Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Yonkers shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Yonkers offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Yonkers at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Yonkers? Wrong! If the Yonkers is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Yonkers then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Yonkers? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Yonkers and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Yonkers wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Yonkers then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Yonkers site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Yonkers, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Yonkers, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.



{{Infobox Settlement|official_name = Yonkers, New York|settlement_type = City in front of the train station and new public library|image_flag = Yonkers flag.svg|image_seal = Yonkers seal.svg|image_map = Yonkers NewYork.svg|mapsize = 250x200px|map_caption = Location in the State of [New York|subdivision_type1 = [Political divisions of the United States|subdivision_type2 = List of counties in New York|subdivision_name = United States|subdivision_name2 = [Westchester County, New York|government_type =|leader_title = Mayor|established_title = Founded|established_title2 = [Municipal corporation|established_date = 1646|area_magnitude =|area_total_sq_mi = 20.3|area_total_km2 = 52.6|area_land_sq_mi = 18.1|area_land_km2 = 46.8|area_water_sq_mi = 2.2|area_water_km2 = 5.8|area_urban_sq_mi =|area_urban_km2 =|area_metro_sq_mi =|area_metro_km2 =|population_as_of = 2000|population_note =|population_total = 196086|population_metro =|population_urban =|population_density_km2 = 4189.9|population_density_sq_mi = 10833.5|timezone = [North American Eastern Time Zone|utc_offset = -6|timezone_DST = Eastern Daylight Time|utc_offset_DST = -5|latd = 40 |latm = 56 |lats = 29 |latNS = N|longd = 73 |longm = 51 |longs = 52 |longEW = W|elevation_m = 126|elevation_ft = 416|website = http://www.cityofyonkers.com|postal_code_type = ZIP codes]|blank_name = Federal Information Processing Standard|blank_info = 36-84000|blank1_name = Geographic Names Information System feature ID|blank1_info = 0971828|footnotes =-->Yonkers is the fourth largest city in the State of New York (it falls behind New York City, Buffalo, New York, and Rochester, New York), 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 (New York State Route 100), informally called "Central Avenue" by area residents, a name it takes officially a few miles north in White Plains, New York.

The city's official seal is a profile of George Washington, although what connection Washington has with the City of Yonkers has never been explained.

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 square mile), 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, New York and Eastchester, New York to the East. The town of Greenburgh, New York is to the North, and the Western border is the Hudson River.

On the South, Yonkers borders the Riverdale, Bronx, Woodlawn, Bronx, New York, and Wakefield, Bronx, New York 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, Manhattan, New York section of Manhattan.

Demographics As of the censusGeographic references#2 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 (U.S. Census), 16.61% African American (U.S. Census), 0.44% Native American (U.S. Census), 4.86% Asian (U.S. Census), 0.05% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), 13.44% from Race (U.S. Census), and 4.42% from two or more races. 25.93% of the population are Hispanic (U.S. Census) or Latino (U.S. Census) of any race. 19.9% were of Italian people and 11.6% Irish people ancestry according to Census 2000. 61.3% spoke English language, 22.7% Spanish language, 3.9% Italian language, 1.4% Arabic language and 1.3% Portuguese language 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 Marriage 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, Manhattan, New York 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 Netherland 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 (American Revolution) 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 15-minute drive from Manhattan, made it a desirable city to live in. Yonkers's manufacturing sector, however, has recently shown a resurgence. A Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company railroad cars assembly plant opened in 1986 in the former Otis plant, producing the new R142A (New York City Subway car) and R160B (New York City Subway car) cars for the New York City Subway, and the PA4 and upcoming PA5 series for Port Authority Trans-Hudson.

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 theatre plays Hello, Dolly! (musical) 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 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, Yonkers, New York section of Yonkers, as well as several other enclaves. Landmarks include Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, the Tanglewood Shopping Center (one-time home of the 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 Lenoir 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 End" as it was once the end of the #2 trolley line. 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, Bronx, Woodlawn, Bronx, New York, and Wakefield, Bronx, New York 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, Yonkers, New York 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, Dunwoodie in the Dunwoodie neighborhood, which was visited by Pope John Paul II in October of 1995.

