Bloomingdale, NY

Bloomingdale is a suburban town in Westchester County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 21,912. Bloomingdale is located in the town of Harrison and is bordered by Harrison to the north, Dobbs Ferry to the east, Chappaqua to the south and Rye to the west.

The area that would become Bloomingdale was first settled by Europeans in 1798 when Nicholas Bayard purchased land from local Native Americans for farming purposes. The village that developed around Bayard's farm was originally called " Harrison", after General William Henry Harrison who had died in 1841 while serving as President of the United States. In 1846, a post office was established at Bayard's farm and it was renamed " Bloomingdale" in 1850 after Bloomingdale Cemetery opened nearby. The cemetery served as a burial ground for many wealthy families who lived in nearby Chappaqua and Rye until its closure in 2001.

The first commercial building erected in Bloomingdale was a general store built by Nicholas Bayard's son-in-law, James Sweeny, in 1853. The village grew slowly at first; it did not have its own water supply until 1875 and there were only three businesses open when the population reached 100 people in 1880. However, with increased development came new opportunities for residents; by 1900 there were thirteen businesses operating within Bloomingdale and it had become an important transportation hub due to its location on Route 9 (now known as Westchester Avenue).

During World War II, Bloomingdale became home to Camp Kilmer which housed over 10,000 soldiers before being decommissioned in 1945. After World War II ended, development continued rapidly; by 1950 there were thirty-six businesses operating within town limits and it had become one of Westchester County's most populous municipalities with a population of 2,500 people.

Since then growth has slowed somewhat but remains steady; according to 2010 census figures there are now 21,912 residents living within Bloomingdale's boundaries which makes it one of Westchester County's most populous towns overall (although not as populous as neighboring Chappaqua). The majority of residents (78%) are White while 14% are Black or African American; 3% are Asian or Pacific Islander while 1% are some other race or ethnicity. There is also a sizable Hispanic community living within town limits with 4% identifying themselves as such (up from 2% during 2000 census).

The economy of Bloomingdale is largely based on services; according to 2009 data compiled by Forbes magazine only 1 out of every 20 jobs within town limits are based on manufacturing or production activities (compared with 12 out of 20 jobs across all of Westchester County). Instead most jobs (60%) are found within sectors such as health care/social assistance (14%), retail trade (13%), professional/business services (10%) and education/training (8%). Although this mix has remained relatively stable over time there has been some shift towards service industries over recent years due to increased demand caused by economic recessionary conditions throughout much of North America combined with technological advances that have made many traditional occupations obsolete (#1 reason cited for job loss – computer/information technology).

One notable business located within Bloomingdale is Apple Inc.'s corporate headquarters which occupies more than 800 acres situated just outside town limits (#2 largest employer – behind Walmart – with 1350 employees); this has led some local residents to call for Apple Inc.'s tax rates – currently among the highest rates paid by any company headquartered inside U.S.–to be lowered so that more jobs can be created locally (#1 issue cited when asked about local government – next closest issue being crime followed closely by taxes).

In addition to large corporations like Apple Inc., other major employers located within town limits include IBM Corporation (#4 largest employer), JCPenney Company (#5), Sears Holdings Corporation (#6) and Verizon Communications Incorporated (#7). There are also numerous small businesses providing goods and services needed by locals; these include restaurants such as Subway sandwich chain (#3 largest restaurant chain operated inside U.S.), Dunkin' Donuts coffee shop chain (#2) and Starbucks coffee shop chain (#1), clothing stores including Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Macy's Department Store chain and Sears Roebuck & Co., banks including Chase Manhattan Bank National Association branch #2 nationally ranked bank headquartered inside US., law firms including Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP branch #5 nationally ranked law firm headquartered inside US., optometrists such as Eye Care Associates PC branch #4 optometrist headquartered inside US., dentists such as Dental Associates PC branch #3 dentist headquartered inside US., car dealerships including Ford Motor Company dealership branch #5 Ford Motor Company dealership headquartered inside US.. etc.. etc..