1055 River, 601 Edgewater, NJ 07020

Alpine is a small Bergen County community with a reputation that precedes it. Nestled high above the Hudson River just 15 miles northwest of midtown Manhattan, this borough of some 2,000 residents has less than a dozen businesses, predominantly along a singular stretch of Closter Dock Road. Its bucolic, bluffside setting welcomed European settlers by 1760, when the Blackedge-Kearney House, the town’s oldest extant landmark, was erected at the foot of the Palisades. While you’ll find a handful of manicured residential neighborhoods, much of Alpine—more than half, in fact—is conserved as parkland, with a substantial portion in the Palisades Interstate Park System. At the Alpine Boat Basin, you’ll find a riverfront picnic area, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and trails. High above, the Alpine Scenic Overlook beckons swoon-worthy views across the water to Yonkers, Manhattan, and beyond.