Travis, Staten Island
Encyclopedia
Travis is a neighborhood at the west-central shore of Staten Island
, one of the five boroughs of New York City
. Some local geographers classify Travis as being on the island's West Shore
, while others reckon it as a Mid-Island
neighborhood.
along the shoreline of the Arthur Kill
, Travis is one of the most isolated and sparsely-populated locales on Staten Island, known at times as Long Neck and New Blazing Star Ferry, it became the site of the USA's first linoleum
factory in the 1860s, leading to its being named Linoleumville; however, in 1930, residents overwhelmingly chose to rename the community after Colonel Jacob Travis, whose family had resided there before the linoleum plant opened.
as the Richmond Turnpike, this road was "promoted as the fastest route from New York to Philadelphia." On this road, bus service along the Island's North Shore to the College of Staten Island
and St. George Ferry Terminal is provided by the S62 route. A ferry
across the Arthur Kill
linked Travis with Carteret, New Jersey
. It stopped running in 1929. However, a passenger ferry did remain in operation until the mid 1960s.
Travis is served by the Travis freight branch of the North Shore Branch of the Staten Island Railway
, which leads into the Howland Hook Container Terminal. One proposal for the West Shore Light Rail
has it using these tracks.
Travis is also served by direct express bus service to Manhattan during rush hours. The X11 runs along Victory Blvd and the X19 runs along the West Shore Expressway. Both routes service Downtown Manhattan. Some X22 express buses to Midtown also serve the neighborhood.
parade held there annually. Many members of the community's founding families are buried in Sylvan Grove Cemetery, a small, triangle-shaped burial ground near the junction of Victory Boulevard and the West Shore Expressway, which has fallen into severe disarray, mostly due to vandalism
. An island-wide charitable organization, the Friends of Abandoned Cemeteries of Staten Island, was founded in 1982 in an effort to restore this and other assorted small cemeteries on the island that have been unused for decades, and in some cases, even centuries. Construction is scheduled for the area next to the cemetery to be turned into "Independence Park". The park is set to be completed in June 2010 in time for the parade's 100th anniversary. Work began in November.
Travis is home to the Mid Island Little League, who won the 1964 Little League World Series
. Mid Island Little League is located at the intersection of Travis Avenue and Victory Boulevard.
(before this, it was a flea market
, Bradlee's Store and Caldor
before that) as the anchor store. Also part of this expansion was a large industrial park called the Teleport
located at the eastern edge of Travis. It houses mostly companies engaged in the Internet
and telecommunications industries. The service roads of the West Shore Expressway are also the site of many retail and other businesses.
Travis is home to FDNY Engine company 154, which also houses a spare fire engine and Brush fire unit 4. Also protecting Travis is one of the last volunteer fire houses in the city, and second on Staten Island, Oceanic Engine 1. Oceanic was formed in 1881. This makes it one of the oldest volunteer fire houses
in the country. The fire house itself was located on the other side of town and moved down Victory Blvd. by horse to where it resides today.
The building of the UA movie theater complex has changed Travis dramatically over the last decade. Traffic patterns have changed along with new development of homes. Many of the older homes that sat on large plots of land are being torn down and replaced with new row homes. Even with this building boom, Travis has retained many of its characteristics that made it the last frontier on Staten Island. Still standing is the old Tennyson's confectionery . It now is a balloon and party store, but this once held a penny candy store that was operational for almost one hundred years. This is located across from the Oceanic Hook and Ladder firehouse and was a popular hang out for the town locals, and firemen. Owned by "Snappy" Ed Tennyson, called that because he moved so slow, was handed down to his son in law, Robert Minto Jr. who ran the store just about up to his death in 1986.
from New Jersey
's Chemical Coast
, its air quality is often very poor, and inordinately high rates of cancer
and other diseases have been discovered among its long-time residents. The closing of the infamous Fresh Kills Landfill
in the early 2000s, however, did improve the situation somewhat.
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...
