Tottenville Shore Park is located on the South Shore of Staten Island, in the neighborhood of Tottenville. This park is made up of three different sections of the Tottenville shore line. The main section of this park is located on 
Hopping Avenue. It runs from Hopping Street to the Raritan Bay and is between Patten Street and Arthur Kill Road. The other two sections of Tottenville Shore Park are divided by Bentley Street and bordered by the Raritan Bay. The first of these two is right on the water and has Arthur Kill Road as a third border. The second of these two is a smaller patch of land which is bordered on its remaining sides by houses.
In the past, there was an old ferry station which would take passengers to Perth Amboy, New Jersey. When it was in use, it was located at the end of Bentley Street. The ferry service from Staten Island to Perth Amboy, New Jersey originally opened during the Colonial Period, which for Staten Island was between the years of 1661 and 1776. The ferry started providing regular service trips in 1709, when Captain Christopher Billop began to operate the ferry. At this time, it was called Billopp's Ferry.
On June 2, 1860, the Staten Island Railway line opened the Tottenville station here. This train station was created to provide easy access to the train and ferry. From the 1860s up until 1948, the ferry service was operated by the Staten Island Railroad Company, which later evolved into the Staten Island Rapid Transit. The Sunrise Ferry Corporation took over the operation of the ferry service after the Staten Island Rapid Transit had stopped operating it. It wasn't until 1963 that this ferry service was closed down for good. You can still see remnants of it today from the logs of wood sticking out of the water.
At some point during the late twentieth century, land near the northern shore of Tottenville was acquired by the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services. In January of 1997, the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services transferred over three parcels of land to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. At that time, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation transformed these three parcels into one park. Today, it is known as Tottenville Shore Park.
The parcels of land that make up Tottenville Shore Park are comprised of mostly woodlands, but that's not all you will find. Among the woodlands are grass fields and on the shore, you will find the beach. At the end of Arthur Kill Road, there is a short path that leads into a grass field off of the main section of the park. This field leads into the w
oodlands and has a nice view of the Raritan Bay, which also leads down to the beach area.
Tottenville Shore Park has been left to its own devices, for the most part. There are a number of natural habitats for animals and plants to live and grow in. This park holds Black Cherry trees and Sweetgum trees, along with some other types of vegetation, as well. This park is home to many animals; the most prominent among them would be the different species of fowl, which include the black duck, buffleheads, mergansers, and brants.
Posted by Anthony Licciardello on
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