Niskayuna, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Niskayuna, New York
Town
Niskayuna town hall
Location in Schenectady County and the state of New York
Niskayuna, New York Location in New York Show map of New York Niskayuna, New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Schenectady
Government
• Type	Town board
Area
• Total	15.04 sq mi (38.95 km2)
• Land	14.15 sq mi (36.65 km2)
• Water	0.89 sq mi (2.31 km2)
Elevation	404 ft (123 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	23,278
• Density	1,645.09/sq mi (635.14/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	12309
Area code(s)	518
FIPS code	36-51264
GNIS feature ID	0979279

Niskayuna is a town located in Schenectady County, New York, in the United States. In 2020, about 23,278 people lived here. The town is in the southeastern part of the county, just east of the city of Schenectady. It's the easternmost town in Schenectady County.

History of Niskayuna

Early Beginnings and Native American Roots

The town of Niskayuna was officially created on March 7, 1809. Back then, it had about 681 people. The name "Niskayuna" comes from old Dutch land records. These names, like Nis-ti-go-wo-ne, came from the Mohawk language. They mean something like "extensive corn flats." This is because the Mohawk people, who were part of the Iroquois Confederacy, grew a lot of corn in the rich lands along the Mohawk River for hundreds of years.

Some important Mohawk chiefs lived in this area. One chief, Ron-warrigh-woh-go-wa, didn't want to sell their shared lands to the European settlers. He made sure the Mohawk people could still hunt and fish on the lands they sold. He even helped the settlers during the French and Indian War in the mid-1700s.

First European Settlers

The first European settlers in Niskayuna were Dutch colonists. They chose to live outside the main settlement of Rensselaerwyck. This allowed them to avoid some of the rules set by the powerful landowners, called patroons. In 1664, Harmon Vedder was one of the first to get land here. These early settlers were mostly farmers, as they were not allowed to trade furs, which was a big business back then.

Many Dutch families settled here, including the Van Brookhoven, Clute, and Vedder families. Captain Martin Cregier, who was the first mayor of New Amsterdam (which is now New York City), also moved to Niskayuna later in his life.

Growth and Industry

After the American Revolutionary War, more settlers from other parts of the United States came to New York. The building of the Erie Canal in 1825 helped Niskayuna grow. The canal made it easier to transport goods and people through the Mohawk Valley.

Over time, industries grew along the Mohawk River, especially in Schenectady. Big companies like General Electric and Westinghouse Electric started there. They became leaders in new electrical technologies and products.

After World War II, the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory opened in Niskayuna in 1946. This lab worked on important government projects. Later, in 1973, the GE Global Research center moved to Niskayuna. Today, it's one of two main research centers for GE worldwide. Because of these high-tech jobs, many people in Niskayuna have advanced education and good incomes.

Historic Places

Several places in Niskayuna are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites. These include the George Westinghouse Jones House, the Niskayuna Railroad Station, the Niskayuna Reformed Church, and the Rosendale Common School.

Governor David Paterson with Niskayuna town Supervisor Landry and Senator Chuck Schumer around the 2000s.

Geography and Location

Niskayuna is bordered by the Mohawk River to the north and east. On the other side of the river is Saratoga County, New York. To the south, the town borders Colonie in Albany County. The city of Schenectady is to the west.

A part of the Erie Canal, Lock 7, is located within the town. The United States Census Bureau reports that Niskayuna covers about 39 square kilometers (about 15 square miles). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Niskayuna has also been recognized as a Tree City USA in the past, which means it has a strong commitment to caring for its trees.

Population and People

In 2020, Niskayuna had 23,278 people. There were many single-family homes, apartments, and some townhouses. The population density was about 635 people per square kilometer. Slightly more than half of the population (51.7%) were female, and 48.3% were male.

Most residents (90.7%) were White, with 6.0% Asian and 1.9% African-American. About 36.2% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had about 2.56 people.

The median age in Niskayuna was 42 years old. This means half the people were older than 42 and half were younger. Many residents travel about 15 miles to work in Albany, which is the capital of New York State.

Niska Day Celebration

Since 1980, Niskayuna has celebrated an annual community holiday called "Niska-Day." It usually happens on the first Saturday after the third Friday in May. The day starts early with a family foot race. Then, there's a parade and a fun fair. The day ends with fireworks, if the weather is good.

