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Mount Vernon, New York
Seal
Motto: The city of homes
Map of the city of Mount Vernon
Coordinates: 40°54′51″N 73°49′50″W / 40.91417, -73.83056
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Westchester
Government
- Mayor	Clinton L. Young (Dem)
Area
- Total	4.4 sq mi (11.3 km²)
- Land	4.4 sq mi (11.3 km²)
- Water	1.7 sq mi (4.3 km²)
Elevation	108 ft (33 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	68,321
- Density	15,003/sq mi (5,792.7/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	914
FIPS code	36-49121
GNIS feature ID	0957917

Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York. It is just north of New York City's Bronx border.

With a population of 68,321 residents as of the 2000 Census, it is the eighth largest city in New York State. The city's eastern and western borders are the Hutchinson River and the Bronx River, respectively, and it lies between the New York City borough of the Bronx to the south, and the Town of Eastchester (of which it was once a part) to the north. By population, it is the third largest of three principal cities in Westchester County after Yonkers and New Rochelle.

Contents 1 Precursors 2 History 3 Law and government 4 Geography 5 Neighborhoods 5.1 North Side 5.2 South Side 6 Revitalization 7 Recreation 8 Economy 9 The Davis administration and economic development 10 Demographics 10.1 Brazilian community 11 Health and education 12 Culture and ancestry 13 Famous residents 14 Films using Mount Vernon for set locations 15 Transportation 16 References 17 External links

In 1850, John Stevens, a merchant tailor from New York City, set out to improve the condition of the working class in New York. Among his goals was to create a property-holding class out of rent payers. To this end he organized the Industrial Home Association No. 1 of New York. Qualifications for membership were moral character, industrious habits and the desire to promote a common purpose. 1,017 due-paying members joined the Association, which purchased the land that then became the Village of Mount Vernon, part of the Town of Eastchester. It consisted of five farms with a combined area of about 370 acres (1.5 km²), costing a total of $75,342.88, or roughly $205 per acre. The land extended from what is now Union Avenue on the east to Fifteenth Avenue on the west; and from Valentine Street on the north to Sandford Boulevard (6th Street) and a small portion of Kingsbridge on the south.

Mount Vernon at this time consisted mainly of farm lands crossed by two important railroads, the New York and Harlem (that already had a station there) and the New York and New Haven (that had no station until the Industrial Home Association built one for it).

Central Mount Vernon remained mostly undeveloped until Charles Crary bought land on Chester Hill in 1869. He laid out orderly building lots and placed restrictions on the use of the lots and who could purchase them. Chester Hill became a privileged community.

Mount Vernon was officially incorporated as a city in 1892. It had previously been a Village and part of the Town of Eastchester. In 1897, when the City of New York merged with Brooklyn and several towns in Queens County, Mount Vernon was offered the opportunity to join Bronx County as a part of New York City. The residents of Mount Vernon rejected the proposal.

Mount Vernon is governed by a mayor and a city council. The city council consists of five representatives who are all Democrats. There are no councilmanic districts. Each councilperson is elected at large and therefore represents all of the citizens of the city. Presently serving in his third four year term, is the Hon. Ernest D. Davis, mayor of the city, who is also a Democrat. Effective January 2007 the City Council president will be the Honorable Steven Horton. The other members of the city council are Hon. Yuhanna Edwards, Hon. Loretta J. Hottinger, Hon. William R. Randolph, and the immediate past City Council President Hon. Lydon D. Williams.

The Mount Vernon city court is part of the Unified Court System of the State of New York. It has three elected full-time judges who serve for ten years and one part-time associate judge who is appointed by the mayor for a period of eight years. The Chief Judge of the Court is the Hon. Brenda Dowery. The Hon. William Edwards and the Hon. Mark Gross also serve as full time judges, and the Hon. Adam Seiden serves as an Associate Judge of the court. The Court handles a wide variety of cases including initial processing of all felony criminal cases; handling of all misdemeanor cases from inception through trial; civil proceedings with a limited monetary jurisdiction of up to $25,000.00; all landlord tenant cases originating in the city; small claims cases; and all vehicle and traffic law matters. The court is housed in a state of the art facility in the public safety complex which is adjacent to city hall.

Possibly owing to the city's African American majority, each mayor elected since the 1980s has been black. The uninterrupted string of black mayors in excess of twenty years is a first for any in the New York metropolitan area and the Northeast.

