Mount Vernon, New York
Seal
Motto: The city of homes
Downtown Mount Vernon looking west
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. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The political units and divisions of the United States include The 50 states (four of these being officially styled as Commonwealths) which are typically New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous There are 62 counties in the State of New York. The first twelve counties in New York were created immediately after the British annexation of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam Westchester County is a primarily Suburban county located in the U A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Young (Dem)
Area
- Total	4. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 4 sq mi (11. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 3 km²)
- Land	4. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 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. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 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. The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America UTC−5 is the Time offset used in the North American Eastern Time Zone during Standard time and in the North American Central Time Zone during Daylight saving time ( DST The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America UTC−4 is the Time offset used in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone in Canada in winter and the North American Eastern Time Zone during A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks Area code 914 is a State of New York Telephone Area code. It is the area code for Westchester County, including the cities of Federal Information Processing Standards ( FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the United States Federal government for use by all non-military The Geographic Names Information System ( GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout Westchester County is a primarily Suburban county located in the U It lies on the border of the New York City borough of the Bronx . A borough is an Administrative division of various countries In principle the term borough designates a self-governing Township although in practice

Overview

It is the eighth most populous city after New Rochelle in the U. New Rochelle ( French: Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in the south-east portion of the U S. state of New York, as well as the third largest city in the county after Yonkers and New Rochelle. Yonkers is the fourth largest city in the US State of New York (behind Rochester, Buffalo, and New York City) and the largest city in It is a predominantly African-American city in a majority Caucasian county. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The northern half of Mount Vernon has a suburban presence with tree lined streets and close knit homes side by side while the southern portion of the city is has a very urban feel, nearly mirroring its border city The Bronx. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. The city's downtown business district is also located on the city's southside, which features the City Hall, Office buildings, and other municipal establishments. A township (or Municipality) is a settlement which has the status and powers of a unit of local government

Mount Vernon has in recent years undergone a transition from a city of homes and mediocre businesses to a city of regional commerce. Between 2000 and 2006, the city of Mount Vernon's economy grew 20. 5%, making it one of the fastest growing cities in the metropolitan area of New York. Mount Vernon is often considered a poster child for cities within the county for having such a large magnitude of diversity for a city of its size.

During the 1960s, Mount Vernon was a divided city on the brink of a "northern style" segegration. Many blacks from the South came to the north and settled in the city of Mount Vernon for better job opportunities and educational advancements. The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive At the same time, many well to do Caucasian people from the Bronx and Manhattan looked to Mount Vernon as a new "bedroom community" due to rising crime in New York City (a "white flight" factor entailed as well). Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York The City of New York White flight is a term for the demographic trend in which working and Middle-class White people move away from Suburbs As a result, Mount Vernon became divided by the New Haven Line railroad tracks of the Metro North railroad into two parts north and south. Metro-North's New Haven Line runs from New Haven Connecticut southwest to Woodlawn New York on the Harlem Line, where New Haven Line trains The Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, or MTA Metro-North Railroad, or more commonly Metro-North, is a Suburban commuter rail service The population of the "South Side" of the tracks became almost 100% black while the "North Side" of the tracks was almost 100% white. At the height of this "segregation" in the 1970s Augusto Petrillo was Mayor; when he passed away, Ronald Blackwood was elected mayor, the first African-American mayor of the city (as well as of any city in New York State). African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa In many ways he was the perfect man to try to bridge the gaps and bring a divided city together. For one thing, he did not come to Mount Vernon from the South but was originally from Jamaica (at the time unlike today very few of the black population was of West Indian origin). The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting He wife was white and he was a former Republican in a heavily Democratic and liberal city. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. He claimed that Mount Vernon would stand apart from cities that supported segregation and division amongst its people, touting itself as "The City Too Busy to Hate. " That characterization was sharply disputed by many of the city's Caucasian residents saying "The city was never divided, we had our side and they had theirs,but it was all Mount Vernon". However, he was popular among Mount Vernonites of all races and soon the black population became the dominant social and political force in the city. By the mid-1990s the school board and Superintendent of Schools was black. Every mayor of Mt. Vernon since Blackwood has been African-American. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The majority of neighborhoods on the "North Side" are demographically African-American as well today, though some measure of demographic and political re-diversification has taken place. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa

History

Postcard view of Mount Vernon Avenue in the late 19th century

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. Eastchester is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. 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). The New York and Harlem Railroad (now the Metro-North Railroad Harlem Line) was one of the First railroads in the United States, and possibly the first The New York and New Haven Railroad was a Railroad connecting New York City to New Haven Connecticut along the shore of the Long Island Sound

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.

Landmarks

Spanish-American War Memorial Fountain

The city of Mount Vernon is notable for having a lot of turn of the century landmarks.

Law and government

Mount Vernon is governed by a Mayor and a City Council. Presently serving in his first year term, is the Hon. Clinton Young, mayor of the city, who is a Democrat. The City Council consists of five representatives. Each council member is elected at large and therefore represents all of the citizens of the city. The City Council president is the Honorable Loretta J. Hottinger. The other members of the city council are Hon. J. Yuhanna Edwards, Hon. Marcus A. Griffith, Hon. Steven D. Horton, and Hon. William R. Randolph. All of the members of the City Council are Democrats.

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. Hon. William Edwards and 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; 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 municipality in the New York metropolitan area and the Northeast.

Law enforcement services are provided by the Mount Vernon Police Department, the commissioner, David Chong, a former NYPD was appointed by former mayor Ernie Davis, and has been retained by the current mayor, Clinton L. Young.

Geography

Mount Vernon is located at 40°54′51″N, 73°49′50″W (40. 914060, -73. 830507)^[1]. 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. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census 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 (72 m), reflecting its location between the Bronx River to the west and the Hutchinson River to the east. The Bronx River, approximately 24 miles (38 km long flows through southeast New York in the United States. The Hutchinson River is a small freshwater stream in New York. 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 Throgs Neck Bridge is a Suspension bridge opened on January 11, 1961 carrying Interstate 295 over the East River where it meets the 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. New York State Route 22 (NY 22 is New York State highway running north&ndashsouth parallel to the state's eastern edge from the outskirts of New York City Bronxville is a village within the town of Eastchester, New York.

Neighborhoods

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

North Side

Fleetwood Center

The North Side of Mount Vernon is that part of the city, roughly speaking, north of Mount Vernon Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, and Sidney Avenue (though the traditional "dividing line" was the New Haven railroad tracks as noted above). It consists of five neighborhoods: Fleetwood, Chester Heights, Huntswood, Estate Manor/Aurbyn Estates, and Oakwood Heights. The area resembles the suburban appearance of the city. This area of the city has more homes instead of buildings, and provides an escape for those who do not take to the urban feel of the rest of the city. Unlike the rest of Mt. Vernon, these areas are racially diverse demographically, though western sections (such as Fleetwood and Huntswood) are more heavily white and eastern sections (such as Oakwood Heights) more heavily black. However, all 5 neighborhoods are roughly equal in affluence and average income/property value.

South Side

Third Street Business Corridor

The South Side of the city includes Parkside, Southside, the West Side, a nd numerous other commercial and industrial businesses.

Within this area of the city, the population density is very high. The majority of the city's African American and Brazilian population resides here. It is home to many parks, the NYC famous "Fourth Avenue", Gramatan Avenue, the Boys and Girls Club (Built by Denzel Washington, and many historic landmarks. Denzel Hayes Washington Jr (born December 28 1954) is an American Actor and director.

