White Plains

White Plains is a city in Westchester County within the metropolitan area of the City of New York. The city's total population was 59,599 in the 2020 census, up from 53,077 at the 2010 census. Its downtown (Mamaroneck Avenue) is 25 miles (40 km) north of Midtown Manhattan. The first non-native settlement came in November 1683, when a party of Connecticut Puritans moved westward from an earlier settlement in Rye. On July 9, 1776, a copy of the Declaration of Independence was delivered to the New York Provincial Congress, which was meeting in the county courthouse. The delegates quickly adopted a resolution approving the Declaration, thus declaring both the colony's independence and the formation of the State ofNew York. White Plains was incorporated as a village in 1866 and as aCity in 1916.Following World War II, White Plains' downtown area developed into what amounted to a "destination" shopping district featuring many famous New York-based department and specialty stores. Some of these locations were the first large-scale suburban stores built in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. The City of White Plains is the county seat and commercial hub of Westchester county, a densely populated suburban county that is home to approximately one million people. It is the eleventh-largest city in the state of New New York, an outer suburb of the city, and the third-largest in the U.S. according to the 2014 Census.

History

White Plains is the primary city name, but also N White Plains, N White Plns are acceptable city names or spellings, North White Plains on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. White Plains was first used as farmland by the Weckquaeskeck tribe, a Wappinger people, and was called "Quarropas" The first non-native settlement came in November 1683, when a party of Connecticut Puritans moved westward from an earlier settlement in Rye. On July 9, 1776, a copy of the Declaration of Independence was delivered to the New York Provincial Congress, which was meeting in the county courthouse. The Declaration itself was first publicly read from the steps of the courthouse on July 11. In 1758, White Plains became the seat of Westchester County when the colonial government for the county left West Chester. The Battle of White Plains took place primarily on Chatterton Hill, (later known as "Battle Hill," and located just west of what was then a swamp but is now the downtown area) and the Bronx River. The first United States Census, conducted in 1790, listed the White Plains population at 505, of whom 46 were slaves. By 1800, the population stood at 575 and in 1830, 830. By 1870, 26 years after the arrival of New York Central Railroad, it had swollen to 2,630 and by 1890 to 4,508. In the decades that followed the count grew to 7,899 (1900) and 26,425 (1910) White Plains was incorporated as a village in 1866 and as a city in 1916. White Plains is still a huge retail destination in the area with Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Macy's, and other prestigious stores.

Geography and cityscape

White Plains has a humid continental climate, with four distinct seasons. Winter is cold and wet, with occasional snow and an average January temperature of 29.8 °F (1.2 °C), and summer is hot and humid. The city receives approximately 229 clear or partly cloudy days per annum, with July typically being the sunniest month, averaging more than 70 percent of possible sunshine. The lowest temperature ever recorded in White Plains since record-keeping began in 1948 was 10°F (23 °C) on January 19, 1977, and the highest ever was 102 °C on July 6, 2010. White Plains has 35 neighborhoods:. Parks and recreation:.Saxon Woods Park provides a range of recreational amenities, including trails, a standard and miniature golf course, and. the largest swimming pool in Westchester. The tallest buildings in the city are the White Plains Town Hall and the Westchester Town Hall, which are located on the banks of the Hudson River, about 7 miles (11 km) east of the city's central business district. The highest-rise building is the Town Hall Building, which is located on Westchester Avenue, about 6.5 miles (10 km) from the city center. The town hall has a population density of 5,820.3 inhabitants per square mile (2,247.2/km²). The city has a land area of 9.77 square miles (25.3 km²), and a populationdensity of 5.820.2 inhabitants per sq mi (1,788.3/sq mi).

Economy

The economy of White Plains revolves around large companies that have relocated to the city such as ITT, Xylem, Bunge and Combe. Other companies based in White Plains include Alliance Bernstein, Dannon, Fifth Street Finance Corp., the New York Power Authority, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Krasdale Foods (which supplies products for the C-Town supermarket chain), Nine West, Acadia Realty Trust and AboveNet. At the turn of the second millennium, there was a boom in commercial businesses and residential living and as a result the city's infrastructure grew substantially with two double towers being 40 plus stories and both being high-end apartments. In 2000 the company announced that it would move its headquarters to Austin, Texas. The city is home to the US headquarters of "Heineken USA" Heineken. At one time Prodigy had its headquarters in White PLA Plaza in WhitePLA Plaza in the city. The company announced in 2000 that they would move their headquarters toAustin, Texas, in the same year that Prodigy moved its headquarters from White Plains to Austin. White Plains is also the home of the U.S. headquarters of the Dutch beer company Heinekken. It is also home to a number of other companies, such as Alliance Bernstein and Dannon. It also has a large number of high-tech companies such as Combe and ITT that have moved to White Plains in the last few decades. The town has a population of around 2.5 million people.

