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Rye is a city in
Westchester County, New York Westchester County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The c ...
, United States, within the
New York City metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...
. It received its charter as a city in 1942, making it the most recent such charter in the state. Its area of 5.85 square miles has a population density of 2,729.76/sq mi. Rye is notable for its waterfront, and two
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
s: the Boston Post Road Historic District, designated in 1993 and the only
National Historic Landmark District A National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a geographical area that has received recognition from the United States Government that the buildings, landscapes, cultural features and archaeological resources within it are of the highest signific ...
in Westchester County, which includes the Jay Estate, the childhood home and final resting place of
John Jay John Jay (, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, diplomat, signatory of the Treaty of Paris (1783), Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served from 1789 to 1795 as the first chief justice of the United ...
, a
Founding Father The following is a list of national founders of sovereign states who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e., political system ...
and the first Chief Justice of the United States, and Playland, a historic amusement park designated in 1987, which features one of the oldest wooden
roller coaster A roller coaster is a type of list of amusement rides, amusement ride employing a form of elevated Railway track, railroad track that carries passengers on a roller coaster train, train through tight turns, steep slopes, and other elements, usua ...
s in the
Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...
, the Dragon Coaster.


History

Rye was once a part of Fairfield County,
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
, belonging to the Sachem Ponus, of the Ponus Wekuwuhm, Canaan Parish, and was probably named for that chieftain, "Peningoe Neck". It was founded in 1660 by three men: Thomas Studwell, Peter Disbrow and John Coe. Later landowners included John Budd and family. During the 19th and early 20th centuries it was a haven for wealthy Manhattanites who traveled by coach or boat to escape the city heat. Its location on Long Island Sound and numerous beaches also appealed to visitors with more moderate means who gravitated for short stays at cottages and waterfront hotels. It has an extraordinary inventory of buildings with architectural distinction that help visually articulate specific neighborhoods and districts.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Rye is "situated in the eastern part of central Westchester County on Long Island Sound. The western border of the City generally parallels Beaver Swamp Brook, while the eastern border is formed by Milton Harbor and the Sound. Blind Brook traverses the City from the northwest corner of Rye to Milton Harbor at the southern end."


Rock and wetlands

The geology and hydrology of Rye is characterized by a significant quantity of rock, marshes and wetlands which makes the city both desirably scenic but also challenging for developers. Rye's bedrock is predominantly constituted of Fordham gneiss and Harrison diorite also known as Byram Black granite. According to Rye's 1985 Master Plan, "Rye contains a variety of environmentally significant areas. Numerous tidal and freshwater wetlands are found near the waterfront and brooks. The Milton Harbor area (including the Marshlands Conservancy and Rye Golf Club), Disbrow Park and the Manursing area contain the most extensive wetlands in the City. In addition, substantial areas near the Sound, Milton Harbor, Blind Brook and Beaver Swamp Brook are within the 100 year flood hazard area, and thus subject to potential flooding." According to the City of Rye, "Considerable acreage of these important natural resources has been lost or impaired by draining, dredging, filling, excavating, building, polluting and other acts inconsistent with the natural uses of such areas. Remaining wetlands are in jeopardy of being lost, despoiled or impaired by such acts contrary to the public safety and welfare." As a result, the city has charged itself with the responsibility of "preventing the despoilation and destruction of wetlands and watercourses while taking into account varying ecological, economic, recreational and aesthetic values. Activities that may damage wetlands or watercourses should be located on upland sites in such a manner as not to degrade these systems." In 2017, Rye resident and then New York State Senator George Latimer noted that wetlands maps for the area have not been updated in over 20 years


