Mont Pleasant, Schenectady, New York
Encyclopedia
Mont Pleasant is a neighborhood of Schenectady
, New York
, United States
. It is located in the south central part of the city and is the most populated of Schenectady's neighborhoods and has the most housing units as well.
neighborhood of immigrants, including Italians, Poles, and Jews in mostly two-family homes. Several ethnic churches and at least two synagogues and the Jewish Community Center
(JCC) were built in Mont Pleasant. When General Electric
and other area manufacturers downsized Mont Pleasant's residents began to move to the suburbs and the number of owner-occupied homes declined. Mont Pleasant's Jewish congregations and the JCC moved to the suburbs of Niskayuna. The exodus from Mont Pleasant was vividly demonstrated in an Associated Press
database of US Postal Service records released in 2009 which showed that 28% of residential units in Mont Pleasant were vacant, which was the third highest in the state of New York.
There are 4,616 housing units in the neighborhood (a 5.4% decrease from 1990–2000) with an average of 2.32 residents per household. The neighborhood has the most housing units of any Schenectady neighborhood. 24% of the housing units are owner occupied while 76% are renter occupied. Owner-occupied housing increased from 1990 to 2000 though.
The median income for Mont Pleasant was $27,824 in 2000. 72.8% of neighborhood residents were low-income, 48.7% were very low income, and 19.4% lived below the poverty level. Minorities comprise 20.7% of the residents.
railroad line is to the west separating the neighborhood from the Bellevue neighborhood, while Interstate 890 serves as the eastern boundary with the Hamilton Hill neighborhood. The northern border is Broadway which separates the neighborhood from the General Electric plant.
. The Hamilton Elementary School which serves students in pre-kindergarten to fifth grades and The Academy of Culture & Communication Magnet School at Pleasant Valley serves students from kindergarten to fifth grades are the elementary schools. Mont Pleasant Middle School serves students from sixth to eighth grades, after which students go on to Schenectady High. The Career Center at Steinmetz is provides academic programs for students in ninth to twelfth grades. A branch of the Schenectady County Public Library is located in Mont Pleasant as well.
The Mont Pleasant Middle School opened in 1931 as one of Schenectady's two high schools. In 1992, the other high school, Linton High, merged with Mont Pleasant with Linton becoming Schenectady High and Mont Pleasant a middle school.
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located in the south central part of the city and is the most populated of Schenectady's neighborhoods and has the most housing units as well.
History
Mont Pleasant was annexed by the city of Schenectady in 1903 from the neighboring town of Rotterdam. Mont Pleasant was once a vibrant blue collarBlue collar
Blue collar can refer to:*Blue-collar worker, a traditional designation of the working class*Blue-collar crime, the types of crimes typically associated with the working class*A census designation...
neighborhood of immigrants, including Italians, Poles, and Jews in mostly two-family homes. Several ethnic churches and at least two synagogues and the Jewish Community Center
Jewish Community Center
A Jewish Community Center or Jewish Community Centre is a general recreational, social and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities...
(JCC) were built in Mont Pleasant. When General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
and other area manufacturers downsized Mont Pleasant's residents began to move to the suburbs and the number of owner-occupied homes declined. Mont Pleasant's Jewish congregations and the JCC moved to the suburbs of Niskayuna. The exodus from Mont Pleasant was vividly demonstrated in an Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
database of US Postal Service records released in 2009 which showed that 28% of residential units in Mont Pleasant were vacant, which was the third highest in the state of New York.
Demographics
In 2000 Mont Pleasant had a population of 9,303, which was a decrease of 3.9% from 1990; it is the most populated of Schenectady's neighborhoods. The largest decrease was by seniors at 17.4%, followed by pre-school children at 13.2% and adults at a 7.6% decrease. The only population segment to post an increase was that of school-age children between the ages of 5 and 19, that segment increased by 35.5%. The median age in Mont Pleasant is 40.4, second highest among Schenectady's neighborhoods.There are 4,616 housing units in the neighborhood (a 5.4% decrease from 1990–2000) with an average of 2.32 residents per household. The neighborhood has the most housing units of any Schenectady neighborhood. 24% of the housing units are owner occupied while 76% are renter occupied. Owner-occupied housing increased from 1990 to 2000 though.
