'Yonkers' is the fourth largest city in the State of
New York (it falls behind
New York City,
Buffalo, and
Rochester), and the largest city in
Westchester County, with a population of 196,086 (according to the
2000 census). More recent estimates put the population at 197,234 in 2002, 197,126 in 2004 and 196,425 in 2005. Yonkers borders the New York City borough of
The Bronx and is 2 miles (3 km) north of
Manhattan.
The city's best-known attraction is
Yonkers Raceway, a
harness racing track that has renovated its grounds and clubhouse and added legalized
video slot machine gambling in 2006. There is a large shopping area along Central Park Avenue (
NY 100), informally called "Central Avenue" by area residents, a name it takes officially a few miles north in
White Plains, New York.
Geography
The city is spread out over hills rising from near sea level at the eastern bank of the
Hudson River to 416 feet (126 m) at Sacred Heart Church, whose spire can be seen from
Long Island,
New York City, and
New Jersey. The landscape of the city has been compared to that of
San Francisco and
Sarajevo.
Yonkers is located at (40.941478, -73.864365).
The city occupies 52.6
km² (20.3
mi²), including 46.8 km² (18.1 mi²) of land and 5.8 km² (2.2 mi²) (11.02%) of water, according to the
United States Census Bureau.
The
Bronx River separates Yonkers from
Mount Vernon and
Eastchester to the East. The town of
Greenburgh is to the North, and the Western border is the
Hudson River.
On the South, Yonkers borders the
Riverdale,
Woodlawn, and
Wakefield sections of the Bronx. In addition, the southernmost point of Yonkers is only 2 miles (3 km) north of the northernmost point of
Manhattan when measured from Broadway & Caryl Avenue in Yonkers to Broadway & West 228th Street in the
Marble Hill section of Manhattan.
Demographics
As of the
census2 of
2000, there are 196,086 people, 74,351 households, and 49,294 families residing in the city. The
population density is 4,187.5/km² (10,847.5/mi²). There are 77,589 housing units at an average density of 1,656.9/km² (4,292.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 60.18%
White, 16.61%
African American, 0.44%
Native American, 4.86%
Asian, 0.05%
Pacific Islander, 13.44% from
other races, and 4.42% from two or more races. 25.93% of the population are
Hispanic or
Latino of any race. 19.9% were of
Italian and 11.6%
Irish ancestry according to
Census 2000. 61.3% spoke
English, 22.7%
Spanish, 3.9%
Italian, 1.4%
Arabic and 1.3%
Portuguese as their first language.
There are 74,351 households out of which 30.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% are
married couples living together, 17.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% are non-families. 29.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.61 and the average family size is 3.23.
In the city the population is spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $44,663, and the median income for a family is $53,233. Males have a median income of $41,598 versus $34,756 for females. The
per capita income for the city is $22,793. 15.5% of the population and 13.0% of families are below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.8% of those under the age of 18 and 9.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
The land on which the city is built was once part of a 24,000 acre (97 km²) land grant that ran from the current Manhattan/Bronx border at
Marble Hill northwards for 12 miles (19 km), and from the
Hudson River eastwards to the
Bronx River. This grant was given in July of 1645 by New Netherlands Director-General
Willem Kieft to
Adriaen van der Donck, originally named
Colen Donck. Van der Donck was known locally as the ''
Jonkheer'' (etymologically, "young gentleman"; in effect, "Squire"), a word from which the name "Yonkers" is directly derived. Van der Donck built a saw mill near where the Nepperhan Creek met the Hudson; the Nepperhan is now also known as the
Saw Mill River.
Near the site of van der Donck's mill is
Philipse Manor Hall, a Colonial-era manor house which today serves as a museum and archive, offering many glimpses into life before the American Revolution. The original structure (later enlarged) was built ca.
1682 by
Frederick Philipse, a wealthy Dutchman who, by the time of his death, had amassed an enormous estate which encompassed the entire modern City of Yonkers, as well as several other Hudson River towns. Philipse's great-grandson, Frederick Philipse III, was a prominent
Loyalist during the
American Revolution, who, because of his political leanings, was forced to flee to England.
