The Gateway to Bergen County

The George Washington Bridge was first open to traffic in 1931. It was and still is the gateway to Bergen County. It spans from 179th St, New York to Fort Lee, New Jersey. The lower level was added in 1962 and today the bridge is the busiest vehicular bridge in the world. The bridge provided easy access to New York by car and bus which helped Bergen County flourish.

Before the bridge was built in its current location, there were two other sites considered, one at 57th Street and one at 110th Street. That would have changed the course of things dramatically. When the bridge first opened, the toll for passengers cars was 50 cents. (In each direction, with different rates for other vehicles). Pedestrians also had to pay a toll of 10 cents, which was lowered in 1934 to 5 cents. Today there is no cost to walk across the bridge and I highly recommend it on a clear day. Cars did not fair so well, no pun intended, as of January 8, 2023 the cost for a passenger car to cross from New Jersey to New York is now $17. (Collected in one direction only, less if you have EZ Pass or are on a two wheeler)

Real Estate facts: Speculators and investors believed the George Washington Bridge would raise the values of real estate in Fort Lee, because it provided residents with easy access to New York City. During the construction years, speculators, investors and developers spent millions of dollars buying land around the bridge's approach. The bridge not only raised land prices, it encourage residential development in what was once agricultural parts of Bergen County. In the town I grew up in, New Milford, there were 3 working farms until the late 70's, one remains. Land became to scarce and valuable to justify the low profits of running this type of business in a small town.

This new easy access to Bergen County not only changed the face of real estate, with the addition of major highways running through the northern part of the state toward the bridge, it contributed to the rise of the trucking industry along the entire United States' East Coast, taking the place of much of the freight railroads that once carried cargo to these areas.

Today Bergen County is home to 70 towns, just under a million people, 246.7 square miles, over 9,000 miles of county parkland, 21 county parks, 9 county historic sites, 6 golf courses, 2 horseback riding areas, 1 environmental center, 1 nationally accredited zoo, the meadowlands arena, home of the Giants and Jets Football teams, a racetrack and the American Dream mall. Over the next months, I will explore different towns, points of interest, events and more. if you get my newsletter, look for me in your inbox each month. If you or anyone you know would like to sign up to receive these emails, have them email me: gina.gerszberg@elliman.com