The median income for Mont Pleasant was $27,824 in 2000. 72.8% of neighborhood residents were low-income, 48.7% were very low income, and 19.4% lived below the poverty level. Minorities comprise 20.7% of the residents.
Geography
Mont Pleasant occupies approximately 521 acres (210.8 ha) in the south central part of Schenectady. The town of Rotterdam is to the south. The CSXCSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
railroad line is to the west separating the neighborhood from the Bellevue neighborhood, while Interstate 890 serves as the eastern boundary with the Hamilton Hill neighborhood. The northern border is Broadway which separates the neighborhood from the General Electric plant.
Land use
Of Mont Pleasant's approximately 521 acres (210.8 ha) residential properties account for 63% of all land use with community service properties at 10.7%, commercial properties at 10.4% and recreation and entertainment properties at only 7.4%. 32 acres (12.9 ha) or 6% of the land in the neighborhood is vacant. Mont Pleasant comprises 9.5% of the Schenectady's land area, and generates only 11.6% of the city’s property tax revenue. About 26% of the neighborhood is tax exempt, which is the second lowest percentage among the city’s neighborhoods. Mont Pleasant has 4,616 housing units, the most among Schenectady's neighborhoods.Architecture
Two family homes make up approximately 44% of the housing units in the neighborhood and 65.5% of structures were built before 1939. 48% of residential properties are owner occupied and 51.9% are renter occupied. The median gross rent for the Mont Pleasant neighborhood was $553 in 2000 and the median value of owner-occupied homes in the neighborhood in 2000 was $58,525.Education
Mont Pleasant has several schools which are part of the Schenectady City School DistrictSchenectady City School District
The Schenectady City School District is a public city school district in the city of Schenectady in central Schenectady County, New York. The district has 20 operating school buildings and is a component district of the Capital Region Board of Cooperative Educational Services...
. The Hamilton Elementary School which serves students in pre-kindergarten to fifth grades and The Academy of Culture & Communication Magnet School at Pleasant Valley serves students from kindergarten to fifth grades are the elementary schools. Mont Pleasant Middle School serves students from sixth to eighth grades, after which students go on to Schenectady High. The Career Center at Steinmetz is provides academic programs for students in ninth to twelfth grades. A branch of the Schenectady County Public Library is located in Mont Pleasant as well.
The Mont Pleasant Middle School opened in 1931 as one of Schenectady's two high schools. In 1992, the other high school, Linton High, merged with Mont Pleasant with Linton becoming Schenectady High and Mont Pleasant a middle school.
Recreation
There are many parks and ballparks within Mont Pleasant. Stelmack Park is a passive park; Tenth & Webster Park and Orchard Park are both 1 acre (0.404686 ha) and each includes a basketball court and play equipment; Wallingford Park includes a basketball court, water mushroom, and play equipment; Michigan Avenue Park at 3.88 acres (1.6 ha) has tennis courts; the Quackenbush Park is a 2 acre (0.809372 ha) with a basketball court, swimming pool, and play equipment; the Mont Pleasant Athletic Field encompasses 14.1 acres (5.7 ha) and includes a baseball field; Grout Park offers basketball court, tennis courts, baseball field, play equipment, and a rugby field.See also
- Hamilton Hill, Schenectady, New York
- Stockade Historic DistrictStockade Historic DistrictThe Stockade Historic District is located in the northwest corner of Schenectady, New York, United States, on the banks of the Mohawk River. It is the oldest neighborhood in the city, continuously inhabited for over 300 years...
- Union Street Historic District (Schenectady, New York)Union Street Historic District (Schenectady, New York)The Union Street Historic District extends along a section of that street in Schenectady, New York, United States. Covering roughly two miles of both sides of the street, it includes 184 buildings in its ....
- Woodlawn, Schenectady, New YorkWoodlawn, Schenectady, New YorkWoodlawn is a neighborhood of Schenectady, New York and occupies the entire southeastern section of that city. The neighborhood developed as a suburb of the city of Schenectady in the first two decades of the 20th century and was annexed to the city in 1923...