Flooding

Flooding has long been an issue in Rye as in other coastal towns with water coming in from Long Island Sound. The Blind Brook watershed is also a source of that flooding with significant deluges recorded in the neighborhood of Indian Village after four days of rain in October 1975. Three major weather events in just five years produced catastrophic damage in the town. * Following major flooding in March 2007, the
April 2007 nor'easter The April or Spring nor'easter of 2007 was a nor'easter that affected mainly the eastern parts of North America during its four-day course, from April 14 to April 17, 2007. The combined effects of high winds, heavy rainfall, and high tides led ...
six weeks later left some homes in Rye with over five feet of floodwater. * In 2011, the after effects of
Hurricane Irene Hurricane Irene was a large and destructive tropical cyclone which affected much of the Caribbean and East Coast of the United States during late August 2011. The ninth tropical cyclone naming, named storm, first hurricane, and first major ...
in August and
Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that affected the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which accounted for 2,975 of the 3,059 deaths. It is the ...
in September included swelling of Blind Brook and submersion of private and commercial properties including the Rye Nature Center, Indian Village, the Rye High football field, businesses on Purchase Street and homes on Milton and Highland Roads. * Storm surges from
Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...
in 2012 resulted in evacuations of many coastal residences and facilities including the Milton firehouse. The city's response to these recurring hazards was to apply for funding through the NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program. Rye received $3,000,000 to safeguard the city against future flooding threats, upgrade its infrastructure for resiliency, identify stormwater mitigation solutions, and protect historic buildings and natural wetlands. Starting on September 1, 2021, Rye experienced another substantial flooding event. The storm lasted two days and caused significant damage to municipal facilities, businesses and residences. Areas around Indian Village and other sections of the city that had previously flooded during Hurricane Irene were under 8–9 feet of water. Other areas around the town normally not affected by flooding were also affected. Prior to the flooding event, Rye had undergone approximately five inches of rainfall from Hurricane Henri. Two weeks later, the remnants Hurricane Ida dropped another 8–9 inches of rain in the area within a 12-hour period. Hurricane Ida remnants caused flooding in Rye nearly 10 years to the day from Hurricane Irene.


Archaeological significance and notable Indigenous sites

As of 2010, seventy-five percent of the acreage in Rye or the equivalent of 3,954 acres had been determined to be archaeologically sensitive with many Indigenous and
First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...
contact sites. At least two villages have been determined to have existed, one on Manursing Island and the other on today's Milton Point. The presence of Indigenous people's activities has been noted in numerous locations where implements and bones were unearthed, including an "ancient Indian burial ground, site of the present Playland Casino" together with discoveries of artifacts along the shoreline, pottery, skeletons and relics along Milton Road, Disbrow Park and throughout today's Boston Post Road Historic District including Marshlands Conservancy. The presence of Indigenous people in Rye was more recently documented in a 2012 Phase IA archaeological investigation commissioned by Westchester County in connection with the construction of a bike path along the Playland Parkway in Rye. Within just one mile of the project site, the report noted a dozen archeologically sensitive areas. The publication included supporting data from files in the repositories of NYOPRHP and the NY State Museum; it further highlighted the existence of shell middens, evidence of camp sites and at least two burial grounds. One of these documented sites included the Blind Brook. Additional findings have been made at the Jay Estate in archaeological digs conducted by Dr. Eugene Boesch and submitted to the NY State Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS).


Neighborhoods

Many of Rye's unique neighborhoods are defined in the 1985 Master Plan. Many have historic significance and their preservation was signaled as important for enhancing Rye's character. They include: Proposed National Register District *Soundview Park *Church Row Local or National Register Significance *Dogwood/Upper Dogwood Lane *Grace Church Street Area *Milton Harbor *Kirby Mill *Post Road Old Cottage District *Central Business District *Dublin (West Rye) *Greenhaven *Indian Village *Loudon Woods *Rye Town Park *Hix Park


Demographics

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 16,592 people living in the city. This is representative of approximately 5491 households. 74.8% have a college degree. 15.5% were over the age of 65 and 51.7% were women. 88.2% identified themselves as White alone. 1.3% identified as Black or African American alone. 6.7% identified as Hispanic or Latino. 5.6% identified as Asian alone.


Economy

Rye is home to: *
Con Edison Consolidated Edison, Inc., commonly known as Con Edison (stylized as conEdison) or ConEd, is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States, with approximately $12 billion in annual revenues as of 2017, and over $62 ...
*
Jarden Jarden was an American consumer products company. Formed by the spin out of Ball Corporation's canning business, the company became a wider conglomerate of consumer brands, particularly in the outdoors and home appliances market. Jarden was a ...
a Fortune 500 company, * GAMCO Investors, Inc., (formerly known as Gabelli Asset Management Company) * Sims Metal Management


Arts and culture


Lectures, concerts, exhibits and classes

* Jay Heritage Center * Rye Arts Center * Rye Free Reading Room * Rye Historical Society * Wainwright House (1928)(5 acres) – Historic estate with gardens and central building commissioned by US Congressman J. Mayhew Wainwright. In 1951, the property was re-imagined as a religious center "for research and training in the laws of God for Human Conduct." It was donated by Mrs. Philip King Condict to the Layman's Movement for a Christian World, an ecumenical organization serving New York men in business, banking and the law. Complaints about departure from its core mission of “inspiring greater understanding through body, mind, spirit and community” have mired the "nonsectarian spiritual and educational center" in controversy repeatedly since 1996 when the organization's $2.2 million endowment was completely depleted.


