Riverdale is about three square miles in area. It is bordered on the north by the city of Yonkers, Westchester County, New York; to the east by Van Cortlandt Park and the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx; to the west by the Hudson River; and to the south by the Harlem River. The five subsections of Riverdale are Spuyten Duyvil, South Riverdale, Central Riverdale, Fieldston, and North Riverdale. {mosimage}The leafy, scenic enclave of Fieldston, a private community, was designated as an historic district in by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2006.
Riverdale is in a sense the closest northern suburb of New York City although it is not its own municipality. Administratively, Riverdale is part of Bronx Community District 8. Wave Hill, a combination botanical garden and outdoor art gallery, is located in the so-called Estate Area overlooking the Hudson River. Two weekly newspapers, the Riverdale Press and the Riverdale Review, focus on news of interest to residents of the neighborhood.
Riverdale is home to three prominent private schools (Horace Mann, Riverdale Country, and Fieldston), and two Roman Catholic colleges, (Manhattan College and the College of Mount Saint Vincent). The public elementary schools are P.S. 24 and P.S. 81. The public middle school and high school is M.S./H.S 141 (The David A. Stein Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy). Many Riverdale residents attend Bronx Science and John F. Kennedy High School, located nearby. Riverdale is also home to SAR Academy, a private Jewish day school near the Riverdale train station, and SAR High School. Catholic elementary schools in the area are St. Gabriel's School and St. Margaret of Crotona School.