ID	1729720[18][2]
Website	www.montclairnjusa.org

Montclair (/mɒntˈklɛər/ or /mɒŋˈklɛər/) is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 37,669,^[8][9][10] reflecting a decline of 1,308 (-3.4%) from the 38,977 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,248 (+3.3%) from the 37,729 counted in the 1990 Census.^[19] As of 2010 it was the 60th-most-populous municipality by population in New Jersey.^[20]

Montclair was first formed as a Township on April 15, 1868, from portions of Bloomfield Township,^[21] so that a railroad could be built to Montclair. After a referendum held on February 21, 1894, Montclair was reincorporated as a Town, effective February 24, 1894.^[22] In the late 1970s, after protesting for years at the inequities built into the formulas, Montclair joined several other communities to qualify for a pool of federal aid allocated only to Townships, that allowed townships to receive as much as double the revenue-sharing aid per capita received by the four other types of New Jersey municipalities — Borough, City, Town or Village.^[23][24]

Climate

Montclair has a temperate climate, with warm / hot humid summers and cool / cold winters, according to the Köppen climate classification humid subtropical climate. January tends to be the coldest month, with average high temperatures in the upper 30s Fahrenheit and lows averaging 21. July, the warmest month, features high temperatures in the mid 80s and lows in the 70s, the average high is at 86 Fahrenheit. From April to June and from September to early November, Montclair experiences temperatures from the lower 60s to the lower 70s.

Montclair gets on average 44 inches (1,100 mm) of rain per year, above the US average of 37 inches (940 mm). Snowfall is common from December to early March, at about 30 inches (760 mm) annually. The number of days each year in Montclair with any measurable precipitation is 90; the area has an average of 202 sunny days.

Montclair is one or two degrees warmer than the neighboring towns of Verona and Cedar Grove because of the mountain between them, which sometimes blocks winds and clouds, including warmer air from the ocean to the east.

Geography

Montclair is located at 40°49′28″N 74°12′44″W / 40.824415°N 74.212352°W / 40.824415; -74.212352 (40.824415,-74.212352). According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 6.315 square miles (16.357 km²), of which, 6.308 square miles (16.339 km²) of it was land and 0.007 square mile (0.018 km²) of it (0.11%) was water.^[1][2]

Montclair is located on the First Mountain of the Watchung Mountains. Most of the township stands on the east side of this ridge. Thus, many locations provide excellent views of the surrounding area and of the New York City skyline about 12 miles (19 km) away. Since the formation of Montclair, the western border on that mountain with Verona, West Orange, and Cedar Grove has moved slightly eastward, making the township slightly smaller.

Montclair citizens use two different main ZIP codes, the central and southern parts of the township are designated 07042. The portion of Montclair north of Watchung Avenue has a separate ZIP code, 07043, and is known as Upper Montclair. Because the ZIP codes do not exactly match municipal boundaries, a few homes near the borders with neighboring towns fall into the ZIP codes for those communities. A few homes in some adjoining municipalities use one of the two ZIP codes assigned to Montclair, as does HackensackUMC Mountainside (07042, formerly known as Mountainside Hospital), whose campus straddles the border with Glen Ridge.^[25][26] Small areas in the southeast of the township fall into the Glen Ridge ZIP code 07028.

Several streams flow eastward through Montclair: Toney's Brook in the center, Nishuane Brook in the southeast, the Wigwam Brook in the southwest, the Pearl Brook in the northwest, and the Yantacaw Brook in the northeast - all in the Passaic River watershed. The Yantacaw and Toney's brooks are dammed in parks to create ponds. The Wigwam, Nishuane, and Toney's brook flow into the Second River, and the others flow into the Third River. Formerly, north of Bloomfield Avenue between Grove Street and Pine Street there was another dam and another pond, powering a factory. Montclair lies just north of the northernmost extent of the Rahway River watershed.