Mount Vernon is located at 40°54′51″N, 73°49′50″W (40.914060, -73.830507)^GR1. It is the third largest and the most densely populated city in the county of Westchester.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11.3 km²), of which, 4.4 square miles (11.3 km²) of it is land and 1.7 square miles (4.3 km²) of it (0.76%) is water.

"Mount" Vernon's elevation at City Hall is about 235 feet, reflecting its location between the Bronx River to the west and the Hutchinson River to the east. From many parts of the City Throgs Neck Bridge can be seen from 10 miles (20 km) away on a clear day and at night the bridge lights can be seen. The seal of the City, created in 1892, depicted what were then considered the highest points in Mount Vernon: Trinity Place near Fourth Street, Vista Place at Barnes Avenue, and North 10th Street between Washington and Jefferson places. Since then, it was discovered that the city's highest elevation is on New York Route 22, North Columbus Avenue, at the Bronxville line.

Mount Vernon is typically thought to be divided into three major sections: The North Side, the South Side, and Downtown. Here is a map showing neighborhoods in Mount Vernon and nearby cities and towns:

The North Side of Mount Vernon is that part of the city, roughly speaking, north of Mount Vernon Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, and Sidney Avenue. It consists of five neighborhoods: Fleetwood, Chester Heights, Huntswood, Estate Manor/Aurbyn Estates, and Oakwood Heights.

The South Side of the city includes Park side, Mount Vernon Heights (The Heights), South side, and Mount Vernon West.

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The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. This section has been tagged since December 2007.

The Mount Vernon Downtown Revitalization Plan retail projects. Some named projects are under way which all can be viewed on the city's websites. It has resulted in the creation of over 1000 new jobs and sales tax revenues in excess of 5 million dollars per year.

• The expansion of A&P Coat, Apron & Linen Supply dba Unitex, Inc., which plans to invest $13.2 million, while creating 200 new jobs and retaining 132
• The expansion of Secs Inc. and Promptus Electronic Hardware, Inc., which plans to invest $600,000, while creating 16 new jobs and retaining 93.

Besides these projects, city beautification projects are underway throughout the city, such as Hartley Park renovations, and a newly-established Petrillo Plaza which will feature a transit inter-modal center, wider sidewalks, extended curves, esplanade flower beds, information kiosks, and lighting.

Within the city are a number of city parks large and small. The city is also home to Wilson Woods Park, a 23-acre county-owned park which features swimming, picnicking, hiking, fishing, and biking. Straddling both the eastern border of Fleetwood and the western border of Chester Heights is Hunt's Woods, a county preserve taken over by the city in 1967 [2]. It is a small stretch of open woods with hiking and nature trails that is relatively unknown even to most residents of the city [3].

Numerous events take place periodically during the year, both indoors and outdoors. The Ice Hutch is a domed sports complex where ice hockey is played during the winter, located on the grounds of Hutchinson Field, on the southbound side of the Hutchinson River Parkway. Indoor golf and tennis are also available at the Ice Hutch throughout the year. Outdoors at Hutchinson Field, there are many minor-league fields and a batting cage. Hooperstown, a sports facility located on Sandford Blvd., contracts basketball-court time to teams and leagues and use of the facility for baseball clinics. It also rents the facility to other businesses that may offer one-on-one training or fitness camps. It is not yet open to the public. Adjacent to Hutchinson Field is the stadium-like Memorial Field, which contains a track for running, a soccer/football field, and a tennis court.

The city hosts many annual events, such as the Arts on Third Street Festival that is held in September, Parade of Flags in October, the MVCSD's Band Day Parade parade which is held in June, the Veterans Day parade which is held in November, Ben Gordon Day in August and the go-cart Grand Prix which is held in June or July in the downtown.

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Mount Vernon has a large amount of commercial industry which boosts the city's economy, with industries such as manufacturing, electronics, engineering, and high tech mainly located in the Southside section of the city. The city is home to the headquarters of Zelco Industries Inc., Unitex, and Clickable Enterprises Inc., as well as Capri Album Inc. and Spl Integrated Solutions' northeast branch. Mount Vernon is also home to Columbus Construction Co., who helped at Ground Zero during the World Trade Center cleanup in lower Manhattan. Mount Vernon also has an established Empire Zone for commercial and industrial use located in the southern portion of the city which has attracted manufacturing companies and nationally recognized businesses for major retailers and companies such as:

The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. This section has been tagged since December 2007.