Largest annual community events

* Rye Little League Parade (April) * American Legion Memorial Day Parade (May) * Rye Sidewalk Sale (July) * Jay Day (September) * Rye Harrison Football Game (October) * Rye Window Painting (October) * Rye Turkey Trot (November) * Mistletoe Magic (December)


Historic sites

Of the more than 2600 National Historic Landmark (NHL) sites in the country, Rye has two: the Boston Post Road Historic District and Playland Amusement Park Both are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rye also has one of the few
National Historic Landmark District A National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a geographical area that has received recognition from the United States Government that the buildings, landscapes, cultural features and archaeological resources within it are of the highest signific ...
s in the country.


Boston Post Road Historic District

The Boston Post Road Historic District includes 5 historically significant parcels; much of the land was originally the ancestral home of American Founding Father
John Jay John Jay (, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, diplomat, signatory of the Treaty of Paris (1783), Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served from 1789 to 1795 as the first chief justice of the United ...
. It is where he grew up and where he is buried. * Jay Estate – 23 acre park with gardens operated by the Jay Heritage Center. Restoration of the Jay Mansion (1838) overlooking
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), 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 (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...
was an official project of the Save America's Treasures Program. The Jay Mansion is the oldest
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
(NHL) structure in New York State with a
geothermal heating Geothermal heating is the direct use of geothermal energy for some heating applications. Humans have taken advantage of geothermal heat this way since the Paleolithic era. Approximately seventy countries made direct use of a total of 270 PJ o ...
and cooling pump system and the first in Westchester County to have such an energy efficient system. Member site of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. It is also listed on Westchester County's African American Heritage Trail. Other historic buildings at the estate include a 1760s farmhouse, 1907 Zebra House and Carriage House, late 1800s Ice House and a 1917 Tennis House. * Lounsbury (1836–38) * Marshlands Conservancy (dates back to
Indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
era; part of original Jay Estate – partitioned in 1966) * Whitby Castle ( Rye Golf Club)(1852–54) * The Jay Cemetery (established 1805)


Playland

Rye Playland is a 279-acre theme park is owned and operated by Westchester County and includes rides, games, an indoor skating rink or Ice Casino, beach, a boardwalk, and concession stands. It is one of only two amusement parks in the country with National Historic Landmark status, the other one being Kennywood in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. It has been a popular destination since it first opened in 1928. Its wooden roller coaster, the Dragon Coaster, built in 1929, is one of the last roller coaster rides built by engineer Frederick Church that is still operating. The Derby Racer, also built by Church, is one of only three rides of its kind remaining in the world.
Glenn Close Glenda Veronica Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. In a career spanning over five decades on Glenn Close on screen and stage, screen and stage, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Glenn Close, numerous ac ...
's and Ellen Latzen's characters ride the roller coaster in the 1980s thriller film, ''
Fatal Attraction ''Fatal Attraction'' is a 1987 American psychological thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne and written by James Dearden, based on his 1980 short film '' Diversion''. It follows Dan Gallagher ( Michael Douglas), an attorney who cheats on his ...
''. Airplane Coaster, Church's most acclaimed coaster, was removed in 1957. Playland is also the setting for several key scenes in the 1988 comedy film ''
Big Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * Big (film), ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big'', a 2023 Taiwanese children's film starring Van Fan and Chie Tanaka * ''Big!'', a ...
'', starring
Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...


