Yonkers, New York

Yonkers is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of New York (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). A July 1, 2002 estimate showed the city's population to be 197,234. The population fell to 197,126 according to the 2004 estimate. Yonkers borders the New York City borough of the Bronx and is just 2 miles (3 km) north of Manhattan.

The city's best-known attraction is Yonkers Raceway, a harness racing track that plans to boost revenue by renovating the grounds and clubhouse and adding legalized video slot gambling in the late 2000s. There is also a large shopping area along Central Park Avenue (New York State Route 100). Central Park Avenue is informally referred to as "Central Avenue" by area residents. In fact, a few miles north in White Plains, New York, the street is officially designated as "Central Avenue."

Geography

The city is spread out over many hills rising from sea level at the eastern bank of the Hudson River to as high as 416 feet (126 m) at Sacred Heart Church (the spire of which can be viewed from as far away as Long Island, New York City, and New Jersey). The landscape of the city has been compared to that of San Francisco and Rome.

Yonkers is located at (40.941478, -73.864365).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 52.6 km² (20.3 mi²). 46.8 km² (18.1 mi²) of it is land and 5.8 km² (2.2 mi²) of it (11.02%) is water.

Yonkers is directly on the New York city line, bordering 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.

Neighborhoods

Though Yonkers contains dozens of small residential enclaves and communities, it could probably be best described as consisting of four major regions.

Northeast Yonkers

This is a heavily Irish-American, Italian-American, largely middle class area. House sizes vary widely, from small houses set close together, to some larger houses in areas like Lawrence Park. The main thoroughfare is Central (Park) Avenue, lined with a vast array of stores as well as several high-rise apartment buildings, a sight not typically seen in this concentration in most of generally affluent Westchester County. 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

A difficult area to categorize, northwest Yonkers is a collection of widely varying neighborhoods, spanning from the Hudson River to around the New York State Thruway/I-87 and north of Ashburton Avenue, roughly speaking. While Warburton Avenue and other areas on the Hudson River contain some beautiful older Victorian homes, a walk a few blocks east to Lake Avenue reveals a drastic change as the riverside estates give way to not only a more inner-city feel but also one of sheer desolateness reminiscent of back-end neighborhoods of New York City's nearby outer boroughs. In sharp contrast, parts of northwestern Yonkers look nearly identical to the upscale neighboring village of Hastings-on-Hudson as one approaches the northern boundary of Yonkers. The population of northwestern Yonkers is more mixed in ethnicity and less heavily Italian-American or Irish-American than in northeastern Yonkers; the remainder of the Jewish community in Yonkers mostly lives in this part of the city, though it is not large enough or concentrated enough to really be called a Jewish neighborhood. The Runyon Heights neighborhood in the southeastern part of this area is a historically African-American enclave that is more upscale and suburban than a similar population cluster in the southwestern part of the city. Landmarks include Stew Leonard's (the only New York location of a well-known Connecticut-oriented "super"-supermarket chain that focuses on dairy products and produce) and the Hudson River Museum.

Southeast Yonkers

Southeast Yonkers is mostly Italian-American and a large population of Irish-Americans though somewhat more visibly working class, urban and mostly Catholic. 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 1995.

Southwest Yonkers

Riverdale Avenue looking north from the Bronx line

This inner-city part of Yonkers is commonly regarded as dirty, poor, and crime-ridden, hence it is the area predominantly responsible for Yonkers' somewhat negative reputation. This area is not actually as dangerous nor as impoverished as many believe. While main drags like South Broadway are certainly less than upscale, there are residential neighborhoods, such as Park Hill, and Hudson Park, right off South Broadway which feature residential streets of million-dollar-plus, turn-of-the-century mansions, and uspcale luxury rentals and condomiuniums, much like in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. Another upscale neighborhood is Ludlow Park, west of Riverdale Ave, right over the Riverdale border - alongside the Hudson River.However, blighted sections do exist as well, especially around Getty Square (Broadway & Main Street, also called "Ghetto Square" by some residents), which serves the focal point of downtown Yonkers. In the early 2000s many new luxury apartment buildings were being 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, and many new projects are intended to revitalize downtown Yonkers.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 196,086 people, 74,351 households, and 49,294 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,187.5/km² (10,847.5/mi²). There were 77,589 housing units at an average density of 1,656.9/km² (4,292.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.93% of the population.