Southwest Yonkers 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, Yonkers, 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, Bronx border - the former alongside the Hudson River. The area is also home to the historic Phillips Manor, the Hudson River Museum with its Andrus Planetarium and a state of the art Yonkers Public Library 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 Yonkers has four Hudson-Line Metro-North Railroad stations providing commuter service to New York City: Ludlow train station, Yonkers, New York train station, Glenwood train station and Greystone train station. 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 (Metro-North station), Mount Vernon West (Metro-North station), Fleetwood (Metro-North station), Bronxville (Metro-North station), Tuckahoe (Metro-North station) and Crestwood train station.

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 River Parkway, Bronx River Parkway, Sprain Brook Parkway and Cross County Parkway parkways. U.S. Route 9 in New York, New York State Route 9A and New York State Route 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, New York and Rochester, New York.- 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 .

Libraries are operated by the Yonkers Public Library .

Revitalization

Amidst a growing need for increased economic viability in Yonkers, a vast revitalization project proposal, promising to add luxury housing, waterfront development, commerce 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 United States dollar3 1000000000 (number).

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 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

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 (computer game). One of the spells in that game, "Yonk", is named after Yonkers.

Dunder Mifflin, the fictional paper supply company from NBC's The Office (US) has a branch in Yonkers.

Yonkers is one of the settings in the musical Hello Dolly.

Consumers Union, non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports, is headquartered in Yonkers.

References

See also

External links







{{Infobox Settlement|official_name = Yonkers, New York|settlement_type = City in front of the train station and new public library|image_flag = Yonkers flag.svg|image_seal = Yonkers seal.svg|image_map = Yonkers NewYork.svg|mapsize = 250x200px|map_caption = Location in the State of [New York|subdivision_type1 = [Political divisions of the United States|subdivision_type2 = List of counties in New York|subdivision_name = United States|subdivision_name2 = [Westchester County, New York|government_type =|leader_title = Mayor|established_title = Founded|established_title2 = [Municipal corporation|established_date = 1646|area_magnitude =|area_total_sq_mi = 20.3|area_total_km2 = 52.6|area_land_sq_mi = 18.1|area_land_km2 = 46.8|area_water_sq_mi = 2.2|area_water_km2 = 5.8|area_urban_sq_mi =|area_urban_km2 =|area_metro_sq_mi =|area_metro_km2 =|population_as_of = 2000|population_note =|population_total = 196086|population_metro =|population_urban =|population_density_km2 = 4189.9|population_density_sq_mi = 10833.5|timezone = [North American Eastern Time Zone|utc_offset = -6|timezone_DST = Eastern Daylight Time|utc_offset_DST = -5|latd = 40 |latm = 56 |lats = 29 |latNS = N|longd = 73 |longm = 51 |longs = 52 |longEW = W|elevation_m = 126|elevation_ft = 416|website = http://www.cityofyonkers.com|postal_code_type = ZIP codes]|blank_name = Federal Information Processing Standard|blank_info = 36-84000|blank1_name = Geographic Names Information System feature ID|blank1_info = 0971828|footnotes =-->Yonkers is the fourth largest city in the State of New York (it falls behind New York City, Buffalo, New York, and Rochester, New York), 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 (New York State Route 100), informally called "Central Avenue" by area residents, a name it takes officially a few miles north in White Plains, New York.

The city's official seal is a profile of George Washington, although what connection Washington has with the City of Yonkers has never been explained.

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 square mile), 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, New York and Eastchester, New York to the East. The town of Greenburgh, New York is to the North, and the Western border is the Hudson River.

On the South, Yonkers borders the Riverdale, Bronx, Woodlawn, Bronx, New York, and Wakefield, Bronx, New York 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, Manhattan, New York section of Manhattan.

