93-699: Untermyer Park and Gardens is a historic 43-acre (17 ha) city public park, located in Yonkers, New York in Westchester County , just north of New York City . The park is a remnant of Samuel Untermyer 's 150-acre (61 ha) estate "Greystone". Situated on the steep land arising from the eastern bank of the Hudson River to the bluff on top of it, the park's principal feature is the Walled Garden , inspired by ancient Indo-Persian gardens , in which are found
186-507: A Bee-line Bus route. Nepperhan Avenue in Nepera Park is a shopping district in the area. Residents of southeast Yonkers are primarily Irish- and Italian-American. A number of recent immigrants from Ireland live in the area. Its architecture more closely resembles that of parts of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island than of points north. Southeast Yonkers is within walking distance of
279-573: A June 1954 labor dispute. In 1983, the Otis Elevator factory closed. A Kawasaki railcar-assembly plant opened in 1986 in the former Otis plant. With the loss of manufacturing jobs, Yonkers became a commuter town . Some neighborhoods, such as Crestwood and Park Hill , became popular with wealthy New Yorkers who wanted to live outside Manhattan without giving up urban conveniences. Yonkers' transportation infrastructure, which included three commuter railroad lines and five parkways and thruways, made it
372-495: A city in 1872. In 1873, the southern Town of Yonkers (outside the City of Yonkers) became the Town of Kingsbridge; this included Woodlawn Cemetery and the present-day neighborhoods of Kingsbridge , Riverdale , and Woodlawn Heights . The Town of Kingsbridge was annexed by New York City the following year as part of the Bronx. In 1898, Yonkers, Brooklyn , Queens , and Staten Island voted on
465-430: A desirable city in which to live. A 15-minute drive from Manhattan, it has a number of prewar homes and apartment buildings. Yonkers' manufacturing sector has also revived during the early 21st century. In 2024, Kawasaki rail reached a milestone with its 5,000th railway car. In 1960, the population of Yonkers was 95.8 percent white and four percent Black. The city developed a national reputation for racial tension during
558-521: A gift by the City of Yonkers, and became a city public park. The mansion itself was eventually torn down. Because of inadequate funding, much of the property was not maintained; a number of structures gradually fell into disrepair, and parts of the site became overgrown, reverting to woodland. In 1976, the Untermyer Park and Gardens experienced a period of vandalism and unrest, as neighbors reported hearing chanting, and seeing torches being carried through
651-620: A large swimming pool with lion's heads sculpted by Frederick G.R Roth spouting water, the Doric stoa on the eastern wall for guests to relax in, and the open air amphitheater at the north end where performers would entertain guests. A prominent feature of the amphitheater are the two facing marble sphinxes sculpted by Paul Manship , one of the most famous sculptors of the time, which sit on platforms each supported by two tall Ionic columns of cipollino marble . The sphinxes were influenced by Attic architecture . Other architectural elements, such as
744-443: A mixture of architectural styles which include dense clusters of apartment buildings, blocks of stores with apartments above, multifamily row houses , and detached single-family homes . The Ludlow Park, Hudson Park, and Van Cortlandt Crest neighborhoods have a larger number of detached houses. Southwest Yonkers, traditionally home to African American and white residents, has seen an influx of immigrants from Mexico, Central America,
837-559: A name which remains on the nearby Metro-North train station . In 1876, Waring had some financial reversals and moved to Boston, putting the 99-room mansion up for rent. Politician Samuel J. Tilden a former governor of New York state and a failed Presidential candidate, rented the mansion from Waring in 1879, and bought it and the estate soon after. Tilden had an interest in horticulture and built 13 greenhouses to grow ornamental plants as well as fruits and vegetables. Tilden died at Greystone on August 4, 1886, and Samuel Untermyer bought
930-451: A plan which would allow for fruits, shrubs and flower to be grown. Bosworth decided that the only part of the estate which would be appropriate for this was the site of a previous garden in the northeast portion of the property. The difficulty was to unify the landscape, and integrate the main house, several smaller houses, and the greenhouses – which Bosworth did not appreciate, but which were extremely important to Untermyer – into
1023-510: A planned $ 500 million expansion would make it the largest such facility in the Northeast. Yonkers covers an area of 20.3 square miles (53 km ), including 18.1 square miles (47 km ) of land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km ) of water. On the east, the Bronx River separates Yonkers from Mount Vernon , Tuckahoe , Eastchester , Bronxville , and Scarsdale . The town of Greenburgh
