Clarkstown, New York
Encyclopedia
Clarkstown is a town in Rockland County
, New York, United States. The town is on the eastern border of the county, located north of the town of Orangetown
; east of the town of Ramapo
; South of the town of Haverstraw
and west of the Hudson River
. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 82,082. The community of New City
in the town is the seat of town government and of the Clarkstown Police Department
, county sherriff's police office, and correctional facility. New City makes up about 41.47% of the town's population.
In 2008 Clarkstown became one of 600 municipalities nationwide to sign the United States Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 7 percent below the 1990 levels by 2012.
, before Rockland County was formed.
In 2008 CNNMoney.com
named Clarkstown the 71st best small "city" to live in America.
In 2010 CNNMoney.com
named Clarkstown the 41st best small "city" to live in America, which was the highest such ranking in New York.
defines the eastern border of the town, which is opposite the town of Mount Pleasant
in Westchester County
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 46.9 square miles (121.5 km²), of which 38.5 square miles (99.7 km²) is land and 8.4 square miles (21.8 km²) (17.87%) is water.
The New York State Thruway
(Interstate 87
) intersects the Palisades Parkway and the Garden State Parkway Connector
in the town.
, and 2.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.92% of the population.
There were 27,697 households out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $92,121, and the median income for a family was $104,909.http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&-qr_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_S1901&-ds_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_&-CONTEXT=st&-tree_id=307&-redoLog=true&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=06000US3608715968&-format=&-_lang=en Males had a median income of $57,773 versus $40,805 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,430. About 2.5% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
Clarkstown is the most densely populated town in Rockland County and is home to New City which is the county's seat. It also has more business districts in it than any other town in Rockland, including Palisades Center
, which is among the largest malls in the world.
by Congressman Eliot Engel and by Congresswoman Nita Lowey
. It is represented in New York State government by Senator David Carlucci
and Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski.
In 2005, it was named by Morgan Quitno
the second safest city in the United States whose population is greater than 75,000 as well as then second safest overall from over 369 cities. This was the fifth year in a row in which Clarkstown made it within the top five and top ten respectively in these categories.
In 2007, Clarkstown, once again named the second safest city in the United States in The 14th annual "2007 – 2008 City Crime Rankings" published by CQ Press – formally known as Morgan Quitno, a unit of Congressional Quarterly Inc. It was based on the FBI's September 24, 2007 crime statistics report which looked at 378 municipal areas with at least 75,000 people based on per-capita rates for homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and auto theft.
In 2008, Clarkstown, named the six safest city in the United States in The 15th annual "2008 – 2009 City Crime Rankings" published by CQ Press.
In 2009, Clarkstown, named the seventh safest city in the United States in The 16th annual "2009 – 2010 City Crime Rankings" published by CQ Press.
In 2010, Clarkstown, named the fifth safest city in the United States in The 17th annual "2010 – 2011 City Crime Rankings" published by CQ Press.
However, these rankings are highly controversial, because of their source. In October 2007 The American Society of Criminology
, The United States Conference of Mayors
, and The Federal Bureau of Investigation requested that the publisher reconsider the promotion of the book – specifically, "their inaccurate and inflammatory press release labeling cities as 'safest' and 'most dangerous'" – because the rankings are "baseless and damaging." http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/41A85C43D2B421E186257396001D38A2?OpenDocument
" by conducting energy audit
s, purchasing Energy Star
office equipment and using green cleaning products in town facilities, steps also included;
, in which the ordinance was held unconstitutional.
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
, New York, United States. The town is on the eastern border of the county, located north of the town of Orangetown
Orangetown, New York
Orangetown is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States located in the southeast part of the county. It is northwest of New York City; north of New Jersey; east of the town of Ramapo; south of the town of Clarkstown; west of the Hudson River. The population was 47,711 at the 2000 census.-...
; east of the town of Ramapo
Ramapo, New York
Ramapo , formerly known as New Hempstead and then Hampstead, is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States located north of New Jersey; southeast of Orange County, New York; south of the Town of Haverstraw and west of the Town of Clarkstown and the Town of Orangetown...