The Southern border of Montclair is a straight line between the Eagle Rock, on the ridge of the First Watchung Mountain, and the point where Orange Road crosses the Nishuane Brook. The western border runs roughly along the ridge of the First Watchung Mountain between the Eagle Rock and the Essex County/Passaic County Border. The northern border is the same as the border between those two counties.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	2,853		—
1880	5,147		80.4%
1890	8,636		67.8%
1900	13,962		61.7%
1910	21,550		54.3%
1920	28,810		33.7%
1930	42,017		45.8%
1940	39,807		−5.3%
1950	43,927		10.3%
1960	43,129		−1.8%
1970	44,043		2.1%
1980	38,321		−13.0%
1990	37,729		−1.5%
2000	38,977		3.3%
2010	37,669		−3.4%
Est. 2012	37,851	[11]	0.5%
Population sources: 1870-1920[27] 1870-1910[28] 1870[29][30] 1880-1890[31] 1890-1910[32] 1900-1930[33] 1930-1990[34] 2000[35][36] 2010[8][9][10]

Montclair has long highlighted its diversity, a feature that has attracted many to the community.^[37]

As of 2012, 32.61% of the population are Catholic, 8.35% in Montclair are Jewish and 2.43% affiliate with Islam, with a small percentage of other denominations.^[38] Proportionally, there are more Muslims, Jews, and Catholics than the country's average.

Montclair has attracted many who work for major media organizations in New York City, including The New York Times and Newsweek. A March 11, 2007, posting in the blog Gawker.com listed some of those who work in the media and live in Montclair.^[39] In it also live many commuters to New York City and the Metro Area.

2010 Census

At the 2010 United States Census, there were 37,669 people, 15,089 households, and 9,446 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,971.2 per square mile (2,305.5 /km²). There were 15,911 housing units at an average density of 2,522.2 per square mile (973.8 /km²). The racial makeup of the township was 62.16% (23,416) White, 27.16% (10,230) Black or African American, 0.16% (59) Native American, 3.81% (1,434) Asian, 0.02% (9) Pacific Islander, 2.19% (826) from other races, and 4.50% (1,695) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.46% (2,810) of the population.^[8]

There were 15,089 households of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.15.^[8]

In the township, 25.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.9 years. For every 100 females there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.^[8]

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $95,696 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,396) and the median family income was $126,983 (+/- $8,950). Males had a median income of $83,589 (+/- $5,955) versus $66,063 (+/- $3,616) for females. The per capita income for the township was $53,572 (+/- $2,671). About 4.6% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.^[40]

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census^[16] there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile (2,388.7/km²). There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile (951.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 59.77% White, 32.06% African American, 3.15% Asian,0.19% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.77% from other races, and 3.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.12% of the population.^[35][36]

There were 15,020 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.16.^[35][36]

In the township the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.^[35][36]

The median income for a household in the township was $74,894, and the median income for a family was $96,252. Males had a median income of $64,151 versus $43,520 for females. The per capita income for the township was $44,870. About 3.9% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.^[35][36]

Government

Local government

Montclair is governed under the Council-Manager plan 13 form of municipal government under the Faulkner Act, whose originator was a former mayor of Montclair, as implemented on July 1, 1988, by council-implemented action.^[41] The government consists of a mayor and a six-member Township Council. The mayor and council are all elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections on a concurrent basis. The mayor and two council seats are elected at-large, with four council seats elected from each of four wards.^[3] A deputy mayor is selected from the six council members, and this position is largely ceremonial.

Though the Mayor has no executive powers, the Mayor presides over council meetings and has both a voice and vote in its proceedings. The Mayor appoints members to many local governing groups, most notably the board of education.^[42]

As of 2013, members of the Montclair Township Council are Mayor Robert D. Jackson, Deputy Mayor Robert J. Russo (At-Large), Dr. Renée E. Baskerville (Fourth Ward), William L. Hurlock (First Ward), Rich McMahon (At-Large), Robin Schlager (Second Ward) and Sean Spiller (Third Ward), all of whom serve terms of office that end on June 30, 2016.^[43]

In elections held on May 8, 2012, Robert D. Jackson won election as mayor, defeating Karen Turner and Harvey Susswein.^[44] Almost all of Jackson's Montclair 2012 slate also won office, with Rich McMahon and former Mayor Robert Russo winning the two at-large seats, Robin Schlager winning the Second Ward and Sean Spiller taking the Third Ward. For Montclair's Bill Hurlock won the First Ward seat and incumbent councilwoman Dr. Renée Baskerville, who ran as an independent, won the Fourth Ward seat. The new council took office on July 1, 2012. Russo was chosen by the council to be deputy mayor, succeeding Kathryn Weller-Demming.^[45]

