Rye Brook is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

, New York, United States, within the

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

of Rye. The population was 9,347 at the 2010 census. Rye Brook has been designated as a

Tree City USA The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 350 million trees in neighborhoods, communities ...

for 14 years.

History

Rye Brook is located in southeastern Westchester County and shares its eastern border with

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...

. The village was an unincorporated section of the town of Rye until its incorporation as a village on July 7, 1982. In 1982, 150 residents of the unincorporated area proposed to establish the village of Rye Brook and organized a petition containing 1,536 signatures. The petition drive, which contained the signatures of approximately 36% of the registered voters in the unincorporated area, was organized by the Independent Civic Association. It was reported by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' that one resident commented, "There is a time for a community to redefine itself," further stating that residents of the unincorporated area "should be able to elect their own officers" and "protect their tax base." The residents of the unincorporated area voted on June 23, 1982 to create the Village of Rye Brook. It was the first village created in New York State in 54 years. The referendum to create the new political identity passed with 58% of the voters in favor (1,991 to 1,434). The first election in the Village's history was held to elect a mayor and four trustees. The first village official was Lee Russillo, who was sworn in as Rye Brook's first Village Clerk, and was responsible for the first election day. The village is home to the William E. Ward House, which was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1976. Also known as Ward's Castle, it was the home of the

National Cartoon Museum The National Cartoon Museum was an American museum dedicated to the collection, preservation and exhibition of cartoons, comic strips and animation. It was the brainchild of Mort Walker, creator of ''Beetle Bailey''. The museum opened in 1974, w ...

, established by

Mort Walker Addison Morton Walker (September 3, 1923 – January 27, 2018) was an American comic strip writer, best known for creating the newspaper comic strips ''Beetle Bailey'' in 1950 and ''Hi and Lois'' in 1954. He signed Addison to some of his strips. ...

, the creator of

Beetle Bailey ''Beetle Bailey'' is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Mort Walker, published since September 4, 1950. It is set on a fictional United States Army post. In the years just before Walker's death in 2018 (at age 94), it was among the old ...

, from 1976 to 1992. In 1983,

800 Westchester Avenue The 800 Westchester Avenue complex is a postmodern Class A office building located in Rye Brook, New York. It was designed by the architectural firm of Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates, LLC to serve as the corporate headquarters for G ...

, described as the "Taj Mahal of Rye Brook" and the "contemporary equivalent to the classical villa," was constructed as the

General Foods General Foods Corporation was a company whose direct predecessor was established in the United States by Charles William Post as the Postum Cereal Company in 1895. The company changed its name to "General Foods" in 1929, after several corporate ...

Corporate Headquarters.

Geography

Rye Brook is located at (41.019767, -73.683419). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the village has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 8,602 people, 3,122 households, and 2,435 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 2,479.0 people per square mile (957.1/km²). There were 3,224 housing units at an average density of 929.1 per square mile (358.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 91.96%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.03%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.21% Native American, 4.25%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.36% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.16% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 5.44% of the population. There were 3,122 households, out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.4% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.09. In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

Government

The village of Rye Brook is governed by a mayor and a five-member Board of Trustees, all volunteers. Jason Klein is the current mayor.Members of the Village Board
Village of Rye Brook. The board appoints a village administrator who runs day-to-day operations in the city. Rye Brook has its own police and fire departments. The police department, led by a

chief of police Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the b ...

, consists of 28 officers and one support staffer. The fire department operates one firehouse, and the

Port Chester Port Chester is a village in the U.S. state of New York and the largest part of the town of Rye in Westchester County by population. At the 2010 U.S. census, the village of Port Chester had a population of 28,967 and was the fifth-most populou ...

Fire Department has a contract with the village to respond to calls. Port Chester's fire chief also oversees the Rye Brook police department. On the federal level, Rye Brook is located in the

New York's 17th congressional district New York's 17th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in Southern New York. It includes all of Rockland County and portions of central and northwestern Westchester County, i ...