; South of the town of Haverstraw
Haverstraw (town), New York
Haverstraw is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States located north of the Town of Clarkstown and the Town of Ramapo; east of Orange County, New York; south of the Town of Stony Point and west of the Hudson River. The town runs from the west to the east border of the county in its...
and west of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 82,082. The community of New City
New City, New York
New City is a hamlet , in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States, part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The hamlet is a suburb of New York City, located 18 miles north of the city at the closest point, Riverdale, The Bronx...
in the town is the seat of town government and of the Clarkstown Police Department
Clarkstown Police Department (New York)
The Clarkstown Town Police Department, is a professional police organization responsible for primary jurisdictional law enforcement for the town of Clarkstown, in Rockland County, New York. The Clarkstown Police Headquarters are located in New City, with an address of 20 Maple Avenue New City, NY...
, county sherriff's police office, and correctional facility. New City makes up about 41.47% of the town's population.
In 2008 Clarkstown became one of 600 municipalities nationwide to sign the United States Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 7 percent below the 1990 levels by 2012.
History
The town of Clarkstown was created in 1791 in Orange CountyOrange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, before Rockland County was formed.
In 2008 CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com is the world's largest business website. The site is the online home of Fortune and Money, and serves as CNN.com's exclusive business site. The site, edited by Chris Peacock, together with the three titles, is part of the Fortune|Money Group, and attracts more than 10.8 million unique...
named Clarkstown the 71st best small "city" to live in America.
In 2010 CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com is the world's largest business website. The site is the online home of Fortune and Money, and serves as CNN.com's exclusive business site. The site, edited by Chris Peacock, together with the three titles, is part of the Fortune|Money Group, and attracts more than 10.8 million unique...
named Clarkstown the 41st best small "city" to live in America, which was the highest such ranking in New York.
Geography
The Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
defines the eastern border of the town, which is opposite the town of Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant, New York
Mount Pleasant is a town in Westchester County, New York, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 43,724.-Geography:...
in Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 46.9 square miles (121.5 km²), of which 38.5 square miles (99.7 km²) is land and 8.4 square miles (21.8 km²) (17.87%) is water.
The New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
(Interstate 87
Interstate 87
Interstate 87 is a Interstate Highway located entirely within New York State in the United States of America. I-87 is the longest intrastate Interstate highway in the Interstate Highway System. Its southern end is at the Bronx approaches of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in New York City...
) intersects the Palisades Parkway and the Garden State Parkway Connector
Garden State Parkway
The Garden State Parkway is a 172.4-mile limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at New Jersey's southernmost tip. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State." Most New Jersey residents refer...
in the town.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 82,082 people, 27,697 households, and 21,991 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,129.7 people per square mile (822.3/km²). There were 28,220 housing units at an average density of 732.2 per square mile (282.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 79.97% White, 7.87% African American, 0.13% Native American, 7.90% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.99% from other racesRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.92% of the population.
There were 27,697 households out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $92,121, and the median income for a family was $104,909.http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&-qr_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_S1901&-ds_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_&-CONTEXT=st&-tree_id=307&-redoLog=true&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=06000US3608715968&-format=&-_lang=en Males had a median income of $57,773 versus $40,805 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,430. About 2.5% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
Clarkstown is the most densely populated town in Rockland County and is home to New City which is the county's seat. It also has more business districts in it than any other town in Rockland, including Palisades Center
Palisades Center
The Palisades Center Mall, often referred to as the Palisades Mall, in West Nyack, New York is the eighth largest shopping mall in the United States by total area, and sixth largest by gross leasable space...
, which is among the largest malls in the world.
Elected Representation
The Town of Clarkstown has as its chief executive a Town Supervisor. The current Town Supervisor is Alexander Gromack. Clarkstown is represented in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
by Congressman Eliot Engel and by Congresswoman Nita Lowey
Nita Lowey
Nita Melnikoff Lowey is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She previously represented the 20th district from 1989 to 1993.-Early life, education and career:...
