Short Hills, New Jersey

Short Hills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Millburn Township, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States.[7][8] It is a popular commuter town for residents who work in New York City. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP's population was 13,165.[3]

Short Hills, New Jersey
Census-designated place
Downtown Short Hills
Location in Essex County and the state of New Jersey.
Short Hills
Location of Millburn in Essex County. Inset: Location of Essex County in New Jersey.
Short Hills
Short Hills (New Jersey)
Short Hills
Short Hills (the United States)
Coordinates: 40.739157°N 74.327442°W / 40.739157; -74.327442
Country United States
State New Jersey
CountyEssex
TownshipMillburn
Area
 • Total5.211 sq mi (13.497 km2)
 • Land5.196 sq mi (13.459 km2)
 • Water0.015 sq mi (0.039 km2)  0.29%
Elevation377 ft (115 m)
Population
 • Total13,165
 • Density2,533.5/sq mi (978.2/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP code
07078[4]
FIPS code3467320[1][5]
GNIS feature ID02584025[1][6]

It is notable for being an affluent community. The median listing price of its homes was $1.75 million in February 2012, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, citing data from Zillow.[9] It is home to the upscale Mall at Short Hills along the border with both Morris and Union counties near the Passaic River.

In 2014, Time magazine named it the "Richest Town in America" with seven in ten household incomes above $150,000 per year, the highest percentage in the United States.[10][11] According to Forbes magazine, in 2016 the median income in Short Hills was $229,222.[12] In 2018, Bloomberg positioned Short Hills at fifth in the country in its 100 Richest places ranking, with an average household income of $354,479.[13]

History

Beginnings

Originally, the area that would become Short Hills was part of Springfield Township, Union County, New Jersey, and its eponymous hills are thought to have played a role in the movement of the Continental Army under George Washington during the Battle of Springfield. While troops may have been present in the area, the Battle of Short Hills (June 26, 1777) took place in Scotch Plains and Metuchen New Jersey.

Short Hills began as a planned community, when Stewart Hartshorn (who became wealthy from developing, perfecting and manufacturing the self-acting shade roller) purchased 13 acres (53,000 m2) of land in Millburn Township, near the present Hobart Avenue, Parsonage Hill Road, and Chatham Road. Hartshorn's purpose was to create "a harmonious community for people who appreciated nature," and "where natural beauty would not be destroyed by real estate developments, and where people of congenial tastes could dwell together." He later increased his land holdings to 56 acres (230,000 m2) for himself and 1,552 acres (6.28 km2) for the whole village, with each plot not owned by Hartshorn being no larger than 1/2 acre.

Hartshorn chose the name "Short Hills" because it reflected the topography of the region, and also because the local Lenape Native Americans used that same name to describe the region. One local resident suggested that he call his village "Hartshornville," but he refused, quietly content with Short Hills sharing his initials.

Railroad and postal connections
Short Hills Station, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad ca. 1895

Hartshorn situated his "ideal town" near enough to a railroad to allow for an easy commute to Hoboken and, from there, to New York City. Hence, his decision in 1879 to build, at his own expense, a railroad station along the original Morris and Essex Railroad line. He also persuaded the United States Post Office to open a branch in his new railroad station in 1880, and in fact, the Post Office has always had a presence in Short Hills from that day and its own ZIP Code, 07078.

Buffer zones

Hartshorn deliberately preserved strips of land along the railroad right-of-way from any development west of Old Short Hills Road. These strips separate Hobart Avenue to the north, and Chatham Road to the south, from the railway line. The only structure that has ever stood directly adjacent to the line is the railroad station. In 1944, the Hartshorn family also donated Crescent Park to Millburn Township, directly across from the station, with the stipulation that the park always remain open to the public.

Common elements

After seventeen houses were erected, Hartshorn turned his attention to other "common elements." These included a Music Hall, which later became the Short Hills Racquets Club. However, Short Hills remains a relatively quiet place.

Stewart Hartshorn died in 1937 at the age of 97. His daughter Cora survived him, wrote her own history of the hamlet, and helped establish the Arboretum that bears her name.[14]

Later events

In 1968 Temple B'nai Jeshurun relocated from Newark, NJ, to a 21-acre (8.5 ha) site in Short Hills. It is the oldest Reform Jewish congregation in New Jersey and, with 1,100 member families, one of the largest Jewish congregations in the state at the time of the move. Most of the property was purchased from Congressman Robert Kean, father of future New Jersey governor Thomas Kean. The land had been given to Kean's family by King George III of the United Kingdom.[15][16]

In 1975 the Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society formed in conjunction with the American Bicentennial celebrations.

