Westchester County

Town of Eastchester



Bronxville | Westchester Bronxville
      [116 listings over 91 categories]


Chester Heights | Westchester Chester Heights
      [2 listings over 2 categories]


Eastchester | Westchester Eastchester
      [93 listings over 66 categories]


Tuckahoe | Westchester Tuckahoe
      [91 listings over 75 categories]





Eastchester
Westchester County
Hudson Valley



About the Town of Eastchester

The Town of Eastchester is located in southern Westchester County, New York in the lower-Hudson Valley. The Town includes the incorporated villages of Bronxville and Tuckahoe, a census-designated area, also called Eastchester, and a CDP (unincorporated village) called Chester Heights. The Town of Eastchester is approximately 5 square miles, and is situated about 5 miles south of White Plains and 20 miles north of New York City.

"The town of Eastchester has developed on top of a geologic feature known as the Manhattan Prong. This feature supports the characteristic landscape of rolling hills and valleys common in central Westchester. Throughout the Manhattan Prong, the shape of the land surface is closely controlled by the underlying bedrock. Much of this bedrock however, is covered with Atlantic Coastal Plain deposits. Metamorphic rocks that are resistant to erosion make up the hills (including Fordham Gneiss, Yonkers Gneiss, and Manhattan Schist), and Inwood Markble makes up the valleys because it is easily erodible. The Hudson, Harlem and East Rivers, as well as the major north/south valleys in Westchester County are all underlain by Inwood Marble (named for an extensive exposure in Inwood Hill Park visible from Spuyten Duyvil). It is Inwood Marble that became known locally as Tuckahoe Marble, prized in 19th century Greek Revival architecture." Source: Eastchester Town website - Environment

MTA Metro-North Train Stations
For an easy commute to Grand Central Station in New York City from Eastchester, take the train from either the Bronxville or Tuckahoe station.

The MTA Metro-North in Bronxville to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan is 15.3 miles and takes an average of 31 to 42 minutes, depending on the time of day.

The MTA Metro-North in Tuckahoe to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan is 16 miles and takes an average of 33 to 45 minutes, depending on the time of day.

An MTA train ride from Grand Central Station in Manhattan to the Bronxville or Tuckahoe stations in Westchester County, average 27 minutes to 37 minutes depending on the time of day.

Town Government
The Town of Eastchester Town Hall is located at 40 Mill Road, Eastchester, NY 10709 in Westchester County. The Eastchester Police Department is also located at this address. The Eastchester Town Board is comprised of the Supervisor (two-year term) and four Councilpersons (four-year terms). The terms of the Councilpersons are staggered so that every two years there is a local election for the Supervisor and two Councilpersons. Each council member has one vote on the Town Board. Council members introduce and vote on local laws and serve as liaisons to various Town departments and committees.

The Supervisor is the chief administrator of the Town government and is responsible for overseeing legislation. As chief financial officer, the Supervisor prepares the annual Town budget. As Chair of the Town Board, the Supervisor presides over all meetings. The Town Clerk is responsible for keeping records of the Town Board meetings and all contracts and agreements the Town makes. The Clerk processes numerous licenses and permits and also serves as the Records Management Officer, acts as the Registrar of Vital Statistics, and is in charge of running Local Elections. The Town Clerk is elected to a four-year term.

The Town Clerk’s Office is the gateway to government and the hub of the Town's administrative system. It is often the initial source of information about the Town, serving residents and visitors in person at the office, over the telephone and on the Town’s web site. The role of the Town Clerk includes:

  • Maintain Town Board Minutes

  • Process Freedom of Information Law Requests

  • Issue Marriage License

  • Maintain and issue copies of Marriage Record, and death records

  • Issue Handicapped Parking Permits

  • Issue Dog Licenses

  • Fishing and Hunting Licenses

  • Issue Tag Sale Permits

Neighborhoods of Eastchester
Read about the different neighborhoods in Eastchester and learn about each neighborhood, its characteristics, and unique features at Eastchester Town website - Neighborhood Analysis

    "Garth Road, a district neighborhood within Eastchester, is situated at the northwest corner of the Town. Bounded by the Village of Scarsdale to the North, the Metro North Commuter Railroad to the east, Harney Road to the south, and the Bronx River Parkway to the west, the Garth Road neighborhood occupies 36 acres, or approximately 1.6 percent of the town.

    "North Eastchester neighborhood extends from Scarsdale Avenue (the Metro North Harlem Line) in the west, across to White Plains Road in the east. From Scarsdale in the north, to Harney Road in the south. The neighborhood is 116.7 acres in size, and accounts for approximately 5.3 percent of the town.

    "The northern portion of North Eastchester has been predominantly developed into 5,000 square foot building lots supporting single family homes."

Eastchester School District
"The Eastchester School District has a long standing tradition of academic excellence and a commitment to children. We take great pride in our outstanding instructional program, talented educators, and dedication to the community. In the Eastchester School District, children come first. Helping all children achieve academic, athletic, social, and emotional success is our primary focus." Find address, contact, and detail information about each of the Schools in the Eastchester School District.