, one of the five boroughs of 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...
. Some local geographers classify Travis as being on the island's West Shore
West Shore, Staten Island
West Shore refers to the section of the New York City borough of Staten Island that borders the Arthur Kill, between the Staten Island Expressway and the Fresh Kills...
, while others reckon it as a Mid-Island
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...
neighborhood.
Name
Located north of the Fresh KillsFresh Kills
Fresh Kills is a stream and freshwater estuary in the western portion of the New York City borough of Staten Island...
along the shoreline of the Arthur Kill
Arthur Kill
The Arthur Kill is a tidal strait separating Staten Island, New York from mainland New Jersey, USA, and a major navigational channel of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Kill is from the Middle Dutch word kille, meaning "riverbed" or "water channel"...
, Travis is one of the most isolated and sparsely-populated locales on Staten Island, known at times as Long Neck and New Blazing Star Ferry, it became the site of the USA's first linoleum
Linoleum
Linoleum is a floor covering made from renewable materials such as solidified linseed oil , pine rosin, ground cork dust, wood flour, and mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate, most commonly on a burlap or canvas backing; pigments are often added to the materials.The finest linoleum floors,...
factory in the 1860s, leading to its being named Linoleumville; however, in 1930, residents overwhelmingly chose to rename the community after Colonel Jacob Travis, whose family had resided there before the linoleum plant opened.
Transportation
The western terminus of Victory Boulevard, a major thoroughfare on Staten Island, is at Travis. Established in 1816 by Daniel D. TompkinsDaniel 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:...
as the Richmond Turnpike, this road was "promoted as the fastest route from New York to Philadelphia." On this road, bus service along the Island's North Shore to 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...
and St. George Ferry Terminal is provided by the S62 route. 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...
across the Arthur Kill
Arthur Kill
The Arthur Kill is a tidal strait separating Staten Island, New York from mainland New Jersey, USA, and a major navigational channel of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Kill is from the Middle Dutch word kille, meaning "riverbed" or "water channel"...
linked Travis with Carteret, New Jersey
Carteret, New Jersey
Carteret is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 22,844.Carteret was created as the borough of Roosevelt on 11 April 1906, incorporating Woodbridge Township, and was a result of a referendum on 22 May 1906...
. It stopped running in 1929. However, a passenger ferry did remain in operation until the mid 1960s.
Travis is served by the Travis freight branch of the North Shore Branch 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...
, which leads into the Howland Hook Container Terminal. One proposal for the West Shore Light Rail
Staten Island light rail
Staten Island light rail proposals refer to any number of projects in the New York City borough of Staten Island. These proposals are among the several light rail projects that have been floated in New York City in recent years.- North Shore Light Rail :...
has it using these tracks.
Travis is also served by direct express bus service to Manhattan during rush hours. The X11 runs along Victory Blvd and the X19 runs along the West Shore Expressway. Both routes service Downtown Manhattan. Some X22 express buses to Midtown also serve the neighborhood.
Culture
Travis is noted throughout Staten Island for the colorful Independence DayIndependence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
parade held there annually. Many members of the community's founding families are buried in Sylvan Grove Cemetery, a small, triangle-shaped burial ground near the junction of Victory Boulevard and the West Shore Expressway, which has fallen into severe disarray, mostly due to vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
. An island-wide charitable organization, the Friends of Abandoned Cemeteries of Staten Island, was founded in 1982 in an effort to restore this and other assorted small cemeteries on the island that have been unused for decades, and in some cases, even centuries. Construction is scheduled for the area next to the cemetery to be turned into "Independence Park". The park is set to be completed in June 2010 in time for the parade's 100th anniversary. Work began in November.
Travis is home to the Mid Island Little League, who won the 1964 Little League World Series
1964 Little League World Series
-Winners bracket:-Consolation bracket:-External links:**...
. Mid Island Little League is located at the intersection of Travis Avenue and Victory Boulevard.