Sites on the National Register of Historic Places

Of the more than 88,000 sites in the country that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), Rye has 10 including the aforementioned Playland and Boston Post Road Historic District. * Bird Homestead, (NRHP listing 2010) * Boston Post Road Historic District (NRHP listing 1982) * Timothy Knapp House, (NRHP listing 1982) The oldest house in the city is owned by the Rye Historical Society and dates to around 1667. Notable for its location at the juncture of the Peningo Trail, a Native American path Further evidence of Indigenous presence includes mounds of shells or middens recorded by scientist Henry Bird. * Milton Cemetery (NRHP listing 1982) * Playland (NRHP listing 1980) * The Square House originally known as Widow Haviland's Tavern (NRHP listing 1974) Owned by the Rye Historical Society, this inn/tavern was built in 1730.
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
stayed at the inn on two separate occasions, remarking favorably on his experience in his diaries. * Rye African-American Cemetery, (NRHP listing 2003) * Rye Meeting House, (NRHP listing 2011). * Rye Town Park-Bathing Complex and Oakland Beach, (NRHP listing 2003) * United States Post Office – Rye, (NRHP listing 1989)


Local landmarks

Rye has a local landmark law that protects the following properties: * Haines-Robinson House (1867), 556 Milton Road * Jay Estate (formerly known as the Alansten District), 210 Boston Post Road * Stillman Residence (1915), 235 Boston Post Road * Village Green, Purchase Street


Additional historic resources

Of note are two 200 plus year old milestones labeled 24 and 25 on the Boston Post Road, oldest thoroughfare in the United States. The concept of mile markers to measure the distance from New York City was originated in 1763 by
Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...
during his term as Postmaster General. These sandstone markers likely date from 1802 when the Westchester Turnpike was configured. Rye is also home to a rare 1938 WPA mural by realist Guy Pene du Bois which is located within the city's Post Office lobby and titled ''John Jay at His Home.'' Rye is home to two of the 16 sites on the African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County- The Rye African-American Cemetery and the Jay Estate.


Cemeteries and burial grounds

* Greenwood Union Cemetery – originally known as Union Cemetery; founded in 1837 * Guion Cemetery * Milton Cemetery – oldest recorded burial is 1708 * Rye African-American Cemetery – established in 1860 * St. Mary's Cemetery – earliest burial 1854 * Playland Ice Casino – site of Native American burying ground * Unnamed African American Cemetery between Apawamis and Grace Church Street with burials prior to 1860 * Unnamed African American Cemetery near Old Boston Post Road and Playland Parkway with burials prior to 1860


Churches and synagogues

* Christ's Church (Episcopal) – established in 1695 as Grace Church; current building erected in 1866 * Church of the Resurrection * Community Synagogue of Rye * Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester * Rye Presbyterian Church (1870) - designed by
Richard Upjohn Richard Upjohn (22 January 1802 – 16 August 1878) was a British-American architect who immigrated to the United States and became most famous for his Gothic Revival churches. He was partially responsible for launching the movement to popula ...


Parks and recreation


Parks and nature reserves

Rye has over 454 acres of green open space with multiple types of usage from active to passive recreation including walking, hiking, bird-watching and dog walking. It is also a significant coastal community. In 1991, the City of Rye authored a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) to provide clear guidance for addressing future water conservation and preservation issues * Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary (179 acres) established in 1985. * Jay Estate (23 acres) – opened as a park in 1992; site of 1917 Palmer Indoor Tennis Court currently undergoing restoration for public use. Dogs on leash allowed. * Marshlands Conservancy (137 acres/147 with tidal lands), originally called the Devereux Reservation, opened as nature preserve in 1966. No dogs allowed. * Rye Nature Center (47 acres) acquired by city in 1956 and opened in 1957. * Rye Nursery Park (6.74 acres) – acquired "for wetland restoration and park uses" and deemed as "crucial land in the Long Island Sound Estuary" in 2001 following a recommendation by the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the Long Island Sound with the help of $3.1 million from the NY State and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund CWSRF administered by
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (informally referred to as NYSDEC, DEC, EnCon or NYSENCON) is a department of New York state government. The department guides and regulates the conservation, improvement, and protecti ...
and NY State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC); also supported by the Westchester Land Trust and approved for $1.6 million in funding from The Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act. * Rye Town Park (62 acres) – opened as a park in 1909 and jointly owned with the Town of Rye. Walking, dog friendly during appropriate seasonal hours. Recipient of multiple grants to fund ADA compliance including $300,000 grant from the State Office of Parks and Recreation


