Tompkinsville, Staten Island
Encyclopedia
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. George
on the north and Stapleton
on the south — it is reckoned as being part of the North Shore
by the island's residents.
Tompkinsville is the oldest Europe
an village in eastern Staten Island
. It was the site where early explorers replenished their fresh water supplies and was known in colonial times as the "Watering Place". In 1815, a settlement was established in the neighborhood next to the existing quarantine
station by Daniel D. Tompkins
, who was elected Vice President
the following year. In 1817 Tompkins built a dock
at the foot of present-day Victory Boulevard and began offering steam ferry
service to Manhattan
.
In the early 1900s, the telephone exchange
that served Staten Island's eastern North Shore
was named after the neighborhood; the name of this exchange became "Saint George" in the mid-1920s, and "SAint George 7" when New York Telephone
upgraded telephone service throughout New York City in December of 1930. Converted for All-Number Calling
, the prefix "727" still exists on the island today, and is the sole survivor of the designations that existed in the 1920s.
in 1964, which shifted the commercial actiivty of the island towards its interior. Recent plans have called for the redevelopment of the harbor front area. The population is racially diverse, primarily made up of African-Americans, Hispanic
s and Whites mostly Italian-Americans (the latter once being dominant), with recent arrivals including immigrants from such countries as Albania
. There is also a Sri Lankan
community. The Little Sri Lanka in Tompkinsville is one of the largest Sri Lankan communities outside of the country of Sri Lanka
itself.
Unlike many other North Shore
communities (and like Port Richmond
), there are no public housing
projects in Tompkinsville, the housing stock of which is dominated by single-family homes built in the first few decades of the 20th Century.
The neighborhood's Staten Island Railway station
is one stop south of the terminus at St. George.
Tompkinsville was the site of a Naval Frontier Base of the US Navy
for many years.
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...
. Though the neighborhood sits on the island's eastern shore, along the waterfront facing 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...
— between 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...
on the north and Stapleton
Stapleton, Staten Island
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...
on the south — it is reckoned as being part of the North Shore
North Shore, Staten Island
The term North Shore is frequently applied to a series of neighborhoods within New York City's borough of Staten Island, USA.- Boundaries :...
by the island's residents.
History
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an village in eastern 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...
. It was the site where early explorers replenished their fresh water supplies and was known in colonial times as the "Watering Place". In 1815, a settlement was established in the neighborhood next to the existing quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
station by 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:...
, who was elected 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...
the following year. In 1817 Tompkins built a dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
at the foot of present-day Victory Boulevard and began offering steam 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 to 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...
.
In the early 1900s, the telephone exchange
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
that served Staten Island's eastern North Shore
North Shore, Staten Island
The term North Shore is frequently applied to a series of neighborhoods within New York City's borough of Staten Island, USA.- Boundaries :...
was named after the neighborhood; the name of this exchange became "Saint George" in the mid-1920s, and "SAint George 7" when New York Telephone
New York Telephone
The New York Telephone Company was organized in 1896, taking over the New York City operations of the American Bell Telephone Company.-Predecessor companies:...
upgraded telephone service throughout New York City in December of 1930. Converted for All-Number Calling
All-Number Calling
All-number calling is a telephone numbering system that was introduced in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s.Until the 1950s, local telephone numbers consisted of an exchange and a 5-digit phone number...
, the prefix "727" still exists on the island today, and is the sole survivor of the designations that existed in the 1920s.
Demographics
The neighborhood is mixed commercial and residential. Like many areas of the northeastern part of the island, it suffered a decline following the construction of the Verrazano-Narrows BridgeVerrazano-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....
in 1964, which shifted the commercial actiivty of the island towards its interior. Recent plans have called for the redevelopment of the harbor front area. The population is racially diverse, primarily made up of African-Americans, Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
s and Whites mostly Italian-Americans (the latter once being dominant), with recent arrivals including immigrants from such countries as Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. There is also a Sri Lankan
Sri Lankan diaspora
The Sri Lankan diaspora are Sri Lankan emigrants from Sri Lanka and their descendants that reside in a foreign country.-Expatriate workers:Expatriate workers to Sri Lankan have been a valuable export for the country. The number of expatriate workers have been ever growing as well as the remittances...
community. The Little Sri Lanka in Tompkinsville is one of the largest Sri Lankan communities outside of the country of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
itself.
Unlike many other North Shore
North Shore, Staten Island
The term North Shore is frequently applied to a series of neighborhoods within New York City's borough of Staten Island, USA.- Boundaries :...
communities (and like Port Richmond
Port Richmond, Staten Island
Port Richmond is a neighborhood situated on the North Shore of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, United States. It is along the waterfront of the Kill Van Kull, with the southern terminus of the Bayonne Bridge serving as the boundary between it and Mariners Harbor, the...
), there are no public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
projects in Tompkinsville, the housing stock of which is dominated by single-family homes built in the first few decades of the 20th Century.
The neighborhood's Staten Island Railway station
Tompkinsville (Staten Island Railway station)
Tompkinsville is a Staten Island Railway station in the neighborhood of Tompkinsville, Staten Island, New York, located at Victory Boulevard and Bay Street on the main line. It is located at grade with an island platform, but all staircases go up for overpasses at both ends...
is one stop south of the terminus at St. George.
Tompkinsville was the site of a Naval Frontier Base of the US 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...
for many years.
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