Federal, state and county representation

Montclair is split between the 10th and 11th Congressional Districts^[46] and is part of New Jersey's 34th state legislative district.^[9][47][48] Prior to the 2010 Census, Montclair had been part of the 8th Congressional District and the 10th Congressional District, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.^[49] The split that took effect in 2013 placed 26,730 residents living in the township's southern section in the 10th District, while 11,299 residents in the northern portions of the township were placed in the 11th District.^[46][50]

New Jersey's Tenth Congressional District is represented by Donald Payne, Jr. (D, Newark).^[51] New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township).^[52] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Cory Booker (D, Newark; took office on October 31, 2013, after winning a special election to fill the seat of Frank Lautenberg)^[53][54] and Bob Menendez (D, North Bergen).^[55][56]

The 34th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nia Gill (D, Montclair) and in the General Assembly by Thomas P. Giblin (D, Montclair) and Sheila Y. Oliver (D, East Orange).^[57] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township).^[58] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).^[59]

Essex County is governed by a directly-elected County Executive, with legislative functions performed by the Board of Chosen Freeholders.^[60] As of 2013, the County Executive is Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.^[61] The county's Board of Chosen Freeholders consists of nine members, four elected on an at-large basis and one from each of five wards, who serve three-year terms of office on a concurrent basis, all of which end in 2014.^[60][62][63] Essex County's Freeholders are Freeholder President Blonnie R. Watson (at large; Newark)^[64], Freeholder Vice President Patricia Sebold (at large; Livingston)^[65], Rufus I. Johnson (at large; Newark)^[66], Gerald M. Owens (At large; South Orange, filling the vacant seat after the resignation of Donald Payne, Jr.)^[67] Rolando Bobadilla (District 1 - Newark's North and East Wards, parts of Central and West Wards; Newark)^[68], D. Bilal Beasley (District 2 - Irvington, Maplewood and Newark's South Ward and parts of West Ward; Irvington)^[69], Carol Y. Clark (District 3 - East Orange, Newark's West and Central Wards, Orange and South Orange; East Orange)^[70] and Leonard M. Luciano (District 4 - Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Livingston, Millburn, North Caldwell, Roseland, Verona, West Caldwell and West Orange; West Caldwell),^[71] and Brendan W. Gill (District 5 - Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Montclair and Nutley; Montclair).^[72][73][74] Constitutional elected countywide are County Clerk Christopher J. Durkin (West Caldwell, 2015),^[75] Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura (2015)^[76] and Surrogate Thomas N. Stephen, II (2016).^[77][62][78]

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 27,289 registered voters in Montclair, of which 14,782 (54.2%) were registered as Democrats, 2,581 (9.5%) were registered as Republicans and 9,903 (36.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 23 voters registered to other parties.^[79]

In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 83.0% of the vote here (17,396 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 15.7% (3,294 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (132 votes), among the 20,951 ballots cast by the township's 27,476 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.3%.^[80] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 78.8% of the vote here (15,597 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 20.2% (3,995 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (157 votes), among the 19,804 ballots cast by the township's 25,762 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 76.9.^[81]

In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 73.9% of the vote here (10,139 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 18.7% (2,573 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.8% (801 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (104 votes), among the 13,723 ballots cast by the township's 26,843 registered voters, yielding a 51.1% turnout.^[82]

Arts

Montclair hosts many art institutions and theaters, and despite its relatively small size, has many art venues. It has its own art museum, the Montclair Art Museum and several small galleries.

Montclair also hosts two theaters that showcase movies and films, both originally live theaters, having been later converted. Clearview Cinemas has two locations in Montclair, the Bellevue Theater located in Upper Montclair and the Clairidge Cinema, located on Bloomfield Avenue. While the Bellevue Cinema mostly shows main-stream Hollywood films, the Clairidge Cinema shows different types of movies from documentaries to small scale indie films. The township hosted its first annual film festival in 2012 to provide a platform for filmmakers from New Jersey, US and the world.^[83]

Live theaters include The Montclair Opretta Company, the Wellmont Theatre, Montclair State University's Kasser Theater, Montclair State University's theater in Life Hall and the Studio Playhouse. On Bloomfield Avenue there is a public stage used for concerts and other events. Dotted around Montclair there are also many art galleries, though most are centered in the Bloomfield Avenue Downtown Area.^[84] Concerts are held at the Wellmont Theatre and at several churches and auditoriums sponsored by Outpost in the Burbs, a community-based organization.