In 2001 the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center opened in Short Hills.

In 2002 local residents planted a memorial tree on the grounds of the railroad station, to honor those of their neighbors who died in the attacks on September 11, 2001.

In 2011 the historic Greenwood Gardens opened to the public.[17] It is one of sixteen garden preservation projects in the United States overseen by the Garden Conservancy.[18]

Present day
Waterfall garden at Hartshorn Arboretum in Short Hills.

The opening of the Kearny Connection in 1996, establishing direct rail service to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan, has enhanced real-estate values immensely.

The median family income was over $200,000 in the 2010 census.[19] Dun & Bradstreet has its headquarters in Short Hills.[20]

Short Hills has four K-5 elementary schools. Three are part of the Millburn Township Public Schools: Deerfield Elementary School,[21] Glenwood Elementary School,[22] and Hartshorn Elementary School.[23] The fourth is The Pingry School Lower Campus. Students move on to complete their public school education at Millburn Middle School[24] for grades 6–8 and Millburn High School for grades 9–12. Short Hills is also home to the Far Brook School, a private day school serving students in nursery through eighth grade.[25]

Though Short Hills has its own railroad station and post-office branch, it does not have an independent government. It remains today a part of the Township of Millburn, as it has been since its inception. Short Hills has a "downtown" business area that is smaller than downtown Millburn. Located along Chatham Road near the Short Hills railroad station, it includes the post office, a pharmacy, small eateries and specialty shops. The train station waiting room operates as a bar and grill during the evening hours and a newsstand and ticket agent are present from early morning hours until noon.

Short Hills is also home to the Short Hills Club, Racquets Club of Short Hills, and the main portion of Canoe Brook Country Club.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of 5.211 square miles (13.497 km2), including 5.196 square miles (13.459 km2) of land and 0.015 square miles (0.039 km2) of water (0.29%).[1][26]

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally cool to cold winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Short Hills has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.[27]

Demographics

According to an analysis in Time magazine in 2014, Short Hills is the wealthiest community in the United States in terms of having the highest percentage of households (69%) with incomes above $150,000 per year.[10][28] According to Forbes magazine, the median income in Short Hills is $229,222.[29]

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 13,165 people, 4,146 households, and 3,682 families in the CDP. The population density was 2,533.5 per square mile (978.2/km2). There were 4,292 housing units at an average density of 826.0 per square mile (318.9/km2). The racial makeup was 81.44% (10,721) White, 0.96% (127) Black or African American, 0.01% (1) Native American, 15.48% (2,038) Asian, 0.02% (2) Pacific Islander, 0.26% (34) from other races, and 1.84% (242) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.40% (316) of the population.[3]

Of the 4,146 households, 54.1% had children under the age of 18; 81.4% were married couples living together; 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 11.2% were non-families. Of all households, 9.9% were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.18 and the average family size was 3.40.[3]

34.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 19.2% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.3 males.[3]

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $211,989 (with a margin of error of +/- $13,467) and the median family income was $227,262 (+/- $22,938). Males had a median income of $192,625 (+/- $33,436) versus $98,214 (+/- $12,561) for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $100,875 (+/- $7,868). About 0.6% of families and 0.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and 0.0% of those age 65 or over.[30]

Media references

Philip Roth's first book, Goodbye, Columbus, is mostly set in Short Hills, the home of the girlfriend of the character Neil Klugman and her family.[31]

Millburn/Short hills is also covered by HomeTowne TV of Summit NJ who provides local programming and highlights the community.

The area is also serviced by The Item of Millburn and Short Hills (local newspaper), TAPinto Millburn/Short Hills, The Millburn Patch, and The Star Ledger along with most New York Metro Sources.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Short Hills include:

Points of interest

References
  1. Gazetteer of New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 21, 2016.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Short Hills Census Designated Place, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed November 6, 2012.
  3. DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Short Hills CDP, New Jersey Archived 2020-02-12 at Archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 4, 2012.
  4. Look Up a ZIP Code for Short Hills, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed November 6, 2012.
  5. U.S. Census website , United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  6. US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  7. New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32), United States Census Bureau, August 2012. Accessed October 17, 2012.
  8. Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed April 19, 2015.
  9. Lefkowitz, Melanie."Short Hills Is Much More Than Just the Mall", The Wall Street Journal, February 24, 2012. Accessed May 28, 2013.
  10. Taylor, Ben. "Here Are the 10 Richest Towns in America", Time, May 15, 2014. Accessed June 8, 2014
  11. Note: the analysis compared Short Hills' zip code to other communities with at least 10,000 inhabitants, and used census data based on five-year averages.
  12. Riper, Tom Van. "No. 9 Short Hills, New Jersey - pg.10". Forbes. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  13. . Accessed May 15, 2018.
  14. Meisner, Marian. A History of Millburn Township., Millburn, NJ: Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society and Millburn Free Public Library, 2002.
  15. Strunsky, Steve. "ON THE MAP; A Plot of Land, From King George III to a Short Hills Synagogue", The New York Times, September 27, 1998. Accessed July 22, 2016. "And Kean happened to have a tract of land in Livingston and Short Hills, which was given to his family by King George III of England [sic]. Kean sold it to the congregation for $10,000 an acre, which was much lower than what it was valued at."
  16. Honig, Milton. "Newark Temple Plans to Move To Suburb, Following Members", The New York Times, October 8, 1961. Accessed July 22, 2016.
  17. McDonald, Martha. "Private Garden Goes Public: Greenwood Gardens in NJ". Traditional Building. Active Interest Media. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  18. Grimes, William (April 25, 2013). "A Riotous Ramble, Reborn in Suburbia". New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  19. Fact Sheet for Zip Code Tabulation Area 07078 Archived 2020-02-12 at Archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 25, 2007.
  20. About Us. Dun & Bradstreet. Accessed October 1, 2012. "HQ info: 103 John F Kennedy Parkway Short Hills, NJ 07078"
  21. Deerfield Elementary School
  22. Glenwood Elementary School
  23. Hartshorn Elementary School
  24. Millburn Middle School
  25. Far Brook School
  26. US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  27. Climate Summary for Short Hills, New Jersey
  28. Note: area defined by its zip code
  29. Riper, Tom Van. "No. 9 Short Hills, New Jersey - pg.10". Forbes. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  30. DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Short Hills CDP, Essex County, New Jersey Archived 2020-02-12 at Archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed May 29, 2013.
  31. Doll, Jen. "A Look at 'Goodbye Columbus' on Philip Roth's 80th Birthday", The Atlantic, March 19, 2013. Accessed October 5, 2016. "On a trip to the country club, he meets Brenda Patimkin, who goes to Radcliffe and lives with her wealthy family in Short Hills, New Jersey."
  32. Saxon, Wolfgang. "Lee Bickmore, Ex-Chairman Of National Biscuit Company", The New York Times, June 12, 1986. Accessed September 15, 2015. "Lee Smith Bickmore, who rose from a sales job with the National Biscuit Company in Pocatello, Idaho, to the chairmanship of the company, died last Saturday in Vero Beach, Fla., where he lived in retirement. He was 78 years old and a former resident of Short Hills, N.J. "
  33. Courtney Brosnan, Syracuse Orange women's soccer. Accessed October 17, 2019. "High School: Millburn; Hometown: Short Hills, N. J."
  34. Politi, Steve. "Sochi Olympics 2014: No stone left unturned by Andrew Catalon, the voice of curling (Politi)", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 9, 2014, updated March 29, 2019. Accessed February 15, 2020. "Becoming the Voice of American Curling was not exactly something Andrew Catalon had envisioned when he decided to become a broadcaster.... And so began an unlikely gig for the Short Hills native, one that has helped springboard his career to bigger things."