Each year, community groups choose a new theme for the celebration, like "Niska-unity." The main goal of Niska-Day is to bring families together. It helps everyone feel connected as residents of Niskayuna. The event takes place at the Craig Elementary School soccer fields.

The Niskayuna Community Action Program (N-CAP) started Niska-Day in 1980. They wanted to help build a stronger community spirit. Unlike some other towns, Niskayuna doesn't have an official Fourth of July celebration. So, Niska-Day serves as the town's special local holiday.

Communities and Neighborhoods

Niskayuna has several distinct communities and neighborhoods:

• Aqueduct – A small community at the very northern tip of the town.
• Avon Crest – A large suburban area south of Troy-Schenectady Road.
• Avon Crest North – An extension of Avon Crest, located north of Troy-Schenectady Road.
• Catherine's Woods Estates – A small neighborhood on the east side of town, close to the Mohawk River.
• Edison Woods – A newer, upscale suburban area near the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory.
• Forest Oaks – A small, upscale development near Pearse Road, bordering Albany County.
• Grand Blvd Estates – A neighborhood on both sides of Grand Boulevard. The center of this boulevard was once a trolley line.
• Hawthorne Hill – A suburban community located east of Schenectady.
• Hexam Gardens - A small development between Balltown Road, Route 7, and the Reist Bird Sanctuary.
• Karen Crest – A small development in the southwestern part of town, near Hillside School.
• Merlin Park - A residential area bordered by Route 7 (south), Rosendale Road (north), Mohawk Road (west) and WTRY Road (east).
• Niska Isle – A piece of land that sticks out into the Mohawk River.
• Niskayuna – A small community and official census area in the southeastern part of the town.
• "Old Niskayuna" – This area is west of Balltown Road and north of Union Street. It's actually the Niskayuna hamlet that used to be much larger.
• Orchard Park – A small neighborhood between GE Global Research and Niskayuna High School.
• Rosendale Estates – A large suburban area in the center of town, near Rosendale Elementary and Iroquois Middle School.
• Stanford Heights – A community in the southwest corner of town. It has a historic mansion once owned by the family of Leland Stanford.
• Windsor Estates – Another small, upscale development near GE Global Research and the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL).
• Woodcrest – A suburban neighborhood off VanAntwerp Road, connected to Rosendale Estates.

Famous People from Niskayuna

Many interesting people have lived in Niskayuna, including:

• Colin Angle – He helped start and is the CEO of iRobot, the company that makes Roomba vacuum cleaners.
• Jeff Blatnick (1957–2012) – An Olympic gold medalist in wrestling.
• Brian Chesky – He is one of the co-founders of Airbnb, a popular travel company.
• Ben Coccio – A filmmaker and screenwriter, known for movies like Place Beyond the Pines.
• André Davis – A professional football player who played for the Houston Texans.
• William A. Edelstein (1944–2014) – A physicist who helped invent a key part of MRI machines.
• Kate Fagan – A former ESPN sports reporter and author.
• Ivar Giaever – A physicist who won the Nobel Prize in 1972.
• Huh Yunjin (Jennifer Huh) – A singer and dancer in the South Korean K-pop group Le Sserafim.
• Steve Katz – A musician who was part of the bands The Blues Project and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
• Gilbert King (born 1962) – An author who won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for his book Devil in the Grove.
• Marc LaBelle – A musician, singer, and songwriter for the band Dirty Honey.
• Lyn Lifshin (1942–2019) – A well-known poet.
• Clarence Linder (1903–1994) – An executive at General Electric.
• Maureen O'Sullivan (1911–1998) – An Irish-American actress and the mother of actress Mia Farrow.
• Gabriella Pizzolo – An actress who has appeared on Broadway in shows like Matilda the Musical and in the TV series Stranger Things.
• Ron Rivest – A cryptographer who helped create the RSA encryption algorithm, used for secure online communication.
• Kayla Treanor – A lacrosse player and coach for Syracuse University and USA Lacrosse.
• Garrett Whitley – A baseball player drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays.
• Andrew Yang – A politician and entrepreneur.

See also

In Spanish: Niskayuna para niños