For its first two hundred years, Yonkers was a small farming town with an active waterfront. Yonkers's later growth rested largely on developing industry. In 1853, the
Otis Elevator Company, opened the first elevator factory in the world on the banks of the Hudson. Around the same time, the Alexander Smith Carpet factory (in the Saw Mill River Valley) expanded to 45 buildings, 800 looms, and over 4,000 workers and was known as one of the premier carpet producing centers in the world. In 1892, Smith carpets were sent to Moscow for the czar's coronation.
Bakelite, the first completely synthetic plastic, was invented in Yonkers circa 1906, and manufactured there until the late 1920s. Yonkers was also the headquarters of the Waring Hat Company, at the time the nation's largest hat manufacturer.
World War II saw the city's factories manufacture such items as tents and blankets in the Alexander Smith Carpet Factory and tanks in the Otis Elevator factory.
After
World War II, however, with increased competition from less expensive imports and the appeal of foreign labor, Yonkers lost much of its manufacturing activity. The Alexander Smith Carpet mill fell on hard times and ceased operation on June 24, 1954. In 1983, the Otis Elevator Factory finally closed its doors. With the loss of jobs in the city itself, Yonkers followed the trend of many suburban cities after
World War II, becoming primarily a commuter city. Yonkers's excellent transportation infrastructure, including three commuter railroad lines (now two) and five parkways and freeways, as well as its 30-minute drive from Manhattan, made it a desirable city to live in. Yonkers's manufacturing sector, however, has recently shown a resurgence. A
Kawasaki railroad cars assembly plant opened in 1986 in the former Otis plant, producing the new
R142A and
R160B cars for the
New York City Subway, and the PA4 and upcoming PA5 series for
PATH.
Aside from being a manufacturing center, Yonkers also played a key role in the development of entertainment in the United States. In 1888, Scottish immigrant
John Reid founded the first golf course in the United States, St. Andrew's Golf Club, in Yonkers. On January 4, 1940, Yonkers resident
Edwin Howard Armstrong transmitted the first
FM radio broadcast (on station W2XCR) from the Yonkers home of C.R. Runyon, a co-experimenter. Yonkers also had the longest running
pirate radio station, owned by
Allan Weiner during the 70s through the 80s. In spite of this historic broadcast, Yonkers has the dubious distinction of being the largest city in the United States to not have a broadcast station licensed to it, but WVIP / WRTN 93.5 FM has been in In Yonkers , NY since the 1950's But, One of the main reasons for this is its central location in the
New York City market, with many nearby stations crowding the airwaves.
The Irish-American community plays a prominent role in Yonkers, and the city hosts one of the oldest
St. Patrick's Day parades in the country.
The city is also home to a large
Italian-American community, many of whom moved to the city after originally settling in the Bronx and in Brooklyn. The city hosts a large
Columbus Day festival with a ''Miss Italian-American'' pageant.
There also once was a significant
Jewish population (the
Broadway plays ''
Hello Dolly!'' and ''
Lost in Yonkers'' both take place within the Yonkers Jewish community). However, its size has dwindled (but not vanished) as the older generation dies off and the younger generation moves to the
Sunbelt or to other (usually more affluent) parts of metropolitan
New York City, with the trend accelerating after the housing integration court battles (see below). However, in recent years, some areas bordering similar neighborhoods in
Riverdale are seeing an influx of
Orthodox Jews.
There was a years-long battle over housing integration in the 1980s and 1990s, which ended only after a court ruling nearly bankrupted the city government, by imposing exponentially increasing contempt of court penalties after the then-mayor refused to build public housing outside of the traditionally black and Latino neighborhoods downtown. (See "Image", below.)
Neighborhoods
Though Yonkers contains many small residential enclaves and communities, it can conveniently be divided into four quarters, demarcated by the Saw Mill River. There are roughly 28 or more distinct neighborhoods, but these names are out of date only being used by Real Estate Agents, along with a few other natives.