  35. Roberts, Sam. "Ralph Cicerone, Scientist Who Sounded Climate Change Alarm, Dies at 73", The New York Times, November 7, 2016. Accessed November 7, 2016. "Ralph J. Cicerone, who as a researcher and the president of the National Academy of Sciences issued an early warning about the grave potential risks of climate change, died on Saturday at his home in Short Hills, N.J. He was 73."
  36. Barnes, Mike. "Richard Coogan, Star of 'Captain Video and His Video Rangers,' Dies at 99", The Hollywood Reporter, March 12, 2014. Accessed September 15, 2015. "A native of Short Hills, N.J., Coogan worked as an announcer and news anchor on radio before making his Broadway debut in 1945 in the comedy Alice in Arms."
  37. Delevingne, Lawrence. "For Leon Cooperman, a long fall from dizzying heights", CNBC, September 21, 2016. Accessed October 6, 2016. "Leon Cooperman is addicted to investing. The hedge fund manager's stock-junkie lifestyle starts at 5:15 a.m. on weekdays, when he wakes up in the Short Hills, New Jersey, house he's lived in for 36 years."
  38. Staff. "Joseph P. Day's Home Robbed $20,000 Gems; Butler and Chauffeur Gone--Abandon Auto", The New York Times, September 4, 1920. Accessed September 15, 2015. "When Mrs. Charlotte Pope, mother-in-law of Joseph P. Day, real estate expert, was at dinner Thursday evening in Mr. Day's country residence, Pleasant Days, Short Hills, N.J., sneak thieves entered Mrs. Pope's room on the second floor, broke open a jewel box which they found in the drawer of the chiffonier and escaped with jewelry valued at $20,000."
  39. Beeson, Ed. "N.J. native Ina Drew took the fall for JPMorgan mess by retiring", The Star-Ledger, May 20, 2012. Accessed October 27, 2017. "In Short Hills, Ina Drew and husband Howard maintain a stately home that stands out even from its well-heeled surroundings."
  40. Ramirez, Anthony. "Metro Briefing", The New York Times, March 14, 2001. Accessed September 15, 2015. "The case dates to a 1994 golf outing at the East Orange Golf Course, when John Ferolito of Short Hills hit a mulligan, or second tee shot, and struck Jeffrey Schick in the eye, knocking him unconscious. He sued."
  41. Bonelli, Winnie. "From "Tiara Flicks" To English Romance" Archived 2017-10-18 at the Wayback Machine, The Independent, August 22, 2007. Accessed May 10, 2012. "So what was the common denominator that enabled Hathaway to relate to Austen? "Loneliness," the Brooklyn-born, Short Hills, NJ-reared actress confessed."
  42. "Adm. Herbert G. Hopwood Dies; Pacific Fleet Commander, '58–60", The New York Times, September 16, 1966. Accessed November 28, 2007. "Adm. Herbert Gladstone Hopwood, who was commander in chief of the United States Pacific Fleet at his retirement from the Navy in 1960, died this morning in St. Barnabas Hospital. He was 67 years old and lived at 68 Tennyson Drive in Short Hills."
  43. Harris, Patricia. "First job hunt leads to first novel", The Item of Millburn and Short Hills, October 21, 2004. Accessed May 27, 2018. "Author Ariel Horn, who grew up in the township and graduated from college two years ago, has fond memories of her formative days at Millburn High School."
  44. Klein, Julia M. "Horn of Plenty: Short Hills Writer Dara Horn Explores Jewish Culture; A Jewish scholar and a Harvard PhD., novelist Dara Horn is also a happy suburban mom.", New Jersey Monthly, August 14, 2013. Accessed May 25, 2018. "Horn, 36, has always been an uncommonly precocious writer. Growing up in Short Hills, she and her three siblings wrote and performed satirical plays for the family’s Passover seders (Oscar Night at the Exodus)."
  45. #278 Peter Kellogg, Forbes. Accessed September 15, 2015. "Residence: Short Hills, New Jersey, United States, North America"
  46. Strauss, Robert. "Here's something to squawk about" Archived 2012-07-24 at Archive.today, Coloradan magazine, June 1, 2009. Accessed September 15, 2015. "Kernen, 53, stays out of the limelight living in Short Hills, N.J., a bedroom community 45 minutes from CNBC's studios in suburban New Jersey, a few miles northwest of Wall Street."
  47. Lieber, Jill. "Freedom is music to Larionov's ears", USA Today, January 27, 2004. Accessed September 15, 2015. "Larionov, at 43 the oldest player in the NHL and in his 14th and final season in professional hockey as a center with the New Jersey Devils, hears music everywhere he turns. At home in Short Hills, N.J., daughters Alyonka, 16, and Diana, 13, are busy launching a pop music career, singing practically around the clock."
  48. McQuiston, John T. "Robert D. Lilley Is Dead At 74; Former President Of A.T.&T.", The New York Times, October 18, 1986. Accessed May 21, 2020. "Robert D. Lilley, former president of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company and chairman of a New Jersey commission that investigated the 1967 Newark riots, died Wednesday at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan after a heart attack. He was 74 years old and lived in Short Hills, N.J."