Demographics As of the censusGeographic references#2 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 (U.S. Census), 16.61% African American (U.S. Census), 0.44% Native American (U.S. Census), 4.86% Asian (U.S. Census), 0.05% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), 13.44% from Race (U.S. Census), and 4.42% from two or more races. 25.93% of the population are Hispanic (U.S. Census) or Latino (U.S. Census) of any race. 19.9% were of Italian people and 11.6% Irish people ancestry according to Census 2000. 61.3% spoke English language, 22.7% Spanish language, 3.9% Italian language, 1.4% Arabic language and 1.3% Portuguese language 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 Marriage 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, Manhattan, New York 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 Netherland 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 (American Revolution) 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 15-minute drive from Manhattan, made it a desirable city to live in. Yonkers's manufacturing sector, however, has recently shown a resurgence. A Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company railroad cars assembly plant opened in 1986 in the former Otis plant, producing the new R142A (New York City Subway car) and R160B (New York City Subway car) cars for the New York City Subway, and the PA4 and upcoming PA5 series for Port Authority Trans-Hudson.

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 theatre plays Hello, Dolly! (musical) 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 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, Yonkers, New York section of Yonkers, as well as several other enclaves. Landmarks include Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, the Tanglewood Shopping Center (one-time home of the 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 Lenoir 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 End" as it was once the end of the #2 trolley line. 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, Bronx, Woodlawn, Bronx, New York, and Wakefield, Bronx, New York 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, Yonkers, New York 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, Dunwoodie in the Dunwoodie neighborhood, which was visited by Pope John Paul II in October of 1995.

Southwest Yonkers 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, Yonkers, 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, Bronx border - the former alongside the Hudson River. The area is also home to the historic Phillips Manor, the Hudson River Museum with its Andrus Planetarium and a state of the art Yonkers Public Library 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 Yonkers has four Hudson-Line Metro-North Railroad stations providing commuter service to New York City: Ludlow train station, Yonkers, New York train station, Glenwood train station and Greystone train station. 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 (Metro-North station), Mount Vernon West (Metro-North station), Fleetwood (Metro-North station), Bronxville (Metro-North station), Tuckahoe (Metro-North station) and Crestwood train station.

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 River Parkway, Bronx River Parkway, Sprain Brook Parkway and Cross County Parkway parkways. U.S. Route 9 in New York, New York State Route 9A and New York State Route 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, New York and Rochester, New York.- 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 .

Libraries are operated by the Yonkers Public Library .

Revitalization

Amidst a growing need for increased economic viability in Yonkers, a vast revitalization project proposal, promising to add luxury housing, waterfront development, commerce 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 United States dollar3 1000000000 (number).

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 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

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 (computer game). One of the spells in that game, "Yonk", is named after Yonkers.

Dunder Mifflin, the fictional paper supply company from NBC's The Office (US) has a branch in Yonkers.

Yonkers is one of the settings in the musical Hello Dolly.

Consumers Union, non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports, is headquartered in Yonkers.

References

See also

External links







Yonkers, New York - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yonkers is the fourth largest city in the U.S. State of New York (it falls behind New York City, Buffalo, and Rochester), and the largest city in Westchester County, with a ...

Lost in Yonkers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lost in Yonkers is a 1991 play by Neil Simon. After eleven previews, the Broadway production, directed by Gene Saks, opened on February 21, 1991 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre ...

Yonkers - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about Yonkers
Hutchinson encyclopedia article about Yonkers. Yonkers. Information about Yonkers in the Hutchinson encyclopedia.

Yonkers definition of Yonkers in the Free Online Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia article about Yonkers. Information about Yonkers in the Columbia Encyclopedia, Computer Desktop Encyclopedia, computing dictionary.

Yonkers - definition of Yonkers by the Free Online Dictionary ...
Definition of Yonkers in the Online Dictionary. Meaning of Yonkers. Pronunciation of Yonkers. Translations of Yonkers. Yonkers synonyms, Yonkers antonyms. Information about ...

Yonkers travel guide - Wikitravel
Open source travel guide to Yonkers, featuring up-to-date information on attractions, hotels, restaurants, nightlife, travel tips and more. Free and reliable advice written by ...

City of Yonkers : Home
Official site. Includes information on, and links to, local business, education and community resources. Offers a searchable database of community events, clubs and organizations ...

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YONKERS - Before he was James Cronin, world-renowned primate expert honored by British royalty, he was little Jimmy from Yonkers, entranced by the organ grinder's capuchin monkey ...

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Yonkers Regeneration, SMC Group, world architecture news, architecture ...
PR News channel for architecture, architecture jobs ... Residents get first glimpse of Glenwood Power Plant regeneration project

 

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