. It is represented in New York State government by Senator David Carlucci
David Carlucci
David Carlucci is a member of the New York State Senate representing the 38th district, which includes all of Rockland County and parts of Orange County. He is an Independent Democrat....
and Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski.
Communities and locations in Clarkstown, NY
- BardoniaBardonia, New YorkBardonia is a hamlet , in the Town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Nanuet; east of Spring Valley; south of New City and west of West Nyack...
– A hamlet east of Spring Valley. - Brownsell Corners – A hamlet in the north part of the town.
- CentenaryCentenary, New YorkCentenary is a hamlet in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of New City; east of High Tor State Park; south of Village of Haverstraw and west of the Hudson River....
– A hamlet near the north town line. - Central Nyack – A hamlet on the south town line.
- CongersCongers, New YorkCongers is a hamlet , in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Valley Cottage; east of New City, across Lake DeForest, south of Haverstraw and west of the Hudson River. It lies 19 miles north of New York City's Bronx boundary...
– A hamlet in the eastern part of the town. - DeForest Lake – A long lake with a north-south orientation.
- High Tor State ParkHigh Tor State ParkHigh Tor State Park is a state park located on the northern edge of the Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York in the USA. It is named after High Tor Mountain, also known as Vogel Mountain, it's highest peak at an elevation of 832 feet....
– A state parkState parkState parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
along the north town line. - Germonds – A location south of New City.
- Hook Mountain State Park – A state parkState parkState parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in the east part of the town. - Lake Lucille – A location in the north part of the town.
- Mount IvyMount Ivy, New YorkMount Ivy is a hamlet in the towns of Haverstraw and Ramapo New York, United States located north of New City; east of Pomona; south of Thiells and west of the Garnerville...
– A hamlet on the north town line. - NanuetNanuet, New YorkNanuet is a hamlet , in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Pearl River; south of New City; east of Spring Valley and west of West Nyack. It is 19 miles north of Manhattan, and 2 miles north of the New Jersey border...
– A hamlet. - New CityNew City, New YorkNew City is a hamlet , in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States, part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The hamlet is a suburb of New York City, located 18 miles north of the city at the closest point, Riverdale, The Bronx...
– A hamlet that is the county seat.- New City Condominiums – A neighborhood near the center of New City
- New City Park – A community in South New City.
- NyackNyack, New YorkNyack is a village in the towns of Orangetown and Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of South Nyack; east of Central Nyack; south of Upper Nyack and west of the Hudson River, approximately 19 miles north of the Manhattan boundary, it is an inner suburb of New...
– A village, the north part of which is at the south town line. - Nyack Beach State ParkNyack Beach State ParkNyack Beach State Park is a state park in Upper Nyack, Rockland County, New York. It consists of a small parking lot and of riverfront pathway, the southernmost section of the Hudson River Valley Greenway. It is known for its physical proximity to the Hudson River on one side of the pathway...
– A state park near the Hudson River. - Oakbrook – A hamlet east of Spring Valley.
- Rockland Lake – A hamlet located west of a lake of the same name.
- Rockland Lake State ParkRockland Lake State ParkRockland Lake State Park is located on a ridge of Hook Mountain above the west bank of the Hudson River, in the hamlet of Congers, which is in the eastern part of the Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York. The park sits between the west bank of the Hudson River and Route 9W...
– A state park in the eastern part of the town. - Spring ValleySpring Valley, New YorkSpring Valley, incorporated on July 9, 1902 is a village spanning the Town of Ramapo and Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Nanuet; east of Airmont and Monsey; south of Hillcrest and west of West Nyack...
– A village, the east portion of which is within the town. - Upper NyackUpper Nyack, New YorkUpper Nyack is a village in the town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of the village of Nyack; east of West Nyack; south of Rockland Lake State Park and west of the Hudson River. The population was 1,863 at the 2000 census....
– A village north of Nyack. - Valley CottageValley Cottage, New YorkValley Cottage is a hamlet , in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of West Nyack; east of New City; south of Congers and west of Upper Nyack...
