Yonkers

Yonkers is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as enumerated in the 2020 United States Census. It is located directly to the north of the Bronx and approximately two miles (3 km) north of Marble Hill, Manhattan. The city is known as the "City of Seven Hills", including Park, Nodine, Ridge, Cross, Locust, Glen, and Church Hills. In July 1645, the area was granted to Adriaen van der Donck, the patroon of Colendonck. He built a saw mill near where the confluence of Nepperhan Creek and the Hudson lies. 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 and Sons Carpet Company expanded to 45 buildings and more than 4,000 workers. In the 1880s, the Yonkers Public Library was adapted and used as the Public Library and Public Library of Westchester. The Yonkers Raceway, a harness racing track, renovated its grounds and clubhouse, and added legalized video slot machine gambling in 2006 to become a "racino" named Empire City. In more recent years, Yonkers has undergone progressive gentrification and is now a major retail hub for Yonkers and the northwest Bronx.

History

The land on which the city is built was once part of a Dutch 24,000-acre (97-square-kilometer) land grant called Colen Donck. In July 1645, the area was granted to Adriaen van der Donck, the patroon of Colendonck. For its first 200 years, Yonkers was a small farming town producing peaches, apples, potatoes, oats, wheat and other agricultural goods to be shipped to New York City along the Hudson. In 1853, Elisha Otis invented the first safety elevator and the Otis Elevator Company opened the first elevator factory in the world on the banks of the Hudson near what is now Vark Street. In 1898 Yonkers (along with Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island) voted on a referendum to determine if they wanted to become part of New York. While the results were positive elsewhere, the returns were so negative in Yonkers and neighboring Mount Vernon that those two areas were not included in the consolidated city and remained independent. Still, some residents call Yonkers "the Sixth Borough", referring to its location, the New York character, and the failed merger. During the American Civil War, 254 Yonkers residents joined the US Army and Navy. In total, seventeen residents were killed during the Civil War. In the 1880s, the Central Railroad connected Yonkers to Manhattan and three points north. A-mile spur to Manhattan was built to protect Yonkers from rioting that was feared to spread from New City.

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 gentilic for residents is alternately Yonkersonian, Yonkersite, or Yonk. The city occupies 20.3 square miles (52.6 km²), including 18.1 sq miles (46.8 km²) of land and 2.2sq miles (5.8km²) (11.02%) of water. The Bronx River separates Yonkers from Mount Vernon, Tuckahoe, Eastchester, Bronxville, and Scarsdale to the east. In addition, the southernmost point of Yonkers is 2 miles (3 kilometres) north of the northern most point of Manhattan when measured from Broadway & Caryl Avenue in Yonkers to Broadway & West 228th Street in the Marble Hill section of Manhattan. Much of the city developed around the Saw Mill River. This enters Yonker from the north and flows into the Hudson river in the Getty Square neighborhood. Portions of the Saw mill River that were earlier buried in flumes beneath parking lots are being uncovered, or "daylighted", to promote the restoration of habitat for plants, fish and other fauna. This promotes an understanding of where the Native Americans camped in Spring and Summer months. The town of Greenburgh is to the north, and the HudsonRiver forms the western border.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 195,976 people in the city. Yonkers has a sizeable Arab population, mainly from the Levant, especially Jordanian and Palestinian. Non-Hispanic Whites were 41.4% of the population in 2010, down from 89.9% in 1970. In 2000, the city the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 25, 30.6% from 25 to 45, 21.2% from 45 to 65, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median income for a household in theCity was $44,663 in 2000, and the median income. for a family was $53,233. 15.5% of. the population and 13.0%. of families were below the poverty line. In 2018, 34.8 per cent of the city's population spoke Spanish. According to the 2000 Census, 19.9 per cent were of Italian and 11.6 per cent Irish descent. 61.3 per cent spoke only English at home; 22.7% spoke Spanish, 5% Arabic, 3.9 % Italian, and 1.3 per cent Portuguese at home. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.23. For every 100 females age 18 and over,there were 84.2 males. For. every 100 males age 18 or older there were 88.6 males.