Education

The White Plains Public School System, with a 2006 enrollment of over 6,000 students, maintains five elementary schools (grades K5), two middle schools (Grades 6 and 78) and one high school (912) Two of the elementary schools offer bilingual education where children are taught in both English and Spanish. The district is governed by a seven-member Board of Education, elected at-large for staggered three-year terms. Fordham University Westchester Campus is home to Fordham's Graduate Schools of Business Administration, Education, and Religion and Religious Education. Good Counsel Academy, an all-girls Catholic high school for more than a century operated by the Sisters of the Divine Compassion on North Broadway, and Good Counsel Elementary (Pre-K through Grade 8, coeducational) located on the same campus close to the Pace Law School, have both closed, due to declining enrollments, and the aging and increased medical costs for the nuns of the order. The College of Westchester, formerly known as the Westchester Business Institute, and Berkeley College (closed 2021) are both located in White Plains. The Pace University School of Law is located on NorthBroadway. The White Plains Recreation Department worked in cooperation with the schools to offer many programs. The school has a swimming pool that overlooks a small valley which included the track and football field. The City of White Plains is the home of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, whose campus is located in the city.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 59,559 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 46.4% white, 11.9% black, 1% Native American, 8% Asian, .1% Pacific Islander, 3% from some other race, and 2.7% from two or more races. In 2010, Businessweek Magazine named White Plains one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. The median income for a household in theCity was $58,545, and the median income. for a family was $71,891 (these figures had risen to $73,744 and $92,215 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $47,742 versus $36,917 for females. About 9.2% of families and 12.4%. of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2. of those under age 18 and 7.2%. of those age 65 or over. The city has a population of 56,853 people. The population density was 5,415.5 people per square mile (2,091.1/km²). There were 21,576 housing units at an average density of 2,201.4 per squaremile (850.1 /km²) As of the census of 2000,there were 53,077 people, 20,921 households, and 12,704 families residing in White Plains.

Culture

White Plains is home to the Westchester Philharmonic, the sole professional symphony orchestra in Westchester County. Several popular films and TV series have been filmed in White Plains, including The Departed, Across The Universe, Eighth Grade, Alex Strangelove, The Beaver, The Americans, and Sisters. White Plains was also selected as the original filming destination for Larry Charles' Borat, but Sacha Baron Cohen insisted the film be shot in New York City. The White Plains Farmers' Market operates year-round in the city, setting up Downtown at 255 Main Street from May to November. The Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League played their home games at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut for the 2021-22 season. It was also the primary home of the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association from 2018 to 2020. The city is also home to USA Rugby League franchise the White Plains Wombats. and North American Rugby League team New York Freedom. It is the site of the annual White Plains Farmer's Market, which runs from May through November. It also hosts live music at the Market, as well as a variety of food and drink vendors and live music from local bands and musicians. The City of White Plains is the home of SUNY Purchase's Performing Arts Center, which can seat up to 410 people and is a venue for Broadway theatre, concerts, and other events. In addition to the city's many sports teams, White Plains also has a thriving tourism industry.

Infrastructure

The Cross-Westchester Expressway, or I-287, runs through White Plains, connecting Tarrytown to Rye. The Bronx River Parkway provides access south to New York City or north to the Kensico Circle in North Castle. Two Metro-North Railroad stations provide daily train service to Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. The City of White Plains Fire Bureau, part of the Department of Public Safety, is commonly referred to as the "fire department"(WPFD) JetBlue Airways began service from Westchester to Nassau, Bahamas in November 2011. White Plains is also located within an hour's drive of two major New York city airports, including JFK and LaGuardia. The city is home to the seventh-largest fire department in the state of New York, with 5 fire stations and a fleet of 5 engines, 3 ladders, 1 rescue, and numerous other special, support, and reserve units. The main Bee Line hub is the Trans-Center, adjacent to the White Plains station. Other regional bus services that serve White Plains include the Hudson Link to Rockland County; Leprechaun Lines to Poughkeepsie; CT Transit's I-Bus to Stamford, Connecticut; as well as Greyhound, Trailways and Coach USA service to upstate New York and Long Island. The White Plains Police Department is the second-largest police department in New York state, after the New York Police Department (NYPD). White Plains has one of the highest crime rates in the U.S.

Historic sites

Jacob Purdy House (1721), used as General George Washington's headquarters in 1778 and possibly in 1776 during the Battle of White Plains. In the 1960s it was repaired and restored, and in 1973 the structure was moved to its present location. In 2010 the county legislature passed a $1.2 million bond issue to finance its restoration. White Plains Rural Cemetery, incorporated 1854, although in use as a cemetery from 1797. The cemetery office occupies the structure that was the first Methodist Church in White Plains (1795, rebuilt in 1797 after a fire on the day of its original dedication).Percy Grainger Home and Studio, occupied by the composer from 1921 until his death in 1961, and by his widow, Ella Ström-Brandelius, until her death in 1979. It is now maintained as a museum by the International Percy Grainger Society. The Bar Building, Good Counsel Complex, Leo Friedlander Studio, Mapleton, Peoples National Bank and Trust Company Building, Presbyterian Rest for Convalescents, Soundview Manor, and Woman's Club ofWhite Plains are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The White Plains Armory (1910), erected on the site of the first Westchester County Courthouse. A monument in front of the building commemorates the first public reading in New York of the Declaration of Independence, on July 11, 1776. The bar building is located in the town of North Castle, New York.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in White Plains, Westchester County, New York = 35.2. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 36. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in White Plains = 3.6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 59,559 individuals with a median age of 41.1 age the population grows by 8.99% in White Plains, Westchester County, New York population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 6,116.77 residents per square mile of area (2,361.77/km²). There are average 2.53 people per household in the 22,263 households with an average household income of $70,305 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.70% of the available work force and has dropped -2.79% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 27.72%. The number of physicians in White Plains per 100,000 population = 518.

Weather

The annual rainfall in White Plains = 46.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 33.8 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 106. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 200. 86 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 20.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 48, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in White Plains, Westchester County, New York which are owned by the occupant = 50.32%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 51 years with median home cost = $518,560 and home appreciation of -13.54%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $20.95 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $14,741 per student. There are 13 students for each teacher in the school, 733 students for each Librarian and 403 students for each Counselor. 5.68% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 20.70% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 19.32% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).