Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx
Spuyten Duyvil | ||
---|---|---|
Median income $83,381 | | |
ZIP Codes | 10463, 10471 | |
Area code | 718, 347, 929, and 917 | |
Website | www |
Spuyten Duyvil (/ˈspaɪtən ˈdaɪvəl/, SPY-tən-DIE-vəl[3]) is a neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City. It is bounded on the north by Riverdale, on the east by Kingsbridge, on the south by the Harlem River, and on the west by the Hudson River,[4] although some consider it to be the southernmost part of Riverdale.[5]
Etymology
The area is named after Spuyten Duyvil Creek. "Spuyten Duyvil" may be literally translated as "Spouting Devil" or Spuitende Duivel in Dutch, a reference to the strong and wild tidal currents found at that location. It may also be translated as "Spewing Devil" or "Spinning Devil", or more loosely as "Devil's Whirlpool" or "Devil's Spate." Spui is a Dutch word involving outlets for water.[6][7][8] Historian Reginald Pelham Bolton, however, argues that the phrase means "spouting meadow", referring to a fresh-water spring at Inwood Hill.[9][10]
An additional translation, "to spite the Devil" or "in spite of the devil", was popularized by a story in Washington Irving's A Knickerbocker's History of New York published in 1809. Set in the 1660s, the story tells of trumpeter Antony Van Corlear summoned by "Peter de Groodt" to warn settlers of an attempted British invasion, with Corlear attempting to swim across the "Harlean river" from Fort Amsterdam to the Bronx mainland "in spite of the devil (spyt den duyvel)", Irving writes. The treacherous current pulled him under and he lost his life. This resulted in the name "Spuyten Duyvil" for "the adjoining promontory, which projects into the Hudson."[11][7][8][12][13]
An extensive appendix to Studies in Etymology and Etiology (2009) by David L. Gold, which includes commentary by Rob Rentenaar, professor of onomastics at the University of Amsterdam, goes into great detail about all the various translations for "Spuyten Duyvil" which have been mooted over the years.[14] Rentenaar concludes that "Duyvil" means "devil", either literally or in a transferred sense, but he could not determine what the intended meaning of "Spuyten" was because of the many variants that have been used throughout history.[15]
The creek was referred to as Shorakapok by Lenape Native Americans in the area, translated as "the sitting down place" or the place between the ridges".[7]
History
In the late 17th century, Frederick Philipse, the lord of Philipse Manor in Westchester County, received permission to construct a bridge across Spuyten Duyvil Creek and charge tolls. "King's Bridge", which was located roughly south of and parallel to where West 230th Street lies today, opened in 1693.[16]
Development of the neighborhood began in the latter half of the 19th century once the
Through the 1920s development of the Spuyten Duyvil neighborhood continued. Large high-rise apartment buildings, which later became
On July 18, 2013,
Demographics
Based on data from the
The racial makeup of the neighborhoods were 49.3% (14,872)
A restaurant guide once described the neighborhood as "upper middle class".[23]
Police and crime
Spuyten Duyvil is patrolled by the 50th Precinct of the NYPD, located at 3450 Kingsbridge Avenue.[24] The 50th Precinct ranked 13th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010.[25]
The 50th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 69.9% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported three murders, 22 rapes, 185 robberies, 213 felony assaults, 126 burglaries, 695 grand larcenies, and 288 grand larcenies auto in 2022.[26]
Library
The New York Public Library (NYPL) operates the Spuyten Duyvil branch at 650 West 235th Street. The one-story branch opened in 1971 and was designed by Giorgio Cavaglieri.[27]
Transportation
Spuyten Duyvil is the location of the
Hudson Rail Link connects the Metro-North station to the surrounding area, with Routes J, K, L, and M serving Spuyten Duyvil.
Points of interest
- Villa Charlotte Bronte is an apartment house built in 1926 and designed by Robert Gardner, which overlooks the Hudson and Harlem Rivers.[5]
Notable people
- Alexander Calder (1898–1976), sculptor who is best known for his innovative mobiles.[29]
- William Sergeant Kendall (1869–1938), artist.[30]
- Georgina Klitgaard (1893–1976), artist known for panoramic landscape paintings[31]
- Joan Tetzel (1921–1977), actress.[32]
See also
- Hell Gate
- List of place names of Dutch origin
- John Jay McKelvey, Sr., Attorney, Park District Protection League Trustee.
References
Notes
- ^ "NYC Planning | Community Profiles". communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov. New York City Department of City Planning. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ^ a b "Spuyten Duyvil neighborhood in New York". Retrieved 24 November 2015.
- ISBN 9780912301488. Accessed November 5, 2020. "Spuyten Duyvil (pronounced SPY-ten DIE-vul) has a southward pitch, so it seems to look back at Manhattan, but if you live here you're sure to look west to the spectacular sunsets, which blaze and bleed over the river."
