West Caldwell, New Jersey

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement West Caldwell is a township located in the West Essex area in northwestern Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located approximately Template:Convert west of Manhattan and Template:Convert northwest of Newark. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 11,012,<ref name=Census2020/><ref name=LWD2020/> an increase of 253 (+2.4%) from the 2010 census count of 10,759,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected a decline of 474 (−4.2%) from the 11,233 counted in the 2000 census.<ref>Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref>

West Caldwell was originally incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 24, 1904, from portions of Caldwell Township (now known as Fairfield Township).<ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 130. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref> In 1981, the borough was one of seven Essex County municipalities to pass a referendum to become a township, joining four municipalities that had already made the change, of what would ultimately be more than a dozen Essex County municipalities to reclassify themselves as townships in order take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies that allocated townships a greater share of government aid to municipalities on a per capita basis.<ref>"Chapter VI: Municipal Names and Municipal Classification" Template:Webarchive, p. 73. New Jersey State Commission on County and Municipal Government, 1992. Accessed September 24, 2015.</ref><ref>"Removing Tiering From The Revenue Sharing Formula Would Eliminate Payment Inequities To Local Governments", Government Accountability Office, April 15, 1982. Accessed September 24, 2015. "In 1978, South Orange Village was the first municipality to change its name to the 'township' of South Orange Village effective beginning in entitlement period 10 (October 1978 to September 1979). The Borough of Fairfield in 1978 changed its designation by a majority vote of the electorate and became the 'Township of Fairfield' effective beginning entitlement period 11 (October 1979 to September 1980).... However, the Revenue Sharing Act was not changed and the actions taken by South Orange and Fairfield prompted the Town of Montclair and West Orange to change their designation by referendum in the November 4, 1980, election. The municipalities of Belleville, Verona, Bloomfield, Nutley, Essex Fells, Caldwell, and West Caldwell have since changed their classification from municipality to a township."</ref><ref>Narvaez, Alfonso A. "New Jersey Journal", The New York Times, December 27, 1981. Accessed September 24, 2015. "Under the Federal system, New Jersey's portion of the revenue sharing funds is disbursed among the 21 counties to create three 'money pools.' One is for county governments, one for 'places' and a third for townships. By making the change, a community can use the 'township advantage' to get away from the category containing areas with low per capita incomes."</ref><ref>Karcher, Alan J. New Jersey's Multiple Municipal Madness, pp. 119-120. Rutgers University Press, 1998. Template:ISBN. Accessed September 24, 2015.</ref> The borough was named for Caldwell Township, which in turn was named for Presbyterian minister James Caldwell.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 25, 2015.</ref><ref>Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 63. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed October 25, 2015.</ref>

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked West Caldwell as its 60th best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.<ref>Staff. "Best Places To Live 2010", New Jersey Monthly, February 9, 2010. Accessed October 27, 2010.</ref>

History

Caldwell, West Caldwell, and several neighboring communities were all originally one combined area known as the Horseneck Tract. In the early 18th century, a group of settlers left Newark and purchased a large tract of land northwest of their home city for the equivalent of a few hundred dollars from the Lenape Native Americans. This piece of land extended west and north to the Passaic River, south to the town center of what would become Livingston, and east to the First Watchung Mountain, and was called Horseneck by the natives because it resembled the neck and head of a horse.

What was then known as Horseneck contained most of the present day northern Essex County towns: West Caldwell, along with Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, Roseland, and Verona are all located entirely in Horseneck, and parts of what are today Livingston, Montclair, and West Orange also were contained in the Horseneck tract. After the Revolutionary War, Horseneck changed its name to "Caldwell Township" in honor of a local war hero and pastor, James Caldwell, who used burning pages from his church's bibles to ignite the ammunition in soldiers' cannons and helped to drive the British out of Horseneck.