Private and public clubs

Rye has numerous private country clubs, many of which were formed in the late 19th and early 20th century. The combined acreage of these clubs affords members and guests over 993 acres of recreation. * American Yacht Club (New York) (founded in 1883) (12 acres+) – sailing, tennis, paddle *
The Apawamis Club The Apawamis Club is a private country club located in Rye, New York, Westchester County, long known for its 18-hole golf course and prominence in the sport of squash (sport), squash. The 1911 U.S. Amateur was contested here, resulting in a playo ...
(1890) (120 acres) – golf, squash, tennis, paddle, swimming * The Coveleigh Club (1933) (13 acres) – tennis, swimming, beach, bocce * Manursing Island Club (1912) (65 acres) – tennis, swimming, beach * Rye Golf Club (1921) (126 acres) (formerly known as Rye Country Club and Ryewood) – golf, swimming * Shenorock Shore Club (1945) (former site of defunct Milton Point Casino) (12+ acres)- tennis, swimming, beach *
Westchester Country Club Westchester Country Club is a private country club located in Harrison, New York. Founded in 1922 as a destination for sportsmen, it was known to professional golfers and spectators for more than four decades as the home of the Westchester Cla ...
(1922) (Main Club: 583 acres; Beach Club:62 acres; 645 Total acres) – golf, tennis, squash, paddle, swimming, beach


Recreation facilities

Access to recreation in Rye is plentiful with numerous public, private and shared sports facilities from tennis, to ice hockey to boating.


Rye recreation facilities (79 acres total) (city owned and operated)

* Damiano Recreation Center (1.5 acres) * Disbrow Park (51 acres) – 4 tennis courts, baseball – 12 acres dedicated as a park in 1930 with acreage added in 1931 by Mayor John Motley Morehead Includes a former city landfill. * Gagliardo Park (2.5 acres) * Rye Nursery Park – (6.74 acres) natural grass soccer and lacrosse fields * Rye Recreation Park (17 acres) – tennis courts, soccer fields


Other recreation facilities owned by city

* Rye Boat Basin/Marina – boating * Rye Golf Club (126 acres) – golf, swimming; course designed by Devereux Emmet in 1921 * Rye High School – football, tennis, track; the Rye High School sports teams are named the Garnets. * Osborn School * Midland School * Milton School


Recreation facilities not owned by city

* Playland Ice Casino – skating, hockey * Row America Rye – rowing * Rye Country Day School – skating, hockey; the Rye Country Day teams are named the Wildcats. * Rye YMCA – swimming, fitness * School of the Holy Child (18 acres) * Tide Mill Yacht Basin


Government


Planning and zoning

Planning and zoning oversight is vested in several branches of the Rye government including several volunteer staffed committees like the Planning Commission, the Architectural Review Board, the Sustainability Committee, the Conservation Committee and the Landmarks Committee to name a few.


Master plan (1985)

The city's current Master Plan guides the planning process. Also known as a Comprehensive plan, it was authored 39 years ago with an expectation that it would be updated again in 2000. Attempts to revise the 1985 document with community input as recommended in NY State's Statute on Comprehensive Planning were made in 2016 and 2017. The review, which was aimed to reflect current conditions of growth and forecast future changes, was not completed. As of 2018, Rye lagged behind almost all of the 43 municipalities in Westchester County in updating this "serious document". Failure to modernize the 1985 Master Plan on that schedule has produced concerns from residents about the lack of community consensus, lack of informed and coordinated regulation of development and the subsequent impacts including increased flooding and a higher than expected volume of teardowns. Other concerns include threats to historical resources, cultural resources, natural resources, sensitive coastal and environmental areas and numerous other negative repercussions on neighborhood character. Previous Master Plans for Rye were created in 1929, 1945, and in 1963.


Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (1991)

Rye is a coastal community with numerous sensitive wetlands and watercourses. In 1991, the City of Rye adopted a comprehensive plan to further regulate land and water usage to protect and preserve these fragile resources.


Sustainability plan (2013)

In 2010, spurred by disastrous flooding events in 2007 and other environmental concerns, the Rye Sustainability Committee (RSC) was formed and tasked with creating a plan to inform best environmental and land stewardship practices for the city. A sustainability plan was formally adopted in December 2013


Education


Public schools

Most of the city is in the Rye City School District. Rye is served by three public elementary schools: Osborn, Milton, and Midland. Rye Middle School and Rye High School are part of the same campus, and the two buildings connect. The Greenhaven and The Preserve at Rye neighborhoods of the City of Rye are served by the Rye Neck School District. Rye Neck High School and Middle School are on one campus also located partially in the City of Rye. Rye High School has been named a Gold Medal school and the 61st-best high school in the U.S., ninth-best in New York state, and best in New York state if test-in schools are disregarded, according to ''U.S. News & World Report''s 2013 "Best High Schools". The annual
Rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is grown principally in an area from Eastern and Northern Europe into Russia. It is much more tolerant of cold weather and poor soil than o ...
- Harrison football game has been played for more than 80 years and is a top high school football rivalry in Westchester County. Rye High School's mascot is the "Garnets" a name given due to the abundance of the precious gem found during the school's construction. Rye schools were recently ranked #18 in New York State with "A" ratings in all aspects except diversity.


