By evening, Getty Square is where downtown Yonkers gathers: the municipal buildings and storefronts around South Broadway stay lit, buses and cars move through, and the sidewalks carry a mix of commuters heading home and people starting their night. Further out, along Central Park Avenue and up at Ridge Hill, the evening shifts to parking lots, shopping centers and venues that draw people in for a specific plan rather than a stroll.
Yonkers is an inner suburb of New York City, immediately north of the Bronx, and its nightlife reflects that position: it is spread across the city rather than concentrated in one strip, and much of it is built around dining, entertainment venues, bars and the racetrack and casino. It suits visitors who want an evening that is easy to reach from the city or from elsewhere in Westchester, and who are happy to move between a few different pockets of the city rather than stay on one street all night.
Where to go out in Yonkers
1. Getty Square and downtown
Downtown Yonkers is centered on Getty Square, where the municipal government sits alongside local businesses and nonprofit organizations. The downtown area is a retail hub for the city and the northwest Bronx, and major shopping areas run along South Broadway. An evening here is a walkable, everyday kind of night: errands, food and a drink close to the center of the city.
It suits visitors who are already in Yonkers or arriving from the Bronx side and want to stay on foot. Note that the city has announced the Yonkers Greenway, a rail trail from Van Cortlandt Park to Getty Square, with construction planned for completion in 2026, so the approach to the square may change in the coming years.
2. McLean Avenue
McLean Avenue is where the city's Irish pub tradition is most visible. Rory Dolan's Restaurant & Bar, at 890 McLean Ave, is described as a classic Irish pub, open 11AM to 10PM. This is a settled, conversational sort of night out rather than a late one.
It suits anyone looking for a straightforward pub evening with food. Because the listed closing time is 10PM, plan this as an early-to-mid evening rather than the final stop.
3. Bronx River Road
Burke's Restaurant and Bar, at 645 Bronx River Rd, was established in 2001 and is known for its traditional Irish atmosphere, with 19 beers on tap and a private party room that can accommodate up to 75 people. It is open noon to 10PM.
This suits a group night, particularly if you are marking an occasion and want a room of your own. As with McLean Avenue, the hours point to an early finish, so treat it as the main event of the evening.
4. Yonkers Raceway and Empire City Casino
At 810 Yonkers Ave, Yonkers Raceway is a half-mile standardbred harness racing dirt track, founded in 1899 as the Empire City Race Track. The casino, featuring video slot machines, video blackjack and electronic table games, opened in 2006 and is now operated by MGM Resorts, with several dining venues on site. It is open daily from 10AM to 6AM, and the gambling age is 18.
This is the city's late-night option and suits visitors who want one venue to carry the whole evening, with racing, gaming and food in the same place. The 6AM close means it can be the last stop as well as the first.
5. Central Park Avenue
Central Park Avenue is one of the city's major shopping areas, and its evening draw is the cinema. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, at 2548 Central Park Ave, delivers food and drink to your seat while you watch a movie.
It suits a low-effort night out, whether you are solo, with a friend or with family. Ticket prices are listed as $15, or $18.50 for 3D after 2PM, and $12 or $15.50 for 3D before 2PM, except holidays, and all day for children aged 6 to 11, seniors 60 and over, college students with current ID and guests with disabilities; seniors 60 and over pay $6 all day Wednesday and before 2PM on weekdays.
6. Ridge Hill
Ridge Hill is a shopping center that also holds evening entertainment. Legoland Discovery Center Westchester is located in the Ridge Hill shopping center, downstairs from both Showcase Cinema De Lux and Dick's Sporting Goods.
This suits families and mixed groups who want to combine shopping, a film and an activity in one place, with everything within the same complex.
7. Bowling and skating
Homefield Bowl, at 938 Saw Mill River Rd, sits very close to all major highways and offers a snack bar, lounge and pro-shop, along with leagues, tournaments and monthly, weekly and daily specials. It is open Sunday to Thursday 9AM to midnight and Friday and Saturday 9AM to 1AM. Murray's Skating Center, also known as the E.J. Murray Memorial Skating Center, at 348 Tuckahoe Rd, offers public skating and skate rental, with a snack bar and pro-shop; general admission is $11 and skate rental $4, with senior citizen admission $3.
These suit groups who want an activity rather than a bar, and Homefield Bowl's Friday and Saturday hours make it a genuine late option. Murray's is reachable from the Tuckahoe Road exit of the New York State Thruway (I-87) or the Sprain Brook Parkway, and by Bee-Line Bus route 8.
How a night out unfolds
The sources give limited guidance on timing, but the pattern they describe is an early one. The two named bars, Rory Dolan's Restaurant & Bar and Burke's Restaurant and Bar, both close at 10PM, so a pub-led evening in Yonkers starts and ends earlier than it would in New York City. The late hours belong to specific venues: Homefield Bowl runs to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 1AM on Friday and Saturday, while Yonkers Raceway and Empire City Casino is open daily from 10AM to 6AM. If you want a long night, build it around those rather than around the pubs.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Columbus Day — October
- Halloween — October
- Daylight Saving Time ends — November
- Election Day — November
- Veterans Day — November
- Thanksgiving Day — November
- Black Friday — November
- Christmas Eve — December
- Christmas Day — December
- New Year's Eve — December
- New Year's Day — January
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day — January
Frequently asked questions
What time do bars in Yonkers close?
The sources list Rory Dolan's Restaurant & Bar as open 11AM to 10PM and Burke's Restaurant and Bar as open noon to 10PM. Other venues keep later hours, so check ahead if you are planning a late finish.
Where can you go late at night in Yonkers?
Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino, at 810 Yonkers Ave, is open daily from 10AM to 6AM. Homefield Bowl is open until midnight Sunday to Thursday and until 1AM on Friday and Saturday.
What is the gambling age at Empire City Casino?
The gambling age is 18.
Is there anywhere to eat and drink during a film?
Yes. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, at 2548 Central Park Ave, delivers food and drink to your seat while you watch a movie.
Decide whether your evening is a pub night, a cinema night or a late one at the track and casino, then plan around the closing times so the night ends where you intend it to.