Sunnyside, Staten Island
Encyclopedia
Sunnyside is the name of a neighborhood in the Mid-Island
region of the New York City
borough
of Staten Island
.
Two large city parks—Silver Lake Park
and Clove Lakes Park
—form the eastern and western boundaries, respectively, of Sunnyside, which is named for a boarding house
that was established there in 1889; the vicinity had previously been known as Clovenia, owing to its location in what was then referred to as the Clove Valley, whose name survives in Clove Road, which runs from West Brighton
to Grasmere
, and is one of the neighborhood's principal thoroughfares. Clove Road forms the northern boundary of Sunnyside, separating it from the community of Grymes Hill.
Prior to the advent of cable television
service, Sunnyside was noted for having the worst television reception on Staten Island, resulting from its being hemmed in by several hills, including Grymes Hill
, Emerson Hill
and Castleton Hill, the latter separating Sunnyside from neighboring Castleton Corners
.
Sunnyside was once the home of a campus of the College of Staten Island
; located at the foot of Emerson Hill, in 1993 this campus was moved to the grounds of the former Willowbrook State School
, and an advanced-placement high school
, the Michael Petrides Center, took its place. This center is also an evacuation site for residents during floods or other emergencies.
A large percentage of Sunnyside's residents are civil service
workers, this demographic trait being typical of many Mid-Island neighborhoods.
Sunnyside is a major junction for bus routes along Victory Blvd and Clove Road. It is served by the S61/S91, S62/S92, S66, and S93 local buses on Victory Blvd, and the S53 local bus on Clove Road. It is also served by the X14 express bus along Clove Road, and the X30 express bus along Victory Blvd.
Mid-Island, Staten Island
Mid-Island is frequently applied to a series of neighborhoods within New York City, USA's borough of Staten Island.Under the definition most commonly adhered to, Mid-Island comprises all of the communities whose ZIP Code is 10314, plus Sunnyside within zip code 10301, along with the western slope...
region of the New York City
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...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
.
Two large city parks—Silver Lake Park
Silver Lake, Staten Island
Silver Lake is the name of both a reservoir and an adjacent neighborhood on Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, USA.Located inside Silver Lake Park, the first city park to be established on Staten Island, Silver Lake was created in 1917 when water was brought there from the...
and Clove Lakes Park
Clove Lakes Park
Clove Lakes Park is a public park located in the New York City borough of Staten Island, in the neighborhood of Sunnyside.-Brief overview:A protected Forever Wild site because of its valuable ecological assets, Clove Lakes Park has a rich natural history and a few remnants of the past that remain...
—form the eastern and western boundaries, respectively, of Sunnyside, which is named for a boarding house
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
that was established there in 1889; the vicinity had previously been known as Clovenia, owing to its location in what was then referred to as the Clove Valley, whose name survives in Clove Road, which runs from West Brighton
West New Brighton, Staten Island
West New Brighton is a neighborhood of New York City, Richmond County, USA, situated along the central North Shore of Staten Island...
to Grasmere
Grasmere, Staten Island
Grasmere is the name of a neighborhood located on the East Shore of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City.Grasmere although crossed by major roads has retained its quiet suburban character. The area and adjoining Concord was dotted with lakes and ponds similar to the English...
, and is one of the neighborhood's principal thoroughfares. Clove Road forms the northern boundary of Sunnyside, separating it from the community of Grymes Hill.
Prior to the advent of cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
service, Sunnyside was noted for having the worst television reception on Staten Island, resulting from its being hemmed in by several hills, including Grymes Hill
Grymes Hill, Staten Island
Grymes Hill is a neighborhood, situated upon a hill by that name, on Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City. The east side of the hill is defined by Van Duzer Street and Richmond Road to the intersection with the Staten Island Expressway, which, with Clove Road, defines the...
, Emerson Hill
Emerson Hill, Staten Island
Emerson Hill is the name of a hilly area, and the neighborhood upon which the hill is situated, in Staten Island, New York, one of the five boroughs of New York City, USA....
and Castleton Hill, the latter separating Sunnyside from neighboring Castleton Corners
Castleton, New York
Castleton is the name of two places in the U.S. state of New York:*Castleton, Staten Island, a former town in the U.S. state of New York*Castleton-on-Hudson, New York...
.
Sunnyside was once the home of a campus of the College of Staten Island
College of Staten Island
The College of Staten Island is a four-year, senior college of and is one of the 11 senior colleges in the City University of New York. Programs in the liberal arts and sciences and professional studies lead to bachelor's and associate's degrees. The master's degree is awarded in 13 professional...
; located at the foot of Emerson Hill, in 1993 this campus was moved to the grounds of the former Willowbrook State School
Willowbrook State School
Willowbrook State School was a state-supported institution for children with intellectual disabilities located in the Willowbrook neighborhood of Staten Island in New York City from the 1930s until 1987....
, and an advanced-placement high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, the Michael Petrides Center, took its place. This center is also an evacuation site for residents during floods or other emergencies.
A large percentage of Sunnyside's residents are civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
workers, this demographic trait being typical of many Mid-Island neighborhoods.
Sunnyside is a major junction for bus routes along Victory Blvd and Clove Road. It is served by the S61/S91, S62/S92, S66, and S93 local buses on Victory Blvd, and the S53 local bus on Clove Road. It is also served by the X14 express bus along Clove Road, and the X30 express bus along Victory Blvd.