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I just was having a conversation about colleges with someone and we were talking about colleges and somehow that college by the Burger King in Riverdale came up (Manhattan College) and the guy referred to the area as a Jewish neighborhood. That threw me because the only family I know there is a buddy of mine whose parents are from Ireland so I have always associated it as a rich irish neighborhood, when you hang out over there by the Riverdale diner and VC park you always here people with brogues.
So is Riverdale widely perceived as a Jewish area? It don't matter to me it's still the nicest part of New York north of 14th street IMO and i would live there if I had the $$$ in a second. Just curious about the perception
Riverdale has a Jewish presence, but not to the extent of Williamsburg or Midwood in Brooklyn. I think the neighborhood is a decently-mixed upper-middle class to upper class demographic. The Irish you see in the neighborhood are spillovers from Woodlawn and Kingsbridge, and the southern part of Yonkers. But I don't think there are much Irish left in Kingsbridge any more; Woodlawn is the last Bronx Irish holdout. Even today, a lot of the older pubs when Washington Heights was heavily Irish have left; only a handful remain.
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Riverdale has a Jewish presence, but not to the extent of Williamsburg or Midwood in Brooklyn. I think the neighborhood is a decently-mixed upper-middle class to upper class demographic. The Irish you see in the neighborhood are spillovers from Woodlawn and Kingsbridge, and the southern part of Yonkers. But I don't think there are much Irish left in Kingsbridge any more; Woodlawn is the last Bronx Irish holdout. Even today, a lot of the older pubs when Washington Heights was heavily Irish have left; only a handful remain.
Yeah i know that a lot of the old irish areas like Kingsbridge and Bainbridge (Norwood) have become Spanish. Woodlawn feels like a little Irish village because it's so cut off from the rest of the Bronx I love it there..we celebrated my 18th at Rory Dolans over there on the Yonkers side of Woodlawn. It's funny to me that out of all the boroughs the Bronx has the most fresh off the boat Irish people. The only other part of NYC that's irish is Gerritsen Beach but that's Irish American which is a different thing.
I just never got the Jewish vibe in all the time I spent in Riverdale besides seeing some Shuls but this is NYC so there are Shuls everywhere. I am guessing it's assimilated Jews like the kind that live on the Upper West Side or Forest Hills/Kew Gardens not like Crown Heights Hasidics, right? Cause I've been there on Saturdays and I think I woulda saw some of that. Only part of Bx I associate with Jews is Pelham Parkway area. Although I have seen lots of Orthodox Jews in Washington Heights on the western part around the 190 A train, think it's called Hudson Heights over there.
Funny how there are so many little nuances about areas that a native could live here their whole life like me and not know about it.
Riverdale is definitely a Jewish neighborhood. For sure there are other ethnic groups living there, but middle- and upper-middle-class, more secular Jews are the ones who define this neighborhood.
Riverdale is definitely a Jewish neighborhood. For sure there are other ethnic groups living there, but middle- and upper-middle-class, more secular Jews are the ones who define this neighborhood.
And see I always thought it was more catholic with some Jews (every nice area besides Woodlawn has Jews)..but you said it's secular right? So it's not like the kosher, black hat eastern parkway Jewish types.
Riverdale has an Orthodox Jewish presence, but it is relatively small, most are reform or secular. There are a couple of old mansions that have been converted as part of an Orthodox congregation in the estate area, for example. The area of Riverdale is also somewhat dependent as to what you will find, with more Irish in the northern areas of the neighborhood, closer to Van Cortlandt Park and the Yonkers border. There are two Catholic churches in Riverdale, but many more temples, an Episcopal Congregation on the edge of Fieldston, and a Presbyterian church on the west side of Henry Hudson Parkway. The Riverdale Diner is actually in Kingsbridge, but if you went to Liebman's the demographic would be more heavily Jewish, with some others in the mix. There are many groups in Riverdale, but the area is still predominantly Jewish.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
I just was having a conversation about colleges with someone and we were talking about colleges and somehow that college by the Burger King in Riverdale came up (Manhattan College) and the guy referred to the area as a Jewish neighborhood. That threw me because the only family I know there is a buddy of mine whose parents are from Ireland so I have always associated it as a rich irish neighborhood, when you hang out over there by the Riverdale diner and VC park you always here people with brogues.
So is Riverdale widely perceived as a Jewish area? It don't matter to me it's still the nicest part of New York north of 14th street IMO and i would live there if I had the $$$ in a second. Just curious about the perception
Riverdale is definitely a very Jewish neighborhood . You are having a problem because the area you are talking about is barely even Riverdale. At most it's the very edge and a lot of people consider it Kingsbridge. The "real Riverdale " is up the hill from there,centered around Johnson Avenue . If you hang out up there you will understand the difference. Also, North Riverdale was always a pretty Irish area . It is Central Riverdale and the areas West of the HH Parkway that are mostly Jewish.
The Johnson Ave area is very Jewish-I worked at a Kosher Restaurant there. Other parts of Riverdale, especially closer to Broadway are more diverse.
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