Do You Really Know When You Are In Greenburgh?

GREENBURGH, NY - Would you believe that if you visited Greenburgh's TJ Maxx in Hartsdale, you'd have to park in White Plains? Seems improbable, but it's not.

The boundary line between the two towns lies on the asphalt in front of the store, meaning that residents really do shop and park in two different towns.

"That's the problem – nobody seems to know where Greenburgh is," said Thomas Madden, the commissioner of the Department of Community Development and Conservation. "Nobody has ever gone out and said: This is what Greenburgh is. We're trying to get people to understand because nobody knows."

The entire Town of Greenburgh is the unincorporated area and the six villages (Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, Elmsford, Irvington and Tarrytown). Unincorporated Greenburgh, from north to south, goes from Virginia Road (Route 100C) to Jackson Avenue. Its west boundary is the Saw Mill Parkway by Irvington, and its east is the Bronx River Parkway.

"We're trying to get everybody to use the proper terminology for Greenburgh and know where Greenburgh is," Madden said of the unincorporated part, which is his charge.

A main source of confusion comes from the post office addresses, which do not always identify a building with its actual location. For example, the Greenburgh Public Library and the Greenburgh Multiplex Cinemas are, indeed, as their names suggest, in Greenburgh. However, their mailing address denotes Elmsford. On the south border, the Edgemont area, home to the Greenburgh Nature Center, has a Scarsdale post office, but is also located in Greenburgh.

"The problem is that we've had this identity crisis for years here and nobody knows where we are," said Madden, whose department is putting together a Comprehensive Plan to help residents learn the town.

Hartsdale, Fairview and Greenville, which are commonly thought to be villages, are census-place regions with fire districts, commonly referred to as hamlets.

Later this year, in order to brand Greenburgh, signs saying "Welcome to Greenburgh" will be placed along the boundary lines of the unincorporated part of town so that drivers are aware when they cross town lines.

To learn more about the Department of Community Development and Conservation's Comprehensive Plan, visit their website.

What are your questions about Greenburgh's boundary lines? What mistakes have you made?

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