By the late 1880s, Caldwell had become quite a developed and populated town, however the vast majority of the development, residents, and businesses were located in the center of the town along Bloomfield Avenue, its main connecting route with Newark and New York City. The outskirts of town remained farms and swampland in many places. This bothered the people living in the center of town and in 1892, Caldwell's center area decided to form its own independent municipality, naming itself Caldwell Borough and leaving the outskirts of town remaining as Caldwell Township.<ref name=Story/>

Caldwell Borough contained what is today the towns of West Caldwell and Caldwell. Soon after, the area of Caldwell Township just to the east of Caldwell Borough between Caldwell Borough and Montclair (present-day Verona and Cedar Grove) decided to follow Caldwell's lead and incorporated itself as its own borough, Verona. Some of the already-developed eastern neighborhoods of Caldwell Township chose to become part of Montclair, as it was a rapidly developing suburb of Newark and Paterson. At around the same time, the area north of Caldwell Borough became its own town, North Caldwell. The ritzy, wooded area directly to the south of downtown Caldwell Borough became Essex Fells. Meanwhile, the farmland to the south of the western portion of Caldwell township attempted to become its own municipality known as South Caldwell. This failed, as much of developed sections of that area lied on its southernmost and easternmost borders, along the expanding Newark suburbs of Livingston and West Orange respectively. Those areas were engulfed by those two towns once they became incorporated municipalities of several small settlements and developments. This left only the most rural farmland south of Caldwell Borough and Essex Fells to become its own township, Roseland. At this point, all that remained of the original Caldwell Township was a large piece of undeveloped land in the northwesternmost part of Essex County; eventually, in the early 1950s, Caldwell Township changed its name to Fairfield in order to avoid being confused with Caldwell Borough.

Immediately following the separation of the original Caldwell, the western part of Caldwell Borough generally remained less developed than downtown Caldwell Borough and contained several farms and a large area of undeveloped swampland known as Hatfield Swamp. However, two individual settlements, known as Franklin and Westville, soon formed in the western part of Caldwell Borough. As development increased and population grew in the western part of Caldwell, the town's more rural western population and more urban east often could not reconcile their differences. This led to the areas of Franklin and Westville consolidating into their own borough known as West Caldwell in 1904, leaving only the one square mile of original downtown Horseneck development as the borough of Caldwell. The first mayor of West Caldwell was Caleb Crane, a member of the successful Crane family related to Israel Crane of Montclair (then called Cranetown).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Caldwell Borough became Caldwell Township in the 1980s. To this day, the towns of Caldwell and West Caldwell remain by far the most urbanized, densely populated, and ethnically, racially, and income-diverse in the West Essex area. The town is home to Grover Cleveland Park (also partially located in Caldwell and Essex Fells), a county park named in honor of the President of the United States who was born in the neighboring town of Caldwell.

Additionally, West Caldwell contains a number of smaller parks and land preserves, such as Memorial Park and Francisco Park. Hatfield Swamp, located in the western section of the town along its borders with the towns of Fairfield, Roseland, and East Hanover, is a protected preservation that usually very little building is allowed to be done on.

Though today the Caldwell area is considered to be a suburb of both Newark and New York, the area originally developed as its own individual, self-contained town and economy rather than as urban sprawl from a larger city. When it was formed, a few miles of woods separated downtown Caldwell from Newark or any of its developing suburbs. Bloomfield Avenue is located in the center of town, and is home to many of the locally owned stores of the town. West Caldwell has several stores and strip malls, and two public town pools, Cedar Street Pool and Westville Pool. The township has few violent crimes and only two murders in its history.Template:Citation needed

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 5.11 square miles (13.24 km²), including 5.10 square miles (13.20 km²) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.04 km²) of water (0.31%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Ferncliff, Franklin, Pine Brook Bridge and Westville.<ref>Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015.</ref>

West Caldwell borders the municipalities of Caldwell, Essex Fells, Fairfield Township, North Caldwell and Roseland in Essex County; and East Hanover in Morris County.<ref>Areas touching West Caldwell, MapIt. Accessed March 9, 2020.</ref><ref>Municipalities, Essex County, New Jersey Register of Deeds and Mortgages. Accessed March 9, 2020.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Demographics

2020 census

West Caldwell township, Essex County, New Jersey – Racial and Ethnic Composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Template:Nobold

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	9,574	9,064	88.99%	82.31%
Black or African American alone (NH)	122	138	1.13%	1.25%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	5	0	0.05%	0.00%
Asian alone (NH)	418	440	3.89%	4.00%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	2	0	0.02%	0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	12	60	0.11%	0.54%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	103	339	0.96%	3.08%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	523	971	4.86%	8.82%
Total	10,759	11,012	100.00%	100.00%

