Chapters · Cliffside Park
"Atop the Palisades."
A single square mile of New Jersey perched on the cliffs above the Hudson, directly across from Manhattan — one of the most densely populated, culturally rich, and history-packed boroughs in Bergen County, and the founding home of the Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce.
About the town
Cliffside Park sits on the crest of the Hudson Palisades in Bergen County, directly across the river from Upper Manhattan and tucked between the George Washington Bridge and the Lincoln Tunnel. In under one square mile it is home to more than 25,000 residents — making it the most densely populated municipality in Bergen County and the fifth-densest in all of New Jersey.
Cliffside Park looks out over the Hudson from the top of the Palisades.
Our history
Cliffside Park was carved out of Ridgefield Township and incorporated on January 15, 1895, during the “Boroughitis” wave that created dozens of new Bergen County towns.
January 15, 1895
Residents voted to incorporate, splitting from Ridgefield Township. Then mostly farms and woodland, the borough took its name — and its enduring motto, “Atop the Palisades” — from its dramatic clifftop setting.
1900 – 1930
As New York City expanded, so did Cliffside Park — from under 1,000 people in 1900 to more than 15,000 by 1930, filling the neighborhoods of Grantwood and Shadyside with homes and storefronts.
1965 – 2015
Mayor Gerald Calabrese led the borough for half a century — the longest mayoral tenure in New Jersey history — anchoring generations of civic and small-business life.
Legendary landmark
For more than 70 years, one of the nation’s most famous amusement parks sat right here, straddling the Cliffside Park–Fort Lee line atop the cliffs. Opened in 1898 and rebranded Palisades Amusement Park in 1908, it drew millions with its rides, its skyline views, and an enormous saltwater wave pool fed by Hudson River water pumped hundreds of feet up the Palisades. The park closed on September 12, 1971, and the Winston Towers high-rises now stand on the site.
Community & culture
Cliffside Park’s density is matched by its diversity — a blend of long-rooted Italian-American families alongside thriving Turkish-American, Hispanic and Latino, Armenian-American, and Middle Eastern communities.
The borough’s main street is lined with independent restaurants — including one of the region’s best-known rows of Turkish steakhouses and bakeries, next to classic Italian-American spots.
Cliffside Park has long been one of New Jersey’s most international small towns — including, by the 2000 Census, the highest share of Armenian-American residents of any municipality in the state.
The 1913 silent film “The Vampire” was shot here, and later productions including “Big,” “Cop Land,” and “The King of Queens” used the borough as a backdrop — a nod to neighboring Fort Lee, the birthplace of American film.
Hometown notables
A remarkable roster of talent has called this one-square-mile borough home.
Grammy-winning singer, “I Will Survive”
Emmy-winning actor
Grammy-nominated rapper
1994 Olympic figure-skating champion
Legendary typographer, 600+ typefaces
Animator, co-creator of Felix the Cat
Pioneering American modernist painter
Longtime U.S. Senator from New Jersey
The Cliffside Park Chapter
The Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce grew out of the Cliffside Park Chamber of Commerce, and our home base remains at 607 Anderson Avenue. The Cliffside Park Chapter keeps that founding spirit — hands-on, local, and neighborly — while giving members the full reach of the regional Chamber across the Hudson waterfront.
Chapter contact
📍 607 Anderson Ave, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010
Chapter leadership: Chair, Vice Chair, Events Coordinator, and Business Outreach Coordinator — to be announced.
Join the Cliffside Park Chapter of the Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce and connect your business to the entire Hudson waterfront.
Access your membership profile, directory listing, and event registrations.