Northeast Yonkers
This is a heavily
Irish-American and
Italian-American area. Though suburban, it is noticeably less so than the
Town of Greenburgh to the north. House sizes vary widely, from small houses set close together, to some larger houses in areas like Lawrence Park. Tuckahoe Road, which intersects Central Avenue, contains many stores as well. Notable former residents include
Steven Tyler of the rock band
Aerosmith (born Steven Tallarico), whose childhood home was just off Central Avenue. Northeastern Yonkers contains the
Crestwood section of Yonkers, as well as several other enclaves. Landmarks include
St Vladimir's Seminary, the Tanglewood Shopping Center (one-time home of the
Tanglewood Boys gang), as well as
Sarah Lawrence College. The Lawrence Park and Cedar Knolls sections are unique in many ways from the rest of Northeast Yonkers. These two neighborhoods include more upscale housing and residents are generally commuters to
Manhattan. This is mostly due to the promixity of various nearby
Metro-North commuter railroad stations. Both sections are heavily white but unlike most other Yonkers neighborhoods are not dominated by any particular ethnicity. Because they share the zip code of the neighboring upscale village of
Bronxville, many residents feel they are more a part of
Bronxville than
Yonkers even though they still pay taxes to and get services from the latter.
Northwest Yonkers
Northwest Yonkers is a collection of widely varying neighborhoods, spanning from the
Hudson River to around the New York State Thruway/I-87 and from Ashburton Avenue north to the Hastings-on-Hudson border. With the Hudson River bordering it to the west, this area has many beautiful Victorian era homes with panoramic views of the Palisades. An interest in historic preservation has taken hold in this neighborhood in recent years, as demonstrated on streets like Shonnard Terrace, Delavan Place and Hudson View Terrace. The population of northwestern Yonkers is probably the most ethnically diverse in the city.
Landmarks include the Hudson River Museum, Untermeyer Park and the Lenoire Nature Preserve. The significant amount of surviving Victorian architecture and 19th century estates in northwest Yonkers has attracted many filmmakers here in recent years.
This part of Yonkers is often referred to, by local residents as "The North End". One part of Yonkers that is sometimes overlooked is Nepera Park. This is a small section at the northern part of Nepperhan Av on the Hastings on Hudson border.
Southeast Yonkers
Southeast Yonkers is mostly Irish-American (a lot of the Irish being native born) and a good amount of Italian-Americans. Much of the architecture and types of stores in the area cause southeastern Yonkers to bear a greater resemblance to certain parts of
the Bronx,
Brooklyn,
Queens, or
Staten Island than to points north. This is not surprising as southeastern Yonkers is largely within walking distance of the
Riverdale,
Woodlawn, and
Wakefield sections of the Bronx. Many residents regard eastern McLean Avenue, home to a vibrant Irish community shared with the Woodlawn section of the Bronx, to be the true hub of Yonkers. Similarly, a portion of Midland Avenue in the
Dunwoodie section has been called the "Little Italy" of Yonkers. Landmarks of southeastern Yonkers include the Cross County Shopping Center, Yonkers Raceway, and
St. Joseph's Seminary in the Dunwoodie neighborhood, which was visited by
Pope John Paul II in October of 1984.
Southwest Yonkers
Riverdale Avenue looking north from the
Bronx line
Some argue that this area in Yonkers has suffered from past economic, political, and social challenges that hindered many positive social changes. At present, the area reveals a recent decrease in crime rate and a juxtapostion of poverty and revitalization that many would argue mirrors newly gentrified neighborhoods of New York City's
Harlem and Brooklyn. Off of South Broadway (a major thoroughfare) one can find residential neighborhoods, such as Nodine Hill,
Park Hill, and Hudson Park (off the Hudson River) with residential streets of turn-of-the-century mansions, and upscale luxury rentals and condominiums. Other upscale neighborhoods are Ludlow Park, Hudson Park & Van Cortlandt Crest, off Riverdale Ave, right over the
Riverdale border - the former alongside the
Hudson River. The area is also home to the historic Phillips Manor, the Hudson River Museum
[1] with its Andrus Planetarium and a state of the art Yonkers Public Library
[2] with panoramic Hudson River views.
Many southwesterners are of
African,
Caribbean, Italian, or
Hispanic decent while an influx those from other cultural backgrounds has continued to shape a culturally diverse community. Some neighborhoods right on the
Riverdale border are increasingly becoming home to
Orthodox Jews. The revitalization of the downtown Yonkers/Getty Square area has helped to nurture growth for Southwest Yonkers. In the early 2000s several new luxury apartment buildings were built along the Hudson, as well as a new monument park, renovation of a Victorian-era pier, a new public library housed in the remodeled Otis elevator factory. Many new projects are intended to revitalize downtown Yonkers.
