Riverdale is a residential neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the New York City borough of the Bronx. Riverdale, which had a population of 47,850 as of the 2000 United States census, contains the city's northernmost point at the University of Mount Saint Vincent.Schneider, Daniel B. "F.Y.I." , The New York Times, July 1, 2001. Accessed April 20, 2021. "Getting Your Bearings Q. Where are the city's northern, southern, eastern and westernmost points, and what is the greatest distance between one point and another? A.... According to A Natural History of New York City by John Kieran (Houghton Mifflin, 1959), the easternmost point is in Glen Oaks, Queens, at about 73 degrees 42 minutes west longitude, and the extreme northern point is the bank of the Hudson in the Mount St. Vincent area of the Bronx, at about 40 degrees 55 minutes north latitude." Riverdale's boundaries are disputed, but it is commonly agreed to be bordered by Yonkers to the north, Van Cortlandt Park and Broadway to the east, the Kingsbridge neighborhood to the southeast, either the Harlem River or the Spuyten Duyvil neighborhood to the south (Although Spuyten Duyvil is sometimes considered to be the southernmost section of Riverdale), and the Hudson River to the west. Riverdale Avenue is the primary north–south thoroughfare through Riverdale.
The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community District 8, and its ZIP Codes include 10463 and 10471. The area is patrolled by the 50th Precinct of the New York City Police Department.
History Legend states that in 1664, Anthony Van Corlaer (later determined to be a fictional character) died while attempting to swim across the Harlem River from nearby Spuyten Duyvil.Boland, Ed, Jr. "F.Y.I.: Beating the Devil" The New York Times (October 13, 2002) In the legend, a witness to Van Corlaer's death stated that "the devil" in the shape of a giant fish swam up and proceeded to "seize the sturdy Anthony by the leg and drag him beneath the waves." This fictional account may be a reference to the earliest recorded shark attack in the New World. In the late 17th century, Frederick Philipse, the lord of Philipse Manor in Westchester County, received permission to construct a bridge across Spuyten Duyvil Creek and charge tolls. "King's Bridge", located roughly south of and parallel to where West 230th Street lies today, opened in 1693., p.100
Early in its residential development, Riverdale was a 19th-century estate district where many of Manhattan's moguls built their country estates; for example, in northern Riverdale, what is now Fieldston was part of the estate of Major Joseph Delafield, who purchased in 1829, and named it after his family's estate in England. At the turn of the century, the new popularity of railroad commutes enabled wealthy businessmen to make Riverdale their year-round residence. Fieldston, owned by a private association, is a particularly intact example of a turn-of-the-century upper-class suburb. The Hudson Hill neighborhood retains many historic mansions. Riverdale's elite private schools and historic churches also reflect this past. Development of the neighborhood began in the latter half of the 19th century once the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad came through.Ultan, Lloyd. "Riverdale" in . pp. 1108–09. The tracks originally crossed Spuyten Duyvil Creek and into Manhattan on the west side, but Cornelius Vanderbilt wanted to consolidate his railroad operations into one terminal. He had tracks laid along the north side of the Harlem River so that trains coming south from Albany could join with the Harlem and New Haven lines and come into Manhattan down the Park Avenue main line, along modern-day Park Avenue, into his new Grand Central Depot., p.944 This is the route still used by the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line.
The Delafield family laid out lots in Fieldston in 1909 – the year after the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line (present-day ) was extended to Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street, intending to develop the land, which at first was called "Delafield Woods". Rather than use a grid plan, civil engineer Albert E. Wheeler, following the suggestions made by Frederick Law Olmsted and James R. Croes in 1876, designed a street plan which followed the contours of the land and preserved as much of the wooded areas as possible. The first house was begun in 1910 and finished in 1911; by the beginning of the 21st century, Fieldston, a privately owned community, was one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in New York City.Hermalyn, Gary D. "Fieldston" in , p.441 Leland Weintraub, the commissioner who moved for the district's creation, noted that "most of the features commonly associated with the American romantic suburb of the mid-19th century", including "a picturesque site, landscaping and architecture; connection to the city by accessible transportation and a layout adapted to the topography" are present in the area.
In 1928, Genevieve Ludlow Griscom, who was a member of a small religious group called the Outer Court of the Order of the Living Christ, built a mansion at 360 West 253rd Street – also addressed as 5200 Longview Place – for the express purpose of housing Jesus Christ when the Second Coming occurred. After being derelict for a number of years under successive owners, the mansion was bought in 1987 by entrepreneur Jerry Galuten, who renovated it into an even more opulent 17 room home. After being on- and off-the market for eight years, with an asking price as high as $15 million, the house sold in January 2017 for $6.25 million.Gollayan, Christian (April 8, 2017) "NYC mansion built for Jesus finally sells" New York Post
As the 20th century progressed, upscale apartment buildings and smaller houses were added to the neighborhood. To this day, Riverdale continues to maintain its character as an affluent enclave in the city of New York.Cary, Bill (November 11, 2016) "Riverdale: A Bit of Suburbia in New York City" The Wall Street Journal Hughes, C. J. (May 7, 2016) "Moving to the Bronx" The New York TimesFerretti, Fred (October 6, 1989) "Uptight in Riverdale" New York The rich history of Riverdale has led to the creation of the Riverdale Historic District.
