No. Leave out "closer to" and it's fine.
yes,but it is a kind of idiomatic expression
The word near (meaning nearby or closer) by itself is an adverb, although it doesn't specify "near what." If a noun follows, near is a preposition. It can also be an adjective or verb. Examples: "The boat came near." (adverb) "A bullet hit near the car." (preposition) "The end is near." (adjective) "By tomorrow, we will near our destination." (verb)
Deliberate offset.
The correct abbreviation for "near" is "nr."
They were suppose to land near Jamestown.
to near, to approach
The closer it is, the faster you can get to it if you need to.
The field strength is greater closer to the ends of the bar magnet than near the center.
Deliberate offset.
Far away. Synonym: Near.
The closer you are to the poles, the greater the change.
not very close, but it is closer to Dubai than Baku or Europe, Iran is near UAE