Located just sixteen miles from Grand Central Terminal in New York City, New Rochelle is the seventh largest city in New York.  Its namesake is La Rochelle in France, and the city dates back to 1654, when Thomas Pell purchased the Pelham Manor tract from the Siwanoy Indians.  In 1687, John Pell, Thomas Pell’s nephew, deeded 6,100 acres that made up the land of New Rochelle to Jacob Leisler.

Over the years, New Rochelle has been a wealthy area, hitting a peak in the 1930’s.  The city boasted two of the first suburban department store branches in the United States in the 1940’s, and it was the first “northern” area to put to practice desegregation in 1962.

In 1999, downtown New Rochelle underwent a renovation of sorts, with a new 19-screen theatre, including a giant IMAX screen, hotels, restaurants, a mini-golf course, arcade, health club, and more being built into a huge, attractive complex.

New Rochelle is actually one of the largest suburbs in the entire state of New York.  Located on Long Island Sound, it is only two miles from the borough of The Bronx in New York City.

Bob Denver and Jay Leno were both born in New Rochelle, and celebrities such as baseball star Willie Mays and actors Lawrence Fishburne and Matt Dillon choose to reside in the upscale area.  In the early part of the 20th century, it was also home to some of the first movie studios in the United States.