Riverdale, which had a population of 47,850 as of the 2000 United States Census, contains the city's northernmost point at the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

[3] Riverdale's boundaries are disputed, but it is commonly agreed to be bordered by Yonkers to the north, Van Cortlandt Park and Broadway to the east, the Kingsbridge neighborhood to the southeast, either the Harlem River or the Spuyten Duyvil neighborhood to the south, and the Hudson River to the west.

[1] Legend states that in 1664, Anthony Van Corlaer (later determined to be a fictional character) died while attempting to swim across the Harlem River from nearby Spuyten Duyvil.

[6] In the legend, a witness to Van Corlaer's death stated that "the devil" in the shape of a giant fish swam up and proceeded to "seize the sturdy Anthony by the leg and drag him beneath the waves."

"King's Bridge", located roughly south of and parallel to where West 230th Street lies today, opened in 1693.

At the turn of the century, the new popularity of railroad commutes enabled wealthy businessmen to make Riverdale their year-round residence.

[4] The tracks originally crossed Spuyten Duyvil Creek and into Manhattan on the west side, but Cornelius Vanderbilt wanted to consolidate his railroad operations into one terminal.

He had tracks laid along the north side of the Harlem River so that trains coming south from Albany could join with the Harlem and New Haven lines and come into Manhattan down the Park Avenue main line, along modern-day Park Avenue, into his new Grand Central Depot.

The first house was begun in 1910 and finished in 1911;[4][10] by the beginning of the 21st century, Fieldston, a privately owned community, was one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in New York City.

[11] Leland Weintraub, the commissioner who moved for the district's creation, noted that "most of the features commonly associated with the American romantic suburb of the mid-19th century", including "a picturesque site, landscaping and architecture; connection to the city by accessible transportation and a layout adapted to the topography" are present in the area.

[12] In 1928, Genevieve Ludlow Griscom, who was a member of a small religious group called the Outer Court of the Order of the Living Christ, built a 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) mansion at 360 West 253rd Street – also addressed as 5200 Longview Place – for the express purpose of housing Jesus Christ when the Second Coming occurred.

After being derelict for a number of years under successive owners, the mansion was bought in 1987 by entrepreneur Jerry Galuten, who renovated it into an even more opulent 17 room home.

In May 2009, the FBI ran a sting operation to prevent a bombing plot in which two Riverdale synagogues were the suggested targets.

It has one of the highest elevations in New York City, affording it views of the Empire State Building, George Washington Bridge, Hudson River and New Jersey Palisades.

The neighborhood is bordered on the north by the city of Yonkers in Westchester County, and on the west by the Hudson River, but its eastern and southern boundaries are frequently disputed.

[4][5] The AIA Guide to New York City gives Broadway as the eastern boundary, and the Harlem River as the southern.

[23] There are several long-debated subsections of Riverdale:[5] The leafy, scenic enclave of Fieldston was designated a historic district by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2006.

Based on this calculation, as of 2018[update], Riverdale is considered high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying.

[35] Before the wider development of Riverdale, housing consisted of large, architecturally distinguished mansions built in the early 20th century, mostly in Georgian- and Tudor-revival styles, which recall scenes of "rural Connecticut" rather than the city.

Spuyten Duyvil has the greatest concentration of high rises in Riverdale with the Century, 555 Kappock, and Winston Churchill next to one another.

In August 2008, Columbia University purchased an almost-completed apartment building near Henry Hudson Parkway for use as faculty housing.

[47][48][46] In the New York City Council, Riverdale is part of District 11, represented by Democrat Eric Dinowitz.

[30]: 14 The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, in Riverdale is 0.0075 milligrams per cubic metre (7.5×10−9 oz/cu ft), more than the city average.

[57] The United States Postal Service operates three post offices nearby: Riverdale generally has a similar rate of college-educated residents to the rest of the city as of 2018[update].

[30]: 6  The percentage of Riverdale students excelling in math rose from 21% in 2000 to 48% in 2011, and reading achievement increased from 28% to 33% during the same time period.

[31]: 24 (PDF p. 55) [30]: 6  Additionally, 78% of high school students in Riverdale graduate on time, higher than the citywide average of 75%.

[66] Riverdale is home to three top-tier private schools: Horace Mann, Riverdale Country, and Fieldston, all members of the Ivy Preparatory School League; and two Roman Catholic colleges: The University of Mount Saint Vincent and Manhattan University.