Riverdale was a nineteenth century estate district where many of Manhattan’s nineteenth century moguls built their country estates. At the turn of the century, the new popularity of rail commuting meant that wealthy businessmen made Riverdale their year-round residence. The Fieldston neighborhood, because it is owned by a private association, is a particularly intact example of a turn-of-the century upper middle class suburb. The Hudson Hill neighborhood retains many of its historic mansions. Riverdale’s elite private schools and historic churches also reflect this past.
As the twentieth century progressed, apartment buildings and smaller houses were added to neighborhood, although Riverdale continues to maintain its character as an upper middle class enclave in the city of New York. Housing in Riverdale ranges from multi-story apartment buildings dating from the 1950s and 60s to large, architecturally distinguished houses built in the early 20th century, mostly in Georgian- and Tudor-revival styles.
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