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Yonkers, New York real estate is ideally located immediately north of New York City and is the largest city in Westchester County. A constant flow of new residents continues to move into Yonkers, New York existing homes or resale homes. Searching Yonkers, New York MLS resale listings is almost effortless on NewHomesRealEstate.net because we have volumes of comprehensive listings of Yonkers, New York existing homes for sale, from mansions to investment properties to condominiums to townhouses.

The Buyer’s Agents of NewHomesRealEstate.net are licensed New York state real estate agents with access to extensive information on the up-to-date inventory of Yonkers existing homes and Yonkers resale homes on the market. With a click of your computer mouse, you can search thousands of resale homes in Yonkers, New York. Customize your search by price and property type to quickly find the perfect resale home that meets your home-buying needs for you and your family.

More than 80 percent of all homebuyers start searching for their new home on the Internet and our Yonkers MLS listings are the perfect place to start. View our library of resale listings and see for yourself. Each listing contains detailed information including color photos, property type, square footage, distance from major metropolitan cities, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, garage size and MLS number. With this amount of information at your fingertips, it is easy to see why NewHomesRealEstate.net is one of the premier Internet resources for Yonkers resale homes.

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Yonkers, New York Area Demographics

Yonkers, New York real estate enjoys a prime location just north of New York City. Yonkers (2003 U.S. census estimated population: 197,388) is the fourth-largest city in the state of New York, after New York City (population: 8,104,079), Buffalo (population: 279,745) and Rochester (population: 212,481) and the largest city in Westchester County. Yonkers real estate borders the New York City borough of The Bronx and is two miles north of the northern edge of the New York City borough of Manhattan.

Westchester County, New York real estate consists of 500 square miles in total area, is home to 940,807 residents (2005 U.S. census estimate) and is the third-largest county in the New York metropolitan area outside the New York City limits, after the Long Island counties of Suffolk (population: 1,474,927) and Nassau (1,333,137). Westchester County enjoys a favorable location, bordered by the New York City borough of the Bronx on the south, Long Island Sound on the southeast, the state of Connecticut on the northeast, Putnam County (N.Y.) on the north, and the Hudson River on the west, with Rockland County (N.Y.) and the state of New Jersey across the river. The terrain is largely rolling hills, intersected by three main streams — the Croton, Bronx and Saw Mill rivers. The county is one of the most heavily forested in the state of New York. It has retained much of its rural character while adopting the urban and suburban lifestyles dictated by its proximity to New York City.

Westchester County is among the highest-income counties in the nation, when measured by per capita income, with an average annual per capita income of $36,726, which ranks 12th nationwide and third in the state, behind No. 2 New York County (Manhattan) ($42,922) and No. 6 Nassau County ($38,762).

Westchester County is divided into six cities and 19 “towns.” In the state of New York, counties are subdivided into cities and towns. Everyone who does not live in a city or on an Indian reservation lives in a town. Villages and hamlets exist within towns. A village is an incorporated area which is usually, but not always, within a single town. A village is a clearly defined municipality that provides the services closest to the residents, such as garbage collection, street and highway maintenance, street lighting and building codes. Some villages provide their own police and other optional services. A hamlet is a populated area within a town that is not part of a village. The term “hamlet” is not defined under New York law (unlike cities, towns and villages), but is often used in the state’s statutes to refer to well-known populated sections of towns that are not incorporated as villages.

The six cities of Westchester County are:

The 19 towns in Westchester County are:

Temperatures at Yonkers vary from an average high of 85 degrees and average low of 65 in July to an average high of 38 and low of 23 in January, with extremes of 104 in 1980 and -10 in 1994. Annual precipitation averages about 51.6 inches.

Yonkers, New York History and Culture

Yonkers, New York real estate has an active, well-documented and thoroughly interesting history. The name “Yonkers” derives from Adriaen Van der Donck, the first landowner in the area beginning in 1646, who was also known as “De Jonkheer,” a Dutch term for “young gentleman.” Yonkers served as the administrative center for the vast Philipse manor estate until the American Revolution. In 1788, the state selected the name “Yonkers” for one of the 20 towns of Westchester County. Incorporated as a village in 1855 and a city in 1872, Yonkers’ location ensured its rise during the 19th century as a leading industrial center.