Transportation
The Yonkers Metro-North train station.
Yonkers has four Hudson-Line
Metro-North Railroad stations providing commuter service to New York City:
Ludlow,
Yonkers,
Glenwood and
Greystone. The Yonkers station is also served by
Amtrak. Several Harlem-Line stations are on or very near the city's eastern border. These include
Wakefield,
Mt. Vernon West,
Fleetwood,
Bronxville,
Tuckahoe and
Crestwood.
The former
New York and Putnam Railroad running through the middle of Yonkers has been converted into bicycling and walking paths going north along the
Saw Mill River to
Elmsford and south to
Van Cortlandt Park.
Major
limited-access roads in Yonkers include
Interstate 87 (the
New York State Thruway), the
Saw Mill,
Bronx River,
Sprain Brook and
Cross County parkways.
US 9,
NY 9A and
100 are important surface streets.
Bus service is provided by the Westchester County
Bee-Line Bus System, and a
MTA Bus Company express route to Manhattan.
Image
Yonkers fares well in most measures of crime. According to a 2003 report by the city it ranked well ahead of other suburbs around
New York City, such as
Newark, New Jersey, and
Paterson, New Jersey, as well as similarly-sized New York cities like
Buffalo and
Rochester.
[1]
In the 1980s and 1990s, Yonkers developed a national reputation for racial tension, based on a long-term battle between the City of Yonkers and the
NAACP over the building of subsidized low-rent housing. The City wanted to use federal funds to create or expand high-rise housing projects in southwest Yonkers; other groups, led by the NAACP, felt that concentrating subsidized housing in traditionally poor neighborhoods perpetuated poverty. The climax of the battle came when Federal
District Court Judge Leonard Sand imposed a fine on Yonkers which started at $1 and doubled every day until the City capitulated to the federally mandated plan. A history of this battle can be found in Lisa Belkin's 1999 book ''Show Me a Hero''.
Education
Public schools in Yonkers are operated by
Yonkers Public Schools [3].
Libraries are operated by the
Yonkers Public Library [4].
Revitalization
Recently Completed Yonkers Public Library
Amidst a growing need for increased economic viability in Yonkers, a vast revitalization project proposal, promising to add luxury housing, waterfront development,
commercial and
retail space, has been designed for the city. With hopes of increasing the city's
tourism and economic importance in the
state and
county, the project is one of the largest revitalization projects ever proposed for any locality within the
New York Metropolitan Area, totaling more than
$3
billion[5].
The project is headed by
Westchester County's
Louis R. Cappelli, Struever Bros. of
Baltimore, and
New Jersey's Fidelco Realty. The project is expected to include a controversial
Minor League Baseball stadium, and an expansive retail and residential project, adding approximately 800 residential units throughout the downtown area and the waterfront. The community's strong opposition to plans for high rise buildings along their waterfront is so far being ignored by both developers and city government.
The project has as its catalyst the "daylighting" of the now buried Saw Mill River, an idea championed by community-based organizations like Groundwork Yonkers
[6] and its Saw Mill River Coalition. The Pataki Administration at Scenic Hudson's urging contributed $34 million in funds for daylighting. The concept of a river accompanied by a natural greenway path and commercial development has been successful in the revitalization of downtowns in San Antonio, TX and Providence, RI.
Although many city officials and residents find much need for city revitalization and urban redevelopment efforts, controversy has surfaced over the major project. A number of residents feel the project is an insidious attempt by the city government and project officials to enforce a policy of outright
gentrification. Due to the use of
eminent domain and other methods, some residents are fearful that they will ultimately be the victims in the redevelopment battle.
Others, however, are staunch proponents of the multi-billion dollar redevelopment effort, foreseeing the transition of Yonkers from a suburban city in the shadows of
New York City, to a tourist attraction of economic importance.
Although no official time table has been proposed for the redevelopment project, it will likely take several years before the completion of the project.