Montclair was the setting for some of the stories in the HBO television series The Sopranos, and many Montclair streets, locations and businesses were featured in the show, such as Bloomfield Avenue.^[85]

Commerce

Montclair has six distinct commercial zones:

• Montclair Center, centered on the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue, South Fullerton Avenue, Glen Ridge Avenue and Church Street. This intersection is also known as Six Corners. Montclair Center is the main commercial zone of Montclair and has the largest stores such as furniture stores and large restaurants which are more upscale near the center, which has many restaurants and boutiques. Near the eastern end of this business area is Lackawanna Plaza, a shopping center with about ten stores built inside the former Lackawana railway station. There is a post office one block to the north of this area.
• Upper Montclair in the north of the town, the second largest commercial zone. The center is the intersection of Valley Road and Bellevue Avenue, with surrounding areas as well. The Upper Montclair Business District is home to several restaurants and shops. Unlike many of Montclair's other commercial zones, it has chain stores like Starbucks, Talbots, Williams-Sonoma, Gap, Cold Stone Creamery, Supercuts and CVS. Despite the recession, the area in 2009-2010 saw the opening of several new national and local merchants. Upper Montclair also has both a park, Anderson Park, and a railway station, Upper Montclair, nearby. There is a post office here.
• Watchung Plaza, around the intersection of Watchung Avenue and Park Street. It is home to many "Mom and Pop Stores" and other small businesses and is located on the divide Montclair's two ZIP Codes, 07042 and 07043. Watchung Plaza has its own post office. It is served by the Watchung Avenue train station.
• Walnut Street, built around the Walnut Street train station. In the Spring, Summer, and Fall it is home to the Montclair Farmer's Market.
• South End, in the south of town, at the intersection of Cedar Avenue and Orange Road.
• Valley Road between Chestnut Street and Claremont Avenue. Known locally as "Frog Hollow", this area has some strip-mall style shops on one side of Valley Road, and on the other side window shops with residential apartments on top of them.

Transportation

New Jersey Transit and DeCamp Bus Lines are the providers of public transportation in Montclair. Montclair is considered a commuter suburb of New York City. The average Montclair commute is 38 minutes each way. 24% of commuters take mass transit, while 59% drive alone. Twelve times more Montclair commuters take mass transit than the national average.^{[citation needed]}

Bus

NJ Transit buses 11, 28, 29, 34, 97, 191 and 705 run through Montclair, most going along the main street, Bloomfield Avenue.^[86] The New Jersey transit bus routes are:

• #11 goes from Downtown Newark through Verona, Cedar Grove, and Little Falls to Willowbrook Mall in Wayne. The only Montclair street it goes along is Bloomfield Avenue.
• #28 follows the route of #29 on Bloomfield Avenue until halfway through Montclair, where it goes north along Park Street, Watchung Avenue, and Valley Road to Montclair State University, and to Willowbrook Mall on Weekends
• #29 between West Caldwell and Newark, passing through Caldwell, Verona, Montclair, Glen Ridge, and Bloomfield on Bloomfield Avenue. It goes to Parsippany at rush hour. The only Montclair street it goes along is Bloomfield Avenue.
• #34 to Newark through East Orange and Orange on some trips, otherwise it goes to Bloomfield along Orange Road, Elm Street, and Bloomfield Avenue. It goes farther to the Montclair High School during that school's start and end times.
• #97 goes from the Montclair Center south along Orange and Harrison Roads through the Oranges.
• #191 goes from Willowbrook Mall through Little Falls to Montclair State University, then to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.
• #705 goes from Passaic along Alexander Avenue, Grove Street (for one block), Mt. Hebron Road and through Montclair State University to Willowbrook Mall.

All of these routes except #97, #191, and #705 were trolley lines originally, operated by the Public Service Railway. A trolley Garage existed on Bloomfield Avenue. In the 1930s and 1950s the trolleys were destroyed and replaced with buses.

DeCamp Bus Lines routes 33 and 66 run through Montclair to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City, carrying primarily commuters.