Yonkers became a center for industry in the 1800s and is the birthplace of FM radio, the safety elevator and the elevated train. Yonkers encompasses 18.3 square miles, boasts four-and-one-half miles of waterfront and a hilly landscape that offers some of the most picturesque views in the New York City metropolitan area. While it is only minutes from all that New York City has to offer, Yonkers has many fine attractions itself, including the Hudson River Museum, Philipse Manor, the 1740 Sherwood House and the Yonkers Police Museum.

Yonkers residents are responsible for many iconic American products; Elisha Graves Otis invented the safety elevator in 1854; Charles Harvey produced the world’s first elevated train in 1867; Leo Baekeland invented the plastic known as “bakelite” in 1906; and Edwin Armstrong became the father of FM radio in 1912. Long known as the “City of Gracious Living” for its fine neighborhoods, Yonkers is the place where the English game of golf was first demonstrated in America (in 1888), and is also the home of Riverfest, the second oldest annual marathon in the country (after the Boston Marathon) and the Untermyer Performing Arts Festival.

The first Europeans to explore Westchester County, New York real estate were Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524 and Henry Hudson (for whom the Hudson River is named) in 1609. Both were simply looking for a water route to Asia, but the beauty and rich resources they found soon brought other Europeans to settle in the area. The abundance of wildlife, particularly beaver, drew many settlers to Westchester County, and they also hunted elk, bear, otter, deer and other animals. Some Europeans did their own trapping, but most traded blankets, hatchets, glass beads and other merchandise for beaver trapped by the local Indians. One of the most successful of these early traders was the Dutchman Jan Peek, for whom the city of Peekskill is named. The first European settlers were sponsored by the Dutch West India Company in the 1620s and 1630s. English settlers arrived from New England in the 1640s.

The Indians of Westchester County were members of the Algonkin (Algonquin) tribes. The Algonquin hunted, fished and grew crops of corn, beans and pumpkins. They gathered oysters and other shellfish in summer to be smoked and dried to add to their winter food supply.

In 1609, Henry Hudson’s ship “Half Moon” sailed up the river that now bears his name. It approached the present site of Yonkers and dropped anchor. A number of bark huts were clustered about a spot where a stream flowed into the river, marking a Native American settlement. The village was called Nappeckamack (rapid water settlement) and the stream was called the Neperah. The Indian villagers living on the banks of the Neperah were of Algonquin lineage, Mohican tribe and Manhattes family. They would later sell much of the land in the area Van der Donck. (Another group, the Weckquaeskecks, occupied the area between what is today the Saw Mill River and the Bronx River.) Van der Donck’s estate was known as Colen-Donck, which means “Donck’s colony.” Sometimes the estate was referred to as “De Jonkheer’s Landt” or as “Donckers.” And the English would call it “Youncker’s Land,” an appellation that was later shortened to “The Yonkers” and, finally, to Yonkers.

When Van der Donck died in 1655, he left his estate to his wife. Colen-Donck remained in her possession until 1667, when it was disposed of in several sales. What still remained of the property afterwards was divided into thirds and sold in 1672. One of the three purchasers was Frederick Philipse, who came to own a large part of “The Yonkers.” Three members of the Philipse family, each of whom was named Frederick, owned most of the territory within the bounds of the present city of Yonkers for 107 years. The first Frederick Philipse came to the New World as a carpenter in the employ of the Dutch West India Co. He later became a merchant and married a rich wife, Margaret Hardenbrock, but she died in 1690. Two years later, Frederick Philipse married the widow Catharina Van Cortlandt, who brought two fortunes to their union — one left her by her husband and one left her by her father. Frederick Philipse was a trader. The building which is today known as Philipse Manor Hall began as Frederick Philipse’s dwelling. The second Frederick Philipse built a chapel, which today forms part of St. John’s Church in Getty Square. He also enlarged the manor house and changed the entrance from the south side to the east side, as it is today. He died in 1751 and is buried in the Dutch Church at Sleepy Hollow. The third Frederick Philipse took over the estate in 1751 and refurnished the manor house and terraced the grounds. The population of Yonkers was small during the Philipse period. In 1708, a missionary reported 250 people living here. The Philipse Manor House still stands in its original location. It is the oldest building in Yonkers, having survived the Native American, Dutch and English periods of local dominance.

