White Plains is often at the center of it. Founded in 1721, it is one of six cities in Westchester and seats county government. With more than 33% of the commercial office space in the county, White Plains’ 59,000 residential population swells to a daytime population of over 225,000.
Battle Hill, Eastview, Gedney Farms, Highlands, Saxon Woods, and Soundview are among the 35 neighborhoods of White Plains. At Genesis Pro Painting, we’ve enjoyed performing indoor painting and color consultation, as well as exterior painting services in many White Plains neighborhoods. With the constant development being undertaken in the city, we anticipate being hired for many more such jobs as well as outside home painting.
White Plains’ population jumped from 7,899 to 35,830 from 1900 to 1930. Following World War II, White Plains was transformed into a destination shopping district with marquee stores such as Macy’s, Saks, and Lord & Taylor. The development of the Platinum Mile, a four mile stretch of Westchester Avenue that straddles I-287 from White Plains to Rye Brook, began in the 1960’s ushering the move-in of corporate entities such as Pepsico, , IBM, Nestle, Snapple, and Heineken, among others.
The landscape of the Platinum Mile has mirrored larger trends in the economy, such as merger and acquisition activity beginning in the 1980s and the 2008 recession. One of the early tenants, General Foods moved into 333 Westchester Avenue in 1954, was purchased by Phillip Morris in 1985, expanded to 800 Westchester Avenue, merged with Kraft Foods in 1995, and moved out of the area in 2004.
The originally zoned office area had to reinvent itself when vacancy rates topped 30% by 2010. It is now mixed-use and includes health-clubs (Life Time Athletic), luxury housing, affordable townhomes, retail (Wegmans), education(Fordham), restaurants, and multiple tenancy in these buildings. With tenants such as Westmed Medical Group, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the Hospital for Special Surgery moving to the area in the past decade, some are now referencing the area as the “Medical Mile”.
Numerous lawyers and insurance companies are based in White Plains. Transit to Manhattan is accommodated by a 36 minutes express train to Grand Central among the eight trains during rush hour on Metro-North.
The retail market is in flux. The many vacant storefronts along Mamaroneck Avenue contrast with large developments such as The Westchester or City Center. There are 3,000 residential units approved for construction, with another 2,000 units planned. With this influx of new homes, how long before more retail establishments follow? To further support the corporate market and to be a transportation hub, there is a big push is to expand Westchester County Airport.
There are numerous historic sites such as Jacob Purdy House, the Bar Building, and Soundview Manor. Two notable events in 1776 include adopting the Declaration of Independence for New York State (July 9) and the Battle of White Plains (October 28) on Chatterton Hill.
White Plains has its share of famous residents or notable births such as Channing Frye, Shelley Hack, , Jesse McCartney, John Mara, and Mark Zuckerberg. Like most Westchester communities, the public-school options are above average. There are 6,000 students enrolled. The German School, Solomon Schechter, and Archbishop Stepinac are among notable private options in the K-12 category. Movies and TV series shot in White Plains include The Departed and The Americans.
White Plains keeps evolving. Like the city, Genesis Pro Painting respects tradition, but appreciates that constant refinement makes for a better future. Whether your home is old or new, Genesis Pro Painting will bring our years of experience in executing a quality, long-lasting exterior or interior painting service in White Plains. Contact us today!
