Continental roots in a growing city on the Long Island Sound
French Protestant refugees didn’t just take their families and religion with them when they settled in what is now the city of New Rochelle in the 17th century; they brought their hometown’s name. The port city of La Rochelle hugs France’s west coast, an ocean away from its sister city where an island-staggered shore meets the estuary waters of the Long Island Sound. Beyond knowing the shape of the shoreline that makes up its southern border, there’s not a chance the Huguenots would recognize the New Rochelle of today; farmland has been built up into suburban blocks and subdivisions, centered around the reflective high-rises that tower above New York’s still-expanding seventh-largest city. “New Rochelle is one of Westchester County’s oldest commuter towns,” says Adam Salgado, New Rochelle’s development commissioner. “Today, New Rochelle is New York’s fastest growing city. Over the past decade, the city has approved 32 new developments, which translates to 11,000 new units of housing.” The five boroughs are indisputably, both historically and in the modern day, New Rochelle’s raison d'être. However, multi-pronged redevelopment initiatives in a city already rich with excellent parks, cultural centers and commuter perks ensure the Queen City of the Sound deserves its own recognition as a tour de force of both suburban and urban design.
New Rochelle has a vibrant history dating back to settlements by French protestant refugees.
Downtown New Rochelle offers a nice balance between living, shopping, and entertainment.
New Rochelle benefits from excellent parks and proximity to the Long Island Sound.
Cultural events such as Pride Day are held throughout the year in New Rochelle.
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Westchester County healthcare, NYC commuting and ongoing development in New Rochelle
Like much of New York state, economies built on agriculture and manufacturing are far in New Rochelle’s past. Since the 19th century, a focus on resort-seeking New Yorkers brought in by steamboats was abandoned in favor of full-time suburbia alongside the construction of commuter highways and railways. Today, institutions like Iona University and Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital contribute to Westchester County’s predominant healthcare and education industries in New Rochelle. The latter acts as the university hospital for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, following its acquisition by the Montefiore Health System in 2013.
Shuttling commuters into New York City is an industry in itself. Interstate 95 runs through the city, starting many on the roughly 20-mile drive to Manhattan. The New Rochelle station is a fixture on both Metro-North Railroad and Amtrak timetables. Those riding the New Haven line can be at Grand Central Station in about 40 minutes. Bee-Line buses drive routes throughout Westchester County, many of which make stops at the transit center that stands adjacent to the train station. Frequent fliers are between about 15 and 20 miles away from both Westchester County Airport and LaGuardia International Airport.
Investments in New Rochelle’s future manifest in its skyline; all around, cranes swing over construction sites between plenty of recently built mixed-use projects. “All of this development was made possible by the city’s innovative approach to reforming our outdated zoning code to expedite the zoning and environmental review process,” Salgado says. Outside of the dozens of projects being built by private developers, many of which seek to increase housing within New Rochelle, the city is undertaking its own slew of development and redevelopment projects. The reimagined New Rochelle Transit Center is one such project, set to revitalize a vital piece of commuter infrastructure ahead of the 2027 extension of Penn Station access via the Metro-North. Modern design concerns like plentiful green space and a focus on pedestrian-friendliness will be represented, as will 19th century architectural design in the historic facelift slated for the train station itself. The approval of the New Rochelle Downtown Retail Strategy was only completed in 2024, but included provisions like the creation of a Vanguard District with modernized code restrictions and beautification initiatives seek to draw an increasing number of business owners and patrons to New Rochelle’s city center.
Choosing between Westchester County suburbia and Downtown New Roc City
Westchester has a reputation for containing a wealth of suburban neighborhoods, something which homebuyers seek in New Rochelle alongside the denser developments clustered toward its center. Parks and ponds dot Rochelle Heights, a historic neighborhood known for its tree-shaded, highly varied collection of early 20th century single-family homes. Co-op and condo complexes built from the prewar era through the last couple of decades rise above the trees in Downtown New Rochelle. The median price of a home in New Rochelle is $710,000, higher than the $416,700 national median given by the National Association of Realtors. Homes take 47 days to sell on average, only a little longer than the national average of 44 days.
Downtown New Rochelle offers a mix of modern luxury condominiums and co-ops.
Colonial homes in Rochelle Heights have classic architecture and beautiful lawns.
