Rosebank, Staten Island facts for kids
Rosebank is a neighborhood located in the northeastern part of Staten Island. Staten Island is one of the five boroughs that make up New York City. Rosebank shares its borders with Clifton to the north and Arrochar to the south. To its east is the Upper New York Bay.
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History of Rosebank
The area we now call Rosebank was known by different names in the past, like Peterstown and the Village of Edgewater. It seems the name "Rosebank" first started being used around 1880.
Before 1880, Rosebank was a fancy place, much like Newport, Rhode Island. Many of the richest families in the country had large mansions here, both along the shore and further inland. The New York Yacht Club even built its summer house here, which you can still see next to the Alice Austen House. Important families like the Vanderbilts and Aspinwalls went to St. John's Episcopal Church in Rosebank. The first person baptized there was Cornelius Vanderbilt II, a famous businessman.
Later, these large farms and estates were divided into smaller pieces of land. After 1880, many immigrants from Italy began to settle in Rosebank. Their families have continued to be a big part of the community. A good example of this is the important Garibaldi Memorial in the neighborhood.
Rosebank also used to have a special station for immigrants arriving in the country. This federal quarantine station, which closed in 1971, helped check the health of new arrivals. The neighborhood was also home to Alice Austen, a famous photographer and one of Staten Island's best-known historical figures.
The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum is named after two important men. One was Antonio Meucci, a long-time resident of Rosebank. Many people believe he invented an early version of the telephone. However, he was too poor to get a patent or sell his invention. The other person honored by the museum is Giuseppe Garibaldi. He was a famous Italian general who visited the United States while in exile from Italy. He stayed for a time at Meucci's home, which later inspired the museum's name.
Eibs Pond Park in Rosebank has also been a filming location for movies, like Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation (1917). During World War II, it even served as a camp for Italian prisoners of war.
Besides the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum, other important places in Rosebank are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Elizabeth Alice Austen House, the McFarlane-Bredt House, and the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grotto.
Community Life
In recent years, Rosebank has welcomed many new groups of people. These include people from Eastern Europe, various Hispanic countries, and Asian countries, especially the Philippines.
The types of houses in Rosebank, how old they are, and how close together they are, are similar to other neighborhoods on the North Shore of the island. However, the people living in Rosebank are more like those in East Shore communities such as New Dorp. This mix means that people sometimes disagree about which part of Staten Island Rosebank truly belongs to.
Famous People from Rosebank
Many interesting people have lived in Rosebank, both in the past and now. Here are a few:
- Antonio Meucci (1808-1889): An inventor who many believe played a key role in developing the first telephone. The U.S. House of Representatives even honored him in 2002 for his important work.
- Alice Austen (1866–1952): A famous photographer who lived on Staten Island her whole life.
- Sir Roderick W. Cameron (1825–1900): He owned a large shipping company.
- Nicole Malliotakis (born 1980): A Republican politician who has served in the New York Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives. She was the first Hispanic-American elected to represent a Staten Island district.
- Gianni Russo: An actor and singer.
Education in Rosebank
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York used to run Catholic schools on Staten Island, including St. Mary School in Rosebank. In 2011, St. Mary's had 224 students, which was 90% of its full capacity. Even with many students, the archdiocese decided to close it. Some people thought it was because St. Mary's was one of the oldest Catholic schools on Staten Island and might have had problems with its buildings. St. Joseph's School in Rosebank also closed in 2013. It had 167 students.
Getting Around Rosebank
Rosebank once had a train station called the Rosebank station. It was the first stop on the South Beach Branch of the Staten Island Railway, which is no longer in use. This train line stopped running in 1953. Hylan Boulevard, which is the longest commercial road in New York City, starts in Rosebank. It stretches about 14 miles (22.5 km) all the way to Tottenville.
Local buses like the S52, S78 travel on Tompkins Avenue. The S51, S81 buses serve Bay Street. For those traveling to and from Manhattan, express buses like the SIM1, SIM7, SIM10 and SIM30 use Narrows Road North.
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Clifton & Upper New York Bay | Upper New York Bay | The Narrows & Bay Ridge | |
| Park Hill & Clifton |  |
Shore Acres & Fort Wadsworth | ||
 Rosebank  |
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| Concord & Old Town | Grasmere & Arrochar | Arrochar & Fort Wadsworth |
