River Vale

River Vale Township is in Bergen County, in the Gateway region of New Jersey. About a half hour drive outside of New York City, the suburb of River Vale is within driving distance of anything one would ever need. Growing from a rich history dating back to the Revolutionary War, River Vale was established as a township in 1906. It has continued to grow to the point it is at today, with a population of almost 10,000 people today.

Through River Vale and the nearby local towns, there is plenty to do, eat, and discover about what Bergen County has to offer.

By plane
There are three major airports near River Vale, all within an hour's drive from the respective airport. To get from these airports to River Vale, a car rental or hitching a ride from a friend would be necessary. Other options from these airports would include hopping in a taxi cab or bus, or a short train ride from Penn Station.


 * Newark Liberty International Airport : Newark Airport (located in Newark, NJ) is a large international airport that is the closest to River Vale (about a 45-minute drive).
 * LaGuardia Airport : (718) 533-3400, LaGuardia Airport is in Queens, NY, which serves for mostly domestic flights. It is about a 45-minute drive from River Vale.
 * John F. Kennedy International Airport : JFK an international airport in Queens County, Long Island, that is about an hour-long drive from River Vale.

By train
NJ Transit - Trains has many train lines and stations all throughout the most of Northern New Jersey. Trains are generally available, running from 7AM - 1AM or later every day. Most trains to New Jersey leave from New York Penn Station (in Times Square) and depart for Secaucus Junction. To get to River Vale, one would need to take the Pascack Valley Line from Secaucus to the Westwood train station. However, there are not many available times that the trains run through this station, especially in the afternoon and night, so one could take a train on the busier Main-Bergen County Line to Ridgewood, NJ, about a 20 minute drive to River Vale. All in all, from New York to River Vale it is about a 45 minute train ride and $10 for a one way train ticket.

By bus
NJ Transit - Buses is New Jersey's public transportation system with 236 different bus routes throughout the state of New Jersey, as well as linking New Jersey to the New York City. From New York City (Port Authority Train Terminal), the closest a bus can take you to River Vale is to Hillsdale, NJ (another small town bordering River Vale), which would take about 1 hr 15 min. One way tickets generally cost $5-10. Buses run on a line by line, day by day basis, so one would need to check online for times.

By car
Since River Vale is a suburban area outside of New York City, to get to River Vale one would need to take a lot of back roads to get in. The closest highways to River Vale are the Palisades Parkway to the east, the Garden State Parkway to the west, I-287 (New York State Thruway) to the north, and I-80/I-95 Junction to the south. Locally, NJ routes 4 and 17 are the larger roadways, providing quick access around Bergen County.

Get around
The best and easiest way to get around in River Vale and its neighbors would be to drive a car. If one does not own a car when in the area, one could either rent a car or order a taxi. Walking is also always an option - sidewalks on the busier roads help facilitate a pedestrian-friendly environment. A bicycle would also be a more cost-efficient option to driving, as well as a faster transit than walking.

By taxi
There are 2 taxi companies located near River Vale, both operate with 24 hour service for local trips or for an airport shittle service. For pricing, both are determined based on the length of the trip in the taxi and the hour of the day.


 * Westwood Taxi & Limousine, Inc., +1 201 666-5666
 * Ridgewood Taxi & Limousine, +1 201 444-1800

See
Being a remote suburb, River Vale and its surrounding towns have a few recreational parks open to the public:


 * Baylor Massacre Historical Site, in the heart of River Vale, is the location of a Revolutionary War surprise attack on September 27, 1778 on a Continental regiment. Commemorating this historic site are a few plaques detailing the events of the massacre, as well as an American flag.  Having such a large part of American history in such a small town of River Vale is very meaningful and beyond cool!
 * Baylor Massacre Historical Site, in the heart of River Vale, is the location of a Revolutionary War surprise attack on September 27, 1778 on a Continental regiment. Commemorating this historic site are a few plaques detailing the events of the massacre, as well as an American flag.  Having such a large part of American history in such a small town of River Vale is very meaningful and beyond cool!
 * Baylor Massacre Historical Site, in the heart of River Vale, is the location of a Revolutionary War surprise attack on September 27, 1778 on a Continental regiment. Commemorating this historic site are a few plaques detailing the events of the massacre, as well as an American flag.  Having such a large part of American history in such a small town of River Vale is very meaningful and beyond cool!

Malls

 * Garden State Plaza, 1 Garden State Plaza, Paramus. +1 201 843-2121. M-Sa 10AM-9:30PM, Closed Sundays. The Garden State Plaza, or GSP for short, is about a 25 minute drive from River Vale. This mall has it all: a food court and other restaurants (such as Papa Razzi and Grand Lux Cafe, a brand new movie theater, and shopping stores such as Nordstrom's, Banana Republic, and the Gap. Other facilities include the Apple Store, Brookstone, and Williams-Sonoma.
 * Paramus Park Mall, 700 Paramus Park, Paramus. +1 201 261-6108. M-Sa 10AM-9:30PM, Closed Sundays. Paramus Park, about a 20-minute drive from River Vale, is the smallest mall in the area. Paramus Park has a food court, Macy's department store, the Old Navy, and the Foot Locker, among others.

Other:



Eat
There are many food options in River Vale, and in the surrounding towns. Most of the restaurants are very affordable, especially for those in the middle class. There are, of course, the stereotypical fast food chain restaurants in the area in addition to these locally owned and operated options.

Breakfast

 * Goldberg's Bagels, +1 201 666-9896; 425 Broadway, Westwood. Goldberg's has some of the better bagels in the area, and all of the standard toppings are available.  Pricing from $5 for breakfast.
 * Goldberg's Bagels, +1 201 666-9896; 425 Broadway, Westwood. Goldberg's has some of the better bagels in the area, and all of the standard toppings are available.  Pricing from $5 for breakfast.

Lunch and dinner

 * China Pavilion IV - +1 201 664-7766; 663-D Westwood Ave. China Pavilion is your stereotypical small local Chinese restaurant, usually more of a pick-up option as opposed to a sit down establishment. Pricing from $5-10.
 * China Pavilion IV - +1 201 664-7766; 663-D Westwood Ave. China Pavilion is your stereotypical small local Chinese restaurant, usually more of a pick-up option as opposed to a sit down establishment. Pricing from $5-10.
 * China Pavilion IV - +1 201 664-7766; 663-D Westwood Ave. China Pavilion is your stereotypical small local Chinese restaurant, usually more of a pick-up option as opposed to a sit down establishment. Pricing from $5-10.

Drink
The local drinking scene in River Vale and its neighboring towns is, for lack of a better word, bleak. There is always the option of taking a train or a bus in to New York City ("The City"), where one can indulge themselves in the many bars and night dance clubs that are in New York.

There is, however, one local drinking hole that many 21 years old enjoy to frequent, called The Cornerstone. In addition to being a bar, The Cornerstone doubles as a restaurant for lunch and dinner. On occasion, The Cornerstone has live bands and/or DJs perform in the nighttime, as well as other special promotional events. +1 201 666-8688; 84 Broadway, Hillsdale.

Sleep
There are not many hotel accommodations in River Vale and its surrounding areas, as the majority of the area is residential. However, the closest hotels are within a 10 minute drive of River Vale:



Go next
For further information on history and/or services, please visit the River Vale Township home page.