There were 74,351 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the city the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,663, and the median income for a family was $53,233. Males had a median income of $41,598 versus $34,756 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,793. About 13.0% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

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 River met the Hudson; the Nepperhan is now also known as the Saw Mill River.

Philipse Manor Hall.

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. With the opening of a factory for Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Yonkers now produces the new R142A and R160B cars for the New York City Subway and will produce the PA-5 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. 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.

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).

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 geometrically increasing contempt of court penalties after the then-mayor refused to build public housing in the wealthier parts of the city.

Transportation

The downtown Hudson Line 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. Interstate 87 (the New York State Thruway), the Saw Mill River Parkway, the Bronx River Parkway, the Sprain Brook Parkway, the Cross County Parkway, U.S. Highway 9, N.Y. Highway 9A and N.Y. Highway 100 run through the city. Bus service is provided by the Westchester County Bee-Line Bus System, and a MTA Bus Company express route to Manhattan.

Image

Media portrayals of Yonkers often focus on crime and poverty. Native rappers such as DMX and Jadakiss have mentioned the city in their songs (in the Jadakiss song "Welcome to D-Block," featured artist Eminem raps about "the part of Yonkers I wouldn't be caughtwithout two pistols on").- A-Z Lyrics Universe accessed February 6, 2006 Italian Mafia groups such as The Tanglewood Boys, a recruiting body for the Lucchese Family, have been active in Yonkers in the past, although it's unclear how much of a presence they continue to have. Gangs such as the Crips and Bloods remain active in the city. - The Journal News accessed February 6, 2006

In reality, Yonkers fares well in most measures of crime. According to a 2003 report by the FBI, violent crimes occurred in Yonkers at less that 3/4 the national rate, property crimes less than half.- CityRating.com accessed February 6, 2006 In their 2004 survey of the most dangerous cities in America, publisher Morgan Quitno rated Yonkers 218 out of 370 (one being the most dangerous). The city ranked well ahead of other New York City suburbs, such as Newark, New Jersey, and Paterson, New Jersey, as well as similarly-sized New York cities like Buffalo and Rochester. - 2004 Morgan Quitno Crime Survey accessed February 6, 2006

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 [1].

Libraries are operated by the Yonkers Public Library [2].

Notable people

* DMX, rapper and actor
* Raymond Aker, naval historian (1920–2003)
* Edwin H. Armstrong, inventor, notably invented FM broadcasting (1890-1954)
* David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam"
* Mary J. Blige, singer (although born in The Bronx)
* James Cagney, actor (1899-1986)
* Sid Caesar, actor, writer (b. 1922)
* Doug DeWitt, middleweight world-champion boxer
* Tommy Dreamer (real name: Tommy Laughlin), professional wrestler (b. 1971)
* Michel Fokine, ballet dancer and choreographer (1880-1942)
* Jadakiss, rapper (as well as other members of The Lox)
* Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet (b. 1919)
* Ella Fitzgerald, singer (1917-1996)
* Daniel Carleton Gajdusek, co-recipient, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1923)
* 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
* John Howard Northrop, co-recipient, Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1891-1987)
* Patrick Quinlan, novelist
* Betty Shabazz (1936-1997), philosopher, leader, Wife-Malcolm X
* Steven Tyler, singer (Aerosmith) (b. 1948)
* Jon Voight, actor (b. 1938)
* Jay Walker, founder of Priceline.com
* George Wright (1847-1937)
* Richard Yates, novelist (1926-1992)
* Phil Reisman, columnist, (b. 1954)
* Elisha Otis who invented the first passenger elevator

Yonkers, New York: Encyclopedia BETA

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