Yonkers NY Community

The best kept secret of lower Westchester, the city of Yonkers offers the best views of the stately Palisades, comparably reasonable property taxes, and a multi-ethnic community where you can enjoy a $2 falafel sandwich or a four-star French-inspired feast, depending on your whim. If you're wondering what a Yonker is, the city's name comes from the original proprietor of the area, Adrien Van der Donck, who was given the land by the Dutch East India Company in 1640. The dashing young Van der Donck was called the “Jonk Herr,” or “Young Gentleman,” and so Yonkers was put on the map. The fourth largest city in the state, Yonkers was largely an industrial mecca since the time of Van der Donck, with a successful sugar refinery, the famous Smith Carpet factory , and the many saw mills on the Nepperhan River which gave their name to the Saw Mill Parkway. As true today as in the past, the waterfront area is a hub of activity, with the first railroad station in the state, Yonkers Central on the metro-North line, recently restored to its former splendor, and a huge, state-of-the-art Public Library. As you promenade along the river, give a wave to the statue of Ella Fitzgerald, one of the city's most famous citizens (if you're a jazz fan, you can keep going up to the Park Hill area, the childhood home of Gene Krupa, drummer extraordinaire). Belle Havana, Zuppa, and Peter Kelly's X20 are the stars of the downtown culinary scene, and have garnered rave reviews from local foodies as well as The New York Times.

Yonkers Attractions

It's not all riverfront action in the “City of Gracious Living,” as it was termed in the nineteenth century, however. In its 18.3 square miles, the 200,000 or so residents find lots to keep them busy. There's the Cross County Shopping Center, with over 100 stores to choose from, Stew Leonard's Food Emporium, where the lobsters are cheap and there's always a free wine tasting on the weekends, and a bustling Central Avenue commercial strip featuring Best Buy, Gap, Kohl's, and many other stores. And if it's culture you're after, the Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra performs summer weekends in Untermeyer Park, where you can also watch a performance of Shakespeare under the stars, weather permitting. When it gets chillier in Fall, keep an eye out for the Hudson River Festival, which draws thousands from all over to celebrate the area's music, dance and crafts. History and architecture buffs will find much to admire in the city's one-of-a-kind mansions in Colonial Heights, Park Hill, and Lincoln Park, with 18 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places; tours of many sites are arranged each year by the Yonkers Historical Society. Both the stunning Philipse Manor, a 1682 Georgian masterpiece, and the 1740 Sherwood House are also open to visitors throughout the year.

Yonkers is a great place for families, too, with 100 parks and playgrounds, 2 golf courses, a skating center, the Beczak Environmental Center, and renowned Tibbets Brook Park, which will open a new, spectacular water park in July, 2010. There are 39 public and 23 parochial schools in the city, with specialized magnet schools, the PEARLS school for gifted students, and two public Montessori schools among the public educational offerings. WCC and Mercy College have satellite centers in the city, which is also home to Sarah Lawrence College. 

Yonkers Dining

Perhaps the greatest strength of the city is its unique neighborhoods, where you can find the best quality ingredients for a taco or empanada on South Broadway or chat about Gaelic football with a glass of Hennessy a few blocks away on Mc Lean Avenue. And in North Yonkers, you can watch soccer games from Portugal or order handmade pierogi and kielbasa in Polish on the same street, Lockwood Avenue. A true melting pot, the city's cultural diversity marks it as a growing and exciting place to live.

Contact Margot Bennett, Yonkers Realtor^® with the experience and professionalism you can trust.

Margot Bennett
Lic. RE Broker in NY
Margot Bennett, Inc.
747 Palisade Ave
Yonkers, NY 10703-1817

Business:
(914) 376-7777
Fax:
(914) 376-0109
E-Mail: info@margotbennett.com