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#17328584948201116-495: A population of 211,569 at the 2020 United States census . Yonkers is classified as an inner suburb of New York City , immediately north of the Bronx and approximately 2.4 miles (4 km) north of Marble Hill (the northernmost point in Manhattan ). Downtown Yonkers is centered around Getty Square , where the municipal government is located. The downtown area, which also houses local businesses and nonprofit organizations ,
1209-506: A president. The mayor and city-council president are elected in a citywide vote. The mayor is Democrat Mike Spano , and the council president is Lakisha Collins-Bellamy. The American Architect The American Architect was a weekly periodical on architecture published between 1876 and 1938. Originally titled The American Architect and Building News , in 1909 the magazine changed its name to The American Architect . In 1921, it changed name again to The American Architect and
1302-459: A referendum to determine if they wanted to become part of New York City. Although the referendum passed elsewhere, Yonkers and neighboring Mount Vernon were not included in the consolidated city and remained independent. Some residents call Yonkers "the sixth borough " because of its location on the New York City border, its urban character, and the merger referendum. A 1942 subway connection
1395-526: A result. Wasicsko's story, subject of the 2015 miniseries Show Me a Hero , was adapted from a 1999 nonfiction book of the same name by Lisa Belkin . The 2007 documentary Brick by Brick: A Civil Rights Story also covers racial discrimination and housing segregation in Yonkers. As a result of the federal lawsuit, Yonkers' public-school enrollment dropped from 54 percent of the city's eligible population to under 30 percent as thousands of white families left
1488-490: A ruling by federal judge Leonard B. Sand , Yonkers engaged in institutional segregation in housing and educational policies for more than 40 years. He connected the city's opposition to ending racial segregation from its public schools to the unlawful concentration of public housing and discrimination in private housing. Yonkers gained national and international attention during the summer of 1988, when it backed out of its previous agreement to build municipal public housing in
1581-714: A safety elevator in 1853, and the Otis Elevator Company opened the world's first elevator factory on the Hudson near present-day Vark Street. The company moved to larger quarters during the 1880s, which later became the Yonkers Public Library . Around that time, the Alexander Smith and Sons Carpet Company in the Saw Mill River Valley expanded to 45 buildings, 800 looms, and more than 4,000 workers. It
1674-848: A small Grecian-style open-air amphitheater with two opposing sphinxes crouching atop paired Ionic columns ; a classical pavilion ; a stoa and loggias ; and a circular, open-air tempietto called the Temple of the Sky . A long staircase leads from the Walled Garden to an Overlook with views of the river and the Palisades . The gardens were developed beginning in 1916 by Untermyer, a prominent lawyer and civic leader, and were designed by architect and landscape designer William W. Bosworth , with fountains by Charles Wellford Leavitt , and sculptures by Paul Manship and other artists. The gardens were regularly opened to
1767-675: Is a long descending staircase which runs from an inconspicuous doorway in the loggia of the lower terrace of the Walled Garden down towards the Hudson River, where it culminates in the Vista Overlook. The staircase is modeled on the Renaissance era Villa d'Este in Italy at Lake Como . The sides were originally planted with Japanese cedar trees to mimic the dark cypress trees of the original staircase, however non-native tree species invaded, and
1860-442: Is a primarily Irish-American and Italian-American area. House sizes vary, from small houses set close together to larger homes in neighborhoods such as Lawrence Park West and mid-rise apartment buildings along Central Avenue ( NY 100 ). Central Avenue (officially Central Park Avenue) is a shopping area. Notable former residents include Steven Tyler of Aerosmith , whose childhood home was at 100 Pembrook Drive. The area contains
1953-770: Is a retail hub for the city and the northwest Bronx. Major shopping areas are in Getty Square on South Broadway, at the Cross County Shopping Center and the Ridge Hill Mall , and along Central Park Avenue . The city has a number of attractions, including Tibbetts Brook Park , Untermyer Park and Gardens , the Hudson River Museum , the Saw Mill River , the Science Barge , Sherwood House , and access to
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#17328584948202046-496: Is a small Jewish cemetery. Two former Alexander Smith and Sons Carpet Company loft buildings (at 540 and 578 Nepperhan Avenue) have been repurposed to house the YoHo Artist Community , which has private studios there. Yonkers Raceway, a harness racing track, renovated its grounds and clubhouse and added video slot machines in 2006 to become Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino . MGM Resorts International bought