• #33 goes along Bloomfield Avenue, with some buses going onto Grove Street
• #66 goes along Orange Road, Park Street, Valley Road, and Mt. Hebron Road

Montclair State University has shuttle buses going around its campus.

The township of Montclair operates a jitney in the evening from the Bay Street train station to the southern end of Montclair.^[87]

Rail

Running through Montclair is the Montclair-Boonton Line, which goes between New York City / Hoboken and Hackettstown. There are seven railway stations serving Montclair: Bay Street, Walnut Street, Watchung Avenue, Upper Montclair, Mountain Avenue, and Montclair Heights in Montclair, and Montclair State University Station in the Great Notch area of Little Falls, New Jersey. Only Bay Street station has weekend train service. Montclair has a long history of railroads. The first railroad was built to Montclair in 1856 by the Newark and Bloomfield Railroad. It terminated at a station in Downtown Montclair. First the Morris and Essex Railroad, then the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad leased the line.

In 1868, the Montclair Railway built another line through Montclair, which caused disputes leading to Montclair's separation from Bloomfield. Shortly afterward it was taken over by the New York and Greenwood Lake Railway, a subsidiary of the Erie Railroad. A third railroad to Morristown was planned in 1860 and construction began, but the Panic of 1873 ended the project. In 1912 the Lackawanna Railroad built a large terminal at the end of their line. The Erie and Lackawanna Railroads later merged, forming the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, which operated both lines for many decades. They were next operated by Conrail for approximately one year, after which NJ Transit took over passenger operations and Conrail continued freight operations. Meanwhile, the 1912 terminal was closed in 1981 and converted into shops. This station was replaced by the Bay Street station. In 2002, the two railway lines were connected with the construction of the Montclair Connection.^[88]

Air and road

Montclair is 13 miles (21 km) from Newark Liberty International Airport, 42 miles (68 km) from JFK Airport and 31 miles (50 km) from LaGuardia Airport. The Garden State Parkway to the east, U.S. Route 46 and New Jersey Route 3 to the north, and New Jersey Route 23 to the west are slightly past the town's borders. The main road through Montclair is Bloomfield Avenue.

There is a taxi stand off of Bloomfield Avenue in eastern Montclair, in front of Lackawanna Plaza, formerly the Montclair train station.

Housing

Montclair is noted for its historic architecture. It is home to six historic districts listed on the Register of Historic Places of both the state and country as a whole, 92 individually listed landmarks, and two locally designated commercial districts. Works by significant architects include designs by Van Vleck and Goldsmith, Charles Follen McKim, McKim, Mead, and White, Henry Hudson Holly, Charles A. Platt, Alexander Jackson Davis, Dudley Van Antwerp, Effingham R. North, and Frances Nelson, among others.^{[citation needed]}

Montclair has also housed many hotels, like the defunct Hotel Montclair. In 2013, plans were announced to bring a new hotel to Montclair, featuring 100 rooms and a liquor license.^[89]

Education

The Montclair Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2010-11 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics^[90]) are seven elementary schools (K-5, except as noted, with enrollment and magnet program listed in parentheses) — Bradford School^[91] (470 students, Magnet Theme: The University Magnet), Charles H. Bullock School^[92] (387, Environmental Science), Edgemont Montessori School^[93] (287, Montessori), Hillside School^[94] (3-5; 615, Gifted and Talented), Nishuane School^[95] (K-2; 478, Gifted and Talented), Northeast School^[96] (432, Global Studies) and Watchung School^[97] (446, Science and Technology) — Glenfield Middle School^[98] (696, Visual and Performing Arts), Mount Hebron Middle School^[99] (568, Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) and Renaissance at Rand^[100] (245, Liberal Arts) for grades 6-8, along with Montclair High School^[101] (1,948) for grades 9-12.^[102][103]

Montclair is home to Montclair State University, which was originally founded in 1908 as the New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair.^[104]

Immaculate Conception High School (coed) and Lacordaire Academy (for girls) operate under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.^[105] Montclair is also home to a host of private and parochial schools, including Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair Community Pre-K, St. Cassian's School, Virginia Harkness Sawtelle Learning, Maria Montessori Early Learning, Montclair Cooperative School, Trinity Academy and Deron School II.

