Short Hills is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) located within the Millburn Township, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. 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.
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, and seven in ten households has income above $150,000 per year, which was the highest in the United States in 2014.
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.
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 definitively refused.
Railroad and postal connections
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 station 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
Presciently, 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. Mr. Hartshorn also established the Short Hills Park directly across Hobart Avenue from the station, which stands to this day. In 1944, his estate donated this park to Millburn Township, with the stipulation that it 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 remains today as the Short Hills Racquets Club. However, despite these efforts, Short Hills remains a relatively quiet place.
Later events
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.
In 1968, Temple B'nai Jeshurun relocated from Newark, NJ, to a 21-acre 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.
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.
Present day
The opening of the Kearny Connection, allowing the establishment of the first direct rail service to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan, has enhanced real-estate values immensely. Short Hills also has a business district along Chatham Road near the railroad station, which includes the post-office branch, a pharmacy, and several small specialty shops.
Short Hills is also home to many senior executives and controlling stockholders of some of the largest corporations in the United States and their families. The median family income is over $200,000.
Short Hills also has four K-5 elementary schools, three are part of the Millburn Township Public Schools, Deerfield Elementary School Glenwood Elementary School, Glenwood Elementary School] and Hartshorn Elementary School. The fourth is The Pingry School Lower Campus. Students move on to complete their public school education at Millburn Middle School for grades 6-8 and Millburn High School for grades 9-12.
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 also has a small "downtown" area that is smaller than downtown Millburn.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of 5.211 square miles (13.497 km2), of which, 5.196 square miles (13.459 km2) of it was land and 0.015 square miles (0.039 km2) of it (0.29%) was water.
Demographics
Census 2010
At the 2010 United States Census, there were 13,165 people, 4,146 households, and 3,682 families residing 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 of the CDP 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. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.40% (316) of the population.
There were 4,146 households, of which 54.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.4% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.2% were non-families. 9.9% of all households 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.
In the CDP, 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 there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
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. 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.
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.
Economy
Dun & Bradstreet has its headquarters in Short Hills.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Short Hills include:
- Lee Bickmore (1908-1986), chairman of the board and CEO of Nabisco.
- Richard Coogan, actor
- Joseph P. Day, early land auctioneer and real-estate broker.
- John Ferolito, the founder and current owner of Arizona Beverage Company.
- Anne Hathaway (born 1982), actress.
- Herbert G. Hopwood (1898-1966) four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander in chief of the United States Pacific Fleet from 1958 to 1960.
- Peter Kellogg (born 1943), director of the Wall Street investment firm Spear, Leeds & Kellogg, which was sold to Goldman Sachs in 2000 for $5.5 billion.
- Joe Kernen (born 1956), CNBC news anchor and host of Squawk Box.
- Igor Larionov (born 1960), center who played for the New Jersey Devils.
- John C. McGinley (born 1959), actor known for his role playing Dr. Perry Cox on Scrubs.
- Belva Plain (1919-2010), author.
- Brian Rolston (born 1973), professional hockey player for the New Jersey Devils.
- Patti Stanger (born 1961), matchmaker and producer of Millionaire Matchmaker.
- Peter Van Sant, reporter 48 Hours.
- Wang Yung-ching (1917-2008), former CEO and co-founder of Formosa Plastics Group.
- Zygi Wilf (born 1950), owner of the Minnesota Vikings.
- Rachel Zoe (born 1971), fashion stylist.
- Alan Zweibel (born 1950), producer and writer on such productions as Saturday Night Live, PBS' Great Performances, and It's Garry Shandling's Show.
Points of interest
- Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary
- The Mall at Short Hills - a high-end mall with a gross leasable area of 1,342,000 ft² (120,780 m²), placing it in the top ten among the largest shopping malls in New Jersey. The mall is anchored by Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, & Saks Fifth Avenue.
- Paper Mill Playhouse
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Short Hills has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
References
External links
- Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society
- Archives of the MSHHS at the Millburn Free Public Library
- Collection of old photographs of Millburn-Short Hills
- US Census Data for Short Hills
Interesting Informations
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