Facilities
The 1980s saw an expansion of commercial development along the West Shore Expressway, including a giant UA Movie and Bowling Complex. (That complex no longer houses a movie theater.) The West Shore Plaza was also built into this area with the island's only Burlington Coat FactoryBurlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
(before this, it was a flea market
Flea market
A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
, Bradlee's Store and Caldor
Caldor
Caldor was a chain of American discount department stores headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, operating throughout the northeastern United States. At one time, the company was a subsidiary of May Department Stores; Caldor was among the country's largest discount retailers.Despite being a popular...
before that) as the anchor store. Also part of this expansion was a large industrial park called the Teleport
Teleport Communications Group
Teleport Communications Group was the first Competitive local exchange carrier in the U.S.It was formed as Teleport Communications in 1985 by Merrill Lynch as the private sector participant in the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's "Teleport Project." The Teleport Project envisioned a...
located at the eastern edge of Travis. It houses mostly companies engaged in the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and telecommunications industries. The service roads of the West Shore Expressway are also the site of many retail and other businesses.
Travis is home to FDNY Engine company 154, which also houses a spare fire engine and Brush fire unit 4. Also protecting Travis is one of the last volunteer fire houses in the city, and second on Staten Island, Oceanic Engine 1. Oceanic was formed in 1881. This makes it one of the oldest volunteer fire houses
Volunteer fire department
See also the Firefighter article and its respective sections regarding VFDs in other countries.A volunteer fire department is a fire department composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction.The first organized force of...
in the country. The fire house itself was located on the other side of town and moved down Victory Blvd. by horse to where it resides today.
The building of the UA movie theater complex has changed Travis dramatically over the last decade. Traffic patterns have changed along with new development of homes. Many of the older homes that sat on large plots of land are being torn down and replaced with new row homes. Even with this building boom, Travis has retained many of its characteristics that made it the last frontier on Staten Island. Still standing is the old Tennyson's confectionery . It now is a balloon and party store, but this once held a penny candy store that was operational for almost one hundred years. This is located across from the Oceanic Hook and Ladder firehouse and was a popular hang out for the town locals, and firemen. Owned by "Snappy" Ed Tennyson, called that because he moved so slow, was handed down to his son in law, Robert Minto Jr. who ran the store just about up to his death in 1986.
Health
Because Travis lies directly across the Arthur KillArthur Kill
The Arthur Kill is a tidal strait separating Staten Island, New York from mainland New Jersey, USA, and a major navigational channel of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Kill is from the Middle Dutch word kille, meaning "riverbed" or "water channel"...
from New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
's Chemical Coast
Chemical Coast
The Chemical Coast is the section of Union and Middlesex counties in New Jersey. It is located along the shores of the Arthur Kill, a heavily used waterway of the Port of New York and New Jersey, across from Staten Island, New York.-History:...
, its air quality is often very poor, and inordinately high rates of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and other diseases have been discovered among its long-time residents. The closing of the infamous Fresh Kills Landfill
Fresh Kills Landfill
The Fresh Kills Landfill was a landfill covering in the New York City borough of Staten Island in the United States. The name comes from the landfill's location along the banks of the Fresh Kills estuary in western Staten Island...
in the early 2000s, however, did improve the situation somewhat.
Famous residents
- Paul ZindelPaul ZindelPaul Zindel Jr. was an American playwright, author, and educator.-Early years:Zindel was born in Tottenville, Staten Island, New York to Paul Zindel,Sr., a policeman, and Beatrice Frank, a nurse; his sister, Betty Hagen, was a year and a half older than he. Paul Zindel, Sr...
grew up in Travis. During his teenage years, he stayed at 123 Glen Street. Zindel based many of his young-adult stories in Travis, particularly The PigmanThe PigmanThe Pigman is a young adult novel written by Paul Zindel, first published in 1968. Zindel wrote a screenplay, adapting the book for the stage and screen, but it was not taken up by any film maker.-Plot:...
, which is set in Howard Avenue and Grymes Hill.