The Town of Eastchester Today
The Town of Eastchester offers many things to do, and is strategically located within a short distance of the best shopping in Westchester County. A short drive north of Eastchester takes you into White Plains, home of upscale fashion and some of the best department stores in New York. A short drive south of Eastchester brings you to Yonkers, the home of Westchester's Ridge Hill; a fabulous outdoor shopping center of leading fashion stores and restaurants.

For outdoor activities year-round, visit one of Eastchester's parks. The Town of Eastchester is home to Twin Lakes Park adjacent to Nature Study Woods in New Rochelle. Combined, these parks offer 220 acres of woods, marsh, lakes, ponds, and fields where you can go birding, study nature, go hiking, or have a family picnic at the park.

Eastchester offers many town parks, including Lake Isle Country Club, a self supporting recreational facility offering swimming, golf, and tennis. The Town of Eastchester also utilizes a number of school fields and facilities for recreation. Town parks in Eastchester include:

  • Chester Heights Park

  • CooperField Park

  • Dunwoodie Park

  • Garth Road Park

  • Haindl Recreation Park

  • Joyce Road Park

  • Labriola Park

  • Lake Isle Country Club

  • Leewood Park

  • Main Street Playground

  • Memorial Park

  • Parkway Oval Park

  • Rescigno Park

  • Town Hall Park

  • Oakridge Park 'Mill Road Park

  • Wilmont Park

For a description of Eastchester's parks, including things to do at each park, visit Parks in Eastchester. Also visit Playgrounds in Eastchester.

Eastchester offers many things to do year-round. Find things to do in cold weather, or enjoy warm weather activities and attractions. Visit Twin Lakes Park for

Are you a golfer? For a great game of golf, play golf at Lake Isle County Club in Eastchester.

Spend the day shopping in Bronxville or shop for Women's fashions in Scarsdale, just north of Eastchester. For the best shopping, offering high fashion and fabulous stores, drive a short distance north and go shopping in White Plains. Or drive south to Westchester's Ridge Hill, an outdoor shopping center in Yonkers.

After a day in the stores, select a place to eat from one of many excellent restaurants in Eastchester, restaurants in Bronxville, or a restaurant in Tuckahoe.


HISTORY OF EASTCHESTER

Historic Zenger Trial
Name: John Peter Zenger
Born: 1697 in Palatinate, Germany
Died: July 28, 1746 in New York

Among the famous people associated with the Town of Eastchester, is John Peter Zenger. Learn about the Zenger Trial and its impact on the American Revolution, and the Bill of Rights, First Amendment relating to Freedom of the Press .

    An election held on the 29th of October, on "the Green" at the Town of Eastchester, was to become the most notable election in the whole colonial history of Westchester County. The elaborate and graphic description of the election was published by John Peter Zenger in the first number of the famous New York Weekly Journal, November 5, 1733.

"John Peter Zenger, the printer whose prosecution helped establish the principles of press freedom and jury nullification, came to America in his early teens. His father died during the family's voyage to America, and the younger Zenger worked for several years as an indentured servant for printer William Bradford before opening his own print shop in 1726. Seven years later he started the New York Weekly Journal, the second newspaper in the colony of New York, competing with the Gazette published by his former master. Stridently partisan in its approach, the Journal was relentless in its criticism and lampooning of Royal Governor William Cosby (1690-1736) and his administration, and on 17 November 1734 Cosby had Zenger arrested and imprisoned for seditious libel. Though Zenger had neither written nor edited the pieces that outraged the Governor, as publisher he could be held liable under law.

"He engaged two lawyers to represent him, and both were promptly disbarred. He then called upon an out-of-state barrister, Andrew Hamilton (c. 1676-1741), who had less to fear from New York's oppressive Governor Cosby. At trial Hamilton admitted that the Journal had printed the items in question, but he made the novel claim that because the criticism was truthful, Zenger should not be punished. When the prosecution pointed out that truth was no defense to charges of sedition, Hamilton's next argument, perhaps even more radical, was to tell the jury to not merely judge whether the law was broken but to determine whether the law was just.

"Zenger was held behind bars for 35 weeks but his trial took only two days, and in the next edition of the paper he reported that "The jury returned in ten minutes, and found me not guilty". During his time in jail, Zenger's wife and colleagues had continued publishing the Journal, and continued its criticisms of the Governor. His prosecution and trial, and his letters written from jail and published in the Journal, helped galvanize American resentment of the colonies' British overlords. More than forty years after his death, Zenger's name was frequently mentioned in the debate that culminated with the American Bill of Rights in 1789." Sourced from Trial of John Peter Zenger.

Learn more about the events leading up to the Trial of John Peter Zenger

History And Antiquities
The following covers "History and Antiquities", a general collection of interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, and anecdotes about Westchester County and its towns. When reading the following, remember to keep in mind that this information has been written about two hundred years ago. Population statistics and events have not been revised to reflect current events and perspective. We think this adds to the historical flavor and interest of the writings, giving a different perspective on much of this information and written in an "older world" writing style. "Historical Collections of the State of New York" , Published by S. Tuttle, 194 Chatham-Square, 1841

    East Chester
    "The village of East Chester is situated at the head of a bay on Long Island sound, 16 miles NE. from New York, on the old turnpike and stage road to Boston, and contains an Episcopal church and about 25 dwellings. Bronx is the name of a small settlement and post-office in the northern part of the town, in the vicinity of which are valuable marble quarries. Pop. 1,502."




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