This beautiful row of single-family homes is typical in Sun Haven/Homestead Park.
Those seeking large homes with water views will find them in the Isle of San Souci.
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Public and private recreation on the Long Island Sound
Across hundreds of acres of city and county parks, some of New Rochelle’s best-loved are on the waterfront, or, indeed, offshore. Crossing a drawbridge over the Long Island Sound to Glen Island Park, visitors can explore looping walking trails to find enchanting castle ruins leftover from a German-inspired 20th century resort or the sandy, crescent-shaped Glen Island Park Beach. Nearby, members launch yachts and sailboats from the Huguenot Yacht Club’s docks; the city’s municipal marina opens access to the water for those not wanting to maintain a private membership. Inland, recreation centers also range from the private to the public, from the prestigious Wykagyl Country Club to the Hutchinson River-hugging trails through Nature Study Woods.
Glen Island Park features castle ruins, walking trails, and a sandy beach in the summer.
Members launch yachts and sailboats from the Huguenot Yacht Club's docks.
The prestigious Wykagyl Country Club features one of the top 100 golf courses in the USA.
Trails in Nature Study Woods hug the Hutchinson River and are popular with dog walkers.
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Shopping, dining and cultural hubs along North Avenue and Main Street
Commercial zones along North Avenue and Main Street carry the bulk of New Rochelle’s business life, from mom-and-pop laundromats and grocery stores to a truly globe-spanning community of restaurants. The Michelin Guide has recognized the quality of both Maria Restaurant, a newer, elegant-industrial Italian place, and Dubrovnik, a high-end Croatian spot that celebrated a decade of service in 2023. Many churches, a handful of synagogues and a single Islamic Center gather religious congregations throughout the city.
Also downtown, a massive entertainment multiplex, New Roc City, filled the void left by the former New Rochelle Mall with a movie theater, indoor sport facility and Sky Zone Trampoline Park. Art shows regularly grace city hall in the Rotunda Gallery. The New Rochelle Council on the Arts also organizes more fleeting cultural events, working to bring together venues and performing artists for the weekend-long annual ArtsFest and inviting music-lovers to bring a lawn chair to Hudson Park every Wednesday night in July and August during the Summer Sounds Concert Series.
Commercial zones along North Avenue and Main Street are filled with retail and dining.
The Michelin Guide has recognized the quality of Maria Restaurant, a newer Italian place.
New Roc City features a movie theater, indoor sport facility, and Sky Zone Trampoline Park.
The Summer Sounds Concert Series is one of many cultural events that residents can enjoy.
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The Museum of Arts & Culture at New Rochelle High
The City School District of New Rochelle earns a B-plus from Niche. New Rochelle High School itself earns an A-minus and resembles nothing less than a castle, sprawling in a French-Gothic-inspired collection of towers and turrets on the banks of Huguenot Lake. Complementing its architectural artistry, the high school’s newer wing is also home to the Museum of Arts & Culture, an in-school art museum that opens rotating exhibits to the appointment-making public both during and after school hours. The A-rated Ursuline School and A-plus-rated Iona Preparatory School are two popular, private Catholic schools in the city, enrolling all girls and all boys respectively.
New Rochelle High School has a working clock tower, planetarium and television station.
The A-rated Ursuline School is a popular private Catholic school for girls.
A-plus-rated Iona Preparatory School is private school for boys.
Ionia University offers degrees in business, healthcare, education, and the arts.
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Crime data, four seasons and stormwater infrastructure in New Rochelle
According to crime data reported to the New Rochelle Police Department's annual reports, personal crime slightly increased from 2022 to 2023, with yearly total instances rising from 110 to 136. Property crime also slightly increased from 1,152 to 1,154 instances during the same years.
New Rochelle sees all four seasons, with late summer highs peaking in the '90s and midwinter lows dipping into the single digits. Precipitation in the form of rain or snow is a year-round phenomenon.
A drainage analysis completed in 2023 revealed 170 needed mitigation projects across New Rochelle, speaking to aging infrastructure and the risk posed by stormwater surge across six watersheds. The city began breaking ground on several projects in 2024, kicking off what will be a $350 million, decade-long process to manage a level of stormwater that is expected to increase alongside climate change.
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