During the American Revolution, southern Westchester County became known as the “Neutral Ground” and was the site of a number of significant engagements. A month after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the Americans won their first naval engagement with the British on the Hudson River. Gen. George Washington was among the American military leaders headquartered in the area in late 1776.

The American Revolution brought great changes to Yonkers. No longer was the city part of the Manor of Philipsburgh, for the power of Frederick Philipse was at an end due to his British loyalty. After the war, the state legislature divided New York into 16 counties. One of these counties was Westchester. Westchester was divided into 21 towns. One of these towns was Yonkers. The first census, in 1790, counted 1,125 inhabitants, including 170 slaves.

In the early 19th Century, life in the Town of Yonkers was quiet, with a majority of residents cultivating their farms and improving their homes. Some of them were employed in gristmills, sawmills, blacksmith shops, taverns and country stores. Schools were established by the beginning of the 19th century.

Robert Fulton’s steamboat, “Clermont,” began to make trips from New York City to Albany in the 1820s. Farmers from East Yonkers would bring their produce to the boats. By 1825, Yonkers farmers shipped oats, rye, wheat, corn, hay, potatoes, apples, peaches, pears, cherries, walnuts, chestnuts and pickles — a Yonkers specialty — to New York City. By 1842, the Croton Aqueduct, begun in 1837, was complete, with six miles of the aqueduct running through Yonkers. By 1844, the New York and Harlem Railroad was running to White Plains and making a stop at Tuckahoe. By 1849, the Hudson River Railroad from Spuyten Duyvil to Dobbs Ferry was complete. Later in the 19th century, Yonkers became the world leader in wool hat production, led by the Waring Hat Factory.

Yonkers was incorporated as a village in 1855 with a population of 7,554. Yonkers became a city in 1872 and by 1880, the population was 18,189. Twenty years later, at the dawn of the 20th century, the population had increased to 47,931, with the development of industry and large-scale immigration fueling the rapid growth. That growth continued throughout the 20th century.

Yonkers resident Samuel Tilden won the popular vote for U.S. president in 1876, but lost to Rutherford Hayes in the electoral college in a disputed election. Singer Ella Fitzgerald and songwriter Jerome Kern were also Yonkers residents.

In the last half of the 20th century, Westchester County’s proximity to New York City, its transportation systems, and its available labor force attracted many manufacturing concerns, particularly along the Hudson River, including the Alexander Smith Carpet Co. in Yonkers.

Yonkers, New York Attractions, Activities and Amenities

Yonkers, New York real estate is the epitome of upscale suburban living. The city’s best-known attraction is Yonkers Raceway, a harness racing track that opened in 1899 and is currently undergoing major renovations. With a history that spans more than 300 years, the county includes many other historical attractions.

The Hudson River Museum is a cultural complex that includes the historic Glenview mansion, the Andrus Planetarium and modern gallery space which displays changing exhibitions from its permanent collection of 19th- and 20th-century American art and from other museums. The museum combines elements of art, history and science.

The Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Landmark Site is a Georgian Style mansion in Yonkers that was originally the manor house of Philipsburg Manor from the 1680s to the 1780s. It contains an outstanding portrait collection and hosts special events, concerts and lecture series.

Beczak Environmental Education Center is located in a riverfront park near the Yonkers train station. It has its own beach and provides interactive exhibits and workshops on the ecology, culture and history of the Hudson River tidal estuary.

Despite its high population, development in Westchester County is mostly low density, with most homes sitting on about half an acre of land or more. Single-family homes dominate the landscape, with low-rise condominiums and townhouses sprinkled in, but few high-rise developments.