. On the state level, Rye Brook is located in the 36th

State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

district and the 85th State Assembly district. On the county level, Rye Brook is located with the 6th

Westchester County Board of Legislators The Westchester County Board of Legislators is the legislative, policy-making branch of Westchester County. The powers of the Board are enumerated in the county's charter. A key power of the Board concerns finances: appropriating funds, approving ...

district.

Parks and recreation

Rye Brook residents have access to the historic Rye Town Park-Bathing Complex and Oakland Beach through the town of Rye, although the complex is located in the city of Rye, a separate municipality. Rye Brook has six main parks totaling nearly : *Pine Ridge Park: Contains two little league fields, four tennis courts, two basketball courts, and a playground. The park is located on the corner of Latonia Road and Mohegan Lane. *Garabaldi Park: Has two basketball courts, one tennis court, a Little League field, and a playground. Garibaldi Park stands on Garibaldi Place opposite to the Anthony J. Posillipo Community Center. *Harkness Park: This park contains four tennis courts and is the home of Blind Brook Tennis. Harkness lies next to

Blind Brook High School Blind Brook High School (BBHS) is a public, four-year secondary school in Rye Brook, New York, United States. It is the only public high school that serves the Blind Brook School District. BBHS is a relatively small high school; the Class of 2 ...

. *Rye Hills Park: This park, which is next to Crawford Park, has a walking trail, game tables, a basketball court, and a lookout towards

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...

. *Rye Brook-King Street Athletic Fields: This park contains a soccer/football/lacrosse/field hockey field and a softball field. These fields are made of artificial turf, rather than traditional grass fields. These are the first artificial turf fields built in the village. Ground was broken for the project in the fall of 2005 and construction was completed in September 2006. The scoreboard and bathroom/storage facilities were completed in October 2006. These fields are located next to Blind Brook High School on King Street. Parking for the fields are at the High School and a stairway has been built as an accessway to the fields from the high school. *Crawford Park is owned by the Town of Rye. The park is used for soccer, tee-ball, and softball by the village. There is a walking path along the perimeter of the park which is very popular among dog walkers and joggers alike. The village has two alternative passive parks: *Magnolia Park: This park has an open grass field. *Rich Manor Park: This site is an open field and has views of Blind Brook.

Education

Within the village lie two school districts, the

Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District Port Chester Public Schools, officially known as the Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District,Platzman, Cheryl. "IF YOU'RE THINKING OF LIVING IN/RYE BROOK, N.Y.; 1 Close-Knit Village, 2 School Districts." (Correction Appended) ''The New York Ti ...

and the

Blind Brook School District The Blind Brook School District, officially known as the Blind Brook-Rye Union Free School District, is a public school district that serves approximately 1,439 students in Rye Brook, New York, in Westchester County, United States. Before it was ...

. Blind Brook makes up approximately 70% of the village and Port Chester covers the remaining 30%.

is the only high school in the Blind Brook School District, and is ranked #22 in the state and #159 in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2018 "Best High Schools" rankings.

Port Chester High School Port Chester High School is a public high school in Port Chester, New York. It is the senior high school of the Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District and its principal is Mitchell Combs. The school is ranked #134 in the state and #1481 in t ...

is the only high school in the Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District, and is ranked #134 in the state and #1481 in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2018 "Best High Schools" rankings.

Media

*''

The Journal News ''The Journal News'' is a newspaper in New York (state), New York State serving the New York counties of Westchester County, New York, Westchester, Rockland County, New York, Rockland, and Putnam County, New York, Putnam, a region known as the H ...

'', covering all of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties. *''The Westmore News''

Economy

Personal income

The median income for a household in the village was $98,864, and the median income for a family was $111,287. Males had a median income of $75,712 versus $45,698 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $48,617. About 1.8% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

Industry

Universal American Universal American () is a Fortune 500 company with offices throughout the United States, and headquarters in Rye Brook, New York. The company offered health insurance, and also deals in Medicare managed care plans, and Medicare prescription ...

is headquartered in Rye Brook. Formerly,

Snapple Snapple is a brand of tea and juice drinks which is owned by Keurig Dr Pepper and based in Plano, Texas, United States. The company (and brand), which was originally known as Unadulterated Food Products, was founded in 1972. The brand achieved som ...

