Yonkers

Just under 25 miles north of the heart of New York City, Northeast Yonkers sits above the bustling metropolitan hubbub of the city. Its eastern half’s looping suburban streets are complemented by the massive, 278-acre Sprain Ridge Park occupying the western half, which is characterized by its trails and an expansive reservoir. “The trail along the Sprain Brook Parkway is very attractive to people,” says Clayton Jeffrey, an associate broker with Keller Williams NY Realty. “There’s also one that goes up and down the Hudson River, and you’re a hop, skip and a jump from Ridge Hill.” The appeal of Northeast Yonkers lies on its quiet streets, which offer a respite from city life yet remain within the metropolitan area’s orbit for convenient commutes. “People look to move to Yonkers for a suburban lifestyle, yet they’re very close to the city,” Jeffrey says. “They like the affordability and taxes.” Sprain Ridge Park occupies much of the western half of the neighborhood, serving as the primary recreational outlet for Northeast Yonkers locals. There’s trails for biking and hiking through the wooded areas of the park’s 278 acres, an 18-hole golf course and a pool. Visitors have to stay on the shores of the Grassy Sprain Reservoir if they want to fish; no boating or wading is allowed, and anglers need a permit to cast lines in the water. Rory O’Moore Memorial Park has a baseball field for local youth teams to play and practice. More extreme athletes take to the E.J. Murray Memorial Skating Center’s indoor rink, around for more than 60 years, or Yonkers Skatepark, which has a concrete bowl, ramps and several rails. “You can’t underscore the outdoor life,” Jeffrey says. “The Bronx River Parkway is usually closed from Yonkers all the way to the Kensico Reservoir. They call it Bicycle Sunday – whether you want to run, blade, ride or push a trolley, whatever you want to do.” Bicycle Sunday has been around for half a century and operates on a stretch of the parkway spanning 6.5 miles. One of Ridge Hill Plaza’s most notable attractions is the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester, which has rides, interactive showcases, a 4-D theater and, of course, places for visitors to build LEGO creations. Across the street, thrill-seekers hover at iFly Indoor Skydiving. “You see people come up from the city for that,” Jeffrey says. “I was talking with a woman from Brooklyn recently about sky jumping, and she compared it to the iFly at Ridge Hill. That complex is a huge attraction to the area.” An annual St. Patrick’s Day parade is another staple of the Yonkers area, which has significant Irish heritage. “They have one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the area, and it’s a whole party on that weekend,” Jeffrey says. “Because it’s multicultural, there’s always some kind of festival somewhere.” Cultural and seasonal celebrations are among the frequent events in the area, including the annual McLean Fall Festival. Residents have several options for shopping and dining on both sides of Northeast Yonkers. In the northeastern part of the neighborhood, Mont Olympos Diner is renowned for its retro interior atmosphere and dual-wields both American and Greek food. Just south, Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar sits at the end of a shopping center. On the west side of the reservoir, Ridge Hill Plaza serves as the shopping hub within Northeast Yonkers. The mall has major brand stores like H&M and Sephora, along with a Cheesecake Factory and Yard House for diners. Other major draws within the mall include the Yonkers Comedy Club and Sky Zone Trampoline Park, while a Whole Foods stocks groceries in the southern part of the mall. A ShopRite and H Mart each sit less than three miles from the plaza. The Sprain Brook Parkway flanks the reservoir, splitting on the southern end and merging back into one on the northern side. Both sections run through the park, and it encompasses nearly 13 miles from Yonkers to Hawthorne. Locally, Northeast Yonkers is convenient to the city. “Realistically, it’ll take an hour,” Jeffrey says of the journey to Midtown Manhattan. “There’s an express bus that goes all the way down Central Park Avenue, and some people also take the 20 bus from Central Avenue to the 4 train, or they take a bus on North Broadway down to the 1 train. It’s about a 20-minute or half-hour drive to the subway, and anywhere in New York City is easy to reach.” Interstate 87 comprises the western edge of the neighborhood, running over 330 miles vertically through New York. Its entire span goes from the Bronx up to the Canadian border, and Albany is among the stops on the way. Bus lines run along Central Park Avenue on the east side and Tuckahoe Road on the south side. New York City is about 25 miles south, though commute time depends on mode of transportation and traffic. Homes in Northeast Yonkers come in a variety of styles, with single-family properties typically of Cape Cod and split-level designs. Prices rarely drop below $700,000 for those homes, rising up to close to $1 million. “It has affordable taxes, compared to the rest of the country,” Jeffrey says of Yonkers. “A starter home with taxes isn’t unusual to see at $800,000 or $900,000. There’s a lot of Cape Cods and bungalows; one that needs updating can start at $500,000, and those in good shape could be $800,000.” The residential streets serve as one of the neighborhood’s primary attractive features, as they sit outside of the city to the south. The CAP crime score for Northeast Yonkers is a 2 out of 10, below the national average of 4. Students in Northeast Yonkers are part of the Yonkers City School District, which encompasses a number of grade schools in the area and serves as a district of choice. This includes places like School 29, which serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and is situated in the northern part of the neighborhood. Roosevelt High School Early College Studies hosts grades nine through 12, and clubs there include yoga, gaming and Future Business Leaders of America. Both schools earn a B grade from Niche.