2139-522: Is also home to the Ridge Hill Mall shopping center, which contains a Legoland Discovery Center Westchester , the first Legoland Discovery Center to open in the Northeast area of the United States. Northeast Yonkers is somewhat more expensive than the rest of the city and, due to the proximity of several Metro-North commuter railroad stations, its residents generally work for Manhattan corporations. Northwest Yonkers neighborhoods vary, spanning from
2232-414: Is an 18-story building on the site of the original old mill. New proposals and current projects are intended to revitalize downtown Yonkers. Phillipse Manor Hall was the site of the first Yonkers Village Hall and City Hall from 1868 to c. 1906 . Yonkers is governed by a strong mayor–council system. The Yonkers City Council has seven members: six, elected from each of the six districts, and
2325-537: Is considered a City of Seven Hills: Park, Nodine, Ridge, Cross, Locust, Glen, and Church Hills. Much of the city developed around the Saw Mill River , which enters Yonkers from the north and flows into the Hudson River at Getty Square . Portions of the river had been buried in flumes under parking lots, but have been uncovered ( daylighted ). Daylighting promotes the restoration of habitat for plants, fish, and other fauna, and helps develop an understanding of where Native Americans camped in spring and summer. Yonkers
2418-469: Is on the north, and the Hudson River forms the western border. Yonkers borders the Riverdale , Woodlawn , and Wakefield sections of The Bronx from the south. The city is spread over hills rising from near sea level on the east bank of the Hudson River to 416 feet (127 m) above sea level at Sacred Heart Church, whose spire can be seen from Long Island , New York City , and New Jersey . Yonkers
2511-565: Is the third-most populous city in New York State . In the 2018 American Community Survey , 34.8 percent of Yonkers residents spoke Spanish and 4.2 percent of the population was West Indian . Yonkers has a sizeable Arab population, mainly from the Levant (especially Jordanians and Palestinians ). There is also a sizeable Albanian population in the city. In the 2010 census, there were 195,976 people in Yonkers and its population density
2604-602: The 27th Division or the 77th Division . One hundred thirty-seven city residents were killed during the war. In the 1918 sinking of the USS President Lincoln , seventeen sailors from Yonkers survived. Civilians helped the war effort by joining organizations such as the American Red Cross . The Yonkers chapter of the Red Cross had 126 members in 1916; by the end of the war, 15,358 Yonkers residents belonged to
2697-560: The Bronx River . Adriaen van der Donck (d. 1655) built a saw mill near the confluence of Nepperhan Creek and the Hudson River. Near the site of Van der Donck's mill is the Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site , a manor house owned by Dutch colonists . The historic house museum is also an archive. The original structure was built by white workers and enslaved people for Frederick Philipse and his wife, Margaret Hardenbroeck de Vries, around 1682. Philipse
2790-488: The Hudson River . Yonkers is also known as the City of Seven Hills: Park , Nodine, Ridge, Cross, Locust, Glen, and Church Hills. The city has continued to experience significant gentrification since the inception of the 21st century. The area was granted to Adriaen van der Donck , the patroon of Colendonck , in July 1645. Van der Donck was known locally as Jonkheer ('young gentleman'), an honorific title derived from
2883-496: The Hudson River Museum , the Lenoir Nature Preserve, and Untermyer Park and Gardens . The two-block section of Palisade Avenue between Chase and Roberts Avenues in northwest Yonkers is colloquially known as "the north end" or "the end". The only retail area in northwest Yonkers, it was known for its soda fountain , Urich's Stationery, and Robbins Pharmacy. It was the end of a trolley line that has since been replaced by
Untermyer Park and Gardens - Misplaced Pages Continue
2976-663: The New York and Putnam Railroad and the Third Avenue Railway trolley lines; these buildings are now served by the Bee-Line Bus System . The railroad companies built neighborhoods of mixed housing which ranged from apartment buildings to large mansions in areas such as Park Hill , where a funicular accessed the train station in the valley. Off South Broadway and Yonkers Avenue are residential neighborhoods such as Lowerre, Nodine Hill, Park Hill , and Hudson Park. They have
3069-882: The Qur'an and the Bible . In the Bible, the four rivers of Eden were the Pison , the Gihon , the Tigris and the Euphrates , while the two trees were the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil . In Islamic scripture, Paradise ( jannah ) had four rivers: water, milk, honey and wine, and the Tree of Life. The four waterways of the Untermyer gardens are – clockwise from
3162-644: The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development about further construction of low-income housing in west Yonkers, it continued to support subsidized housing in this area between 1972 and 1977. In 1980, the NAACP and the federal government filed suit against the city of Yonkers and its board of education in United States v. Yonkers . After a 1985 decision and an unsuccessful appeal, Yonkers' schools were integrated three years later. According to