Private schools

* Rye Country Day School, Pre-K through 12th grade, a college preparatory school * Resurrection Elementary School (grammar school/middle school) is a Catholic school located in Rye.


Media

* MyRye.com * ''The Rye Record'' – community paper founded in 1997. * Rye TV municipal cable programming


Infrastructure


Transportation

The Rye train station provides commuter rail service to
Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal station, terminal located at 42nd Street (Manhattan), 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York Ci ...
in New York City or Stamford and New Haven-Union Station via the
Metro-North Railroad The Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company , also branded as MTA Metro-North Railroad and commonly called simply Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a New York State publ ...
's
New Haven Line The New Haven Line is a commuter rail line operated by the Metro-North Railroad in the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Connecticut. Running from New Haven, Connecticut, to New York City, the New Haven Line joins the Harlem Line ...
. The
Bee-Line Bus System The Westchester County Bee-Line System, branded on the buses in lowercase as ''the bee-line system'', is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the county's Department of Public Works and Transportation. Histor ...
provides bus service to Rye on routes 13 and 61 with additional seasonal service to Rye Playland on routes 75 and 91.


Police department

Rye Police Department has 36 sworn police officers. The Rye Auxiliary Police is an all-volunteer force that provides assistance when needed. The Westchester County Police also patrol areas of Rye.
New York State Police The New York State Police (NYSP) is the state police of the U.S. state of New York; it is part of the New York State Executive Department and employs over 5,000 sworn state troopers and 711 non-sworn members. The New York State Police are re ...
patrols Interstate 95 and 287, and MTA Police patrol the Rye Train station and property within the Metro North right-of-way.


Fire department

Rye Fire Department has 100 volunteer firefighters and 21 paid firefighters. The department has two fire stations.


Emergency medical services

Emergency medical service is provided by
Port Chester Port Chester is a administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the largest part of the town of Rye (town), New York, Rye in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County by populati ...
-Rye- Rye Brook EMS at the Advanced Life Support Level (ALS). The agency has 30 paid EMTs, 15 paramedics and five volunteers. They operate up to five ALS ambulances and three paramedic flycars from their station in Port Chester and responds to over 5,000 calls a year between Port Chester, Rye and Rye Brook.