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 10,759 people, 3,913 households, and 2,962 families in the township. The population density was 2,128.5 per square mile (821.8/km²). There were 4,009 housing units at an average density of 793.1 per square mile (306.2/km²). The racial makeup was 92.91% (9,996) White, 1.26% (136) Black or African American, 0.05% (5) Native American, 3.91% (421) Asian, 0.02% (2) Pacific Islander, 0.73% (79) from other races, and 1.12% (120) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.86% (523) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 3,913 households, 34.5% had children under the age of 18; 65.4% were married couples living together; 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.3% were non-families. Of all households, 21.4% were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.16.<ref name=Census2010/>

23.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.0 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $102,584 (with a margin of error of ± $7,317) and the median family income was $118,018 (± $6,949). Males had a median income of $81,449 (± $7,519) versus $51,936 (± $5,473) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $44,244 (± $3,116). About 3.5% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for West Caldwell township, Essex County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 20, 2012.</ref>

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census<ref name="GR2" /> there were 11,233 people, 3,990 households, and 3,112 families residing in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 4,044 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the township was 93.84% White, 0.89% African American, 0.04% Native American, 3.85% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.61% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.80% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for West Caldwell township, Essex County, New JerseyTemplate:Dead link, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 20, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for West Caldwell township, Essex County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 6, 2012.</ref>

There were 3,990 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.1% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.17.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the township the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the township was $83,396, and the median income for a family was $94,379. Males had a median income of $67,108 versus $45,365 for females. The per capita income for the township was $38,345. About 1.2% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Government

Local government

West Caldwell is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.<ref name=DataBook>2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 125.</ref> The borough form of government used by West Caldwell is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.<ref>Cerra, Michael F. "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask" Template:Webarchive, New Jersey State League of Municipalities. Accessed November 30, 2014.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 6. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref><ref>Government, Township of West Caldwell. Accessed March 9, 2020. "West Caldwell has a Mayor-Council form of government with the Mayor elected for a four year term, and the six Council members elected for 3 year terms."</ref>

Template:As of, the mayor of West Caldwell is Republican Joseph Tempesta Jr., whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the West Caldwell Township Council are Council President Stephen P. Wolsky (R, 2025), Kathy L. Canale (R, 2026), Joseph P. Cecere (R, 2025), Michael Crudele (R, 2027), Michael Docteroff (R, 2026) and Robert Schott (R, 2027).<ref name=MayorCouncil>Directory, Township of West Caldwell. Accessed January 8, 2025.</ref><ref>2024 Municipal Data Sheet, Township of West Caldwell. Accessed January 8, 2025.</ref><ref name=EssexDirectory>County Directory, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed January 8, 2025.</ref><ref name=Essex2024>General Election November 5, 2024 Official Results, Essex County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2024. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref name=Essex2023>General Election November 7, 2023 Official Results, Essex County, New Jersey, updated November 27, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Essex2022>November 8, 2022, General Election Unofficial Results, Essex County, New Jersey, updated November 22, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref>

Michael Docteroff was sworn into office in December 2013 after being chosen by the township council from a list of three candidates nominated by the West Caldwell Republican Committee to fill the seat that became vacant following the resignation of Dominick Aiello.<ref>Curley, Carolyne Volpe. "Michael Docteroff Sworn in by West Caldwell Mayor Joe Tempesta Jr., at Tuesday's Meeting", TheAlternativePress.com, December 19, 2013. Accessed January 22, 2014. "At Tuesday's meeting of the West Caldwell governing body, Mayor Joe Tempesta Jr., swore in Michael Docteroff as the newest member of the township's council.... After the resignation of Councilman Dominick Aiello, it became necessary for the council to appoint an individual to fill Aiello's unexpired term which ends Dec. 31, 2014."</ref>

Federal, state and county representation

West Caldwell is located in the 11th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>Plan Components Report, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 26th state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>Districts by Number for 2011-2020, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref> Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 census, West Caldwell had been in the 27th state legislative district.<ref name=LWV2011>2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government Template:Webarchive, p. 66, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015.</ref>

Politics

As of February 2020, there were a total of 8,820 registered voters in West Caldwell, of which 2,723 (30.9%) were registered as Democrats, 2,533 (28.7%) were registered as Republicans and 3,517 (39.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated.<ref>Voter Registration List - Essex County Clerk's Office, Essex County, New Jersey Clerk's Office, list referenced February 2020</ref> Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow |}

