Stapleton, Staten Island
Encyclopedia
Stapleton is a neighborhood in northeastern Staten Island in New York City
in the United States
. It is located along the waterfront of Upper New York Bay
, bounded on the north by Tompkinsville
at Grant Street, on the south by Clifton
at Vanderbilt Avenue, and on the west by St. Paul's Avenue and Van Duzer Street, which form the border with the community of Grymes Hill. Stapleton is one of the older waterfront neighborhoods of the borough, built in the 1830s on land once owned by the Vanderbilt family. It was a long-time commercial center of the island, but has struggled to revive after several decades of neglect following the building in 1964 of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
, which shifted the commercial development of the island to its interior.
Due to its proximity to the Staten Island Ferry, Stapleton is well served by public transportation. The Staten Island Railway
has a stop in the neighborhood, at Prospect Street, and the S51/S81, S52, S74/S84, S76/S86, and S78 local buses all serve the neighborhood.
grew up, at the location of the present-day Paramount Theater building on Bay Street (the theater itself having closed in the eartly 1980s). In the early 19th century it became the commercial center of Southfield Township. In 1832 William J. Staples, a merchant from Manhattan
for whom the neighborhood is named, as well as Minthorne Tompkins, the son of Vice President
Daniel D. Tompkins
, acquired land from the Vanderbilts and laid out the streets. Staples and Tompkins started a ferry
service from the neighborhood waterfront to Manhattan and began advertising their new village in 1836.
Seaman's Retreat, a hospital for sailors entering New York Harbor
, opened in 1832 and later became Bayley Seton Hospital
, the largest employer in the neighborhood until the Sisters of Charity
, an order of Roman Catholic nun
s which operated the facility, closed it in 2004 (the property is sometimes reckoned as belonging to Clifton
, Stapleton's neighbor to the south). It was also for many years the site of a United States Public Health Service
hospital.
The neighborhood was the location of several springs which led to the establishment of several German-American breweries
in the middle 19th century. The last brewery closed in 1963. Stapleton's Village Hall still stands, located in Tappen Park
. The Staten Island Rapid Transit railway has a stop in Stapleton
.
In 1884, it was incorporated as the village of Edgewater. In 1884, the Staten Island Railway
extended its track from the neighborhood northward to St. George
. Direct ferry service from the neighborhood to Manhattan was halted two years later in 1886. The Edgewater Village Hall and Tappen Park
was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
The neighborhood is also the home of I.S.49. This school now sits across from the Stapleton Houses. The school was opened around 1963, and is currently undergoing renovation as of 2005.
The Stapleton Houses, a housing project sponsored by the State of New York
, opened in January, 1961. At eight stories high, its buildings are the tallest to be found within any such project on the island. It is the largest New York City Housing Authority
project on Staten Island.
Between 1929 and 1931 Stapleton had their own NFL Pro Football Team, the Staten Island Stapletons
.
Famous residents of Stapleton include Dennis Coles, a.k.a Ghostface Killah
(rapper of the Wu-Tang Clan), and Tristan Wilds
.
in the United States. From 1942 to 1945, they became the New York Port
of Embarkation for the United States Army
. After World War II
, the piers once again became a foreign trade zone, but their use declined and most of the piers were demolished by the 1970s. The last, used for fishing, was removed when the U.S. Navy proposed to build a base in Stapleton in the 1980s.
In 1983, Secretary of the Navy John Lehman
selected Stapleton to be the homeport for a naval unit headed by the battleship
, as part of the dispersal of the navy
during a military build up
ordered by President Ronald Reagan
. This proposal became highly controversial throughout Staten Island when analysis of the proposal showed a net loss of civilian jobs on Staten Island (mainly due to expected job-seekers among naval dependents, but also due to a loss of businesses forced out by the naval presence). It was also controversial because of the belief that the Tomahawk cruise missiles aboard the Iowa and an accompanying Aegis cruiser
would, in at least some cases, be carrying nuclear warheads.
Following years of debate, which slowed development of the base, the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union
led to a major cutback in military spending, and the still incomplete base was cancelled in 1993. Shortly thereafter, a plan was floated to build a race-track on the site, to be primarily used by NASCAR
. The plan was quickly forgotten. Also headquartered at the site is one of three fireboats, FDNY Marine company 9
. The site is now also used as part of the annual Fleet Week
in New York City.
