Victory Boulevard (Staten Island) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Victory Boulevard |
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Map of Staten Island with Victory Boulevard highlighted in red
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by NYCDOT | ||||
| Length | 8.06 mi (12.97 km)
Former NY 439A: 4.42 miles (7.11 km)
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| Existed | 1816–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end | Dead end at Arthur Kill in Travis | |||
 NY 440 in Travis I-278 / NY 440 in Willowbrook |
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| East end | Bay Street Landing in St. George | |||
| Location | ||||
| Counties: | Richmond | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| Numbered highways in New York Interstate • U.S. • N.Y. (former) • Reference • County
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Victory Boulevard is a really important road on Staten Island, which is part of New York City. It's about 8 miles (12.87 kilometers) long. This busy street goes all the way from the West Shore area called Travis to the East Shore neighborhoods of St. George and Tompkinsville.
A long time ago, in the late 1940s, a part of Victory Boulevard was known as New York State Route 439A. Another section became part of NY 439. But around 1968, these special road names were removed.
Contents
Exploring Victory Boulevard
Victory Boulevard is a major road that helps people get around Staten Island. It runs in a similar direction to the Staten Island Expressway. The expressway is a very important route for traffic on the island. Both roads cross paths with other big streets like Clove Road, Slosson Avenue, and Richmond Avenue.
Connecting to Expressways
Victory Boulevard is special because it connects to three different expressways! These are like superhighways that help you travel faster.
- It's Exit 7 for the West Shore Expressway.
- It's Exit 10 for the Staten Island Expressway when you're heading west, and Exit 8 when you're heading east.
- It's also Exit 11 for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Expressway.
Cool Places Along the Road
Many interesting places and events happen right on Victory Boulevard.
- You can find the Travis Independence Day Parade here, which is a fun celebration.
- There's also the Sylvan Grove Cemetery, a quiet historical spot.
- Kids who love baseball might know the Mid-Island Little League field.
- The College of Staten Island (CSI) is also located on this boulevard. It used to be a place called the Willowbrook State School.
- Long ago, a famous pub called the Bulls' Head Tavern stood on Victory Boulevard. It was known as a meeting spot for people called Tories during the American Revolution.
A Bit of History
Victory Boulevard has a long and interesting past!
From Turnpike to Boulevard
This road was first built in 1816 and was called the Richmond Turnpike. It was a "toll road," meaning you had to pay to use it. A famous Staten Islander named Daniel D. Tompkins owned it. He later became the Vice President of the United States!
The Richmond Turnpike was advertised as the fastest way to travel from New York to Philadelphia. People would take ferries from Manhattan and Brooklyn to the eastern end of the turnpike. Then, horse-drawn carriages would carry them all the way to Travis. Back then, Travis was known by different names like Long Neck or the New Blazing Star Ferry. From Travis, people would take another ferry across the Arthur Kill to Woodbridge Township, New Jersey.
Did you know that from the 1860s to 1930, Travis was called Linoleumville? That's because America's very first Linoleum factory was located there!
A New Name for a New Era
After World War I, the Richmond Turnpike was renamed Victory Boulevard. This new name was chosen to honor the Allied victory in the war.
For a while in the late 1940s, parts of Victory Boulevard had special state route numbers. The section from Richmond Avenue to Forest Avenue was called NY 439A. East of Forest Avenue, it was part of NY 439. But around 1968, these state route numbers were removed from Victory Boulevard.
Images for kids
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Victory Boulevard exit on the Staten Island Expressway
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The eastern end of Victory Boulevard