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 54.7% of the vote (3,109 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 44.4% (2,524 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (50 votes), among the 5,732 ballots cast by the township's 8,055 registered voters (49 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 71.2%.<ref name=2012Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 55.2% of the vote (3,440 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 42.5% (2,646 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (60 votes), among the 6,232 ballots cast by the township's 7,747 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.4%.<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Essex County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed November 6, 2012.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 59.1% of the vote (3,573 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 39.7% (2,398 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (62 votes), among the 6,046 ballots cast by the township's 7,478 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 80.9.<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Essex County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed November 6, 2012.</ref>

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 65.6% of the vote (2,388 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 33.3% (1,213 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (37 votes), among the 3,696 ballots cast by the township's 8,102 registered voters (58 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.6%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 55.7% of the vote (2,392 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 34.7% (1,489 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 8.4% (360 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (24 votes), among the 4,292 ballots cast by the township's 7,795 registered voters, yielding a 55.1% turnout.<ref>2009 Governor: Essex County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed November 6, 2012.</ref>

Education

The Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools is a public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Caldwell and West Caldwell.<ref>Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools. Accessed December 15, 2022. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Caldwell-West Caldwell School District. Composition: The Caldwell-West Caldwell School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Caldwell-West Caldwell."</ref> The roots of the district date back to 1872, though formal consolidation of the districts was established in 1904.<ref>A Brief History, Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools. Accessed December 15, 2022. "The Borough of Caldwell and the Township of West Caldwell have played a prominent role in the development of the Caldwell-West Caldwell school system and the quality of education it provides. Cooperation of the two communities began in 1872 when state laws governing school districts permitted the villages of Caldwell, Franklin and Westville to consolidate into a 'School Borough.' ... West Caldwell became a borough February 24, 1904. On March 30, 1904, a special school meeting was held to vote on the consolidation of Caldwell and West Caldwell into one school district. The vote was in favor of consolidation."</ref> As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of seven schools, had an enrollment of 2,669 students and 226.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.8:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Caldwell-West School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.</ref>) are Harrison School<ref>Harrison School, Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools. Accessed December 15, 2022.</ref> (West Caldwell; 23 students; grades K-PreK), Jefferson Elementary School<ref>Jefferson Elementary School, Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools. Accessed December 15, 2022.</ref> (West Caldwell; 266; K-5), Lincoln Elementary School<ref>Lincoln Elementary School, Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools. Accessed December 15, 2022.</ref> (Caldwell; 260; K-5), Washington Elementary School<ref>Washington Elementary School, Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools. Accessed December 15, 2022.</ref> (West Caldwell; 374; K-5), Wilson Elementary School<ref>Wilson Elementary School, Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools. Accessed December 15, 2022.</ref> (West Caldwell; 252; K-5), Grover Cleveland Middle School<ref>Grover Cleveland Middle School, Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools. Accessed December 15, 2022.</ref> (Caldwell; 626; 6-8) and James Caldwell High School.<ref>James Caldwell High School, Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools. Accessed December 15, 2022.</ref> (West Caldwell; 829; 9-12).<ref>School Performance Reports for the Caldwell-West School School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 1, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>

West Caldwell is home to West Caldwell Tech, which is part of the Essex County Vocational Technical Schools, offering vocational instruction to high school students from across the county.<ref>About Us, West Caldwell Tech. Accessed June 20, 2012.</ref>

The West Essex Campus of Essex County College, which opened in 1978, is located in West Caldwell.<ref>West Essex Campus, Essex County College. Accessed June 20, 2012.</ref>

Transportation

File:2018-07-18 16 40 56 View east along Essex County Route 506 (Bloomfield Avenue) at Essex County Route 613 Spur (Kirkpatrick Lane) in West Caldwell Township, Essex County, New Jersey.jpg

County Route 506 eastbound in West Caldwell

Roads and highways

Template:As of, the borough had a total of Template:Convert of roadways, of which Template:Convert were maintained by the municipality and Template:Convert by Essex County.<ref>Essex County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.</ref>

The most significant roadways directly serving West Caldwell include County Route 506<ref>County Route 506 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated June 2012. Accessed February 19, 2023.</ref> and County Route 527.<ref>County Route 527 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated November 2012. Accessed February 19, 2023.</ref><ref>Essex County Highway Map, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed February 19, 2023.</ref>

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus transportation to Newark on the 29 and 71 bus routes.<ref>Essex County Bus / Rail Connections, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 22, 2009. Accessed August 20, 2014.</ref><ref>Essex County System Map, NJ Transit. Accessed November 2, 2019.</ref> Service to Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City is provided by Route 105.

