Alexandria Bay, New York

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Alexandria Bay, New York
settlement_type = Village
nickname =
motto =

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pushpin_label_position =
pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of New York
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = New York
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Jefferson
government_footnotes =
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leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
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established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 4.0
area_land_km2 = 1.9
area_water_km2 = 2.0
area_total_sq_mi = 1.5
area_land_sq_mi = 0.7
area_water_sq_mi = 0.8

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 1088
population_density_km2 = 569.1
population_density_sq_mi = 1473.9

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 82
elevation_ft = 269
latd = 44 |latm = 20 |lats = 9 |latNS = N
longd = 75 |longm = 54 |longs = 53 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 13607
area_code = 315
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 36-01187
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0942309
website =
footnotes =

Alexandria Bay is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 1,088 at the 2000 census.

The Village of Alexandria Bay is in the Town of Alexandria.

Keewaydin State Park is southeast of the village.

History

Settlement began around 1817. By 1836, the community had about 25 dwellings.

Geography

Alexandria Bay is located at coor dms|44|20|9|N|75|54|53|W|city (44.335897, -75.914718)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.5 square miles (4.0 km²), of which, 0.7 square miles (1.9 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.0 km²) of it (51.63%) is water.

The village is located on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River.

New York State Route 12 and New York State Route 26 intersect in the village at the only stop light in the village.

Alexandria Bay is located in New York's Thousand Islands region, which actually is composed of approximately 1,793 islands. To qualify as an "island," a piece of land must be at least "one foot square", by completely out of the water for 365 days (366 days - leap year) and have at least one living tree growing on it. The Thousand Island region's population balloons to tens of thousands in the summer, when the region plays host to avid boaters, fishermen, and vacationers from the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 1,088 people, 482 households, and 270 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,473.9 people per square mile (567.7/km²). There were 624 housing units at an average density of 845.3/sq mi (325.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.08% White, 0.37% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 0.09% African American, 0.09% Native American, and 0.74% from two or more races.

There were 482 households out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the village the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $29,338, and the median income for a family was $36,979. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $21,429 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,875. About 11.0% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over.

Local Attractions

While Alex Bay has a relatively low population during the winter months, the late spring, summer, and early fall seasons bring an influx of vacationers and avid boaters that cause the population of the village to exceed 15,000. There are a variety of motels and hotels in the immediate village area. Boat tours are available of the bay and river area daily.

Boldt Castle is a 120 room mansion that is located near Alexandria Bay. The castle was designed by the firm of W. D. Hewitt and G.W. Hewitt, Architects, Philadelphia, Pa., who also designed Druim Moir castle in Philadelphia. Boldt Castle was built at the turn of the century by multi-millionaire George C. Boldt for his wife, Louise, as a testimony of his love for her. Mr. Boldt invested over $2.5 million to build this replica of a Rhineland castle. He planned on presenting it to his wife on Valentine's Day. Work was underway on the eleven buildings that would comprise the castle complex when in January 1904 Louise Boldt died, ending the dreams of a lifetime. George Boldt ordered that all work be stopped and for 73 years the Castle and the other structures on the island were left to the forces of nature. The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired the property in 1977 and decided to preserve it for the enjoyment of future generations. Since then several million dollars have been spent rehabilitating and restoring the castle and surrounding structures. Ferries allow access to the castle, which is located on appropriately-named Heart Island, on an hourly schedule daily.

Every August, 10 days are devoted to "Bill Johnston's Pirate Days", a town-wide festival that features professional performers acting out pirate battles and a "siege" of the town by none-other than the "Pirate of the Thousand Islands," Bill Johnston, whom the festival is named after. It is encouraged that attendees dress in pirate attire, as do the actors who line the streets, and, since 2003, the festival has taken a lot of references from the Pirates of the Caribbean films, and incorporated them in some way into the festival. The festival is celebrated as being not only fun and one of the most popular attractions of the Thousand Islands during the summer, but is also educational, as many groups take advantage of the number of attendees by providing galleries, displays, and informative presentations of the weapons and ships used during the Golden Age of Piracy.

Locals

The areas' residents' financial situations range greatly. There is a high rate of unemployment in the winter, with many people only working in the summer, claiming unemployment in the winter months. The poverty of the area is easily seen in the winter, when few of its wealthy summertime residents are about. While some live in houses that seem too dilapidated to be habitable, others live along the river in houses ranging in the millions. The town depends on the summer months and the tourist industry.

References

External links

* [http://www.abay.com Abay.com - Alexandria Bay Resource & News Site]
* [http://www.alexbay.org AlexBay.org - Alexandria Bay Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.thousandislandslife.com/Alex%20Bay%20Page.html Alexandria Bay-Thousand Islands Life]