Here you can find specific points of interest on Staten Island. Including commercial centers, cultural attractions, or other places that might just would not typically find. This could also incorporate unusual places, some that are a bit off the beaden path.

Bunker Ponds Park consists of approximately thirty-two acres of natural habitat. It is located in the neighborhood of Huguenot, across from Intermediate School 7. The park is bordered by the streets of Hylan Boulevard, Huguenot sign1_400Avenue, Arbutus Avenue, and Chester Avenue, close to the Raritan Bay waterfront.

In 1896, William T. Davis and Charles W. Leng studied the area of the park for a map. On the map they referred to the area as Bunker Hill. While studying the area, they found many artifacts, such as arrowheads and spear points which determined that the area used to be part of a Lenape Indian settlement. In the late 20th century, the local community wanted to preserve the natural woodlands of this area and keep it free of development. After the local…

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Staten Island's history has much to do with the history of France.  In 1685, King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes, which had, until then, given Protestants basic civil rights amongst their fellow citizens.  Once this edict was revoked, many of these people, Huguenots as they were called, fled to New Netherland.  Here, many resided on what is now Staten Island.  By the early eighteenth century, one of these settlers was a James Sigin, who resided here with his family.  His descendants were to become some of the most prominent Staten Islanders of their time.

By the end oflemoncreek1_400 the century, James Sigin's grandson, James Segoin, purchased a vast amount of land by the waterfront, which had a creek that ran through it.  This Segoin's grandson, Joseph…

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Joel Wolfe, a native of Richmond, Virginia, moved to Staten Island during the early part of the nineteenth century, when Staten Island was also known as Richmond. For about twenty years, he spent his days dealing with the importation of gin and brandy from Holland and France.  Wolfe retired in 1848, which is probably around the time that he removed to Manhattan.  While he resided in Manhattan, he still owned the enormous farm on Staten Island wolf1_400and allowed his servants to live there while they took care of the residence.

In 1857, Wolfe sold a parcel of his land to the State of New York who, by fall of that year, had a Quarantine hospital built on the site. The Quarantine hospital was used for immigrants coming to Staten Island who had acquired yellow…

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parksign_400Bloomingdale Park is located on the South Shore of Staten Island. The park is mainly bordered by Lenevar Avenue, Drumgoole Road West, Ramona Avenue, and Bloomingdale Road. The park is also bisected by Maguire Avenue with a pathway connecting the two ends of the street. In the 1960s, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation obtained the 138 acres of land to protect the area from development. Up until 2003, the park was comprised of only natural woodlands.

In 2003, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation started to renovate approximately 15-acres of the park east of Maguire Ave. They added three sports fields, two basketball courts, a playground area, a comfort station, a bocce ball court, new walking and bike paths, and a dog…

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Allison Pond Park is a nine-acre piece of land that was named in honor of George William Allison. The park encompasses Allison Pond, as well as a brook that runs throughout the park. Allison Pond Park is in the neighborhood of Randall Manor and is bordered by Prospect Avenue, North Randall Avenue, and Brentwood Avenue.  The New York CWinter on Allison Pond, Randall Manority Department of Parks and Recreation acquired this land in 1943, after having been transferred from the City of New York. The park is locateded in the Randall Manor neighborhood on Staten Island's North Shore.

 

Allison Pond Park was originally part of Sailors' Snug Harbor. Sailors' Snug Harbor was formed through Captain Robert Richard Randall's will in 1801. In his will, Robert distributed his estate to go to members…

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Many centuries ago, it was very difficult to show your faith in a different religion, as the prominent religion was Roman Catholicism. Throughout Europe it was especially so, and in France there were many Wars of Religion which LaTourette Golf Course in Winterbroke out. These wars began on August 23, 1572, a day which later came to be known as the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. On this day, Roman Catholic leaders had 3,000 men, women and children slaughtered in just three days for the sole fact that they were Protestants. The wars lasted until the end of the century, at which point Henry IV, a Huguenot himself, issued the Edict of Nantes, a law which granted Huguenots civil rights. On May 14, 1610, Henry IV was assassinated and the Protestants again feared for their lives.

By 1643,…

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By the end of the nineteenth century, golf courses were becoming popular in New York City. This led to the creation of many country clubs during the first third of the twentieth century. During the late 1920s, the Mayflower Country Club was established. With the designs of respected architect Alfred T. Hull, the privately-owned country club had a 147-acre golf course constructed in 1928 on Staten Island's south shore.

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The Mayflower Country Club had many plans for recreational facilities, including tennis courts and an indoor swimming pool, but the stock market crash of 1929 prevented these plans from seeing fruition.  By the middle of 1930, however, Frank B. Sterner & Co. began to construct the country club's clubhouse at a price of roughly $200,000.…

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Staten Island was very popular during the nineteenth century for two reasons: its arable land and its summer resorts. People would often swim and fish in the Island's various bodies of water. During the winter, residents would harvest ice from these ponds and lakes. One of the most popular bodies of water was Fresh Pond. This pond was often used for the above recreational activities, as well as for boating and ice skating. By 1850, the names "Fresh Pond" and "Silver Lake" were interchangeably used when referring to the lake. By 1860, locals finally began to refer to the park as solely "Silver Lake".


At the turn of the century, the population of Staten Island began to grow, and more houses were beginning to be built in place of the hotels that…

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Every town has a tale to tell.  Looking at all of the towns Staten Island is made up of, you can probably guess that Staten Island has many tales to tell. You'd be right.  One of these tales circulates along the waters of Brady's Pond, in thGrasmere Lake?Brady's Ponde Grasmere section, is the only freshwater pond on Staten Island that has been deemed suitable for swimming. Prior to this, however, Brady's Pond was popular for another reason-it was believed to be haunted. In fact, it was not a pond at all and went by a completely different name at the time: Haunted Swamp.

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At some point in the early nineteenth century, a murder was committed by the edge of the pond. This led to the claim of the pond being haunted. During the 1880s, the owner of the…

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historic home on Carrol Pl. Staten IslandBetween the years of 1835 and 1987, dozens of buildings were constructed at the northern tip of Staten Island. Over the years, architectural styles changed and the buildings began to stand out due to their individuality. Having been well-kept over the years, a hearing was held by the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate the buildings, as well as their boundaries, as a Historic District. On July 19, 1994, the historic district was established as the St. George/New Brighton Historic District.

Several of the buildings in the district had been demolished over the years, leaving some scattered vacant lots.  However, seventy-six of the St. George/New Brighton Historic District's original buildings are still intact. The designated buildings occupy…

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