Parks

Montclair is home to many parks and nature reserves.

Montclair's parks include Edgemont Memorial Park, Essex Park, Glenfield Park, Nishuane Park, Erie Park, Tuers Park, Rand Park, Graz Park, Canterbury Park, Watchung Park, Eagle Rock Reservation, Brookdale Park, Anderson Park, Yantacaw Brook Park, the Bonsal Nature Reserve, Mountainside Park, the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, and Mills Reservation. There are also many sports fields, some public, like in the parks, or some school owned, like the Essex Park fields or Montclair State University's Sprague Field. In total Montclair has 153.86 acres (0.6226 km²) of township park land spread around 18 parks and 123.76 acres (0.5008 km²) of county park land consisting of five parks.^[106]

There are 18 public tennis courts, four skating rinks (two of which are indoor) and three public swimming pools, which are the Mountainside pool, the Nishuane pool, and the Essex pool.^[107]

In 2007, township residents advocated for the building of a public skatepark.^[108] Community members revitalized the effort in 2010 and lobbied the Parks and Recreation Committee for support, then the township council passed a resolution expressing approval of the project, but allocated no funds for it.^{[109][110][111]}

Media

Montclair has its own local newspaper, the Montclair Times. In addition, there is a radio station on the campus of Montclair State University, WMSC. Montclair State University is also the major broadcasting site for NJTV in Northern New Jersey. Locals also subscribe to The Star-Ledger of Newark, New Jersey, and The New York Times. The township has a municipal public service television channel, Channel 34, where township council and school board meetings are broadcast. Montclair High School has its own paper the Mountaineer, and Montclair State University has its own student-run paper, the Montclarion. WVRM (Village Radio Montclair) has served the community since 1997 at 1620 AM, 91.9FM and on Comcast 34.

Sports

• Home to the Minor league baseball New Jersey Jackals of the Can-Am League. The Jackals play at Yogi Berra Stadium, which has seating for 3,784, plus overflow capacity.^[112]
• Home to Floyd Hall Arena, an Ice Rink which is actually located in Little Falls but lies in the grounds of Montclair State University and is host to its Ice Hockey club. Various other hockey leagues, teams and on ice sports take part there as well.
• Former home to the New Jersey Pride of Major League Lacrosse.
• Home to the Montclair Rugby Club, also known as the Norsemen, of USA Rugby Division 2. They play at Codey Field.
• Montclair is home to Essex Eagles cricket team, a Division III team in the Cricket League of New Jersey.
• The New York Red Bulls of MLS practice at Montclair State University.
• Home of the Montclair United Soccer Club.
• Home to Amateur Baseball Association baseball team the Montclair Giants ^[113]

Sister cities

Montclair is twinned with the following cities:^[114]

• Barnet, London, United Kingdom^[115]
• Cherepovets, Russia
• Graz, Austria^[116]
• Laguna de Perlas (Pearl Lagoon), Nicaragua^[117]

Points of interest

• Montclair Art Museum
• Howard Van Vleck Arboretum
• Presby Memorial Iris Gardens
• Van Vleck House and Gardens
• Crane House and Museum
• The Montclair Historical Society, which consists of:
  • Nathaniel Crane House
  • Clark House
  • Evergreens (House)
• Yogi Berra Stadium, Museum and Learning Center
• Parks and dining in Upper Montclair
• Shopping on Bloomfield Avenue and on Church Street^{[citation needed]}

Historic sites

Montclair is home to the following locations on the National Register of Historic Places:

• The Anchorage - 155 Wildwood Avenue (added 1988)
• Anderson Park - SE corner of Bellevue and North Mountain Avenue (added 2009)
• Joseph Bardsley House - 345 Park Street (added 1988)
• Bradner`s Pharmacy - 33 Watchung Plaza (added 1988)
• Carnegie Library - Church Street at Valley Road (added 1988)
• Casa Deldra - 35 Afterglow Way (added 1988)
• Central Presbyterian Church - 46 Park Street (added 1986)
• J. M. Chapman House - 10 Rockledge (added 1988)
• Cliffside Hose Company No. 4 - 588 Valley Road (added 1988)
• Congregational Church - 42 S. Fullerton Avenue (added 1988)
• Israel Crane House - 110 Orange Road(added 1973)