3255-570: The Woodlawn and Wakefield neighborhoods of the Bronx. Eastern McLean Avenue, home to an Irish community shared with Woodlawn, is considered the hub of Yonkers by some. A portion of Midland Avenue in the Dunwoodie neighborhood has been called the city's Little Italy . Southeast Yonkers landmarks include the Cross County Shopping Center , Yonkers Raceway and St. Joseph's Seminary in Dunwoodie, which
3348-709: The Yonkers City Council approved the US Post Office on Main Street for local-landmark status after its 1989 listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. On September 29, 2023 , a state of emergency was declared in the city after flash flooding affected most of the Hudson Valley and New York City . Most area parkways were closed and flooding was also reported in neighboring Mount Vernon . After
3441-568: The 133-acre (54 ha) property at auction in 1899 from Tilden's estate. Untermyer – who was born in Virginia in 1858 and moved to New York City as a boy – was a lawyer, a partner in the firm of Guggenheimer, Untermyer & Marshall. He is noted as being the first lawyer in the U.S. to receive a fee of one million dollars for a single case. A very successful investor, Untermyer became extremely wealthy. He also transitioned from practicing corporate law to taking cases which involved promoting
3534-607: The 15th NY National Guard. During the New York City draft riots , Yonkers formed the Home Guards. The guards were a force of constables formed to protect Yonkers from rioting which was feared to spread from New York City (it did not). Seventeen Yonkers residents were killed during the Civil War. During World War I , 6,909 Yonkers residents (about seven percent of the city's population) entered military service. Most Yonkers men joined
3627-471: The 1854 Smith-Collins House was included in a 1983 article in The New York Times . The house was demolished in 2007, and former city-council president Chuck Lesnick called for legislation which would make the demolition of a 75-year-old landmark in the city subject to the landmark-review process. Neighborhoods include Nepera Park, Runyon Heights , Homefield, Glenwood, and Greystone. Landmarks include
3720-480: The 1980s and 1990s, based on a long-term battle between the city and the NAACP over the construction of subsidized, low-income housing projects . Yonkers planned to use federal funding for urban renewal exclusively downtown; other groups, led by the NAACP, believed that the resulting concentration of low-income housing in traditionally-poor neighborhoods would perpetuate poverty. Although the city had been warned in 1971 by
3813-440: The 1980s struggle against segregation. According to critics, the development would bring homelessness and gentrification to the area. Downtown gentrification has raised concerns that poorer residents might be forced out of the city. A Yonkers Arts Gallery painting, But It's Ours: The Redline Between Poverty and Wealth by Shanequa Benitez, illustrates the effects of gentrification on Yonkers. In an effort to combat redlining ,
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3906-540: The Architectural Review , the second part of the name being the serial it absorbed. The magazine reverted to its original name in 1925, and was published for another thirteen years. Its final edition, volume 152, was published in 1938, when it was absorbed into Architectural Record . The magazine was originally published by Ticknor and Company Publishers , based on Tremont Street in Boston, Massachusetts . It
3999-673: The Caribbean, South Asia, and the Middle East. Many residents are of African, Caribbean, Italian, Polish, or Mexican descent. Some neighborhoods on the Riverdale border contain an increasing number of Orthodox Jews. The area is home to historical and educational institutions which include Philipse Manor Hall , the Science Barge , the Beczak Environmental Education Center, and a 2003 Yonkers Public Library building. The revitalization of Getty Square has helped facilitate
4092-510: The Dutch jonk ('young') and heer ('lord'). The title, similar to " esquire ", is linguistically comparable to the German Junker . Jonkheer was shortened to Jonker ( possessive Jonkers ), from which the name Yonkers derives. The city's residents are known as Yonkersonians, Yonkersites, Yonkers, or Yonks. The indigenous Native American village of Nappeckamack
4185-714: The Hudson River to the New York State Thruway ( I-87 ) and from Ashburton Avenue north to the Hastings-on-Hudson border. With the Hudson River bordering it on the west, northwest Yonkers has many Victorian-era homes with panoramic views of the Palisades . The Victorian architecture and number of 19th-century estates in northwest Yonkers has attracted filmmakers. An interest in historic preservation has developed, demonstrated on streets such as Shonnard Terrace, Delavan Terrace , and Hudson Terrace. On Delavan Terrace,
4278-467: The NAACP's lawyer during the case, blamed Sand for failing to allocate federal funds to help relieve the cost of integration. Areas of Yonkers which bordered similar neighborhoods in Riverdale began seeing an influx of Orthodox Jews during the 2000s, and the Riverdale Hatzalah volunteer ambulance service began serving neighborhoods in the southwest part of the city. The Sherwood Park Cemetery
