In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Yonkers
Base in Yonkers only if you want Hudson-line quiet 25 min from Grand Central; otherwise day-trip it for Untermyer Park and the riverfront.
Yonkers is New York State's third-largest city and the first real stop north of the Bronx on Metro-North's Hudson line, about 25 minutes from Grand Central. It is a working city with a small, walkable waterfront and a handful of genuine sights: the Hudson River Museum, Untermyer Park's Greek gardens, and Philipse Manor Hall. Most visitors see it as a half-day or one-night extension of a New York trip, not a destination in itself.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, icy pavements)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $120–200 excl. bed · High $220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Deli sandwich or slice of pizza | $5–12 |
| Sit-down dinner main | $18–35 |
| Bee-Line bus ride | $2.75 (check) |
| Metro-North Grand Central → Yonkers | $11.50 peak / $8.75 off-peak (check) |
| Museum entry (Hudson River Museum) | $13 adult (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HPN · Westchester County Airport
- Closest airport, about 35 min by car; small, few routes.
- LGA · LaGuardia
- About 30–45 min by car outside rush hour; taxi or rideshare.
- JFK · John F. Kennedy International
- About 45–70 min by car; Metro-North plus AirTrain is slower.
- EWR · Newark Liberty International
- About 50–80 min by car; the longest of the three.
Typical fares
- Metro-North Grand Central → Yonkers
- about $11.50 peak, $8.75 off-peak, about 25 min (check)
- Bee-Line bus, single ride
- $2.75, exact change or MetroCard (check)
- Taxi or rideshare, Yonkers station → Ridge Hill
- about $15–25 (check)
Get around
Metro-North Hudson line runs four Yonkers stops (Ludlow, Yonkers, Glenwood, Greystone) to Grand Central in about 25 min on express services. Bee-Line buses cover the city and connect to Bronx subway stations; the express along Central Park Ave runs to Manhattan. A car helps for the malls and parks; the South County Trailway is a paved bike path through the middle of the city.
See and do
Known for
- Untermyer Park and Gardens
- Hudson River Museum and planetarium
- Philipse Manor Hall
- Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway
- The City of Seven Hills
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tarrytown | Metro-North Hudson line north, 2–3 stops | About 20–30 min |
| Sleepy Hollow | Metro-North to Tarrytown or Philipse Manor, then walk or short taxi | About 30–40 min |
| White Plains | Metro-North Harlem line or Bee-Line bus 20/21 | About 30–45 min |
| Ossining | Metro-North Hudson line north | About 30 min |
| Croton-on-Hudson | Metro-North Hudson line north | About 40 min |
| Dobbs Ferry | Metro-North Hudson line north | About 25 min |
Sleep
- Downtown waterfront (Getty Square area)
- Walk to the Metro-North station, restaurants and the riverfront; the only area where you can leave the car.
- Central Park Avenue (NY 100)
- Strip of chain hotels and malls along the eastern edge; free parking, but you need a car for everything.
- Ridge Hill / Stew Leonard Drive
- Newer hotels beside an outdoor mall and I-87 exit 6A; good for drivers, dull on foot.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the Metro-North station? | Where is the Metro-North station? |
| One ticket to Grand Central, please | One ticket to Grand Central, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is this seat taken? | Is this seat taken? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Buy Metro-North tickets at the station: on-board fares carry a surcharge.
- New York City yellow cabs may charge a doubled fare once they cross the city line; agree the price or use a livery car.
- Some county parks and pools require a Westchester park pass or residency; check before you go.
- Getty Square and the waterfront are fine by day; use normal city care after dark and stick to lit streets.
Yonkers is a normal American city: daytime sightseeing is fine, and the main annoyances are car traffic on Central Park Ave and a few blocks around Getty Square after dark. Use 911 for anything urgent.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Yonkers yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Untermyer Park and Gardens
- Hudson River Museum and planetarium
- Philipse Manor Hall
- Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway
- The City of Seven Hills
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Yonkers — official site: www.yonkersny.gov
- Hudson River Museum: www.hrm.org/
- Untermyer Gardens Conservancy: www.untermyergardens.org
- Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site: parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/37/details.aspx
- Metro-North Railroad (MTA): www.mta.info/mnr
- Bee-Line Bus System, Westchester County: transportation.westchestergov.com/bee-line
- Westchester County Airport: airport.westchestergov.com
- Westchester County Parks — trailways: parks.westchestergov.com/trailways
- Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway: empirecitycasino.mgmresorts.com/
- Wikivoyage: Yonkers, revision 5236870 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5236870
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Yonkers
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Yonkers; consulates-general and embassies are in New York City. US visitors: your own state services apply.
Metro-North tickets bought on board cost more; buy at the machine.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/yonkers). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.