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007)

Elected to a third consecutive four year term in 2003, Mayor Ernest D. Davis is the 19th Mayor of the City of Mount Vernon. An architect by profession, he is a graduate of North Carolina A & T, and has also pursued his studies at New York University and the City College of New York Masters in Urban Design Program. Mayor Davis has guided the city through the most remarkable period of economic growth in its history.

One example of the success of Mount Vernon's economic development during his administration is the growth of the Sanford Boulevard corridor. What was mostly a desolate and underdeveloped industrial area has, through the Mayor's direct efforts, become a major shopping district generating approximately 5 million dollars in sales tax per year for the city. Despite significant opposition from a neighboring community, Mayor Davis' resolve to develop this area has seen the opening of many major retail establishments including Target, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Pet Co, Best Buy, Staples, a Stop and Shop Superstore, and a CVS anchored shopping center. As a result of this development, a new 19 story luxury condominium, 'The Alexander', will soon be built nearby. Proposals are also being considered for the construction of a multi-use entertainment and sports arena in the area.

Prior to being Mayor, Ernest D. Davis, served six consecutive two-year terms as a Westchester County Legislator, and held the positions of Commissioner of Assessment, Commissioner of Buildings, Chairman of the Planning Board and Chairman of the Real Estate Board in the City of Mount Vernon. In the private sector he headed the firm of E. Daniel Davis Architects, where he designed residential housing, government projects, day care center, and churches throughout the New York metropolitan area.

Mayor Davis' plans for revitalization of other areas of the city have expanded and are in progress. The Third Street corridor has been a critical part of the Mount Vernon for close to a century. Third Street is the home to the Arts on Third Festival which attracts over 10,000 people each year for a full day's exposition of art, music, entertainment, and foods from all nations. Ground will soon be broken on a 60 million dollar apartment complex on Third Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues.

Close to Third Street work is currently underway to refurbish the facades and interiors of properties on Fourth Avenue which is one of the busiest shopping districts in Westchester County. Mayor Davis has also selected Fourth Avenue to become the home of Mount Vernon's Hip Hop Cultural Gallery, a museum, multi media, cultural and educational center which will be the first of its kind in the Northeast.

The Mayor's process for developing a master plan for the redevelopment of the downtown business district is in place. Plans include the construction of a 300 room hotel, 100,000 square feet (10,000 m²) of office space, and 200,000 square feet (20,000 m²) of space for retail and parking, and condominium development.

Once known as the 'City of Homes', during the Mayor's tenure property values have increased dramatically throughout the city during the Davis administration, while at the same time real property tax increases have been relatively low. Mount Vernon has strong stable neighborhoods and all forms of housing; estate like homes; single family homes; luxury condominiums; cooperative apartments; and rental apartments. Further, during his administration Mayor Davis has exhibited a continued commitment to providing substantial affordable housing for senior citizens and those with moderate incomes.

Most recently, the Mayor designed and directed the construction of a European-style roundabout. Anchored by a monument to veterans of the Spanish American War and constructed from steel from the USS Maine that was sunk in Havana Harbor, the statue is surrounded by a large pool with computer controlled fountains, lights, and music. It is the Mayor's vision that this significant architectural creation would symbolize the city's renaissance. Plans are underway to develop a luxury condominium adjacent to the Roundabout and ground has been broken and plans are underway for other such condominium developments in the city.

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 68,381 people, 27,048 households, and 18,432 families residing in the city. The population density was 14,290.3 people per square mile (5,792.7/km²). There were 28,558 housing units at an average density of 7,205.9/sq mi (3,509.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 28.63% White, 59.58% African American, 0.32% Native American, 2.12% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.85% from other races, and 4.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.48% of the population. A significant portion of the White and/or Latino population (depending on if they classified themselves as Hispanic in the census) are of Brazilian or Portuguese origin. Similarly, a significant part of the Black and/or Latino population is of West Indian origin.

There were 27,048 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 28.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 82.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $47,128, and the median income for a family was $55,573. Males had a median income of $41,493 versus $37,871 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,827. 13.9% of the population and 11.8% of families were below the poverty line. 12.7% of the population is 65 or older.