After sitting empty for a couple years, the base site was used by a bagel manufacturer briefly. Then a proposal was made to have a movie studio occupy the 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) site. For never explained reasons the city administration opposed this, and finally some of the civil courts took over a small part of the site, leaving most unused while various proposals were made for housing, parkland, and an educational complex, among others.
On October 26, 2006, the New York City council approved a massive redevelopment plan for the site. It will be transformed into a new community with 350 housing units, restaurants, parks, a recreation center and farmers' market. The City Council pushed the project through its final regulatory hurdle when it approved the $66 million blueprint for the former Navy base. The city will use the money and an additional $1.1 million state grant to create streets, utilities and a mile-long waterfront esplanade while soliciting proposals from private developers to build on six sites—three residential and three commercial—across the 36 acres (145,687 m²) base. City officials have said infrastructure work could begin in early 2007 with a projected completion date of 2009.
's video Papa Don't Preach
was filmed on the stairs and platform of the Staten Island Railway
train station of the same name
as the neighborhood.
A lot of Wu-Tang Clan
(family) members lived - and some still do - in Stapleton. Rappers Shyheim and Ghostface Killah
of Wu-Tang Clan
lived together in Stapleton Houses; RZA likens the area to a concentration camp in "Impossible"; Ghostface also notes Stapleton in his song "Maxine" as being a violent neighborhood.
Earl Sweatshirt references Stapleton in his song 'Stapleton'.
operates the Stapleton Branch at 132 Canal Street at Wright Street.
Popular places for the performance of local music include The Cup, which was located on Van Duzer Street and closed September 1, 2010, and Edgewater Hall/Dock Street which operates on Bay Street. Both venues cater to the music of the island and serve as places for local acts to perform.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located along the waterfront of Upper New York Bay
Upper New York Bay
Upper New York Bay, or Upper Bay, is the traditional heart of the Port of New York and New Jersey, and often called New York Harbor. It is enclosed by the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island and the Hudson County, New Jersey municipalities of Jersey City and Bayonne.It...
, bounded on the north by Tompkinsville
Tompkinsville, Staten Island
Tompkinsville is a neighborhood in northeastern Staten Island in New York City in the United States. Though the neighborhood sits on the island's eastern shore, along the waterfront facing Upper New York Bay — between St...
at Grant Street, on the south by Clifton
Clifton, Staten Island
Clifton or Park Hill is a neighborhood in northeastern Staten Island in New York City in the United States. It is an older waterfront neighborhood, facing Upper New York Bay on the east...
at Vanderbilt Avenue, and on the west by St. Paul's Avenue and Van Duzer Street, which form the border with the community of Grymes Hill. Stapleton is one of the older waterfront neighborhoods of the borough, built in the 1830s on land once owned by the Vanderbilt family. It was a long-time commercial center of the island, but has struggled to revive after several decades of neglect following the building in 1964 of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City at the Narrows, the reach connecting the relatively protected upper bay with the larger lower bay....
, which shifted the commercial development of the island to its interior.
Due to its proximity to the Staten Island Ferry, Stapleton is well served by public transportation. The Staten Island Railway
Staten Island Railway
The Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, publicly known as MTA Staten Island Railway or SIR, is the operator of the lone rapid transit line in the borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA...
has a stop in the neighborhood, at Prospect Street, and the S51/S81, S52, S74/S84, S76/S86, and S78 local buses all serve the neighborhood.
History
The neighborhood was the site of the farm where Cornelius VanderbiltCornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt , also known by the sobriquet Commodore, was an American entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads. He was also the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family and one of the richest Americans in history...
grew up, at the location of the present-day Paramount Theater building on Bay Street (the theater itself having closed in the eartly 1980s). In the early 19th century it became the commercial center of Southfield Township. In 1832 William J. Staples, a merchant from Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
for whom the neighborhood is named, as well as Minthorne Tompkins, the son of Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Daniel D. Tompkins
Daniel D. Tompkins
Daniel D. Tompkins was an entrepreneur, jurist, Congressman, the fourth Governor of New York , and the sixth Vice President of the United States .-Name:...
, acquired land from the Vanderbilts and laid out the streets. Staples and Tompkins started a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service from the neighborhood waterfront to Manhattan and began advertising their new village in 1836.
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
, opened in 1832 and later became Bayley Seton Hospital
Bayley Seton Hospital
Bayley Seton Hospital is a hospital in Staten Island, New York City. it is primarily a psychiatric and social services outpatient hospital, operated jointly by Richmond University Medical Center and Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center.-Location:...
