Known as the “Garden Spot” of the Pascack Valley, lush River Vale is famous for its beautiful plantings and abundant trees, bushes, and flowers. Home to about 10,000 residents, River Vale is a tranquil residential town of quiet winding streets, ample parks, and historic homes. “Downtown” is Rivervale Road, a friendly main street that runs north/south through the center of the community.
Known for the excellence of its schools, River Vale also has a superb library which runs a fantastic range of educational programs for children, teenagers and adults. Alongside its many parks, River Vale has three beautifully appointed golf courses.
Location
River Vale is in Pascack Valley, Bergen County, New Jersey, between Old Tappan to the east and Hillsdale to the West. New York City is about 22 miles south of River Vale and the Hudson River is about 6 miles east.
River Vale is about 11 miles west of Yonkers and 20 miles from Jersey City. New York is 22 miles south of River Vale.
Geography
About 5 miles from the Hudson River, River Vale is between Woodcliff Lake to the west and Lake Tappan to the east, so there is plenty of water sports to be had in this community. River Dale is a pretty green city with plenty of parks, the largest being the Edgewood Country Club.
Jobs
Thanks to its proximity to New York and long history of transport and manufacturing, New Jersey has long been prosperous. Bergen County is a great place to live and work, with flourishing manufacturing, technological and educational industries supported by an educated local workforce. The Bergen County Economic Development Corporation provides useful resources and economic incentives to local business owners.
While many River Vale residents choose to commute to surrounding commercial centers to work (particularly New York City), others find employment closer to home, working for the city or local educational facilities, or in the local retail, administrative, managerial, financial and real-estate sectors.
Housing
Pretty River Vale has many attractive homes buffered from the road by the town’s ample trees and plantings. Residential streets tend to be quiet and winding and there is a fair bit of variety in homes to choose from, from historic colonial and Victorian dwellings to 1950s ranch houses to contemporary homes. Modern homes tend to be elegant estate homes on the pricier end of the market. Most homes range between about $439,000 and $1,600,000 (this for a new upscale home).
Recreation
Plentiful sports fields, parks and green areas make River Vale a great place to raise a family.
The township offers many sports and recreation programs for its residents, including football and softball programs, Little League, a “Journey on Sunday” program for children (interesting and educational outings and the like), and a “First Friends” program for pre-schoolers.
There are 3 golf courses in town, including the prestigious Edgewood Country Club, the largest in the region.
Nearby Wood Dale County Park is another large green space; it has tennis courts, a children’s playground, a bike path, and lake fishing.
Woodcliffe Lake and Lake Tappan are both great spots to go boating and the lower Hudson River is only about 6 miles east, offering kayaking and canoeing in summer and skating in winter. The parks along the river bank are lovely spots to hike, bike or picnic, and may be explored by cross country ski in winter.
All River Vale residents can join the Hillsdale’s Stony Brook swim club, which is an excellent facility with an Olympic sized pool, an intermediate pool and a fun toddler area.
Special Attractions/Events
River Vale is a beautiful town, known for its pretty streets and nice homes.
River Vale is an amenity-rich community with good golf courses and ample ball fields and parks.
River Vale has superb local schools. River Vale high school seniors attend the top-notch local high school, along with those from Hillsdale and Old Tappan.
This family-friendly town is less than 10 minutes drive from two beautiful lakes, offering residents plenty of water sporting opportunities, and the Hudson River is only about 6 miles away.
The Bergen Museum of Arts and Science in nearby Paramus has excellent interactive art and science exhibits and the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood hosts premiere musical and dance acts, including the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
With New York City only about 22 miles south of River Vale, the cultural and economic advantages of big city life are readily available to residents, who feel fortunate in being able to enjoy these without giving up the relaxation and safety of life in a smaller community.
Shopping and dining is friendly and local in River Vale, and a great Farmers Market runs all summer long.
River Vale residents enjoy doing things together and there are a number of fun community events throughout the year, including an annual Easter egg hunt, a Halloween Ragamuffin Parade, a Father’s Day Olympics, and a yearly Octoberfest each Fall.
Interesting Historic Facts
The settlement of River Vale dates back to the time before the Revolutionary War, and there are several lovely historic buildings around town. The war did not leave River Vale unscathed; the infamous Baylor Dragoon Massacre occurred here in 1778. Skeletons of Dragoon members who perished were unearthed in 1967.
In 1972, local citizens rallied to save the massacre site from being bulldozed and local government and the private sector worked together to build the Baylor Massacre Burial Site and re-inter the bones there. This pretty park is well worth a visit, with storyboards depicting the events of the massacre and an old millstone from one of River Vale’s earliest pioneering farms, the Haring Farm.
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