Neighborhoods

Yonkers can be divided into four quarters, demarcated by the Saw Mill River. There are 37 or more distinct neighborhoods, though many of these names are rarely used today except by older residents and real-estate brokers. Notable former residents include Steven Tyler (born Steven Tallarico) of the rock band Aerosmith, whose childhood home was located at 100 Pembrook Drive. Many of the businesses and type of architecture in southeast Yonkers bear a greater resemblance to certain parts of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, or Staten Island than to points north. Many residents regard eastern McLean Avenue, home to a vibrant Irish community shared with Woodlawn, to be the true hub of Yonkers. A portion of Midland Avenue in the Dunwoodie section has been called the "Little Yonkers" Yonkers was visited by Pope John Paul II in October 1995 and later by Pope Benedict XVI in April 2008. Much of southwest Yonkers grew densely along the multiple railroads and trolley lines surrounding the central business district of Getty Square, the city's downtown and civic center and the civic center of Westchester County. Yonkers is home to the Crossroads Shopping Center, Yonkers Raceway, and the St. Joseph's Seminary in Dunwood, which was visited in 1995 by the Pope and in 2008 by the Archbishop of New York, John Paul XVI. It is also the home of the New York City Clusters of apartment buildings surrounded by the Yonkers and Putnam Railroad lines.

Government

Yonkers is governed via a Strong mayor-council system. The mayor and city council president are elected in a citywide vote. The current mayor is Democrat Mike Spano and the Council President is Michael Khader. In 1992, Yonkers voted for George H. W. Bush over Bill Clinton and Ross Perot for president, but has voted solidly Democratic ever since. At the federal level, Democratic representative Jamaal Bowman represents the city. At a local level, recent mayors of Yonkers have included Republicans Phil Amicone and John Spencer, while the Yonkers City Council has mostly been controlled by Republicans. In the State Assembly, Yonker is represented by Democrats J. Gary Pretlow and Nader Sayegh, and in the New York State Senate, by Democrats Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Shelley Mayer. The City Council consists of seven members, six each elected from one of six districts, as well as a Council President to preside over the council. The city is located in Westchester County, New York, and is part of the Westchester-N.Y. Metropolitan Statistical Area, which covers parts of Westchester, Nyack, Ossining, and parts of Larchmont. Yonkers is the largest city in the state of New York with a population of around 1.2 million. The population of Yonker was 1.3 million in the year 2000, down from 1.6 million in 2000. The Yonkers Police Department has been in existence since 1868.

Education

Sarah Lawrence College, which gives its address as Bronxville, NY 10708, is actually located in Yonkers. Westchester Community College, part of SUNY system operates a number of extension centers. Three libraries are operated by the Yonkers Public Library, Crestwood, Riverfront, and Grinton I. Will. Another library, funded by Carnegie, was demolished in the 1900s to make way for a courthouse. The Japanese School of New York moved from Yonkers to Queens, New York City on August 18, 1991, and on September 1, 1992, classes began at its current location in Greenwich, Connecticut. St. Peter's Catholic Elementary School at 204 Hawthorne Avenue, founded by the Sisters of Charity, celebrated its 100th anniversary in September 2011. Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary is located in Crestwood. The Academy for Jewish Religion, a rabbinical and cantorial school, is Located in Getty Square. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New. York operates Catholic schools in Westchester County. St Casimir School in Yonker closed in 2013. The school was located in the Getty Square neighborhood of Yonkers, but has since moved to Greenwich. The Yonkers public school system operates public schools in the city. There are several other elementary Catholic schools and one Muslim school. There is also a public high school in the Yonker area of Westchester, which is part of the Westchester City School District. The public school district operates public and private high schools in both Yonkers and Westchester.