4371-441: The Otis Elevator factory. Increased competition from less-expensive imports resulted in a decline in manufacturing in Yonkers after the war, and a number of industrial jobs were lost. Yonkers was originally a small farming town which produced peaches, apples, potatoes, oats, wheat, and other agricultural goods to be shipped to New York City along the Hudson River . Water power created manufacturing jobs. Elisha Otis invented
4464-539: The Philipse family. Yonkers has undergone several changes to neighborhoods in an effort to revitalize the city, which has included gentrification . Changes were made to its waterfront, which included revitalizing its green space. Residents of the western area of downtown Yonkers opposed the Pierpointe, a condominium-complex development proposal that would build over 1,900 condominiums (including six 38-story towers), during
4557-645: The Sundial Garden, the Six Color Gardens, and the Rose and Dahlia Garden. The Walled Garden – which is surrounded by crenellated walls with octagonal towers – is based on the Indo-Persian gardens of antiquity, called Paradise gardens or charbagh s. Like those ancient gardens, it is divided into quadrilateral sections by waterways, a concept based on the four gardens of Paradise or Eden mentioned in
4650-498: The United States. Untermyer opened the grounds weekly to the public in the 1920s and '30s and for special events, such as displays of his noted chrysanthemums and tulips . On a single day in 1939, 30,000 people visited the gardens. Noted artists also performed there, such as Isadora Duncan The quality of horticulture at the Untermyer Gardens was nationally famous, and some great gardeners got their training there. Eventually,
4743-610: The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, a non-profit organization, has been working to restore the gardens, in partnership with the Yonkers Parks Department. The Conservancy employs head gardener Timothy Tilghman in a team of 10 gardeners, and receives advice from Wave Hill 's founding director of horticulture, Marco Polo Stufano. Untermyer Park and Gardens has a number of preserved, restored or re-imagined main features, plus some remnants of original features such as
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#17328584948204836-590: The affluent neighborhoods of Crestwood , Colonial Heights, and Cedar Knolls, and the wealthy enclaves of Beech Hill and Lawrence Park West. It includes a gated community off the eastern Grassy Sprain Reservoir, known as Winchester Villages . Notable places include St. Vladimir's Seminary , Sarah Lawrence College , and the Tanglewood Shopping Center, former home of the Tanglewood Boys gang. The area
4929-487: The campaign was short-lived and the property deteriorated again. Untermyer Park and Gardens was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In the 1990s community leaders such as Nortrud Spero and Joe Kozlowski persuaded Mayor Terence Zaleski to purchase more of the original estate's land with the help of the Open Space Institute resulting in the 43 acres (17 ha) of the park today. Since 2011,
5022-415: The cedars had to be restored later. The Overlook features two ancient Roman monolithic cipollino marble columns which came from the estate of noted architect Stanford White . The Temple of Love is a cantilevered rocky fantasy designed by a Genoese stone mason Carlo Davite, with a round temple folly on top. In Untermyer's time it was surrounded by an extensive rock garden with terraced beds. Many of
5115-433: The chapter. Mostly women, they prepared surgical dressings, created hospital garments for the wounded, and knit articles of clothing for refugees and soldiers. In addition to joining the Red Cross, Yonkers residents donated $ 19,255,255 to a number of war drives. The city's factories were converted to produce items for World War II , such as tents and blankets from the Alexander Smith and Sons carpet factory and tanks from
5208-411: The city announced the Yonkers Greenway: a $ 14 million rail trail along former railways such as the New York and Putnam Railroad . The 3.1-mile (5.0 km) greenway will run from Van Cortlandt Park to Getty Square. Construction, expected to begin in spring 2024, is planned to be completed in 2026. The Village of Yonkers was incorporated in the western Town of Yonkers in 1854, and incorporated as
5301-461: The city for its suburbs or enrolled their children in private schools; this effectively gutted the city's middle class and tax base. The school district's estimated cost of integration was over $ 262 million. Forced to cut programs, Yonkers schools fell steeply in national rankings as test scores sharply declined. By 1995, The New York Times called the city's desegregation effort "a profound disappointment to blacks and whites alike". Michael Sussmann,
5394-469: The eastern parts of the city (an agreement it had made in a consent decree after losing its appeal in 1987). After its reversal, the city was found in contempt of the federal courts. Sand imposed a fine on Yonkers which began at $ 100 and doubled every day, capped at $ 1 million per day by an appeals court, until the city capitulated to the federally-mandated plan. The city remained in contempt of court until September 9, 1988, when its city council relented as