– A hamlet in the eastern part of the town. - West NyackWest Nyack, New YorkWest Nyack is a hamlet in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Central Nyack; east of Nanuet; south of Valley Cottage and west of Upper Nyack. It is approximately 18 miles north of New York City...
– A hamlet west of Nyack village.
CQ Press Crime ranking
Morgan Quitno
Morgan Quitno Press is a research and publishing company based in Lawrence, Kansas, which compiles books with statistics of crime rates, health care, education, and other categories, ranking cities and states in the United States...
the second safest city in the United States whose population is greater than 75,000 as well as then second safest overall from over 369 cities. This was the fifth year in a row in which Clarkstown made it within the top five and top ten respectively in these categories.
In 2007, Clarkstown, once again named the second safest city in the United States in The 14th annual "2007 – 2008 City Crime Rankings" published by CQ Press – formally known as Morgan Quitno, a unit of Congressional Quarterly Inc. It was based on the FBI's September 24, 2007 crime statistics report which looked at 378 municipal areas with at least 75,000 people based on per-capita rates for homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and auto theft.
In 2008, Clarkstown, named the six safest city in the United States in The 15th annual "2008 – 2009 City Crime Rankings" published by CQ Press.
In 2009, Clarkstown, named the seventh safest city in the United States in The 16th annual "2009 – 2010 City Crime Rankings" published by CQ Press.
In 2010, Clarkstown, named the fifth safest city in the United States in The 17th annual "2010 – 2011 City Crime Rankings" published by CQ Press.
However, these rankings are highly controversial, because of their source. In October 2007 The American Society of Criminology
American Society of Criminology
The American Society of Criminology is an international organization whose members pursue scholarly, scientific and professional knowledge concerning the measurement, etiology, consequences, prevention, control, and treatment of crime and delinquency...
, The United States Conference of Mayors
United States Conference of Mayors
United States Conference of Mayors, sometimes referred to as the United States Council of Mayors, is the official non-partisan organization for cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The cities are each represented by their mayor or other chief elected official...
, and The Federal Bureau of Investigation requested that the publisher reconsider the promotion of the book – specifically, "their inaccurate and inflammatory press release labeling cities as 'safest' and 'most dangerous'" – because the rankings are "baseless and damaging." http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/41A85C43D2B421E186257396001D38A2?OpenDocument
Clarkstown Going Green
Clarkstown has not only taken steps towards "going greenEnvironmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
" by conducting energy audit
Energy audit
An energy audit is an inspection, survey and analysis of energy flows for energy conservation in a building, process or system to reduce the amount of energy input into the system without negatively affecting the output.-Principle:...
s, purchasing Energy Star
Energy Star
Energy Star is an international standard for energy efficient consumer products originated in the United States of America. It was first created as a United States government program during the early 1990s, but Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union have also adopted...
office equipment and using green cleaning products in town facilities, steps also included;
- 2005 – Purchasing 10% of the energy used by town government from windWind powerWind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
and solarSolar powerSolar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
sources. - 2006 – Passing a tree preservation law.
- 2007 – Purchasing Hybrid vehicleHybrid vehicleA hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
s and smaller cars. - 2008 – Installing energy-efficient lighting (LEDLEdLEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
) at its parks and recreation building with sensors that automatically turn off lights when no motion is detected.
US Supreme Court Case
In 1994, Clarkstown was involved in litigation that challenged a town ordinance that required all waste picked up in the town to be sorted for recyclables at a specific privately-operated facility. The case made it to the United States Supreme Court in C&A Carbone, Inc. v. Town of Clarkstown, New YorkC&A Carbone, Inc. v. Town of Clarkstown, New York
C&A Carbone, Inc. v. Town of Clarkstown, New York, was a case before the United States Supreme Court in which the plaintiff , a private recycler with business in Clarkstown, New York, sought to ship its non-recyclable waste to cheaper waste processors out-of-state...
, in which the ordinance was held unconstitutional.