Yonkers New York…obviously! There is no other municipality in the United States named Yonkers. The name itself became a misnomer, since the tiny hamlet was originally named Colen Donck after Adriaen van der Donck who received the land grant from the New Netherland director general in 1645. Apparently he was known as a Jonkheer, or a young gentleman around town and as you may have guessed, the city’s name derived from a watered down “Jonkheer” to simply “Yonkers”
This has happened many many times in the New York Area. Jonas Bronck owned a large plantation and in time, his land became simply known as “The Bronx”.
Seriously however, this blog is not going to be a historical narrative of the city, as there are many people who have documented this throughly but there will be HISTORY.
This blog will not be an essay on current politics, trends and everyday situations and how the city has evolved, but there will be OPINIONS.
It is my OPINION that the HISTORY of our city is one that can be very interesting and is also one that dictates the direction the city will go in for future generations. This blog is about HISTORY…it is also about my OPINION of the city in which I grew up in.
Too many times I have heard people speak of Yonkers and talk about all that is wrong with the city. How happy they are to not live there anymore and question how anyone can live there still. How “great” things were 30,40,50,60 years ago and how “down hill” things have gone.
Yonkers is a city and like any city, it is faced with complex problems and immense disparities of race, social injustice and tolerance. Despite the problems, I hope to highlight all of the GOOD things that make up the city of Yonkers as well as oddities and little known facts along the way. In doing this, my goal is to get people to see the good in Yonkers, to get people talking about Yonkers from a positive perspective and to lend a platform for those who’s lives have either passed through or are currently living in Yonkers.
——Joshman
myyonkers.wordpress.com 
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I grew up in the late 40 and 50’s on Hancock Ave in the Lincoln Park section of Yonkers. As a kid I used to play in the wooded part of Van Cortland Park. In particular at a small lake down by the golf course / rail line. (“The Artificial”) It appears that lake is no longer there. Did silt dry it up and only leave the stream or did someone remove the dam at the southern end of the lake?
Thanks
David Scott – Shepherdstown WV
I also lived on Hancock though in the 60’s,70’s,80’s 90’s, till ’01. And also went into Van Cortland Park & the same lake, we called it a pond! The pond filled up with these swamp grass or weeds in the late 70’s & 80’s. Beaver dams too. About a year or two ago, on the Henry Hudson(?) parkway next to it in a traffic jam, i looked over to see and it was weeded up all the way to water falls near the parkway. i remember in the late 60’s & early 70’s when i was a small boy, going there with my family (and dog Lady) and it Was so beutiful & fun! Those were the days!
Wow, nice story Jeff!
I think this is what we called Johnnie’s Hole. I remember swiming there many times. We entered from Mclean Ave and walked about a half mile through the woods. On the way there was a hugh rock and a tree with a long rope swing. We would jump off the rock and have a great ride.
I grew up across from St. Mary’s on Broadway, grandparents were on Jones Place near St. Joseph’s. Great Uncle was senior engineer at St. Joseph’s Seminary. I remember trolleys thru Getty Square and walking up Locust Hill Ave to visit my dad’s people. We were very safe on the street in those days.
DSS
Wow Donna, thanks for the info! It’s amazing the history some families have in Yonkers!
Grew up in Yonkers, great memories…..born in Yonkers General Hosp. Corner of Ashburton and St. Joseph’s Ave. don’t know what’s there now. Raised in the once beautiful Mulford Gardens, which had lovely flowers all over, without fences. Went to St. Joseph’s School and P.S # 9. So much history in Yonkers.
General Hospital is still there though the cops call the area ‘bulletville’ for about 25 years now! Too bad.
Did you know the Baldwins and Downings?
Ah, i see. Well tha’ts not too tricky at all!”
I was also born in Yonkers General and lived in Mulford Gardens This was thfoz1524@aol. Come50,s We had a baseball team called The Mulford Dogerettes. Does any one remember Carolyn
How delightful to find you. I lived at 305 Warburton Ave. from early 1944 til Feb. 1952 when we moved to White Plains. We rented an apt. on the first floor of an oldish Victorian (can be seen in “Yonkers Then and Now”). Had half of Kdgn. at PS.#6 (a sturdy red brick bldg on Ashburton Ave. now sadly scheduled for being demolished??) PS #25 was a joy — right next to Trevor Park — and on the #1 trolley line.–and I was there until 6th grade grad’n when we then went over the hill to Longfellow Jr. High. We overlooked the Hudson and the Palisades, and our class was a melange of the children of many immigrants — all determined to do well and succeed. We were poor in terms of material goods (compared to today’s kids…), but we skated, biked, played outdoor games until dark, sledded with the first snowfall, and generally felt loved and watched over by our families… So many adventures, and I wish I knew some of my friends from then, but we moved and I rarely returned.
College in Michigan and then moving to California in 1971…. will return for a visit in October and hope to revisit some childhood places then. Viewing the Eschmann carriage house supports my long-felt opinion that there had once been a great house on the land.
Thanks again!
Toni (Iffland) Kiraly
Hey Toni, thanks for writing in! Yea, the family owned a mansion and the Carriage house was for all their Model T cars and stuff. Hope your kids enjoy Yonkers as much as you do, even though quite a bit has changed!