, the largest employer in the neighborhood until the Sisters of Charity
Sisters of Charity
Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name. The rule of Saint Vincent for the Daughters of Charity has been adopted and adapted by at least sixty founders of religious orders around the world in the subsequent centuries....
, an order of Roman Catholic nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s which operated the facility, closed it in 2004 (the property is sometimes reckoned as belonging to Clifton
Clifton, Staten Island
Clifton or Park Hill is a neighborhood in northeastern Staten Island in New York City in the United States. It is an older waterfront neighborhood, facing Upper New York Bay on the east...
, Stapleton's neighbor to the south). It was also for many years the site of a United States Public Health Service
United States Public Health Service
The Public Health Service Act of 1944 structured the United States Public Health Service as the primary division of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare , which later became the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The PHS comprises all Agency Divisions of Health and...
hospital.
The neighborhood was the location of several springs which led to the establishment of several German-American breweries
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
in the middle 19th century. The last brewery closed in 1963. Stapleton's Village Hall still stands, located in Tappen Park
Tappen Park
Tappen Park is a small park and square in the Stapleton neighborhood of Staten Island, New York. It is bounded by Bay Street on the east, Water Street on the north, and Canal Street on the south and west. It is named for First World War veteran James Tappen...
. The Staten Island Rapid Transit railway has a stop in Stapleton
Stapleton (Staten Island Railway station)
Stapleton is an elevated Staten Island Railway station in the neighborhood of Stapleton, Staten Island, New York, located at Cebra Avenue and Bay Street on the main line. It contains an island platform. The north end has an exit to Prospect Street and a New York City Department of Transportation...
.
In 1884, it was incorporated as the village of Edgewater. In 1884, the Staten Island Railway
Staten Island Railway
The Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, publicly known as MTA Staten Island Railway or SIR, is the operator of the lone rapid transit line in the borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA...
extended its track from the neighborhood northward to St. George
St. George, Staten Island
St. George is a neighborhood on the northeastern tip of Staten Island in New York City, where the Kill Van Kull enters Upper New York Bay. It is the most densely developed neighborhood on Staten Island, and the location of the administrative center for the borough and for the coterminous Richmond...
. Direct ferry service from the neighborhood to Manhattan was halted two years later in 1886. The Edgewater Village Hall and Tappen Park
Edgewater Village Hall and Tappen Park
Edgewater Village Hall is a historic former village hall situated within Tappen Park, a public park located in Stapleton, Staten Island, New York. The village hall was built in 1889 for the village of Edgewater. The village was dissolved during the consolidation of New York City in 1898...
was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980.
The neighborhood is also the home of I.S.49. This school now sits across from the Stapleton Houses. The school was opened around 1963, and is currently undergoing renovation as of 2005.
The Stapleton Houses, a housing project sponsored by the State of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, opened in January, 1961. At eight stories high, its buildings are the tallest to be found within any such project on the island. It is the largest New York City Housing Authority
New York City Housing Authority
The New York City Housing Authority provides public housing for low- and moderate-income residents throughout the five boroughs of New York City. NYCHA also administers a citywide Section 8 Leased Housing Program in rental apartments...
project on Staten Island.
Between 1929 and 1931 Stapleton had their own NFL Pro Football Team, the Staten Island Stapletons
Staten Island Stapletons
The Staten Island Stapletons also known as the Staten Island Stapes were a professional American football team founded in 1915 that played in the National Football League from 1929 to 1930. The team was based in the Stapleton section of Staten Island. Under the shortened nickname the "Stapes"...
.
Famous residents of Stapleton include Dennis Coles, a.k.a Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
(rapper of the Wu-Tang Clan), and Tristan Wilds
Tristan Wilds
Tristan Paul Mack Wilds is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Michael Lee on the HBO original drama series The Wire and as Dixon Wilson on the CW drama series 90210.-Life and career:...
.
Waterfront
The city built piers in 1920, but they were never fully exploited. From 1937 to 1942 several of the piers were used as the first Foreign Trade ZoneForeign trade zone
A foreign-trade zone in the United States is a geographical area, in United States Ports of Entry Ports of Entry, where commercial merchandise, both domestic and foreign receives the same Customs treatment it would if it were outside the commerce of the United States...
in the United States. From 1942 to 1945, they became the New York Port
Port of New York and New Jersey
The Port of New York and New Jersey comprises the waterways in the estuary of the New York-Newark metropolitan area with a port district encompassing an approximate area within a radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument...
of Embarkation for the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the piers once again became a foreign trade zone, but their use declined and most of the piers were demolished by the 1970s. The last, used for fishing, was removed when the U.S. Navy proposed to build a base in Stapleton in the 1980s.