The city of Mount Vernon's three major employers are the Mount Vernon city school district with 1,021 employees, Michael Anthony Jewelers (712 employees), and Mount Vernon Hospital (700 employees).

According to estimates by the city and the Brazilian Consulate in New York, one in 10 people in Mount Vernon is from Brazil and two-thirds of those Brazilians are from Poços de Caldas, a blue-collar city of 140,000 in the mountains of southeastern Brazil.^[1]

The Brazilian community is heavily concentrated in an area along and near West Lincoln Ave., from its beginning at the corner of Mt. Vernon Ave. going about half a mile down to Gramatan Ave., and has begun to spread into East Lincoln Avenue. Brazilian stores line commercial areas in these parts of Mount Vernon (especially within Gramatan Ave. from the railroad tracks to Lincoln Ave. and adjacent blocks), and neighborhood public schools have brought in teachers and counselors who speak Portuguese. The language can be heard on the streets throughout this area.

The Brazilians living in Mount Vernon have also transformed their Brazilian hometown, pumping millions of dollars into its economy and helping to pay for new homes and businesses there. So important are these remittances that Brazilian journalist Walther Alvarenga has made Mount Vernon the focus of a series of documentaries for Brazilian public television called New York, O Sonho Brasileiro ("New York, the Brazilian Dream").

In November 2005 Mayor Ernest D. Davis traveled to Poços de Caldas to sign a sister-city agreement to strengthen the bond between the two cities. ^[1]

The city has two high schools, Mount Vernon High School and the Nelson Mandela Alternative High School. A third high school, Thornton, will be opening in the fall of 2007. There are two middle schools (Longfellow and A.B. Davis) and eleven elementary schools (Traphagen, Pennington, Grimes, Longfellow, Graham, Lincoln, Columbus, Parker, Edward Williams, Hamilton, and Holmes). There are plans to make Pennington a combined elementary-middle K-8 school by the 2007-08 school year.

The city has the largest public library system in Westchester County and the sixth largest in New York State.

Mount Vernon Hospital has 228-beds. It provides in-patient, critical care, and ambulatory services to residents of Mount Vernon and neighboring communities. The hospital is most known for its premier Chronic Wound Treatment and Hyperbaric Center, which is one of the most advanced in the Northeast. It also offers a variety of services including the Assertive Community Treatment Center (ACT), the Family Health and Wellness Center, the Hopfer School of Nursing, Hyperbaric Medicine, and Intensive Case Management.

Mount Vernon Hospital is one of three hospitals in the county (Sound Shore Medical Center and Westchester Medical Center are the others), which provides programs in medicine, nursing, surgery and podiatry. The hospital has “some of the finest medical doctor educators on staff. There is a 92 percent pass rate on boards for medical residents.”

Mount Vernon hospital's emergency room is going to be expanded at a cost of 2.5 million dollars. The 115-year-old hospital is doubling the size of its emergency room from 9,000 square feet (800 m²) to 18,500. The expansion plans include 15 private treatment rooms and upgrades to the waiting area, triage room and other areas in the emergency department.

The hospital treats 25,000 patients a year in the emergency room and is part of the Sound Shore Health System.

The area around the hospital has many medical office buildings and facilities for treatment which provide healthcare to residents living in Mount Vernon, the southeast section of Yonkers, and the north Bronx which is near the city's border.

Westchester Community College also has an extension site education facility located in the downtown.

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The city has an enormously diverse population for its size. Over 98 different nationalities call the city home. In just four square miles the ethnic background of the people range from German, Portuguese, Eritrean, Indian, Middle Eastern, and Brazilian to Mexican, Italian, Korean, Puerto Rican, and Jamaican. The city has a large Brazilian community located in the neighborhoods just north and east of the downtown, and it also has the largest West Indian and West African population in the county, although these groups mainly occupy the southwest corner of the city nearer to New York City, bordering a similar neighborhood in the Bronx. The Korean-American association of Mount Vernon calls the city home. Throughout the year, the city hosts events that honor these groups for their contributions to the city of Mount Vernon and for calling Mount Vernon home.