Just discovered this website… I was born in the hospital at Cross County Shopping Center, I used to sit on the Wannamaker rams, and play in the little cabin next to Gimbels. I ate Italian ices from Artuso’s, and bought the Sunday papers at Blackman’s on McLean Ave. Then it was off to the flea market at the raceway. Do you have any pics of Adventure’s, or the stores on Central Ave like Caldor, Korvette or Alexanders? Keep up the good work – and thanks for the memories! : )
No pics of those places but fondly remember them despite being a kid at the time.
Anyone ever hear of Martin ray place [across from Andrus field.
I do. I went to PS 31 which is off Tuckahoe Rd and Central Avenue. The school field was across the street from the Martin Ray tenement houses. I had 3 friends in my early grades who lived there- late 50’s early 60’s. Then the houses and students disappeared and soon they were building the senior housing. I was too young to understand what happened.Funny, when I went to college, one of those girls, recognized me..at least 10 years later.
I lived in the Bryn Mawr Ridge Apts and then Sadore Lane
I also went to P.S. 31 and lived in the Matin Ray Projects. I was born in 55 and we lived there until they tore them down, around 63. We could see the Bryn Mawr Ridge Apartments from our place. After we moved, I went to P.S. 22 and Emerson, then went to Roosevelt.
Of course I remember Martin Ray Pl. I lived there back in the late 50’s early 60’s. Remember the band the Electra-Tones?
does anyone know of an apartment building named “Labra” apartments? I don’t have a street address and don’t even know if it still exists……
Good morning! My name is Rachel and I am currently working on my master’s thesis about southwest Yonkers. If possible, I would love to speak with anyone who has memories/details about the area-specifically during the late 80s-mid 1990s. Email me at Rachel.mccain@aol.com. Thanks! 🙂
I loved growing up in Yonkers, lived on South Devoe for a few years then we moved closer to Lincoln, still on Devoe Ave. so many great memories of playing little league at Coyne Park, and playing stick ball at PS 21. Can remember my dad giving me a dollar and a quarter and sending me off to Herbs candy store and Lincoln Park Bakery for a quart of milk a large rye and the Daily News then he wanted the change. Great web site!
Funny how so many people from Yonkers have those memories. Yea the streets can be different…for me it was Kimball Ave. to got o a Deli called “Milk and Things”…great name by the way! Or it could be different times, 1980’s for me. Thanks for reading Martin…ironically my Dad’s name.
Wow. I remember Herbs. I also went to Ps 21 in the early 70’s. We lived on Borcher Avenue. Miss the neighborhood
What years did you attend PS 21.
82 years young,born on Glenwood Ave,youngest of 10. Moved to Portland Place then to 5 Clark Street,racetrack across the Street. Had a wonderful childhood,married in 1951, to my wonderful Husband we had 51 years together. Oh! An 10 children. Grandma to 22 & GG to 30 happy Senior. He was born in hospital in South Yonkers. Owned Big Al’s Pizza on Warburton Ave years 65,66,67, his regular job was a N.Y, Ironworker local 580. Many story’s of years in Yonkers but all great ones,wonderful Town.
Live in Hudson Valley Connelly,N.Y.
Hey Patricia, email me at MyYonkers@gmail.com. I’m starting a new section on here interviewing and profiling some really long time residents and other interesting Yonkersites! Happy Thanksgiving.
–Josh
i moved here on New Years day 1979-i was 37 then-now im 72 and i have grown to love my southwest Yonkers neighbourhood even as i have watched it go through so many changes in the last 35 years-i still miss the beautiful Carnagie library that was next to city hall and was torn down to widen the road ( what a lousy reason to demolish such a wonderful piece of architecture -and it was a gift to the city too)-when i first moved here there was an art supply store a pet store and the Park Hill movie theatre was still in operation-all of them gone now-and they were a big part of the reason i decided on the apartment where i still am-i know you cant expect anything to stay the same but the current attempts to gentrify Yonkers (like Larken Plaza adn Ridge Hill) seem to be sadly mimicking Manhattan’s lure of the upper class-sigh
Do they still have Day Liner boat trips up the Hudson river to Poughkeepsie? I always looked forward to those summer days sailing up the river. I lived on the corner of Stanley Place and Ludlow St. That was 70 years ago.I was in the last class that attended the old Yonkers High School on Broadway. I now live in New Jersey but have lots of old memories of Yonkers!
Hey Rosalind, yes they do, here is just one company that takes cruises up to Bear Mtn and beyond. It’s probably and hopefully just as beautiful as it was when you were a kid! http://www.sail-nyc.com/full-day-cruises
I grow up in Yonkers. I attended PS 21, Mark Twain and then Lincoln HS. PLAYED ball for East Yonkers and McLean Heights, and was allowed to play on St Johns the Baptist basketball team. We lived on Borcher Ave until I was 13, then we moved to Florida. Miss the neighborhood
What year did you go to Mark Twain?
77-79. 8th grade I was on the Green team
Hello,
Your site does not provide a way to contact you directly, and I’d like to talk about possibly using your photos of the real yellow brick road in a television production. I’ve provided my email address in the details. Thank you, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Regards,
Would love that. Email me at sbspady@aol.com
I was interested in reading your blog posts, but it says your domain has expired.