Yonkers, NY

About Yonkers

• • Mary J. Blige, a Grammy-winning R&B icon, was raised in Yonkers' Schlobohm Housing Projects.
• • The Otis Elevator Company, a global leader, was founded in Yonkers in 1853.
• • The New York Central Railroad spurred Yonkers' growth as a manufacturing hub in the 19th century.
• • Untapped, underground tunnels from the Prohibition era still exist beneath downtown Yonkers.
• • Devastating fires in 1907 and 1908 destroyed much of the Alexander Smith Carpet Mills.
• • Named for Jonkheer Adriaen van der Donck, Yonkers was established around 1646.
• • With 211,569 residents, it is the fourth most populous city in New York State.
• • At 410 feet, the city's elevation provides views of the Hudson River and New York City.
• • Healthcare, retail, and education are vital sectors employing many Yonkers residents.
• • A palpable sense of resilience and grit permeates Yonkers, mixed with artistic energy.
• • The New York Yankees, a short drive away, have won 27 World Series titles.
• • Yonkers Raceway, now Empire City Casino, hosted harness racing's Messenger Stakes for decades.
• • The area's geology features metamorphic bedrock of the Fordham Gneiss formed during the Precambrian Era.
• • The Hudson River Palisades, steep cliffs of basalt rock, form Yonkers' western border.
• • The Saw Mill River flows through Yonkers, once hidden but now partially daylighted.
• • The coyote has been sighted in Yonkers, indicating a presence of adaptable wildlife.
• • Riverfront Green Park showcases native plants and grasses along the Hudson River.
• • The Lenape Native Americans originally inhabited the land that is now Yonkers.
• • In 1781, Continental Army troops skirmished with British forces near present-day Yonkers.
• • The Philipse Manor Hall, completed around 1682, stands as a significant example of early colonial architecture.
• • The historic US Route 9, Albany Post Road, runs through Yonkers.

Artists From Yonkers

Songs About Yonkers

Nearby Places