Most residents of Westchester County have made a conscious choice to withdraw from a city lifestyle, although many commute to New York City for work either by car or train. Many large corporations have relocated from the city to Westchester County, reducing the commute for thousands of county residents.

Dozens of museums and historic sites dot the Westchester County landscape, including: Philipsburg Manor, at Upper Hills; Peekskill Museum; Cortlandt Heritage Museum, at Verplanck; Van Cortlandt Manor, at Croton-on-Hudson; Ossining Heritage Center; Ossining Historical Museum; and the beautiful Union Church of Pocantico Hills, built by the Rockefeller family in the early 20th century, which features stained-glass windows, as well as paintings by Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse, two modern-day masters. The largest mansion in the county was the 204-room Rockwood Hall, built by William Rockefeller in 1887 on 1,000 acres overlooking the Hudson River in North Tarrytown and Mount Pleasant. William’s brother, John D. Rockefeller, completed his mansion and gardens on 3,500 acres in Pocantico Hills in 1913. His son raised his family of six children there and built a million-dollar recreation hall that included a bowling alley, squash court, tennis court and swimming pool. John D. Rockefeller, Sr., enjoyed playing golf daily on his own course built on the grounds and when the Putnam railroad disturbed his peace, he persuaded the railroad to move its tracks five miles away. Kykuit, at Pocantico Hills, was the home to four generations of the Rockefeller family. Tours include the house, gardens and coach barn.

Lyndhurst is an 1838 Gothic Revival mansion designed by Alexander Jackson Davis for William Paulding, a two-term mayor of New York, and owned after 1880 by railroad magnate Jay Gould. Lyndhurst is considered by many the best example of the Gothic Revival style remaining today. The mansion, located just off Route 9 in Tarrytown, features 19th and 20th century decorative arts, furnishings and toys. The museum is a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Another old mansion, Sunnyside, a historic Dutch Colonial Revival mansion built in Tarrytown in 1835, was once occupied by author Washington Irving. Today, Sunnyside features a fully furnished and restored house, icehouse, gardens and wooded footpaths.

The 1883 Lighthouse at Sleepy Hollow, off the shores of Kingsland Point Park on the Hudson River, is occasionally open for tours.

The Historical Society, in Tarrytown, is a museum that features Native American artifacts; items from the area’s early Dutch settlers; Revolutionary War artifacts, featuring a display on the capture of British Maj. John Andre; a display on Washington Irving, who lived in Tarrytown and made that area, which he dubbed “Sleepy Hollow,” and the entire Hudson Valley famous through his works; firearms; jewelry; clothing; and items from World Wars I and II.

The former home and studio of Hudson River School artist Jasper Cropsey is at Hastings-on-Hudson and features an art collection from his famed school of painting.

Tarrytown Music Hall is a National Historic Landmark theater built in 1885 for concerts, town meetings and cotillions. Many consider the distinctive building to be Westchester County’s finest example of the non-residential style of Queen Anne architecture. The 840-seat music hall, with its excellent acoustics, has been host to some of the region’s most prestigious performances. It continues to keep that tradition alive, with many music and performing arts events.

The Warner Library, a beaux arts building built in 1928, has served the villages of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow ever since. Its dramatic bronze door, imported from Venice, Italy, leads to a pleasant period reading room. An art exhibit that changes monthly, a concert series, lectures and demonstrations all contribute to make the library popular with residents and visitors.

Foster Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, founded by freed slave Amanda Foster in 1860, is the oldest black church in continuous use in Westchester County. It is said to have been one of the stops on the Underground Railroad.

Christ Episcopal Church (the “Washington Irving Church”) in Tarrytown is a Gothic Tudor style church — and the scene of Irving’s large funeral in 1859. A slip of ivy given to Irving by his mentor, Sir Walter Scott, still flourishes on the church and rectory.

Whether you seek a luxury home, a starter home, a condominium, a townhouse or an investment property, NewHomesRealEstate.net can help you find the Yonkers, New York real estate you desire.