Overview

At the base of the Hudson Valley, White Plains is an affluent commuters’ suburb near New York City and the seat of Westchester County on the Bronx River. It’s also a major retail center and home to many corporate offices as well as site of Pace University’s White Plains Campus (1923) and Westchester County Center, focus of cultural and recreational activities. Of historic interest in White Plains is the site of an important American Revolution battle in 1776, the Battle of White Plains. The Jacob Purdy House (1721) was used by George Washington as his headquarters during the battle here; and the Elijah Miller House (1738) in nearby North Castle, also used by Washington. The area was settled by Puritans in 1683, and called by the Siwanoy Indian term meaning “the white plains,” referring probably to the mists above the marshes here. In 1776 White Plains was also the scene of the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the New York Provincial Congress. A major program of urban renewal included the construction of large office and retail buildings in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Living and working in White Plains combines the satisfaction of success with the delight of clean, green, suburban living for your family and your employees. The City offers superb cultural and recreational facilities. There are numerous active and passive public parks and nature areas, with over 20 percent of the City’s land in open space.

A residential community of nearly 54,000, the population soars to more than 200,000 during the day as office workers, shoppers and visitors arrive by car, rail, bus and plane. White Plains is Westchester’s premier business market and is home to the county’s largest concentration of retail activity. With three major malls and the smaller White Plains Mall, and a dynamic and renewed downtown featuring pleasant stores, outstanding restaurants and nightlife, the White Plains economy benefits from more than $1.3 billion in annual retail sales. Downtown White Plains has become a corporate hub attracting high technology firms, major corporations and investments from local universities. With nearly 1,700 units of new residential housing under construction in the downtown, it will soon become a major residential neighborhood as well. White Plains is viewed by residents and visitors alike as one of the most attractive and desirable cities in the state in which to live, work, shop and play.

Attractive and affordable home ownership and rental opportunities exists in White Plains, with the added advantage of low taxes. It is a city of diverse neighborhoods enriched with 28 identified neighborhood associations. A major corporate relocation magazine rated White Plains among the top ten communities in the nation for corporate relocation based on their assessment of the quality of the public school system – the only one in New York State to achieve such a rating.

Living in “The City in the Park” offers leisure time opportunities to enjoy its outstanding recreational and cultural facilities. The Recreation & Parks Department offers over one hundred sports and athletic programs, instructional classes, camps, cultural activities, special events and a variety of other activities annually.

History

The Weckquaeskeck tribe, members of the Mohican nation, who had lived on the land in harmony with nature and its creatures, called their home Quarropas. The name was descriptive of the fogs that hung above the swamplands and remained suspended for days on end like a white opaque blanket. Translated, Quarropas means the white marshes or the white plains.

The land White Plains now occupies – first settled by New England colonists who bought it from the Mohican Indians in 1683 – has been a focal point in the history of New York State and the nation. The White Plains Armory on South Broadway stands on the site of the original County Courthouse where, on July 11, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read publicly in New York State for the first time. This historical event supports the claim that White Plains is the birthplace of the State of New York. George Washington later established headquarters here, and the Battle of White Plains marked a turning point in the struggle for independence.

In 1778, White Plains became county seat of Westchester by legislative act. On April 3, 1866, White Plains became an incorporated village and in 1916, the Village was incorporated as a City. White Plains, situated only 25 miles north of Manhattan, has impressive credentials.

The city is full of quiet residential areas populated by Victorian, American Four-Square, early-20th-century bungalow-style homes, and educational facilities. Fleetwood’s focal point is to attract more development for luxury living as well as a thriving business and nightlife area. The roundabout at Gramatan and Lincoln Avenues is the door to its grand entrance.

Fleetwood is currently a fast-growing upscale community with appreciating land and property values, as land is a precious commodity in this urban area. As residents and new comers alike begin to return and come to this area of city following decades of suburban retreat from the busy and noisy life of Manhattan, Fleetwood offers an attractive mix of amenities and attractions, as well as proximity to Manhattan offices and destinations though the Metro North railroad. The recent construction and opening of the roundabout over the Downtown Connector has reconnected Fleetwood with the Downtown of the city along Gramatan Avenue. It connects Fleetwood to new and improved downtown setting along Gramatan Avenue.

Downtown/Southside

Downtown Mount Vernon is one of the largest business districts in the county of Westchester and New York metro area. The tallest building in Mount Vernon the Saratoga, sits at the center of Petrels Plaza, a major transit and residential area of the downtown which is set for massive redevelopment. The Saratoga is one of the tallest residential buildings in the county, and the one of the tallest residential buildings in a downtown setting in the county. Downtown Mount Vernon is the heart of the city. This area contains striking architecture dating as far back as the early 1900’s.

In 2004 the Sanford Boulevard revitalization project went under way. This was a major urban renewal project along this once thriving corridor which over time begun to decay. The project was meant to economically revitalize the South Side and provide jobs to low income and unemployed residents in the city. Companies that were included in this project were Target, Starbucks, Bed Bath & Beyond, Staples, Best Buy, Famous Footwear, Stop & Shop, T.J. Maxx, Petco, and Restaurant Depot. Future projects to help the city on a citywide scale are residential and mixed-use office and retail projects.

Area: 9.8 square miles

Population: 55,394

Demographics

White: 64.93%

African American: 15.91%

Latino: 8.08%

Asian: 4.50%

Other: 5.86%

Median income: $58,545

Total housing units: 21,576