Riverdale, The Bronx
| Riverdale | |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood in the Bronx | |
Bell Tower Park in Riverdale
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 Riverdale
Riverdale
Riverdale
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| Coordinates: 40°53′38″N 73°54′47″W / 40.894°N 73.913°WCoordinates: 40°53′38″N 73°54′47″W / 40.894°N 73.913°W | |
| Country |
 United States
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| State |
 New York
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| City |
 New York City
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| Borough |
 Bronx
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| Founded | 1852 |
| Named for | The numerous brooks, streams and meadows in the hilly region. |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.03 km2 (2.714 sq mi) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 48,049 |
| • Density | 6,800/km2 (18,000/sq mi) |
| Economics | |
| • Median income (2015) | $91,041 vs. $60,850 (NYC) |
| ZIP codes | 10463, 10471 |
| Area code | 718, 347, 646 |
Riverdale is an upper middle class residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx, a borough in New York City. Riverdale, which has a population of 47,850 as of the 2000 United States Census, contains the northernmost point in New York City.
In 1642, Anthony Van Corlaer died while attempting to swim across the Hudson from nearby Spuyten Duyvil. 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 may be 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", which was located roughly south of and parallel to where West 230th Street lies today, opened in 1693.
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 250 acres (100 ha) in 1829, and named it after his family's estate in England. At the turn of the century, the new popularity of railroad commute 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 of its 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. 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, so 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 Fourth Avenue into his new Grand Central Depot. This is the route still used by Metro-North today.
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