Grant City, Staten Island facts for kids
Grant City is a neighborhood located on the East Shore of Staten Island, New York City. It sits between Midland Beach to the east and Todt Hill to the west. You'll find New Dorp just south of Grant City, and Dongan Hills to its north.
A Look Back at Grant City's History
Grant City was first known as Frenchtown. It got its new name, Grant City, to honor Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant. This happened soon after the war began. Interestingly, the war wasn't very popular on Staten Island. In fact, there were protests in July 1863 against people being forced to join the army.
Many streets in Grant City are named after important historical figures. For example, Lincoln Avenue is named after President Abraham Lincoln. Fremont Avenue is named after General John C. Fremont, who was the first Republican candidate for president. Adams Avenue honors President John Adams, and Colfax Avenue is for Vice President Schuyler Colfax. Greeley Avenue is named after newspaper editor Horace Greeley. Some other streets were also named after historical figures but have since been renamed.
Many small, single-family homes were built in Grant City during the 1950s. The area grew even more after the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge opened in November 1964. This bridge made it much easier to travel to Staten Island from Brooklyn. In the 1990s, many families with Irish American backgrounds lived here. Grant City and its nearby areas often support Republican Party candidates in elections.
Exciting Events in Grant City
In August 1990, a small tornado, called an F0 tornado, moved north along Fremont Avenue in Grant City. It knocked down very old trees and caused damage across the area.
Getting Around Grant City: Transportation
Grant City has several bus routes to help people travel. The S51, S81 buses run along Midland Avenue and Lincoln Avenue. You can also catch the S74, S76, S84, S86, and SIM15 buses along Richmond Road. The S78, S79 SBS buses travel along Hylan Boulevard. For faster trips, express buses like the SIM1, SIM1C, SIM5, SIM6, SIM7, SIM10 also use Hylan Boulevard.
The Grant City station on the Staten Island Railway also serves the community. The next station to the north is at Jefferson Avenue. This station is close to the border between Grant City and Dongan Hills.