In 1983, Secretary of the Navy John Lehman
John Lehman
John F. Lehman, Jr. is an American investment banker and writer who served as Secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration and in 2003–04 was a member of the 9/11 Commission....
selected Stapleton to be the homeport for a naval unit headed by the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, as part of the dispersal of the navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during a military build up
600-ship Navy
The 600 Ship Navy was a strategic plan of the United States Navy during the 1980s to rebuild its fleet after cutbacks that followed the end of the Vietnam War...
ordered by President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. This proposal became highly controversial throughout Staten Island when analysis of the proposal showed a net loss of civilian jobs on Staten Island (mainly due to expected job-seekers among naval dependents, but also due to a loss of businesses forced out by the naval presence). It was also controversial because of the belief that the Tomahawk cruise missiles aboard the Iowa and an accompanying Aegis cruiser
Ticonderoga class cruiser
The Ticonderoga class of missile cruisers is a class of warships in the United States Navy, first ordered and authorized in FY 1978. The class uses phased-array radar and was originally planned as a class of destroyers...
would, in at least some cases, be carrying nuclear warheads.
Following years of debate, which slowed development of the base, the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
led to a major cutback in military spending, and the still incomplete base was cancelled in 1993. Shortly thereafter, a plan was floated to build a race-track on the site, to be primarily used by NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
. The plan was quickly forgotten. Also headquartered at the site is one of three fireboats, FDNY Marine company 9
Firefighter (fireboat)
Fire Fighter, also known as Firefighter, is a fireboat serving the New York City Fire Department. She was an active fireboat serving as Marine Company 9 until being retired in 2010. She was the most powerful diesel-electric fireboat when built in 1938...
. The site is now also used as part of the annual Fleet Week
Fleet Week
Fleet Week is a United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard tradition in which active military ships recently deployed in overseas operations dock in a variety of major cities for one week. Once the ships dock, the crews can enter the city and visit its tourist...
in New York City.
After sitting empty for a couple years, the base site was used by a bagel manufacturer briefly. Then a proposal was made to have a movie studio occupy the 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) site. For never explained reasons the city administration opposed this, and finally some of the civil courts took over a small part of the site, leaving most unused while various proposals were made for housing, parkland, and an educational complex, among others.
On October 26, 2006, the New York City council approved a massive redevelopment plan for the site. It will be transformed into a new community with 350 housing units, restaurants, parks, a recreation center and farmers' market. The City Council pushed the project through its final regulatory hurdle when it approved the $66 million blueprint for the former Navy base. The city will use the money and an additional $1.1 million state grant to create streets, utilities and a mile-long waterfront esplanade while soliciting proposals from private developers to build on six sites—three residential and three commercial—across the 36 acres (145,687 m²) base. City officials have said infrastructure work could begin in early 2007 with a projected completion date of 2009.
In Music
Part of MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's video Papa Don't Preach
Papa Don't Preach
"Papa Don't Preach" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. The song was written by Brian Elliot with additional lyrics by Madonna, and produced by Stephen Bray and Madonna for her third studio album True Blue, released in June 1986...
was filmed on the stairs and platform of the Staten Island Railway
Staten Island Railway
The Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, publicly known as MTA Staten Island Railway or SIR, is the operator of the lone rapid transit line in the borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA...
train station of the same name
Stapleton (Staten Island Railway station)
Stapleton is an elevated Staten Island Railway station in the neighborhood of Stapleton, Staten Island, New York, located at Cebra Avenue and Bay Street on the main line. It contains an island platform. The north end has an exit to Prospect Street and a New York City Department of Transportation...
as the neighborhood.
A lot of Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
(family) members lived - and some still do - in Stapleton. Rappers Shyheim and Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
of Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
lived together in Stapleton Houses; RZA likens the area to a concentration camp in "Impossible"; Ghostface also notes Stapleton in his song "Maxine" as being a violent neighborhood.
Earl Sweatshirt references Stapleton in his song 'Stapleton'.
Public libraries
New York Public LibraryNew York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
operates the Stapleton Branch at 132 Canal Street at Wright Street.
Popular places for the performance of local music include The Cup, which was located on Van Duzer Street and closed September 1, 2010, and Edgewater Hall/Dock Street which operates on Bay Street. Both venues cater to the music of the island and serve as places for local acts to perform.