Emergency services

West Caldwell is protected by the West Caldwell Police Department.<ref>Police Department, Township of West Caldwell. Accessed November 1, 2022.</ref> Fire protection is provided by the West Caldwell Volunteer Fire Department, which was founded in the years after the borough was formed.<ref>About, West Caldwell Volunteer Fire Department. Accessed November 1, 2022.</ref> The West Essex First Aid Squad serves residents of West Caldwell and those of Caldwell, Essex Fells, Fairfield and North Caldwell.<ref>About, West Essex First Aid Squad. Accessed November 1, 2022.</ref>

Popular culture

Scenes from the HBO television series The Sopranos were filmed in West Caldwell, including the exterior shots of the Soprano house and the fifth-season episode "Rat Pack".<ref>Sopranos filming location: Napoleon's, The Sopranos location guide. Accessed September 1, 2013.</ref>

Notable people

File:Alitosign.JPG

Samuel Alito's nomination and confirmation to the Supreme Court brought national attention to West Caldwell

Template:Category see also People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with West Caldwell include:

• Samuel Alito (born 1950), Supreme Court Associate Justice<ref>Alito's Supreme Court Nomination Confirmed, National Public Radio. Accessed September 20, 2007. "Alito and his wife, Martha-Ann Bomgardner, live in West Caldwell, N.J."</ref>
• Wheeler Antabanez (born 1977 as Matt Kent), author of best selling special issue of Weird NJ, Nightshade on the Passaic<ref>Gold, Jeffrey, via Associated Press. "Magazine and Internet sites lure visitors to old sanatorium", Newsday, October 20, 2001. Accessed October 25, 2015. "For Matt Kent, it means part of his childhood will disappear. 'I've been going to the sanitarium since I was young, real young, probably 10,' said Kent, 24, who grew up in West Caldwell. 'It's always been a meeting place.'"</ref>
• Tim Berra (born 1951), former football player who played for the Baltimore Colts in 1974<ref>"Former Colts: Where are they now? 242 former players/coaches listed to date", Scout.com. Accessed October 25, 2015. "Tim Berra (WR, '74) -- Tim is living in West Caldwell, New Jersey as of May, 2001."</ref>
• Yogi Berra (1925–2015), professional baseball catcher, manager, and coach who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1946–1963, 1965), all but the last for the New York Yankees<ref>Weber, Bruce. "Yogi Berra, Yankee Who Built His Stardom 90 Percent on Skill and Half on Wit, Dies at 90", The New York Times, September 23, 2015. Accessed September 23, 2015. "Before moving to an assisted living facility in nearby West Caldwell, in 2012, Berra had lived for many years in neighboring Montclair."</ref>
• Eric Bross (born 1964), film director<ref>Galant, Debra. "'The Avenue,' From Two Who Lived It", The New York Times, December 13, 1998. Accessed December 22, 2014. "Mr. Bross, 34, was reared in West Caldwell -- closer to Essex Fells than Newark."</ref>
• Mattea Conforti (born 2006), American actress<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Marcus Gaither (1961–2020), professional basketball player in France and Israel, who played the guard position and led the Israel Basketball Premier League in scoring in 1989–1990<ref>Floriani, Ray. "Officiating Gives Former Star New Perspective", Hoopville, June 27, 2008. Accessed November 19, 2020. "Gaither makes his home these days in West Caldwell, New Jersey. He operates a mortgage company but is looking to other business ventures given the extremely expensive housing market in the Garden State."</ref>
• Thomas P. Giblin (born 1947), politician who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2006, where he represents the 34th Legislative District<ref>Sullivan, Joseph F. "Democrats In Essex To Convene Saturday; Anti-Lerner Forces Are Expected to Dominate Meeting to Select County Executive Candidate Backing Pledged to Winner Primary Winner to Be Favored", The New York Times, March 28, 1978. Accessed November 6, 2019. "Other potential candidates who may appear before the convention include two Essex Freeholders, Donald Payne of Newark and Thomas Giblin of West Caldwell, and Michael Critchely, a Newark lawyer."</ref>