Notable people

* Roz Abrams, former WABC-TV and WCBS-TV news anchors * Christopher Atkins, actor * Raymond E. Baldwin, US Senator * Lex Barker, actor *
Jason Bateman Jason Kent Bateman (born January 14, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Michael Bluth in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox / Netflix sitcom ''Arrested Development'' (2003–2019) and Marty Byrde in the Netflix crime drama s ...
, actor * Justine Bateman, actress * James Roosevelt Bayley, Catholic bishop * John Bello, founder SoBe Beverages; former president NFL Properties *
Greg Berlanti Gregory Berlanti (born May 24, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He is known for his work on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'', ''Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series), Brothers & Sisters'', ''Everwood'', ''Political ...
, TV writer * Junius Bird, archaeologist * Roland T. Bird, paleontologist * Alex Blum, cartoonist * Roy J. Bostock, Former Chairman of
Yahoo! Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, and its a ...
*
James Bradley James Bradley (September 1692 – 13 July 1762) was an English astronomer and priest who served as the third Astronomer Royal from 1742. He is best known for two fundamental discoveries in astronomy, the aberration of light (1725–1728), and ...
, author * Ralph Branca,
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher * Daniel Burke, Former President of The
American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American Commercial broadcasting, commercial broadcast Television broadcaster, television and radio Radio network, network that serves as the flagship property of the Disney Entertainment division ...
* Barbara Bush, First Lady, attended Milton Elementary School *
Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCl ...
, rapper and singer partly raised in Rye by her grandmother * Nelson Chai, Former CFO of
Merrill Lynch Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, doing business as Merrill, and previously branded Merrill Lynch, is an American investment management and wealth management division of Bank of America. Along with BofA Securities, the investm ...
and
Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America) (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in ...
* Eamonn Coghlan, Olympic track and field athlete * Bud Cort, actor * Buster Crabbe, actor and Olympic swimmer * John Daly, radio and television newsman, emcee ''What's My Line?'' *
Mike D'Antoni Michael Andrew D'Antoni (born May 8, 1951) is an American-Italian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a coaching advisor for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While h ...
, head coach of the NBA's
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
* William Davis, golfer * Jennifer Donnelly, author * Eddie Eagan, sportsman *
Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...
, aviator; first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (born in
Atchison, Kansas Atchison is a city in, and the county seat of, Atchison County, Kansas, United States, along the Missouri River. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 10,885. The city is named in honor of US Senator ...
) * Betty Francis, fictional character * Mario Gabelli, stock investor,
investment advisor A financial adviser or financial advisor is a professional who provides financial services to clients based on their financial situation. In many countries, financial advisors must complete specific training and be registered with a regulatory ...
, and
financial analyst A financial analyst is a professional undertaking financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core feature of the job. David Gottesman, businessman and billionaire * Michael Grabner, professional hockey player * Molly Guion, artist * Sean Haggerty (born 1976),
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
player * Mark Halstead, footballer * Irving Harper, industrial designer * Justin Henry, actor * Thomas B. Hess, art writer and curator * Alan J. Hoffman, famous mathematician *
Harold Holzer Harold Holzer (born February 5, 1949) is a scholar of Abraham Lincoln and the political culture of the American Civil War Era. He serves as director of Hunter College's Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College, Roosevelt House P ...
, Lincoln scholar * Iakovos, Archbishop of America, (1911–2005) *
Marc Jacobs Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was d ...
, fashion designer * Ajit Jain, head of several reinsurance businesses for
Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway Inc. () is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Originally a textile manufacturer, the company transitioned into a conglomerate starting in 1965 under the management of c ...
* Elizabeth Janeway, author *
John Jay John Jay (, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, diplomat, signatory of the Treaty of Paris (1783), Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served from 1789 to 1795 as the first chief justice of the United ...
,
Founding Father The following is a list of national founders of sovereign states who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e., political system ...
, negotiator of the Treaty of Paris, first Chief Justice of the United States, two-time Governor of New York State, anti-slavery advocate, and diplomat * Peter Augustus Jay (lawyer), President of the NY Manumission Society * John Clarkson Jay, physician and notable conchologist * Mary Rutherfurd Jay, landscape architect * Pierre Jay, first chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York * Arthur Judson, artists' and orchestra manager *
Megyn Kelly Megyn Marie Kelly (; born November 18, 1970) is an American journalist, attorney, political commentator, and media personality. She currently hosts ''The Megyn Kelly Show'', a talk show and podcast that airs daily on Sirius XM's Triumph channe ...
, '' Today Show'' contributor *
Christopher Kimball Christopher Kimball (born June 5, 1951) is an American Editing, editor, Publishing, publisher, and radio and TV personality. He is notable as one of the founders of ''America's Test Kitchen'' and ''Cook's Country'' and as the creator of ''Christ ...
, chef, publisher of '' Cook's Illustrated'' and '' Cook's Country'', co-founder of "
