Westerleigh, Staten Island facts for kids
Westerleigh is a neighborhood where people live in the north-western part of Staten Island in New York City.
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Exploring Westerleigh's Location
Westerleigh is located in the north-west area of Staten Island. It shares borders with several other neighborhoods. To the east, you'll find Castleton Corners. To the west are Willowbrook and Graniteville. Meiers Corners is to the south-east, and Manor Heights and the Staten Island Expressway are to the south. Right to the north is Port Richmond.
Westerleigh is on high ground on Staten Island. While it's not as high as Todt Hill, which is the tallest point in New York City, you can still see great views from Westerleigh. On a clear day, you might even spot Newark, New Jersey, and places farther away!
This neighborhood has many different kinds of trees. You can see acacia, blue spruce, cedar, chestnut, and elm trees. There are also honey locust, paulownia, pin and royal oak, sweet gum, sycamore, tulip poplar, and yew trees. Many types of pine trees grow here too, some reaching over 75 feet (23 meters) tall! On the south side of the neighborhood, close to the Staten Island Expressway, is Ingram Woods. This is a part of a much larger forest that has been kept as a natural park.
A Look at Westerleigh's Past
Westerleigh became well-known when a group called the National Prohibition Campground Association bought 25 acres (10 hectares) of land here in 1877. They named the area Prohibition Park. Today, this spot is mainly famous because it's where official weather records for Staten Island are collected. Many streets in Westerleigh are named after early leaders of the Prohibition movement, like Neal Dow and Clinton B. Fisk. Other streets are named after states that supported laws against alcohol, such as Maine and Ohio.
Some of Westerleigh's first residents were famous writers. These included Isaac K. Funk, who helped start the Funk and Wagnalls publishing company, and the poet Edwin Markham. The well-known etiquette expert Amy Vanderbilt also lived here at one time.
The neighborhood received a lot of attention after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Many homes in Westerleigh were decorated with patriotic flags and symbols to show their national pride.
One of the oldest Boy Scouts of America groups, Troop #2, was formed in 1912. This group still meets at the Immanuel Union Church on Jewett Avenue.
Westerleigh is also home to the oldest tennis club in the United States! Tennis was first brought to the U.S. from England (through Bermuda) by Mary Ewing Outerbridge. She played the very first game in the U.S. at the Staten Island Cricket Club on an hourglass-shaped court. This location, on College Avenue, still has a tennis court today.
The Peter Houseman House is a very old building in Westerleigh. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 because of its historical importance.
Learning in Westerleigh
Local Schools
Many students living in Westerleigh attend specific public schools. These include PS 30 for elementary school, IS 51 for middle school, and either Susan E. Wagner High School or Port Richmond High School for high school.
Community Library
The New York Public Library has a branch called Todt Hill-Westerleigh. It is located at 2550 Victory Boulevard, right on the edge between Willowbrook and Westerleigh. This library branch has three stories and opened in 1991.
Getting Around Westerleigh
Westerleigh has many local and express buses that help people travel. The S57 local bus and the SIM3, SIM34 express buses to Manhattan travel along Watchogue Road. The S62, S92, S93 local buses use Victory Boulevard. The S66 local bus travels along Jewett Avenue. Farther north, the S48, S98 local buses and the SIM30, SIM35 express buses serve Forest Avenue. The SIM35 also serves Manor Road on the eastern side of Westerleigh.
