Chapters · Edgewater
“Always facing the water.”
Edgewater sits directly on the Hudson River across from Manhattan, its skyline views and waterfront promenade shaped by a century of industry reborn as one of Bergen County's most walkable riverside communities. From a 1640 Dutch settlement to a Ford assembly line to today's high-rises, Edgewater has always faced the water and the city beyond it.
About the town
Edgewater occupies a narrow shelf of land between the Hudson River and the Palisades cliffs, directly across from Manhattan. What began as farmland and factories is now a dense, walkable community of waterfront high-rises, parks, and shops.
Edgewater is part of New Jersey’s Gold Coast, along the Hudson.
Our history
1640
David Pietersz de Vries established Vriessendael here — recognized as the first known European colony in Bergen County — after purchasing land from the Tappan people.
1894–1899
The borough incorporated on December 7, 1894 as the Borough of Undercliff, carved from Ridgefield Township, and was renamed Edgewater in 1899 for its position on the river's edge.
1916–1955
Alcoa built an aluminum rolling mill here in 1916, and Ford opened a 400,000-square-foot assembly plant in 1930 that built over 1.8 million vehicles before closing in 1955. Both sites were later redeveloped into homes and retail.
Signature landmark
Edgewater's defining feature is its riverfront itself: a promenade and parks built where Ford and Alcoa once operated, with unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline. The NY Waterway ferry departs the Edgewater Marina for Midtown and Lower Manhattan in minutes.
Community & culture
River Road is lined with waterfront shopping centers — Edgewater Commons, Edgewater Towne Center, and The Shops at Edgewater — alongside dining spots with Manhattan skyline views.
Daily NY Waterway ferry service to Midtown and Downtown makes Edgewater one of the most direct water commutes to New York City in Bergen County.
From a 1640 Dutch colony to Revolutionary-era farmland to a 20th-century industrial powerhouse, Edgewater's waterfront has been rebuilt for each era while staying tied to the river.
Hometown notables
Real estate mogul, born in Edgewater
The Edgewater Chapter
The Edgewater Chapter connects the town’s businesses to the full network of the Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce — hands-on and local, with the marketing, events, and advocacy of the wider regional chamber behind you.
Chapter contact
📍 607 Anderson Ave, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010
Serving Edgewater businesses. Chapter leadership — Chair, Vice Chair, Events & Outreach Coordinators — to be announced.
Join the Edgewater 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.