- ^ a b c d Wolfe, Gerald R. "Spuyten Duyvil neighborhood" in Jackson 1995, p. 1224
- ^ a b c d White, Willensky & Leadon 2010, p. 868
- ^ Sixteenth Annual Report, 1911, of the American Secneic and Historic Preservation Society to the Legislature of the State of New York , p. 106. American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society, 1911. Accessed November 4, 2015. "Another reason is that there are phonetic elements in the name as first written which suggest other meanings quite appropriate to the locality. There is a Dutch word 'spui' of frequent use in Holland, meaning a sluice way or canal. The Spui at The Hague, part of which is redeemed and used as a street, is a famous thoroughfare."
- ^ a b c "Inwood Hill Park: Spuyten Duyvil Creek". New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ a b McDonald, Rabecca (April 29, 2010). "History of the Name Spuyten Duyvil". New York Public Library. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ISBN 9780802865090. Accessed November 24, 2020. "In an attempt at giving a historically accurate etymology, Reginald Pelham Bolton maintains that the Dutch name Spuyten Duyvil (the present spelling) is a topographic designation, referring to a spring near Inwood Hill, and meaning 'spouting meadow'"
- ^ Sypher, Frank J. "Dispute Springs Eternal Over 'Spuyten Duyvil'" (letter to the editor) The New York Times, November 14, 1993. Accessed November 24, 2020. "Reginald Pelham Bolton, in his authoritative history, Washington Heights (1924), argues persuasively that the Dutch name actually means 'sprouting meadow,' referring to the beautiful spring that to this day rises at the foot of Inwood Hill, near what remains of the original course of the Spuyten Duyvil Creek.... Correction: Nov. 21, 1993... It should have read 'spouting meadow,' not 'sprouting meadow.'"
- ^ Irving, Washington (2004) [1809] Knickerbocker's History of New York, Complete Project Gutenberg. Book VII, Chapter X.
- ^ Ed Boland Jr. (October 13, 2002). "F.Y.I. – Beating the Devil". The New York Times.
- ^ Baumstone, Hal (January 28, 1988). "Stanford News: Legend or History". Pine Plains Register Herald. Fultonhistory.com. p. 8. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ISBN 978-84-7908-517-9.
- ISBN 978-8-47-90851-79
- ^ Burrows & Wallace 1999, p. 100.
- ^ Burrows & Wallace 1999, p. 944.
- ^ "Railroad Accident Brief: Metro-North Railroad Derailment" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. October 24, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ Barron, James; Goodman, J. David (2013-12-01). "Focus Turns to Investigation in Fatal Bronx Train Crash". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
- ^ "Attorney: Metro-North train engineer was 'in a daze'". ABC7 New York. 2013-12-04. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
- ^ Table PL-P5 NTA: Total Population and Persons Per Acre - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010, Population Division - New York City Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 16, 2016.
- ^ Table PL-P3A NTA: Total Population by Mutually Exclusive Race and Hispanic Origin - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010, Population Division - New York City Department of City Planning, March 29, 2011. Accessed June 14, 2016.
- ^ Rossi, Roberto (2018) A Vegan's Guide to New York City
- ^ "NYPD – 50th Precinct". www.nyc.gov. New York City Police Department. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ^ "Riverdale: Marble Hill, Fieldston, Spuyten Duyvil, Kingsbridge – DNAinfo.com Crime and Safety Report". www.dnainfo.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
- ^ "50th Precinct CompStat Report" (PDF). www.nyc.gov. New York City Police Department. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
- ^ "About the Spuyten Duyvil Library". The New York Public Library. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, Dolkart & Postal 2009, p. 346
- ^ Perl, Jed. Calder: The Conquest of Time: The Early Years: 1898-1940, p. 153. Accessed November 24, 2020. "In order to spare Stirling the long commute from Croton-on-Hudson, the family moved closer to the city, to Spuyten Duyvil; Sandy was delighted in his Autobiography to comment that the Dutch name meant 'in spite of the devil' or 'spitting devil.'"
- ^ William Kendall, United States Department of State. Accessed November 24, 2020. "William Sergeant Kendall was born at Spuyten Duyvil, New York, in 1869."
- ^ Georgina Klitgaard, Smithsonian American Art Museum. Accessed November 24, 2020. "Born Spuyten Duyvil, New York"
- ^ "THE ESQUIRE CANTEEN We Remember Joan Tetzel", Esquire, March 1, 1945. Accessed November 24, 2020. "Born in New York City, Joan grew up in the Hudson River town of Spuyten Duyvil."
Bibliography
- ISBN 0-195-11634-8.
- Fernicola, Richard G. (2001). Twelve Days of Terror: A Definitive Investigation of the 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press. ISBN 978-1-58574-575-3. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ISBN 0300055366.
- ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1.
- ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
External links
- Media related to Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx at Wikimedia Commons