Source Information
About New York, U.S., New York County Supreme Court Naturalization Petition Index, 1907-1924
Since colonial times, New York County was limited to Manhattan, and until 1898 it was the only county in New York City. These records represent only Manhattan, though there may be records from sections of Westchester County added to New York County (they became Bronx County in 1914).
The following books are great resources for information on naturalization records: They Became Americans: Finding Naturalization Records and Ethnic Origins by Loretto Dennis Szucs, Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records edited by Kory L Meyerink, and The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy by Loretto Dennis Szucs.
For information on obtaining copies of individual records or files, send a specific research request to: New York County Clerk, Room 161, 60 Centre St., New York, NY 10007-1402. (Note: Be sure to describe the type of record you are looking for, and plan on at least three months before you receive any material. Because of its port status and history, New York is always inundated with record requests, and it takes some time to process and research each one.)
If you happen to be in the New York City area, stopping by the clerk's office can help to accelerate procedures significantly. The county clerk's offices are located in Rm 703 (7th floor) on 31 Chamber St (near corner of Centre St). Normal operating hours are Tues. and Thurs. from 9am-5pm or M, W, F by appointment only. The office is always closed on Sat., Sun., and all holidays. For details, call during these hours at (212) 374-4376 or (212) 374-4781.