Siwanoy Indian tribes in the 1500s and 1600s. Over time the area became the summer vacation destination for wealthy New York families looking to retreat to impressive waterfront estates along Long Island Sound. Today the peninsula is home to a number of upscale residential communities and shore and yacht clubs. Middletown Middletown is a former hamlet of the Town of New Rochelle which covered portions of the community along North Avenue near Thomas Paine's Farm. Wykagyl Suburban section in north end of New Rochelle, conterminous with the 10804 zip-code. Wykagyl consists of sprawling, residential neighborhoods and natural green-space. Wykagyl is frequently used in reference to the small business district of retail stores, restaurants, offices and condominium developments located at the center of the community which serves as the "Downtown" for many Northenders. The construction of the New York-Westchester-Boston Railroad line through the sparsely populated north end of New Rochelle in 1912 and its creation of a Wykagyl stop and Station gave rise to an entirely new residential and business section of the city. To take advantage of the expanded commuting opportunities, "Wykagyl Gardens", one of the largest apartment complexes in the country at the time, was built adjacent to the station. The area's unusual name most likely resulted from the shortening of the name of an Algonquin tribe of Native Americans who originally inhabited the area. References External links New Rochelle official website New Rochelle Historic Landmarks Review Board New Rochelle Historic Landmarks Review Board - Publications Downtown New Rochelle Website of the Beechmont Neighborhood Website of the Bayberry Neighborhood Website of the East End Civic Association Website of the Wykagyl Crossways Neighborhood Association Archived Website of the Residence Park Neighborhood List Lists of neighborhoods in U.S. cities