Rye (city), New York

This article is about the city. For the town, see Rye (town), New York.

Rye
—  City  —
Peter Augustus Jay House, Rye, NY
Seal
Location within Westchester County
Rye Location within Westchester County
Coordinates: 40°58′52″N 73°41′02″W / 40.98111°N 73.68389°W / 40.98111; -73.68389Coordinates: 40°58′52″N 73°41′02″W / 40.98111°N 73.68389°W / 40.98111; -73.68389
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Westchester
Government
– Type	Council-Manager
– Mayor	Douglas H. French (R)
– City Council	Members' List • Catherine Parker (R, D) • Paula J. Gamache (R, D) • Joseph A. Sack (R, D) • Richard Filippi (R) • Peter W. Jovanovich (R) • Suzanna S. Keith (R)
Area
– Total	20.0 sq mi (51.9 km2)
– Land	5.8 sq mi (15.0 km2)
– Water	14.2 sq mi (36.9 km2)
Population (2010)
– Total	15,720
– Density	784.5/sq mi (302.9/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	10580
Area code(s)	914
FIPS code	36-64309
GNIS feature ID
Website	http://www.ryeny.gov

Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York. The population was 15,720 at the 2010 census.^[1]

The city is the site of the boyhood home and final resting place of John Jay, a Founding Father and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Original milestones, fixed in 1763 by Benjamin Franklin along the Boston Post Road during his term as Postmaster General, still mark the 24th, 25th, and 26th miles from New York City. The Square House is also in Rye, where George Washington once stayed for the night. It is now a museum.

Playland, an historic amusement park and designated National Historic Landmark, is located in Rye. Playland features one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the Northeast, the Dragon Coaster.

Rye is the home of Rye High School, named a Gold Medal school and the 59th best high school in the U.S. according to U.S. News & World Report's 2010 "Best High Schools". Rye also houses Rye Country Day School, a college preparatory school.

In 2010, Coldwell Banker reported that Rye was the third most expensive city in the country in which to buy a home.^{[citation needed]}

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.0 square miles (51.9 km²), of which 5.8 square miles (15.0 km²) is land and 14.2 square miles (36.9 km²), or 71%, is water.^[2] The city's climate is mild, with cool winters and warm summers.^[3]

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High	36	38	47	58	69	77	83	81	73	62	51	41
Low	21	23	31	40	50	60	65	64	56	45	36	27

Snowfall and rainfall are common in the city of Rye, with an annual precipitation total of 50 inches (1,300 mm).

Demographics

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 14,955 people, 5,377 households, and 4,027 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,588.6 people per square mile (999.0/km²). There were 5,559 housing units at an average density of 962.2 per square mile (371.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.61% White, 1.27% black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 6.49% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.27% from other races and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.80% of the population.

There were 5,377 households out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $110,894, and the median income for a family was $133,231. Males had a median income of $96,585 versus $52,052 for females. The per capita income for the city was $76,566. About 1.6% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

In 2005 Forbes magazine named Rye's ZIP code, 10580, as having the most expensive median home prices in Westchester County and the 61st most expensive in the United States.^{[citation needed]}

Economy

Rye is home to one Fortune 500 company, Jarden.

Transportation

The Rye train station provides commuter rail service to Grand Central Terminal in New York City or Stamford and New Haven-Union Station via the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line. The Bee-Line Bus System provides bus service to Rye on routes 61 and 76 with additional seasonal service to Rye Playland on routes 75, 91, and 92.

Emergency services

The City of Rye hosts its own police department, with a total of 35 sworn-in officers and about six civil officers. They operate a fleet of Ford Crown Victorias, Chevy Tahoes and one military-surplus truck used for emergency services. There is also the Rye Auxiliary Police, which is an all-volunteer force that provides assistance when needed. Police officer are always first on scene to medical calls and can provide basic life support. The Westchester County Police also patrols several areas of Rye, such as Playland Park and The Marshlands.

Rye also has its own fire department. It is a combination department with 16 paid fire fighters, 1 paid fire inspector and an approximate total of 130 volunteers. There are about 45 active volunteers including 3 volunteer chiefs. The department has 2 stations and a total of 10 vehicles. The vehicles include 3 engine trucks, 2 ladder trucks, 2 utility trucks and 3 chief cars. The Rye fire department receives about 1,000 calls per year.

Emergency medical service is provided by Port Chester-Rye-Rye Brook EMS at the Advanced Life Support Level (ALS). They are a combination agency with 50 members (30 paid EMTs, 15 paramedics and five volunteers). They operate 5 ALS ambulances and 3 paramedic flycars from their station in Port Chester.

History

The oldest house in the city, the Timothy Knapp House, is owned by the Rye Historical Society and dates in its original version to around 1667.