• Eastward - 50 Lloyd Road (added 1988)
• Egbert Farm - 128 N. Mountain Avenue (added 1988)
• Henry Fenn House - 208 N. Mountain Avenue (added 1988)
• First Methodist Episcopal Church - 24 N. Fullerton Avenue (added 1988)
• Free Public Library, Upper Montclair Branch - 185 Bellevue Avenue (added 1988)
• Frank Goodwillie House - 17 Wayside Place (added 1988)
• Haskell's Bloomfield Villa - 84 Llewellyn Road (added 1988)
• House at 147 Park Street - 147 Park Street (added 1988)
• The House that Lives - 83 Watchung Avenue (added 1988)
• Marlboro Park Historic District - Roughly along Fairfield Street, Waterbury Road, Montclair Avenue, and Watchung Avenue between N. Fullerton and Grove Streets (added 1988)
• Marsellis House - 190 Cooper Avenue (added 1988)
• Miller Street Historic District - Miller and Fulton Streets between Elmwood Avenue, Elm and New Streets (added 1988)
• George A. Miller House - 275 Claremont Avenue (added 1988)
• Montclair Art Museum - 3 S. Mountain Avenue (added 1986)
• Montclair Railroad Station - Lackawanna Plaza (added 1973)
• Mountain Avenue Station - 451 Upper Mountain Avenue (added 1984)
• Mountain District - Roughly bounded by Highland, Bradford, Upper Mountain and Claremont Avenue (added 1988)
• Mulford House - 207 Union Street (added 1988)
• Pine Street Historic District - Roughly bounded by Glenridge Avenue, the NJ Transit Boonton Line, Pine and Baldwin Streets (added 2000)
• Post Office Building, Upper Montclair - 242-244 Bellevue Avenue (added 1988)
• Presby Memorial Iris Gardens Horticultural Center - 474 Upper Mountain Avenue (added 1980)
• M. F. Reading House - 87 Midland Avenue (added 1988)
• Red Gables - 99 S. Fullerton Avenue (added 1988)
• Charles S. Schultz House - 30 N. Mountain Avenue (added 1979)
• S. C. Smith House - 40 Northview Avenue (added 1988)
• St. Luke's Church - 69 S. Fullerton Avenue (added 1988)
• Stone Eagles - 60 Undercliff Road (added 1988)
• Upper Montclair Station - 275 Bellvue Avenue (added 1984)
• Van Reyper-Bond House - 848 Valley Road (added 1979)
• Von Schmid House - 580 Park Street (added 1988)
• Watchung Avenue Station - Park Street (added 1984)
• Allyn Wight House - 75 Gates Avenue (added 1988)

Notable people

References

Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Montclair, New Jersey.

• Township of Montclair Official Website
• Montclair Business Improvement District
• Montclair Historical Society
• Montclair, New Jersey on the Open Directory Project

Neighboring towns.

	Little Falls Township	Clifton	Clifton
	Verona Township Cedar Grove Township		Bloomfield Township Glen Ridge
	Montclair
	West Orange Township	Orange	East Orange

v t e Montclair parks County parks Anderson Park Brookdale Park Glenfield Park Kip's Castle Park Town parks Canterbury Park Edgemont Memorial Park Essex Park Graz Park Mountainside Park Nishuane Park Rand Park Tuers Park Watchung Park Yantacaw Brook Park Reservations Eagle Rock Reservation Mills Reservation Bonsal Nature Reserve Other facilities Montclair Golf Club Presby Memorial Iris Gardens Van Vleck House and Gardens Howard Van Vleck Arboretum Sprague Field Mt. Hebron Cemetery Immaculate Conception Cemetery

v t e Municipalities and communities of Essex County, New Jersey, United States County seat: Newark Cities East Orange Newark Boroughs Caldwell Essex Fells Glen Ridge North Caldwell Roseland Townships Belleville Bloomfield Cedar Grove City of Orange Fairfield Irvington Livingston Maplewood Millburn Montclair Nutley South Orange Verona West Caldwell West Orange CDPs Brookdale Short Hills Silver Lake Upper Montclair Communities Broadway Downtown Newark Fairmount Forest Hill Halcyon Park Ironbound Llewellyn Park Roseville Seventh Avenue Springfield/Belmont University Heights Vailsburg Weequahic