Transportation

Yonkers has the eleventh-highest rate of public transit ridership among cities in the United States. 27% of Yonkers households do not own a car. Bus service in Yonkers is provided by Westchester County Bee-Line Bus System, the second-largest bus system in New York State. The main line of the former New York and Putnam Railroad has been converted into a paved walking and bicycling path, called the South County Trailway. New York Water Taxi formerly operated a ferry service from downtown Yonkers to Manhattan's Financial District, but it ceased in December 2009. Yonkers began a dockless bikeshare program operated by LimeBike in May 2018, which was finished by 2020. It now operates an electric scooter program.Major limited-access roads in Yonker include Interstate 87, the Saw Mill, Bronx River, Sprain Brook and Cross County parkways. US 9, NY 9A and 100 are important surface streets. The historic Croton Aqueduct tunnel has a hard-packed dirt trail running above it for most of its length. It is part of the NY State Empire State Trail which encompasses 750 miles from NYC to Albany, NY. It runs from the Hastings-on-Hudson border in the north to the Bronxborder in the south at Van Cortlandt Park where it is referred to as the Putnam Greenway. The former Putnam Division commuter line was shut down in phases with the final passenger trains making their last runs in 1958.

Fire department

The city of Yonkers is protected by 459 firefighters. Founded in 1896, the YFD operates out of 11 Fire Stations, located throughout the city in 2 Battalions. The YFD responds to approximately 16,000 emergency calls annually. The Yonkers Fire Department operates a fire apparatus fleet of 10 Engine Companies, 6 Ladder Companies, 1 Squad (rescue-pumper) Company, 1 Rescue Company,1 Fireboat, 1 Air Cascade Unit, 1 USAR (Urban Search And Rescue) Collapse Unit,1 Foam Unit, and 1 Haz-Mat Unit. The fire department is under the command of a Fire Commissioner and 3 Deputy Chiefs. The city's fire department was founded in 1896 and is now one of the oldest fire departments in the United States. It is located in Yonkers, New York, a suburb of New York City, and is located on the East River. It has a population of approximately 4,000 people. The Fire Department has a budget of $1.2 million. The department has a fire fleet of ten Engine companies, six Ladder companies, and one Rescue Company. It also has numerous special, support, and reserve units, such as a Rescueboat, a Foam unit, and a Haz- mat unit. It responds to about 16,00 emergency calls each year. The Department has an annual budget of about $1 million. It operates out a fire station in the center of the city, which is home to 11 stations.

Economy

According to Yonkers's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the principal employers in the city are; Yonkers' largest employers are; the city's largest banks; and the state of New York. The city's unemployment rate is 3.9 per cent. Yonkers has a population of 1.2 million. The unemployment rate in Yonkers is 4.1 per cent, according to the city. The economy is the second largest in the state, after New York City. The U.S. economy is one of the fastest-growing in the nation. The United States has the highest unemployment rate, at 4.7 per cent; the U.N. is the highest in the world, at 3.8 per cent and the U.-S. has the second-highest unemployment rate. The nation's economy is expected to grow at a rate of 3.6 per cent in the next three years. The country's economy will grow at the rate of 2.7 percent in the coming years, the City of Yonkers says. The national economy is projected to grow by 2.4 per cent over the next five years. In the next 10 years, it will be the fastest in the United States, and the world. The world's economic growth rate will be 2.9 percent. The global economy is forecast to be the strongest in the past decade, the city says. It's the first time since 2007 that the world has grown at such a rate in more than a decade.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Yonkers, Westchester County, New York = 35.2. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 36. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Yonkers = 3.6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 1,751 individuals with a median age of 38.6 age the population grows by 1.66% in Yonkers, Westchester County, New York population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 11,749.92 residents per square mile of area (4,536.75/km²). There are average 2.64 people per household in the 74,547 households with an average household income of $54,617 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.80% of the available work force and has dropped -2.79% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 25.62%. The number of physicians in Yonkers per 100,000 population = 518.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Yonkers = 46.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 33.8 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 106. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 200. 86 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 20.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 50, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Yonkers, Westchester County, New York which are owned by the occupant = 41.83%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 53 years with median home cost = $449,060 and home appreciation of -6.17%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $20.95 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $11,772 per student. There are 15.3 students for each teacher in the school, 1177 students for each Librarian and 581 students for each Counselor. 5.47% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 14.46% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 10.31% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).