The Historical Society also owns a former inn/tavern built in 1730, the Square House, which it operates as a museum. George Washington stayed at the Square House on two separate occasions, remarking favorably on his stay in his diaries.

The Jay Property at 210 Boston Post Road, where New York State's only native-born founding father John Jay grew up and where he is buried, is now the home of the not-for-profit organization the Jay Heritage Center. The Center's mission is to restore and preserve the 1838 Peter Augustus Jay House, which occupies the original site of the Jay family farm, "The Locusts". Restoration of the Jay mansion overlooking Long Island Sound is an official project of the Save America's Treasures Program. With its soaring Corinthian columns, and pedimented facade, the house is a textbook example of American Greek Revival architecture popularized before the Civil War and is noted for its many design elements influenced by Minard Lafever. The Jay Mansion is the oldest National Historic Landmark (NHL) structure in New York State with a geothermal heating and cooling system and the first in Westchester County to have such an energy efficient system. The Jay Heritage Center was recently designated a member site of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. It is also listed on Westchester County's African American Heritage Trail. John Jay was well known for advocating emancipation, serving as President of the New York Manumission Society and establishing the first African Free School.

Rye High School cheerleaders at the 2006 Harrison game

Rye is known for its famous theme park, Rye Playland, a popular destination in the early 20th century, where people were able to take their boats right up to the park. Its famous roller coaster, the Dragon Coaster, was at one time a Top-10 wooden roller coaster in the world.^{[citation needed]} Glenn Close and Ellen Latzen ride the roller coaster in the 1980s thriller, Fatal Attraction. Playland is also the setting for several key scenes in the comedy film, Big, starring Tom Hanks.

Rye is served by three public elementary schools: Osborn, Milton and Midland. Rye Middle School and Rye High School follow; they are part of the same campus, and the two buildings connect.

The annual Rye-Harrison football game has been played for almost 80 years and is a top high school football rivalry in Westchester County. The Rye team has won three recent New York State championships, two consecutively, and has defeated Harrison in nine consecutive meetings. Harrison leads the all-time series with a record of 41-37-3.

Noteworthy residents

Ralph Branca

Amelia Earhart

Nicholas Patrick

• Roz Abrams, former WABC-TV & WCBS-TV news anchor
• Christopher Atkins, actor
• Raymond E. Baldwin, United States Senator
• Lex Barker, actor
• Jason Bateman, actor
• Justine Bateman, actress
• James Bradley, author
• James Roosevelt Bayley, Catholic bishop
• John Bello, founder SoBe Beverages; former President NFL Properties
• Greg Berlanti, TV writer
• Ralph Branca, Major League Baseball player
• Barbara Bush, first lady, attended Milton Elementary School
• Bud Cort, actor
• Buster Crabbe, actor (Flash Gordon) and Olympic swimmer
• John Cunningham, actor
• Mike D'Antoni, Head Coach of the New York Knicks
• Betty Draper, fictional character (Mad Men)
• Eddie Eagan, sportsman
• Amelia Earhart, aviatrix; first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean
• Justin Henry, actor
• Harold Holzer, Lincoln scholar
• Iakovos, Archbishop of America, (d.2005)
• Ajit Jain, head of several reinsurance businesses for Berkshire Hathaway
• Elizabeth Janeway, author
• Arthur Judson, artists' and orchestra manager
• Ralph Kiner, professional baseball player and broadcaster
• David Lee, physicist
• Charles Frederick Lindauer, tobacconist
• John Mack, Morgan Stanley CEO
• William Moulton Marston, creator of Wonder Woman
• John Motley Morehead III, mayor of Rye, chemist, philanthropist
• Ogden Nash, poet
• Eric Nisenson, author
• Nicholas Patrick, astronaut, Mission Specialist 1 on 2006 Discovery STS-116 mission
• George P. Putnam, author
• Steven C. Rattner, owner of Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas
• Debora Shuger, author
• Bill Stern, actor and sportscaster
• B.J. Surhoff, Major League Baseball player
• John Thain, former Merrill Lynch CEO
• Diana Williams, WABC-TV news anchor
• Kimberly Williams, actress
• Bob Woodruff, ABC television journalist

See also

• Greenwood Union Cemetery, Rye, New York

References

1. ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Rye city, New York". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. http://factfinder2.census.gov. Retrieved November 15, 2011. 
2. ^ Places, "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files".
3. ^ Places, "Monthy Averages for Rye, NY – Weather.com".
4. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

• City of Rye official website
• The Rye Sound Shore Review
• The Rye Historical Society
• Jay Heritage Center
• Rye City Schools
• Rye Country Day School
• Rye Record
• Rye Nature Center
• Rye Free Reading Room (public library)
• Jay Family Cemetery
• Hudson River Valley Heritage Area
• Library of Congress-Local Legacies-Jay Heritage Center