Mount Vernon Heights

Typical Mount Vernon heights neighborhood

This area's highly elevated terrain has earned it "The rolling hills of homes". It is home to the Sandford Square section of the city's commercial corridor known as Sandford Boulevard (6th Street), which anchors businesses such as Best Buy,Petco,Staples,Stop and Shop,Bed,Bath,and Beyond,Famous Footwear,Memorial Field,Colonial Plaza,Hooperstown,and Restaurant Depot. Best Buy Co Inc ( is a Fortune 100 company and the largest specialty retailer of Consumer electronics in the United States and Canada PETCO is a chain of Retail stores that offers pet supplies and services such as Grooming and Dog training. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company is a chain of Supermarkets located mostly in New England and Long Island. Famous Footwear is a nationwide chain of Retail stores in the United States, which offers a variety of Footwear from brands like Nike, The area is also a certified commercial corridor in the city attracting shoppers from near by communities in the county as well as Bronx residents even as far away as Connecticut via the Merrit Parkway which merges onto the Hutchinson River Parkway. The Merritt Parkway is a limited-access Parkway in Fairfield County Connecticut. The Hutchinson River Parkway (also known as The Hutch) is an long Parkway in Downstate New York. Most of the commercial development has occurred since the 1980s. The area is still under going revitalizaton to encourage economic development within this 400 acre of land situated along and around the boulevard.

Downtown

Gramatan Avenue in the city's downtown is a busy thoroughfare in the city center

Downtown Mount Vernon is currently in the same condition it was 40 years ago. It features the same mid-century architecture as well as the same format, almost as if nothing has changed. It struggles to keep up with the surrounding communities rapid development. The current mayor Clinton Young has vowed to make Mount Vernon a new epicenter with a new central business district. His plans include establishing commercial office space and rezoning to allow high density development in the downtown as well as affordable and market rate housing for well to do people looking for affordable modern style living. Young has stated that businesses wanted to set up shop here for a while, but due to the previous mayoral staff that wasn't able to get done.

Revitalization

Includes a new downtown district with new buildings, commercial office space, renovations to existing establishments, and facades.

Recreation

The grandstand at Memorial Field

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. Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance In contemporary usage picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a Meal is eaten outdoors ( Al fresco or En plein air The word 'hiking' is understood in all English-speaking countries but there are differences in usage For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Cycling is the use of Bicycles or - less commonly - Unicycles Tricycles Quadricycles and other similar wheeled Human powered vehicles 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. Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. The Hutchinson River Parkway (also known as The Hutch) is an long Parkway in Downstate New York. Indoor golf and tennis are also available at the Ice Hutch throughout the year. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Outdoors at Hutchinson Field, there are many minor-league fields and a batting cage. Hooperstown, a sports facility located on Sandford Blvd (6th St), 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. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with

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. A festival is an event usually and ordinarily staged by a local community which centers on some unique aspect of that community Veterans Day is an American holiday honoring military Veterans. Benjamin "Ben" Gordon (born April 4 1983 is a British / American professional Basketball player for the NBA 's Chicago Bulls For other meanings see Kart (disambiguation Kart racing or karting is a variant of Open-wheel Motor sport with Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894

Economy

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. Commerce is a division of trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and services from producer to final consumer For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale Electronics refers to the flow of charge (moving Electrons through Nonmetal conductors (mainly Semiconductors, whereas electrical Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and High tech is Technology that is at the cutting edge —the most advanced technology currently available 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. The term Ground Zero may be used to describe the point on the earth's surface where an explosion occurs The World Trade Center in New York City, United States (sometimes informally the WTC or Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan (or downtown Manhattan) is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the 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:

A famous landmark has existed on Gramatan and Lincoln Avenuea since the late 1800s. An Empire Zone is an area of up to two non-contiguous miles in which tax incentives are offered by New York State under the Empire Zones Program. Tiffany & Co ( is a US jewelry and silverware company founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany and Teddy Young in New York City The Bekins Company was founded as Bekins Van Lines in 1891 by Martin and John Bekins in Omaha Nebraska. It was known simply as "The Circle" until circa 1942 It was named McArthur Circle after General Arthur McArthur, a Civil War and Spanish- American War hero, a Medal of Honor winner and father of WWII hero, General Douglas McArthur. A statue of a Spanish-American soldier was added and remains in the center of the new "Roundabout" (Added by Edward A. Bruno)