• Neale Godfrey (born 1951), author, whose books deal with money, life skills and value issues<ref>"Author Neale Godfrey makes James Caldwell High proud", New Jersey Hills, September 23, 2004. Accessed March 28, 2019. "'My parents lived on Forest Avenue in West Caldwell and I attended Lincoln School, Grover Cleveland Junior High and James Caldwell High School. Drama was my passion,' Godfrey said of her high school years."</ref>
• The Amazing Kreskin (1935-2024), mentalist<ref>Connolly, Richard J. "When a Hub Con Man Meets the Amazing Kreskin", The Boston Globe, August 28, 1980. Accessed September 11, 2023. "Kreskin, who is from West Caldwell, NJ, changed his name from George Kresge to T . (for The) A. (for Amazing) Kreskin."</ref><ref>Genader, Ann. "Famed mentalist 'Amazing Kreskin' appearing Oct. 5 in West Milford", AIM West Milford, September 26, 2013. Accessed October 25, 2015. "According to Chris Mac Neill, publicist from Mac's Productions that Kreskin - a New Jersey native who was born in Montclair and now lives in West Caldwell - became aware of his remarkable ability when he was a child."</ref>
• G. Gordon Liddy (1930–2021), chief of the White House Plumbers<ref>Wechsler, Philip. "Liddy Is Recalled As Youth in Jersey; Tenacity Recalled Average Teen-Ager Respect for Law and Order Dated Liddy's Sister Never a Ladies Man First Lieutenant in Army", The New York Times, August 27, 1973. Accessed January 31, 2011. "He then entered Fordham and moved from West Caldwell to the Bronx."</ref>
• Camryn Manheim (born 1961), actress<ref>Staff. "Emmy Award Winning Actress/Human Rights Activist Camryn Manheim To Speak At Farmingdale State", Farmingdale State College, April 3, 2009. Accessed January 31, 2011.</ref>
• Tommy Page (born 1970), singer best known for his 1990 song "I'll Be Your Everything"<ref>Hunt, Dennis. "Who Wants to Be Tied to New Kids? Not Singer/Songwriter Tommy Page", Los Angeles Times, May 20, 1990. Accessed October 25, 2015. "A native of tiny West Caldwell, N.J., Page was working as a coat-check boy in a New York dance club when he convinced the deejay to play his demo tape, which the dancers liked."</ref>
• Andrew E. Svenson (1910–1975), children's author, publisher, and partner in the Stratemeyer Syndicate, who authored or coauthored more than 70 books for children, including books in the Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins series<ref>Freeman, William M. "Andrew E. Svenson, 65, a Writer of 'Bobbseys' and 'Hardys,' Dies", The New York Times, August 23, 1975. Accessed February 6, 2022. "Andrew E. Svenson, a bestselling prolific writer whose name was largely unknown to the public, died of cancer at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J., on Thursday evening. He was 65 years old and lived in West Caldwell, N.J."</ref>
• Michael Tracey (born 1988), independent journalist who covers American politics, freedom of speech, censorship and America's culture war<ref>Annan-Brady, Rita. "West Caldwell man wins journalism award", The Progress, July 9, 2010. Accessed March 20, 2021. "Michael Tracey, a West Caldwell native, was presented with the award for Breakthrough Story or Series at the 2010 Campus Progress National Conference in Washington, D.C., yesterday, Wednesday, July 7."</ref>
• Alex Wujciak (born 1988), football linebacker who was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2011<ref>Barker, Jeff. "Closing in on end of college career, Terps' Wujciak looks to seize moment; Senior has been big part of defense's takeaway-driven success this season", The Baltimore Sun, November 16, 2010. Accessed October 25, 2015. "The younger Wujciak, from West Caldwell, N.J., said he was recruited 'a little bit' by Notre Dame but wanted to go to a school 'that really wanted me.'"</ref>

External links

• Official Township Web Site
• Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools
• Template:NJReportCard
• School Data for the Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics