Yonkers goes to the dogs, happily

Len Maniace
lmaniace@lohud.com

YONKERS - Though domestic life in much of the suburbs revolves around children, it's canines that command the attention of many residents in this city's growing waterfront district.

The construction of upscale apartment buildings has not only brought two-legged residents to this faded former industrial area, it's triggered a boom of the four-legged variety, too. Though there are no statistics on the area's dog population, the increase is hard to miss on neighborhood streets or on the esplanade along the Hudson River.

Susan Zong walked Rusty, a 12-year-old chow-collie mix, on the boardwalk and talked about the change recently.

"When I would go out to walk Rusty two years ago, at most I would see one or two dogs," said Zong, who moved to the area with her husband two years ago. "Now when I go out, it's five or six."

The influx of canines is changing the downtown waterfront district. A dog day-care business opened late last year; a neighborhood woman has opened a dog training and walking business; a Halloween parade for pets in costume was held last year and another is planned for this year. And though its not a major problem yet, the presence of dogs downtown makes it advisable to watch where one steps.

More change seems likely. City Councilwoman Patricia McDow, herself a dog owner who lives in the area, is leading an effort to create a local dog park nearby. It would be the city's second.

The pets are responsible for a whole social network based on dog ownership, one not too different from those that develop at playgrounds and preschools, where parents are identified by their children, as in Jason's mom, or Rachel's dad.

"We talk a lot about the dogs, what they are up to. You know, doggie gossip," said Bernard Tan, an e-learning consultant, who was walking two dogs: Leroy, a 5-year-old Dalmatian, and Anouk, a 4-year-old Siberian husky.

It's a fellowship that the dog owners, most of them new to the neighborhood, know they can depend on.

"Anytime I see someone with their dog on the other side of the street I'll cross over. You can socialize your dogs and get to know people," said Alexander Elliot, who was walking Jax, a 9-month-old red-nosed pit bull.

Credit for the doggie boom goes to the dog-friendly policies of new developments and the waterfront open space.

Several new buildings have pushed a dog-friendly approach: Hudson Park, whose 560 units opened in 2003 and 2008; and two buildings put up by MetroPartners - 170 units at 66 Main St., which opened in 2008, and the city's old Trolley Barn at 92 Main St., which was converted to 40 loft units in 2006. The 138-unit Scrimshaw House, which pioneered the redevelopment in 1988, set the tone for the dog-friendly atmosphere.

The developer of 66 Main St. and the Trolley Barn said a dog-friendly policy appeals to younger professionals.

"The people moving into downtown Yonkers are young professionals, with dogs, not kids. That's the next step in life." said Ken Dearden, a principal of MetroPartners. "We are dog-friendly because we knew that's who our demographic was."

Given Yonkers' still-gritty image, downtown builders believe they need to appeal to the widest possible audience and not turn up their noses at pet owners, Dearden said. In fact, Dearden said his next downtown Yonkers building - a plan to convert another 19th-century structure into residential lofts - will also be dog-friendly.

That definitely was a draw for Aaron Hamel, who moved to the neighborhood from Battery Park City a year ago. Hamel and his wife had looked at apartments in White Plains, but were told they would need to pay a $100 to $200 monthly surcharge for the pet.

"That just seemed wacky. If they don't want pets, they should just not take them," said Hamel, who has an 11-month-old French bulldog named Mac.

Hamel's building, 66 Main St., does not charge a pet fee, while 92 Main St. charges a $25 monthly pet fee, Dearden said.

Meanwhile Hudson Park has made accommodations for its dog owners; it's installed five dog-waste disposal stations around its property, fixtures that feature a plastic bag dispenser and a trash basket.

The influx of pets is a good sign for the waterfront district, said Steve Sansone, president of the Downtown Waterfront Development Business Improvement District, because it brings together new residents who otherwise might not have gotten to know one another.

It also could potentially bring more businesses to the area's usually quiet streets, he said.

"We could use a few more services for pet owners here, maybe a pet shop," said Sansone, a lifelong Yonkers resident. "There was a pet store on Warburton Avenue when I was a kid some 40 years ago."