America's Test Kitchen ''America's Test Kitchen'' (originally ''America's Test Kitchen from Cook's Illustrated Magazine'') is a half-hour long American cooking show broadcast by public television stations and Create and distributed by American Public Television. Orig ...
", and founder of ''Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Kitchen''. * Ralph Kiner, professional baseball player and broadcaster * Robert A. Kindler, Global Head of Mergers and Acquisitions and Vice Chairman of
Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in 42 countries and more than 80,000 employees, the firm's clients in ...
* George Kirby, professional baseball player *
Nick Kroll Nicholas Kroll (born June 5, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for the FX (TV channel), FX comedy series ''The League'' (2009–2015), creating and starring in the Comedy Central series ''Kroll Show'' (20 ...
, actor, comedian * George Latimer (New York politician), politician, Westchester County Executive * David Lee, physicist * Brendan McCole, Gaelic footballer * John Mack, Morgan Stanley CEO * Wellington Mara, owner of NFL New York Giants * William Moulton Marston, creator of
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
* Eugene R. McGrath, former chairman and CEO of
Consolidated Edison Consolidated Edison, Inc., commonly known as Con Edison (stylized as conEdison) or ConEd, is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States, with approximately $12 billion in annual revenues as of 2017, and over $62 ...
* Allegra Mertz, championship sailor * Charles E. F. Millard, President of PBGC * Diana Millay, actress * Jay Pierrepont Moffat, US Ambassador * John Motley Morehead III, mayor of Rye, chemist, philanthropist * Benjamin Morrell, explorer * Mark Mulvoy, sports journalist and ''Sports Illustrated'' managing editor *
Ogden Nash Frederic Ogden Nash (August 19, 1902 – May 19, 1971) was an American poet well known for his Light poetry, light verse, of which he wrote more than 500 pieces. With his unconventional rhyme, rhyming schemes, he was declared by ''The New York T ...
, poet * Eric Nisenson, author * Caroline Love Goodwin O'Day, US Congresswoman * Nicholas Patrick,
astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a List of human spaceflight programs, human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member of a spa ...
, Mission Specialist 1 on 2006
Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discovery ...
STS-116 STS-116 (also known as ISS-12A) was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Discovery, Space Shuttle '' Discovery''. ''Discovery'' lifted off on December 9, 2006 for her 33rd flight at 20:47:35 Easte ...
mission * George P. Putnam, author * Steven C. Rattner, owner of Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas * Edith Gwynne Read, conservationist * Joy Reidenberg, television star of nature documentaries on PBS, NatGeo Wild, Discovery *
Blanche Ring Blanche Ring (April 24, 1871 – January 13, 1961) was an American singer and actress in Broadway theatre productions, musicals, and Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood motion pictures. She was best known for her rendition of "In the Good ...
, Broadway actress and singer * Zelia Peet Ruebhausen, policy advisor, UN observer * James Sands, professional soccer player for NYCFC and USMNT * Will Sands, professional soccer player for
Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew are an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. The team began play in 1996 as one of the 10 cha ...
* Tatiana Saunders, soccer player in Iceland, France and England *
Liz Sheridan Elizabeth Ann Sheridan (April 10, 1929 – April 15, 2022) was an American actress. While best known for her roles as the nosy neighbor, Mrs. Ochmonek, on the sitcom '' ALF'' (1986–1990), and Jerry's mother, Helen, in ''Seinfeld'' (1990–1998 ...
, actress * Debora Shuger, author *
Adam Silver Adam Silver (born April 25, 1962) is an American lawyer and sports executive who is serving as the fifth and current commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He joined the NBA in 1992 and has held various positions within the ...
, commissioner of
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
* Bill Stern, actor and sportscaster * Stuart Sternberg (born 1959), owner of the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...
* B. J. Surhoff,
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player *
John Thain John Alexander Thain (born May 26, 1955) is an American financial executive and investment banker. He was president and co-COO of Goldman Sachs, and then CEO of the New York Stock Exchange. Thain then became the last chairman and CEO of Merrill ...
, former Merrill Lynch CEO * Fred Troller, Swiss-American Graphic Designer * Edgar Wachenheim III, investor and author * Diana Williams, WABC-TV news anchor * Kimberly Williams, actress *
Bob Woodruff Robert Warren Woodruff (born August 18, 1961) is an American television journalist. Since 1996, he has served as a reporter for ABC News (United States), ABC News. Woodruff co-anchored ''ABC World News Tonight'' in 2006 with journalist Elizabeth ...
, ABC television journalist *
Sean Young Mary Sean Young (born November 20, 1959) is an American actress. She is particularly known for working in science fiction films, although she has performed roles in a variety of genres. Young's early roles include the Independent film, indepe ...
, actress


In popular culture

* The 1995 music video for
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
's ''Fantasy'' featuring
Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), known professionally as Ol' Dirty Bastard (often abbreviated as ODB), was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the New York rap group Wu-Tang Clan, which forme ...
was shot at Rye Playland. * Several episodes of Season 3 of Apple TV's show Dickinson about the poet Emily Dickinson were filmed at the Jay Heritage Center in 2021.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rye, New York Cities in Westchester County, New York Cities in New York (state) Populated places established in 1660 1660 establishments in the Dutch Empire 1660 establishments in North America Cities in the New York metropolitan area Populated coastal places in New York (state) Establishments in New Netherland