5487-410: The estate had 60 greenhouses and employed 60 gardeners. Untermyer died in 1940. He had wished to give the gardens to New York State, Westchester County, or to the City of Yonkers, but because of the great cost of the upkeep of the gardens, which were not accompanied by an endowment, the bequest was initially refused by all three bodies. Finally, in 1946, 16 acres (6.5 ha) of the land was accepted as
5580-477: The feeling of being in an abandoned, ruined house. The densely-planted Rhododendron Walk, a new feature dating from 2019, is meant to evoke Untermyer's rhododendron collection. It leads from the Ruin Garden to the main gardens above. With its restored pergola and parterre layout, vegetables and fruit trees are planted in a formal configuration with an eye to aesthetic beauty. The garden is tended by student interns from Yonkers public high schools. The terrace below
5673-411: The financial impact threatened to close a library and reduce sanitation. The city also considered massive layoffs , which would have adversely affected its ability to provide services to the upper classes it was trying to retain. Nicholas C. Wasicsko , Yonkers' youngest mayor (elected at age 28), struggled in city politics. He helped end the city's contempt-of-court ruling, but was voted out of office as
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#17328584948205766-413: The first completely-synthetic plastic, was invented c. 1907 in Yonkers by Leo Baekeland and was manufactured there until the late 1920s. During the early 20th century, Yonkers hosted the Brass-Era automaker Colt Runabout . Although the vehicle reportedly ran well, the company went out of business. Yonkers was the headquarters of hat manufacturer Waring Hat Company, which was the largest in
5859-401: The flooding, crews pumped water out of Yonkers homes. The city has been used as a location for films and television series, and the City Hall courtroom is used for film scenes and commercials. The city along with neighboring Mount Vernon saw an increase in revenue grow from 2016. Catch Me If You Can (2002) and Mona Lisa Smile (2003) were partially filmed in the city. Yonkers is
5952-404: The fountains for the gardens. The Walled Garden also featured the Temple of the Sky, an open-air circular 30-foot (9.1 m) colonnade of 14 Corinthian columns topped by an entablature, overlooking a swimming pool. The floor of the colonnade was a circular pink, grey and pale green mosaic, with the head of Medusa at the center. The result was, for a time, one of the most celebrated gardens in
6045-444: The garden will feature a row of bronze sculptures of Hudson River painters by the noted artist Greg Wyatt. Informational notes Citations Bibliography Yonkers, New York Yonkers ( / ˈ j ɒ ŋ k ər z / ) is the third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York and the most-populous city in Westchester County . A centrally located municipality within the New York metropolitan area , Yonkers had
6138-409: The garden's entrance – the South, West, North and East Canals, which meet in a pool at the center. While conceptually Indo-Persian, many of the elements that Bosworth designed for the Walled Garden are derived from Greek models, such as the Temple of the Sky, a tempietto , on the western edge of the garden, a circle of Corinthian columns made of Alabama marble topped by an entablature , with
6231-426: The gardens is located at the Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park . The old gatehouse is now the Ruin Garden, completed in 2019. The lion and unicorn sculptures were restored, including a new head for the unicorn, and the masonry was cleaned and restored. A root cellar was converted into a grotto and fountain. Actual graffiti inside the gatehouse was preserved, and the plantings of the garden are meant to give
6324-436: The great gate through which one enters the garden, and the tiled stage of the amphitheater, were based on Mycenaean motifs. The gate was based on the Bronze Age Great Lion Gate of the citadel of Mycenae, but without the two sculpted lions of the original, while the tiling of the amphitheater's stage floor was based on a fresco from the ancient city of Tiryns , which featured spirals and papyrus lotus blossoms . The Vista
6417-436: The growth of southwest Yonkers. During the early 21st century, several luxury apartment buildings were built along the Hudson River. A Victorian-era pier was renovated, and a new public library was housed in the remodeled Otis Elevator factory. Peter X. Kelly 's restaurant, X20 Xaviar's on the Hudson, is on the renovated pier. In 2020, several more rental buildings were placed at the river's edge on Alexander Street. Sawyer Place
6510-475: The influence of that style on American landscape gardening, and the jumble of other styles that were mixed into it with imported garden ornaments from Europe. In an article in The American Architect he complained about the "resulting incoherence [due to the fact that] lacking a tradition at home, our minds are furnished with pictures of every sort of formal garden." He regretted that the U.S. had "no pure historic style" of its own. Bosworth himself preached that