Economic development

Now that the city is under new governance, plans are beginning to move forward to revitalize and regenerize the city's infrastructure. At only four square miles developers have over looked the city for decades from the terms of Blackwood and Davis the city's previous mayoral prospects. But as Clinton has moved in developers are showing a tremendous interest in the city realizing that it has all the benefits of becoming an economic powerhouse and bedroom community cradled between the Bronx and Westchester. Currently plans are now being drawn up and put together to assemble a posh mall center and shopping venue located along and within the Sandford Blvd (6th St) corridor.

Demographics

Westchester Tower at 100 E. First Street and First Avenue in the Downtown which operates many county offices and the Westchester County Dept. Westchester County is a primarily Suburban county located in the U of transportation

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 68,381 people, 27,048 households, and 18,432 families residing in the city. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population The population density was 14,290. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 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 proportion of the population is of Brazilian origin, and they can be included into the categories of African American, White, Multiracial and/or Latino. Brazilians ( brasileiros in Portuguese) are all people born in Brazil African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from different races. 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. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** 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. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country 13. 9% of the population and 11. 8% of families were below the poverty line. The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of Income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate Standard of living in a given country 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).

Brazilian community

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[. Poços de Caldas is a city and municipality in south-western Minas Gerais state Brazil in the microregion of the same name . . ]. ^[3]

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"). Remittance can also refer to the Accounting concept of a monetary payment transferred by a customer to a business Remittances are transfers

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. ^[3]

Health and education

A. B. Davis middle school

The city has three high schools, Mount Vernon High School ,Nelson Mandela Alternative High School, and Thornton. High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution Mount Vernon High School is a High school in the City of Mount Vernon in Westchester County, New York, and is part of the Mount Vernon City Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (xolíɬaɬa mandéːla born 18 July 1918 is a former President of South Africa, the first to be elected in fully representative There are two middle schools (Longfellow and A. Middle school or Junior High School serves as a "bridge" between the Elementary School and the High School B. Davis) and eleven elementary schools (Traphagen, Pennington, Grimes, Longfellow, Graham, Lincoln, Columbus, Parker, Edward Williams, Hamilton, and Holmes). Primary education is the first stage of Compulsory education. 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. A public library (also called circulating library) is a Library which is accessible by the Public and is generally funded from public sources (such Westchester County is a primarily Suburban county located in the U New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous

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 shares a border with the city. Yonkers is the fourth largest city in the US State of New York (behind Rochester, Buffalo, and New York City) and the largest city in

Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, the Planned Parenthood affiliate that services Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester Counties of New York, opened its first medical center in Mount Vernon in 1935, and the affiliate remains a vital source for reproductive health care services to Mount Vernon residents.

Westchester Community College also has an extension site education facility located in the downtown. Westchester Community College is a public two-year college sponsored by Westchester County New York and SUNY.

Culture and ancestry

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, Gambian, Italian, Korean, Puerto Rican, and Jamaican. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as The Portuguese people (os Portugueses literally the Portuguese) are the Ethnic group or Nation native to the country of Portugal, in the west Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging The Korean people are an East Asian Ethnic group. Most Koreans speak the Korean language. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. 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, these groups mainly occupy the southwest corner of the city nearer to The Bronx borderline. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. The Korean-American association of Mount Vernon calls the city home. Korean Americans ( Korean: ko 한국계 미국인 Hanja: ko 韓國系美國人 hangukgye migugin) are Americans of Korean origin 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:

Famous residents who were born (or grew up) in Mount Vernon

Ralph Branca, John Branca, Art Carney, David Chase, Dick Clark, P. Diddy, Heavy D, Damion Easley, Eddie F, Linda Fairstein, Elise Finch, Ben Gordon, Rudy Hackett, Dennis Hinton, Michael Imperioli, Axella Johannesson, Andy Karl, Roz Kelly, Lachanze, Rodney McCray, Scooter McCray, Arthur Murray, Asia Nitollano, Phylicia Rashad, Leon Robinson, Wayne Allyn Root, Ken Singleton, Betty Shabazz, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, Al B. Sure!, Earl Tatum, Denzel Washington, E.B. White Eddie Williams, Gus Williams, Ray Williams, Sylvia Woods, DMX, W.C. Heinz, Mark Caruso Davetta Sherwood, Chris Bartolini, Mark Harris, novelist, born in Mt. The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as The Portuguese people (os Portugueses literally the Portuguese) are the Ethnic group or Nation native to the country of Portugal, in the west The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries Barbados ( Portuguese word for bearded-ones, bɑrˈbeɪdoʊz -dɒs situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Island nation The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( The Basques (Euskaldunak are a people who inhabit a region spanning over parts of north-central Spain and southwestern France. Ralph Theodore Joseph Branca (born January 6, 1926 in Mount Vernon New York) is a former Starting pitcher in Major League Baseball John Branca (1950-) is an entertainment lawyer who specializes in representing Rock and roll acts as well as independent investors and labels in the music industry Arthur William Matthew “Art” Carney ( November 4, 1918 – November 9, 2003) was an Academy Award - and Emmy Award -winning David Chase (born August 22, 1945) is an American Screenwriter, director, and Television producer. Richard Wagstaff "Dick" Clark (born November 30, 1929) is an American Television, Radio personality, Game show host Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P Heavy D & the Boyz was an American hip hop group led by Heavy D. Jacinto Damion Easley (born on November 11, 1969 in New York City, New York) is a Major League Baseball player who plays for Edward "DJ Eddie F" Ferrell is the co-founder partner and DJ of the Uptown Records rap group Heavy D & the Boyz. Linda Fairstein (born 1947 is one of America's foremost legal experts on crimes of violence against women and children Elise Finch (born February 24, 1972) is an American news Journalist and currently a weekend Benjamin "Ben" Gordon (born April 4 1983 is a British / American professional Basketball player for the NBA 's Chicago Bulls Rudolph (Rudy Hackett (born May 10 1953, in Mount Vernon New York) is a retired American professional Basketball player James Michael Imperioli (born March 26, 1966) commonly known as Michael Imperioli, is an Emmy -winning and Golden Globe Award One of the first "music cyber stars" due to the ability to distribute her music primarily via the Internet, Australian Singer/songwriter Axella Andy Karl is an American actor He was born in Baltimore Maryland and moved to New York City at a young age to pursue acting Roz Kelly (born July 29 1943) is an American actress perhaps best known for playing Arthur " Fonzie " Fonzarelli's ( Henry Winkler) girlfriend LaChanze (born 16 December 1961) is an American actress, Singer, and Dancer. Rodney McCray may refer to Rodney McCray (basketball, basketball player who played in the NBA for several teams Rodney McCray (baseball Carlton Lamont "Scooter" McCray (born February 8 1960, in Mount Vernon New York) is a retired American professional Basketball Arthur Murray ( April 4, 1895 &ndash March 3, 1991) was a Dance instructor and Businessman, whose name is most often associated Asia Nitollano (born February 14, 1988 in Mt Vernon New York) is an American Singer, Dancer and model, who Phylicia Rashād (born Phylicia Ayers-Allen on June 19, 1948) is a Tony Award -winning American actress, perhaps best known Leon Preston Robinson IV (born March 8, 1962) usually credited as simply Leon, is an American Actor and Singer, who began Wayne Allyn Root (born July 20, 1961) is the 2008 United States Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee Kenneth Wayne Singleton (born June 10 1947) is a retired American Major League Baseball Outfielder / Designated hitter and Dr Betty Shabazz (born Betty Jean Saunders) ( May 28, 1936 &ndash June 23 1997) also known as Betty X, was the wife Pete Rock & CL Smooth were an influential rap group from Mount Vernon, New York. Albert Joseph Brown III ( June 4, 1968 in Boston Massachusetts) is an American Singer, Songwriter, and Record William Earl Tatum (born July 26 1953, in Mount Vernon New York) is a retired American professional Basketball player Denzel Hayes Washington Jr (born December 28 1954) is an American Actor and director. Elwyn Brooks "E B" White ( July 11, 1899 – October 1 1985) was an American writer Edward Laquan Williams (born November 1, 1964, in Shreveport Louisiana, United States was a Major League Baseball first baseman and third Gus Williams (born October 10 1953 in Mount Vernon New York) is a retired American professional Basketball player most noted for his play with Thomas Ray Williams, known as Ray Williams (born October 14 1954, in Mount Vernon New York) is a retired American professional Sylvia Woods ( February 2 1926) opened the world famous African American restaurant Sylvia's in Harlem on Lenox Avenue, New W C Heinz ( January 11, 1915 &ndash February 27, 2008) born Wilfred Charles Heinz, was an American sportswriter Davetta Sherwood (born January 27, 1984 in Mount Vernon New York) is an American Actress and Folk rock Singer-songwriter Mark Harris may refer to Mark Harris (author (1922-2007 American writer of the baseball novel Bang the Drum Slowly Mark Harris Vernon