  49. "Robert Marcus Named Senior Executive Vice President at Time Warner Cable", Time Warner, August 1, 2005. Accessed September 15, 2015. "He lives with his wife and four children in Short Hills, NJ."
  50. Aswad, Jem; and Parisi, Paula. "Fyre Festival Organizer Billy McFarland Announces Make-Up Dates for 2018, Admits 'We Were Overwhelmed'", Variety (magazine), April 28, 2017. Accessed May 1, 2017. "A native of affluent Short Hills, NJ, who is said to have studied computer engineering at Bucknell, he is described in the media as Ja Rule’s 'tech partner.'"
  51. Interview with John C. McGinley, Ability, accessed April 21, 2007. "JM: I was born in New York and raised in New Jersey. CC: What part of New Jersey? JM: Short Hills, which is a beautiful suburb of New York."
  52. Horner, Shirley. "About Books", The New York Times, October 3, 1993. Accessed December 19, 2007. "Previous residents of the award, which has come to be known as the Michael, include Mary Higgins Clark of Saddle River, Belva Plain of Short Hills, Wende and Harry Devlin of Mountainside, the Nobel laureate Dr. Arno Penzias of Highland Park and Gay Talese of Ocean City."
  53. Russo, Michael. "Wild about Minnesota Despite leaving for New Jersey, Rolston raves about playing in Minneapolis.", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 20, 2009. Accessed May 10, 2012. "'This is something I've never gone through before,' said Koivu, who along with some teammates planned to eat dinner at Rolston's Short Hills, N.J., home Thursday night."
  54. Staff. "Interview: Meet Columbia’s Alex Rosenberg", The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, January 17, 2013. Accessed February 17, 2018. "I am from Short Hills, New Jersey where I attended Millburn High school for four years and then went to prep school at Peddie for one year because I felt that I needed another year to improve my strength and get ready for college life."
  55. "Short Hills native Bess Rous cast in The How and the Why". NJ.com. January 15, 2011. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  56. Atmonavage, Joseph. "Devils goalie Cory Schneider puts N.J. home on market for $2.9M", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 17, 2018. Accessed May 24, 2018. "New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider, who inked a seven-year, $42 million contract in 2014 to stay with the team, put his 6,900-square-foot Short Hills home on the market Wednesday for just under $2.9 million, according to its Trulia listing."
  57. Gacser, Ava. "Short Hills 'Matchmaker' is blunt", Home News Tribune, February 8, 2009. Accessed November 13, 2015.
  58. Peter Van Sant, 48 Hours Mystery, backed up by the Internet Archive as of October 26, 2008. Accessed September 15, 2015. "He lives in Short Hills, N.J., with his wife."
  59. Fitzgerald's Legislative Manual, 1970, p. 388. Accessed April 21, 2020. "James H. Wallwork (Rep., Short Hills) - James H. Wallwork lives at 94 Canoe Brook Road, Short Hills."
  60. Voreacos, David. "N.J. Judge Retains Case Over Estate of Formosa's Wang (Update1)", Bloomberg L.P., August 13, 2009. Accessed September 15, 2015. "Wang died of cardiopulmonary arrest on Oct. 15 at his house in Short Hills, New Jersey, two days after arriving from Taiwan. He traveled to Short Hills "numerous times on a regular basis every year of the last twenty-plus years of his life," and lived there in the 1980s, according to the complaint."
  61. Staff. "Thomas J. Watson Jr.; Led IBM Into Computer Age", Los Angeles Times, January 1, 1994. Accessed June 2, 2016. "Raised in Short Hills, N.J., and attending private schools, he called himself a privileged and unimpressive youth."
  62. Staff. "Win A Joyous Return For Wilfs", St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 14, 2005. Accessed November 13, 2015. "Oh, the joy! The Wilfs of Short Hills, N.J., were unremitting fans of their beloved Giants, but they never felt football bliss quite like the Vikings' victory over the Giants on Sunday. 'I wanted this for a long time,' said Zygi Wilf after the Vikings survived a heart-pounding finish for their first road victory of the season."
  63. She's got the look, The Observer, July 16, 2006, accessed April 26, 2007. "She was born Rachel Zoe Rosenzweig in New York and grew up in Short Hills, New Jersey, the daughter of wealthy art collectors."
  64. Capuzzo, Jill L. "From 'Saturday Night Live' to '700 Sundays'", The New York Times, December 12, 2004. Accessed November 13, 2015. "For one thing, it has allowed him to move his family back East, to Short Hills, from Los Angeles, where the Zweibels have been living for the last 15 years."
  65. The Mall at Short Hills Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine, International Council of Shopping Centers. Accessed October 30, 2008.
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