Major ancestry groups reported by Mount Vernon residents include:

Denzel Washington, Art Carney, Ralph Branca, John Branca, Eddie F, Ken Singleton, Damion Easley, Dick Clark, Arthur Murray, Heavy D, Al B. Sure!, Asia Nitollano, Axella Johannesson, Betty Shabazz, Ben Gordon, Gus Williams, Ray Williams, Scooter McCray, Rodney McCray, Michael Imperioli, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, Lachanze, Roz Kelly, P. Diddy, Andy Karl, Wayne Allyn Root, Damion Easley, Eddie Williams, David Chase, Sylvia Woods and E.B. White were born (or grew up) in Mount Vernon.

Selected Mayors: William Hart Hussey, Joseph Vaccarella, August Petrillo, Ron Blackman^{[citation needed]}

For all movies except Dead Presidents, as reported in Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com)

• Da Ali G Show (2003) (TV Series)
• Empty Places (1999)
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
• Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)
• Dead Presidents (1995)^{[citation needed]}

Metro North has three train stations in Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon East is in the heart of downtown, on the New Haven Line. Mount Vernon West and Fleetwood on the Harlem Line are both on the western edge of the City.

Petrillo Plaza, adjacent to the Mount Vernon East station in downtown Mount Vernon, is the hub for Westchester's Bee-Line Bus System service in Mount Vernon. Bee-Line routes serving Mount Vernon are 7, 40, 41, 42, 52, 53, 54, 55, as well as the 91 which operates during the summer. Mount Vernon's taxi services operate from Petrillo Plaza as well. In late 2005 the RBA Group conducted a study and found that over 5,000 commuters traverse the area on a daily basis: about 3,600 commuters use the Bee-Line Bus System, and 1,500 use the Metro North railroad.

Both the 2 train and the 5 train of the New York City subway system have terminals just south of the border of Mount Vernon, served by the Bee-Line. The 2 train terminates at 241st Street & White Plains Road in the Wakefield section of the Bronx (During rush hours the 5 also goes to Nereid Ave/238th St & White Plains Road), and the 5 train terminates at 233th Street & Dyre Avenue in the Eastchester section. Both locations are within 5 minutes walking distance of the South Side of Mount Vernon.

Mount Vernon is served by three of the county's busiest parkways which link to New York City, the Cross County Parkway, the Bronx River Parkway, and the Hutchinson River Parkway. I-95 and I-87 are both less than a mile from Mount Vernon's borders, offering both passenger car and truck access to the area.

• Mount Vernon official website

• Mount Vernon, New York is at coordinates 40°54′51″N 73°49′50″W / 40.91406, -73.830507Coordinates: 40°54′51″N 73°49′50″W / 40.91406, -73.830507
• Mount Vernon Inquirer
• Mount Vernon SchoolTalk weblog
• thejournalnews.com community select Mount Vernon
• Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce
• Mount Vernon Public Library
• Mount Vernon parent message board
• Mount Vernon Home Page

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Westchester County, New York
County seat: White Plains
Cities	Mount Vernon | New Rochelle | Peekskill | Rye | White Plains | Yonkers
Towns	Bedford | Cortlandt | Eastchester | Greenburgh | Harrison | Lewisboro | Mamaroneck | Mount Kisco | Mount Pleasant | New Castle | North Castle | North Salem | Ossining | Pelham | Pound Ridge | Rye | Scarsdale | Somers | Yorktown
Villages	Ardsley | Briarcliff Manor | Bronxville | Buchanan | Croton-on-Hudson | Dobbs Ferry | Elmsford | Harrison | Hastings-on-Hudson | Irvington | Larchmont | Mamaroneck | Mount Kisco | Ossining | Pelham | Pelham Manor | Pleasantville | Port Chester | Rye Brook | Scarsdale | Sleepy Hollow | Tarrytown | Tuckahoe
Communities and CDPs	Armonk | Baldwin Place | Banksville | Bedford | Bedford Hills | Bedford Village | Chappaqua | Cortlandt Manor | Crompond | Crugers | Eastchester | Eastview | Fairview | Golden's Bridge | Granite Springs | Greenville/Edgemont | Hartsdale | Hawthorne | Heritage Hills | Jefferson Valley-Yorktown | Katonah | Lake Mohegan | Lincolndale | Millwood | Montrose | Peach Lake | Pocantico Hills | Purchase | Salem Center | Scotts Corners | Shenorock | Shrub Oak | Somers | South Salem | Thornwood | Tompkins Corners | Valhalla | Verplanck | Vista | Waccabuc | Yorktown Heights