were born (or grew up) in Mount Vernon.

Selected Mayors: William Hart Hussey, Joseph Vaccarella, August Petrillo, Ronald Blackwood

Films using Mount Vernon for set locations

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)

Transportation

Metro North has three train stations in Mount Vernon. Da Ali G Show is the name of two related satirical TV series starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and featuring the character " Empty Places " is the 19th episode of season 7 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 American drama and Romantic comedy by French director Michel Riding in Cars with Boys is a 2001 film based on the Autobiography of the same name by Beverly D'Onofrio, about a woman who overcame difficulties This article is about the American action film For the American hip hop group see Dead Prez. The Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, or MTA Metro-North Railroad, or more commonly Metro-North, is a Suburban commuter rail service Mount Vernon East is in the heart of downtown, on the New Haven Line. The Mount Vernon East Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Mount Vernon New York via the New Haven Line (not to be confused with Metro-North's New Haven Line runs from New Haven Connecticut southwest to Woodlawn New York on the Harlem Line, where New Haven Line trains Mount Vernon West and Fleetwood on the Harlem Line are both on the western edge of the City. Mount Vernon West Metro-North Railroad is the first station in Westchester County New York on the Harlem Line. The Fleetwood Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Fleetwood section of Mount Vernon New York via the Harlem Line. Metro-North 's Harlem Line, originally chartered as the New York & Harlem Railroad, is an 82-mile (132 km Commuter rail line running north from New

Petrillo Plaza along Prospect Avenue in the downtown

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. The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a Bus system serving Bee-Line routes serving Mount Vernon are 7, 40, 41, 42, 43, 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. The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a Bus system serving

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 New York City Subway is a Rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency 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 233rd 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. The Cross County Parkway is a long Parkway in Westchester County New York. The Bronx River Parkway is a long Parkway in Downstate New York. The Hutchinson River Parkway (also known as The Hutch) is an long Parkway in Downstate New York. 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. Interstate 95, the major Interstate Highway along the East Coast of the United States, runs 23 Interstate 87 (abbreviated I-87) is a 33349 mile (53670 km intrastate Interstate highway located entirely within the state of New York

References

External links

• Mount Vernon official website

• Mount Vernon, New York is at coordinates 40°54′51″N 73°49′50″W / 40.91406, -73.830507 (Mount Vernon, New York)Coordinates: 40°54′51″N 73°49′50″W / 40.91406, -73.830507 (Mount Vernon, New York)
• Mount Vernon SchoolTalk weblog
• thejournalnews.com community select Mount Vernon
• Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce
• Mount Vernon Public Library
• Mount Vernon poet
• Mount Vernon parent messageboard
• Mount Vernon Poet