Before John Travolta danced in Saturday Night Fever, he was a student in Englewood. Before Lea Michele starred in Glee, she was juggling Broadway performances and high school volleyball in Tenafly.
Some of the famous people who lived in Bergen County, New Jersey, grew up here. Others came later, whether for a summer on the Palisades or to build a recording studio at home. Here are 20 of their stories, town by town.
Englewood
1. John Travolta
Travolta grew up in Englewood and attended Dwight Morrow High School. His mother taught drama and English. One of his earliest jobs took him on the road with a stage production of Grease, years before he played Danny Zuko on screen. (New Jersey Hall of Fame)
2. Eddie Murphy
Murphy bought his Englewood estate in 1985 and called it Bubble Hill. Alongside the usual living spaces were a screening room, a bowling alley and a recording studio. Two musicians would eventually buy the property. (The Record via RISMedia)
3. Alicia Keys
Keys and her husband, producer Swizz Beatz, bought Bubble Hill from Murphy. When they listed it for sale, Architectural Digest published a look inside the Englewood home, including a home theater where posters from Murphy’s films still hung. (Architectural Digest)
Alpine
4. John Ringling
In 1918, the circus owner and his wife, Mable, bought two adjoining properties on the Palisades. They called their summer estate Gray Crag. The park’s history of Gray Crag describes the remains of the estate on the cliffs today. (Palisades Interstate Park)
5. Norman Sas
The toymaker behind Electric Football and his wife, Irene, built a home in Alpine and lived there for 36 years. His work in town extended to the planning board and the volunteer fire department. (New York Times family obituary)
6. Chris Rock
The comedian bought his Alpine home in 2001, after his years on Saturday Night Live. When Jersey Digs profiled the property in 2024, Rock’s connection to the borough already stretched back more than two decades. (Jersey Digs)
7. Tracy Morgan
When an Andscape reporter visited Morgan at home in Alpine in 2019, the 30 Rock comedian showed off one of his favorite features. His pool house had a tank with live sharks, including a hammerhead. (Andscape)
8. Kellyanne Conway
Conway went to high school in Hammonton, in South Jersey. By the end of 2016, when she was preparing to join the White House staff, she was living with her family in Alpine. (PhillyVoice)
9. Britney Spears
Spears’s connection to Alpine was a rental. Local reporting identifies the singer as a former tenant in the borough. She grew up in Kentwood, Louisiana. (Daily Voice)
10. Stevie Wonder
The songwriter behind “Superstition” also spent time in Bergen County. NJ.com’s Map of the Stars identifies Alpine as his local town. (NJ.com)
Cresskill
11. Mary J. Blige
The singer bought a home in Cresskill in 2001. It had a cedar-and-stone exterior and several decks. She later bought a second Bergen County home in Saddle River. (Jersey Digs)
12. Patrick Ewing
The former Knicks center bought his Cresskill home in 2007. According to his listing agent, he had the counters, closet fittings and railings adjusted for his height. He also added a basketball court. (Realtor.com)
Tenafly
13. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Stanton lived in Tenafly from about 1868 to 1887. At home, she worked with Susan B. Anthony and Matilda Joslyn Gage on the first three volumes of History of Woman Suffrage. In 1880, Stanton and Anthony tried to cast their own ballots in town. (Borough of Tenafly)
14. Lea Michele
Long before Glee, Michele was a Tenafly student with a Broadway job. She recalled playing volleyball, joining the debate team and appearing in school productions while traveling into New York for professional roles. (Tenafly magazine interview)
Wyckoff
15. Tara Reid
Reid grew up in Wyckoff before her film career took her to Hollywood. Audiences came to know her as Bunny in The Big Lebowski and Vicky in American Pie. (The Bergen County Girl)
16. Nick Jonas
Jonas was three when his family moved from Dallas to Wyckoff, where his father became a pastor. He was already appearing on Broadway while growing up in town. His older brothers Joe and Kevin later joined him to form the Jonas Brothers. (New Jersey Monthly)
Saddle River
17. Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons
Viewers of MTV’s Run’s House saw an actual Saddle River home. Simmons, a founding member of Run-DMC, lived there with his family. The house had both a recording studio and an indoor basketball court. (Reality TV World)
New Milford and Woodcliff Lake
New Milford town guide · Woodcliff Lake town guide
18. Jack Antonoff
Antonoff was born in Bergenfield and raised in New Milford and Woodcliff Lake. His childhood bedroom in Woodcliff Lake even went on tour. For the Bleachers album Gone Now, he had the room moved onto a trailer so fans could step inside. (New Jersey Monthly interview)
Park Ridge
19. James Gandolfini
Gandolfini was born in Westwood and raised in Park Ridge. Before becoming Tony Soprano, he played basketball and acted in plays at Park Ridge High School. (New Jersey Hall of Fame)
Mahwah
20. Les Paul
The guitarist and inventor bought a house in Mahwah with singer Mary Ford in the 1950s. He built a recording studio there, making the home part of the story of how the pair worked as musicians. (New Jersey Hall of Fame)
Explore Bergen County
Curious what homes look like in these towns today? Browse Bergen County homes and estates, or ask NJ Proper about a town you’re considering.
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