In May 2009, the FBI ran a sting operation to prevent a bombing plot in which two Riverdale synagogues were the suggested targets. This followed a Molotov cocktail attack in 2000 on a different Riverdale synagogue and the 1989 firebombing of the Riverdale Press.
On July 26, 2010, the National Weather Service confirmed that an EF1 tornado had hit Riverdale the day before. There were no fatalities, but seven people were injured.
On December 1, 2013, a train derailment near Spuyten Duyvil station resulted in four deaths and over 70 injuries, of which 11 were critical.
Geography
Riverdale covers about in area. It has one of the highest elevations in New York City, affording it views of the Empire State Building, George Washington Bridge, Hudson River and New Jersey Palisades. It is also noted for the numerous parks and expanses of greenery and original forest that complement its hilly landscape. The neighborhood is bordered on the north by the city of Yonkers in Westchester County, and on the west by the Hudson River, but its eastern and southern boundaries are frequently disputed. The AIA Guide to New York City gives Broadway as the eastern boundary, and the Harlem River as the southern. There are several long-debated subsections of Riverdale: Central Riverdale (the "downtown" area of Riverdale – from Manhattan College Parkway to West 232nd Street and from the Henry Hudson Parkway to Riverdale Avenue and Waldo Avenue) Fieldston (Riverdale south of West 250th Street, east of the Henry Hudson Parkway, north of Manhattan College Parkway, and west of Tibbett Avenue) Hudson Hill (Riverdale above West 246th Street and west of Henry Hudson Parkway) North Riverdale (Riverdale above West 254th Street and west of Fieldston Road) Mosholu (Riverdale East of Fieldston Road and above West 254th Street, includes Spencer Ave, Huxley Rd, Post Rd, and Broadway) Spuyten Duyvil / South Riverdale (the southernmost section of Riverdale, below West 232nd Street or West 239th Street by some definitions. Also included is the business, commercial and shopping district located at West 231st Street and Broadway) Villanova Heights (a sub-division bounded by Fieldston Road on the east, 250th Street on the south, and the Henry Hudson Parkway on the west and north)Rowland, Amy. "Smile When You Call Them McMansions" , The New York Times (June 5, 2009)Flegenheimer, Matt. "In Riverdale, More 'For Sale' Signs Than Sales" , The New York Times (December 5, 2011)
The leafy, scenic enclave of Fieldston was designated a historic district by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2006., pp.344–45 There is also a in the northwest of the neighborhood, designated in 1990.
Demographics
Based on data from the 2010 United States census, the population of Riverdale was 27,860, a change of −153 (−0.5%) from the 28,013 counted in 2000. Covering an area of , the neighborhood had a population density of .Table PL-P5 NTA: Total Population and Persons Per Acre – New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010 , Population Division – New York City Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 16, 2016.
The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 67.5% (18,794) White, 7.7% (2,136) African American, 0.1% (26) Native American, 5.3% (1,468) Asian, 0% (4) Pacific Islander, 0.3% (91) from other races, and 1.6% (446) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.6% (4,895) of the population.Table PL-P3A NTA: Total Population by Mutually Exclusive Race and Hispanic Origin – New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010 , Population Division – New York City Department of City Planning, March 29, 2011. Accessed June 14, 2016. The neighborhood has a substantial Jewish presence. In 2003, a majority of the Jewish population in the Bronx lived in Riverdale.
The entirety of Community District 8, which comprises Riverdale, Fieldston, and Kingsbridge, had 102,927 inhabitants as of NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 80.9 years. This is about the same as the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 20% are between the ages of between 0–17, 28% between 25 and 44, and 25% between 45 and 64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 9% and 18% respectively.
As of 2017, the median household income in Community District 8 was $53,986. In 2018, an estimated 15% of Riverdale residents lived in poverty, compared to 25% in all of the Bronx and 20% in all of New York City. One in eleven residents (9%) were unemployed, compared to 13% in the Bronx and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 52% in Riverdale, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 58% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, , Riverdale is considered high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying.
Housing
Riverdale is home to the modernist landmark Saul Victor house, designed by Ferdinand Gottlieb in 1967. Other famous mansions in the Hudson Hill neighborhood include: Greyston (1864), Alderbrook (1880), Stonehurst (1861) and Oaklawn (1863). Since 2005, Central Riverdale has experienced a building boom with the addition of many mid- and high-rise condominium buildings. With a median residence value of $579,196 as of 2013, Riverdale is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in New York City and is considered one of the most sought-after residential neighborhoods.