Notable people
★
Raymond Aker, naval historian (1920–2003)
★
Nancy Allen, actress (born 1950)
★
Edwin H. Armstrong, inventor, notably invented FM broadcasting (1890-1954)
★
David Berkowitz,
serial killer known as "
Son of Sam"
★
James Blake professional
tennis player
★
Mary J. Blige, singer (although born in
the Bronx)
★
Billy Burch, former hockey player:
Hamilton Tigers,
New York Americans,
Boston Bruins and
Chicago Blackhawks
★
Sid Caesar, actor, writer (b. 1922)
★
James Cagney, actor (1899-1986)
★
Doug DeWitt, middleweight world-champion boxer
★
Dale Connelly, Minnesota Public Radio
[7] host
★
Immolation,
death metal band
★
DMX, rapper and actor
★
Tommy Dreamer (real name: Tommy Laughlin), professional wrestler (b. 1971)
★
Michel Fokine, ballet dancer and choreographer (1880-1942)
★
Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet (b. 1919)
★
Ella Fitzgerald, singer (1917-1996)
★
Daniel Carleton Gajdusek, co-recipient,
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1923)
★
Jadakiss, rapper (as well as other members of
D-Block:
Styles P,
Sheek Louch &
J-Hood)
★
Gene Krupa, band leader, drummer (1909-1973)
★
Linda Lovelace, pornographic actress, known after her role in 1972 film ''
Deep Throat'' (1949-2002)
★
Larry Mann,
NASCAR driver
★
Steve Meretzky, one of the employees at
Infocom (b. 1957)
★
Salvatore Martirano, composer (1927-1995)
★
Cathy Moriarty, actress
★
John Howard Northrop, co-recipient,
Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1891-1987)
★
Elisha Otis who invented the first passenger elevator
★
Erik Palladino, actor known most notably for his role on
ER.
★
Lillo Brancato Jr., actor from
A Bronx Tale, charged with second-degree murder of New York City Police Detective Daniel Enchautegui.
★
Patrick Quinlan, novelist
★
Mark Saltzman, (b. 1951)
Emmy award-winning writer
★
Betty Shabazz (1936-1997), philosopher, leader, wife of
Malcolm X
★
Andrea Stewart-Cousins State Senator
★
Styles P, rapper
★
Paul Teutul Sr., founder, owner and CEO of
Orange County Choppers (b. 1949)
★
Charles Lewis Tiffany (1812-1902), founder of
Tiffany and Company and father of the more famous designer
Louis Comfort Tiffany, died in the city
★
Steven Tyler, lead singer of
Aerosmith (b. 1948)
★
Jon Voight, actor (b. 1938)
★
Jean Baruth, nurse (b. 1953)
★
Jay Walker, founder of
Priceline.com
★
George Wright (1847-1937)
★
Richard Yates, novelist (1926-1992)
★
Allan Weiner, (b. 1953), Owned the longest pirate radio station in existence in the USA
Miscellaneous
Darryl A. Gibbs, Recipient of the "Key to the City of Yonkers" in June 19, 2007 (resides in Yonkers).
Some residents call the city "the sixth borough" referring to Yonkers' location on the New York City border, its urban character, and an unsupported vote to be included in the incorporations of boroughs to form New York City. A subway connection was planned between Getty Square and the New York City subway line, but when Yonkers residents voted against the incorporation, the project was abandoned.
In
Max Brooks's second novel,
World War Z, Yonkers was the setting for the first major confrontation between the US armed forces and a massive army of zombies that had already overwhelmed New York City and much of the Northern United States and Canada; the
Battle of Yonkers. It was a spectacular defeat and demoralized the entire country for years afterwards.
Steve Meretzky created several Infocom games, such as
Sorcerer. One of the spells in that game, "Yonk", is named after Yonkers.
Dunder-Mifflin, the fictional paper supply company from
NBC's
The Office has a branch in Yonkers.
Yonkers is one of the settings in the musical
Hello Dolly.
References
1. - 2004 Morgan Quitno Crime Survey accessed February 6, 2006
See also
★
Westchester County, New York
★
Jonkheer
External links
★
Yonkers official website
★
★
Yonkers Arts Blog- Directory of Yonkers Artists
★
Yonkers Downtown Waterfront BID
★
Groundwork Yonkers
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