6603-405: The most significant. This 3-acre (1.2 ha) "Indo-Persian kind of garden", as Bosworth called it, had crenellated of walls of beige bricks on three sides, with octagonal towers, all covered in cream-colored stucco scored with a diamond pattern. Bosworth may have been inspired by the Agra Fort in northern India. The fourth side of the garden was open to views of the Hudson. The main entrance
6696-547: The nation when it opened. On January 4, 1940, Yonkers resident Edwin Howard Armstrong transmitted the first FM radio broadcast on the W2XCR station from the Yonkers home of co-experimenter C. R. Runyon. Yonkers had the longest-running pirate radio station, which was owned by Allan Weiner and operated during the 1970s and 1980s. The Alexander Smith Carpet Company, one of the city's largest employers, ceased operations during
6789-602: The non-Hispanic population decreased to 33 percent from 41.4 percent in 2010. The Hispanic and Latino population increased to 40 percent, and the Asian population increased to 5.9%. The city reported a decrease in its white population from 55.8 to 46.3 percent. Yonkers includes several small residential enclaves and communities which form four quarters, demarcated by the Saw Mill River . There are at least 38 neighborhoods, but many of their original names are rarely used except by older residents and real-estate brokers. Northeast Yonkers
6882-666: The overall scheme. Bosworth came up with a plan for the gardens: the greenhouse would act as a portal to the formal landscapes, of which there would be six main sections, the Walled Garden, the Vista, the Color Gardens, the Rose Garden, the Vegetable Gardens, and the Temple of Love, perched on a rocky promontory. Of these, the Walled Garden – which was not always called that – was
6975-462: The population. Non-Hispanic whites were 41.4 percent of the population in 2010, down from 89.9 percent in 1970. Data from the 2020 census indicated that Yonkers' population grew by eight percent from 2010 to 2020, an increase from 195,976 to 211,569. Yonkers surpassed Rochester as the third-most populous city in New York, behind New York City and Buffalo . The Hispanic population increased, as
7068-506: The public welfare. Untermyer had a passion for horticulture, which he said he inherited from his mother, and was an expert in the subject. According to his family, if he could have lived his life over again, he would have wanted to be the New York City Parks Commissioner . Untermyer wanted his estate to have formal gardens, and his competitive nature wanted them to be better than John D. Rockefeller 's, whose estate Kykuit
7161-429: The public, hosted performances of noted dancers, actors and musicians, and were considered to be among the finest gardens in the United States. When Untermyer died in 1940, he had hoped to donate the whole estate to New York Shate Westchester County, or to the City of Yonkers. Eventually Yonkers agreed to accept part of the estate. The parcel, which was the core of the gardens, and which has been added to since that time,
7254-607: The raceway and casino in 2018 for $ 850 million. During the COVID-19 pandemic , the city opened several test sites at the ParkCare Pavilion of St. John's Riverside Hospital (considered a COVID-19 hotspot). The test site was operated by the New York State Department of Health during the pandemic. More test sites opened in the city as students prepared to return to school for in-person instruction. In February 2023,
7347-472: The rocks are hollowed out in order to be used as planters. The Rock and Stream Garden is the remnant of the original Rock Garden, which featured a tiny stream running through a jumble of stones. It was buried beneath vegetation and dirt for many years, until it was rediscovered and rebuilt using elements of the original, and connecting it to the watercourse of the Temple of Love, which includes waterfalls, ponds and bridges. The Lion and Unicorn Gate entrance to
7440-532: The setting of two feature films by local filmmaker Robert Celestino : Mr. Vincent (1997) and Yonkers Joe (2008). The city is the setting for the 2005 film A Tale of Two Pizzas , and Tyler, the Creator released " Yonkers " in 2011. Neil Simon 's play, Lost in Yonkers , and its film version are set in the city. A new Lionsgate Studios facility hosts the Spanish multimedia communications group Mediapro , and
7533-407: The topography of the land on which the garden was to be built, and the position of the house on the property, should determine what kind of features it should contain. To Bosworth, it was also ideal that the house and garden should be built at the same time. This was not possible with the Untermyer estate, as Greystone was already built and was not well-sited for Bosworth's purposes. The land as well
7626-480: The tower spilled, causing flooding in the area that crushed cars and damaged homes. Construction of a new tower began in 1938, and it became operational the following year. During the American Civil War , 254 Yonkers residents joined the U.S. Army and Navy . They enlisted primarily in four regiments: the 6th New York Heavy Artillery , the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry , the 17th New York Volunteers , and
