Yonkers, New York

Yonkers, bordering the New York City borough of the Bronx and just 2 miles north of Manhattan at the closest point of each, is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of New York, 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. It is by far the largest city in Westchester County. Younger residents have termed the city "the sixth borough" as well as "the backyard of the Bronx", referring to Yonkers' location on the New York City border resulting in a somewhat urban character not commonly associated with suburbia.

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 415 feet 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.

Related Topics:
Hudson River - Long Island - New York City - New Jersey - San Francisco - Rome

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Yonkers is located at 40°56'29" North, 73°51'52" West (40.941478, -73.864365){{GR|1}}.

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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 is water. The total area is 11.02% water.

Related Topics:
United States Census Bureau - Km² - Mi²

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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 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. Many find this to be an ironic geographical quirk considering most people regard Westchester County as being "20 miles" from New York City.

Related Topics:
Riverdale - Woodlawn - Wakefield - Manhattan - Marble Hill

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Neighborhoods

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

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• Northeastern Yonkers: This is a rather modest, heavily white (especially Irish-American, Italian-American), suburban, and largely middle class area. Houses are generally smaller and set closer together than in other more affluent suburbs nearby. 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 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), who had his childhood home just off of 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.
• Northwestern Yonkers: A difficult area to categorize, northwestern Yonkers is a collection of widely varying neighborhoods jumbled together, 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 drastically changes the landscape 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, northwestern Yonkers looks 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.
• Southeastern Yonkers: Southeastern Yonkers is mostly white, Italian- American and a huge population of Irish- Americans though somewhat more visibly working class, urban and a large Catholic population. 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.
• Southwestern Yonkers: This inner-city part of Yonkers is commonly regarded as dirty, poor, and crime-ridden, southwestern Yonkers is the area predominantly responsible for the Yonkers' somewhat negative reputation. Relatively speaking, 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 right off South Broadway which feature residential streets of million-dollar plus, turn of the century mansions, much like in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. 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. Just recently many new multi million dollar luxury apartment buildings were being built along the Hudson. A new monument park, the renovation of the only Victorian age pier, a new library, and many new projects to revitalize downtown Yonkers. Unlike the east side of Yonkers, this area is predominantly black and Hispanic demographically. Famous former residents include rapper DMX, who grew up in a housing project on School Street.