Kraft Foods The second incarnation of Kraft Foods is an American food manufacturing and processing conglomerate, split from Kraft Foods Inc. in 2012 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It became part of Kraft Heinz in 2015. A merger with Heinz, arra ...

and IBM had their headquarters in the village.

WRNN-TV WRNN-TV (channel 48) is a television station licensed to New Rochelle, New York, United States, serving the New York City area as an affiliate of ShopHQ. It serves as the flagship station of Rye Brook–based WRNN-TV Associates; its headquarter ...

is an independent television station with its headquarters located at 800 Westchester Avenue.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Commuters have the option of using the

-operated Bee-Line Bus System. Part of the

Westchester County Airport Westchester County Airport is a county-owned airport in Westchester County, New York, three miles (6 km) northeast of downtown White Plains, with territory in the towns of North Castle and Harrison, New York, and village of Rye Brook, N ...

is located in the northern part of the village. Major roads that serve the area include, in the northern part of the village: * Hutchinson River Pkwy Shield

Hutchinson River Parkway The Hutchinson River Parkway (known colloquially as The Hutch) is a north–south parkway in southern New York in the United States. It extends for from the massive Bruckner Interchange in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx to the New York ...

In the southern part of the village: * I-287

Interstate 287 Interstate 287 (I-287) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US states of New Jersey and New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving the northern half of New Jersey and the counties of Rockland and Westchester in ...

I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...

New England Thruway Interstate 95 (I-95) is part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from Miami, Florida, to the Canada–United States border near Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of New York, I-95 extends from the George Washington Bridge in New Yor ...

Other major routes include: * NY-120

NY 120 New York State Route 120 (NY 120) is a state highway in southern Westchester County, New York, in the United States. It begins in the city of Rye at an intersection with U.S. Route 1 (US 1) and runs for about north to the h ...

NY 120A

Flood control

The Bowman Avenue Dam, a project to mitigate flooding in the area, is located within the village.

Notable people

Craig Bierko Craig Philip Bierko (born August 18, 1964) is an American actor and singer. Early life Bierko was born in Rye Brook, New York where his mother Pat ran The Harrison Players, a local community theatre. After graduating Blind Brook High School, ...

, actor, grew up in Rye Brook and graduated from Blind Brook High School *

Ralph Branca Ralph Theodore Joseph "Hawk" Branca (January 6, 1926 – November 23, 2016) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1944 through 1956. Branca played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1944� ...

, Brooklyn Dodgers Pitcher, 1944-1953, 1956 * William Carlucci, Olympic athlete, was born in Rye Brook *

Dorothy Gilman Dorothy Edith Gilman (June 25, 1923 – February 2, 2012) was an American writer. She is best known for the Emily Pollifax, Mrs. Pollifax series. Begun in a time when women in mystery meant Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and international espiona ...

, The

Emily Pollifax Mrs. Emily Pollifax is the heroine of a series of spy- mystery novels by Dorothy Gilman. Mrs. Pollifax is a widow and senior citizen who decides one day to leave her comfortable apartment in New Brunswick, New Jersey and join the CIA. Through ...

mysteries writer *

Joshua Harmon (playwright) Joshua Harmon (born 1983) is a New York City-based playwright, whose works include ''Bad Jews'' and ''Significant Other (play), Significant Other'', both produced Off-Broadway by Roundabout Theatre Company. Harmon is the recipient of 2 Drama D ...

, playwright, grew up in Rye Brook *

Dan McDonnell Dan McDonnell is an American college baseball coach who has been the head coach of the Louisville Cardinals since the start of the 2007 season. As of the end of the 2017 season, Louisville has a 646-266 (.708 winning percentage) in 15 seasons r ...

, head baseball coach at Louisville

References

External links

Village of Rye Brook official websiteBlind Brook Public Schools
{{authority control Rye, New York Villages in New York (state) Villages in Westchester County, New York