7719-451: The woods at night. This culminated in the discovery of the remains of several mutilated dogs in the aqueduct south of the park. David Berkowitz , the notorious "Son of Sam" serial killer, reported being part of a Satanic cult that met in the grounds of the park. The allegation was neither proven nor disproven. In the 1970s an effort was made to restore the garden by Yonkers Mayor Angelo Martinelli, architect James Piccone and Larry Martin, but
7812-476: Was 10,827.4 people per square mile (4,180.5 people/km ). There were 80,839 housing units, with an average density of 4,466.2 per square mile (1,724.4/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 55.8 percent white , 18.7 percent African American , 0.7 percent Native American , 5.9 percent Asian , 0.1 percent Pacific Islander , 14.7 percent from other races, and 4.1 percent from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any racial background were 34.7 percent of
7905-417: Was a large rectangular limestone gate topped by a relief of Artemis by Ulric H. Ellerhusen . The Walled Garden has a canal which ran south-north, from the entrance to the small open-air amphitheater at the other end, and another which bisects it running east-west, with a small pool at the intersection. Each canal has numerous water jets. Untermyer had hired the engineer Charles Wellford Leavitt to design
7998-578: Was a wealthy Dutchman who, at his death, had amassed an estate which included present-day Yonkers and several other Hudson River towns. Philipse's great-grandson, Frederick Philipse III, was a prominent loyalist during the American Revolution who had economic and political ties to English businesspeople. Because of his political leanings, he fled to England. American colonists in New York State confiscated and sold all lands and property belonging to
8091-610: Was known as one of the world's premier carpet-producing centers. In addition to manufacturing, Yonkers played a key role in the development of recreational sports in the United States. Scottish-born John Reid founded Saint Andrew's Golf Club in the city in 1888; it was the first golf course in the United States. That year, the New York City and Northern Railway Company (later the New York Central Railroad ) connected Yonkers to Manhattan and points north. A three-mile spur to Getty Square operated until 1943. Bakelite ,
8184-502: Was located near the Neperah stream (now the Saw Mill River , also known as Nepperhan Creek), which flowed into the Shatemuck ( Hudson River ). The land on which the city is built was once part of Colen Donck , a 24,000-acre (97-square-kilometer) Dutch land grant . It ran 12 miles (19 km) north from the present-day Manhattan –Bronx border at Marble Hill, and from the Hudson River east to
8277-514: Was not flat and regular as a tradition formal garden would require. Instead, Untermyer's estate was rocky and irregular with hillocks, mounds, outcroppings and dips, and it sloped steeply down to the Hudson River. In addition, while Rockefeller wanted a spring and fall garden, as he and his family did not live at Kykuit in the summer, Untermyer's focus was on horticulture and growing things, and wanted Bosworth to provide – along with stands of trees, water features and architectural effects –
8370-515: Was not too far away, so in 1916, after buying additional property to the north and east of the original estate to expand it to 150 acres (61 ha), Untermyer hired the École des Beaux Arts -trained architect and landscape designer William Welles Bosworth – who had contributed to the architecture of Kykuit on and off for 20 years – to build "the finest garden in America." Bosworth, despite his Beaux Arts training, had become conflicted about
8463-630: Was planned between Getty Square and the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line , which terminates in Riverdale at 242nd Street (slightly south of the city line). The plan was dropped. In 1937, a 175-foot (53 m) water tower collapsed in the Nodine Hills area; nine people were initially injured. The injury total increased by three after the collapse, bringing the number to 12. About 100,000 U.S. gallons (380,000 L) of water from
8556-499: Was renamed Untermyer Park and Gardens in his honor. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Untermyer Gardens have recently undergone a significant campaign of restorations, which is continuing. In 1865, John T. Waring, the owner of the largest hat factory in the U.S., bought 33 acres of land from the Bolmer estate, and had architect John Davis Hatch build a turreted mansion on it which Waring called "Greystone",
8649-516: Was visited by Pope John Paul II in October 1995 and by Pope Benedict XVI in April 2008. Getty Square is Yonkers' downtown and its civic center and central business district . Much of southwest Yonkers grew along the railroad and trolley (now bus) lines along South Broadway and in Getty Square which run to New York City. Clusters of apartment buildings surrounded the stations of the Yonkers branch of
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