Tompkins Avenue

Avenue in Staten Island, New York

Tompkins Avenue

Length| 1.60 mi (2.57 km)
Location| Staten Island
West end| Broad Street/Canal Street
East end| School Road/Lincoln Place; McClean Avenue (orphaned segment)

Tompkins Avenue is a main artery in northeastern Staten Island New York City. It connects southern Tompkinsville in the north to northern Arrochar in the south, passing through the Fort Wadsworth, Rosebank, Shore Acres, Clifton, and Stapleton neighborhoods. It is mostly a residential street, though it also has commercial districts.

Named for former New York governor Daniel D. Tompkins, notable cross streets include Hylan Boulevard (named for former New York City Mayor John Hylan, and Vanderbilt Avenue (named for Cornelius Vanderbilt).[1]

## Route

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Between Hylan Boulevard and the Staten Island Railway overpass, Tompkins Avenue becomes one of Rosebank's two commercial districts (the other being along Bay Street). Landmarks include the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum, a historic site honoring the lives of Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi and Italian American inventor Antonio Meucci,[2] as well as the Roman Catholic Parish of St. Joseph, which was established by Italian-Americans in 1902.[3] This section of Tompkins Avenue, off of St. Mary's Avenue, was renamed Monsignor John T. Servodidio Way in 2009 to honor the late John T. Servodidio who had been pastor of that church from 1983-2009.[4]

Hungerford school, PS 721

Tompkins Avenue is residential again from the Staten Island Railway north to Vanderbilt Avenue.

Stapleton AME Church

Landmarks between Vanderbilt Avenue and Broad Street include the St. Elizabeth Ann Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, a nursing home opened in 1990 that is run by the Sisters of Charity, P.S. 14, I.S. 49, a campus of the Richard H. Hungerford School,[5] as well as the Stapleton United African Methodist Church which was established in 1801.[6] This section of Tompkins Avenue was renamed Rev. Dr. Beasley Way in 1999 to honor the late William Herman Beasley who had been pastor of that church from 1974-1998.[7]

Tompkins Avenue also hosts locations for two United States Postal Service post offices[8]

The construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in the late 1950s left one small segment of Tompkins Avenue severed from the rest of the roadway. This orphaned piece now only serves as a side street between the ends of McClean Avenue and Major Avenue.[9]

## Transportation

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Tompkins Avenue is served by the S52 north of Fingerboard Road,[10] along with the S78 (all trips) and SIM30 (Rosebank only) north of Hylan Boulevard.[11] The Grant City-bound S51 runs on a small portion from School Road to Lily Pond Avenue. Tompkins was also formerly served by the X18 express bus to Manhattan.[12]

Although Tompkins Avenue passes over the Staten Island Railway right-of-way, no station exists there.[13] The Fort Wadsworth Station at one time did exist at the foot of Tompkins Avenue, near School Road along the Staten Island Rapid Transit's former South Beach line. The line ceased operation in 1953 but the overpass over its right-of-way still exists to this day, carrying Tompkins Avenue's traffic between Fingerboard Road and School Road.[14]

## References

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1. ^ Vanderbilt Avenue, Staten Island, New York
2. ^ Welcome to the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum!
3. ^ Church of St. Joseph (Roman Catholic)
4. ^ Lore, Diane C. (December 2, 2009). "A sign reminds passersby of beloved priest". Staten Island Advance.
5. ^ CITY PLANNING COMMISSION June 29, 2009/Calendar No. 4 C 070546 ZSR Archived May 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
6. ^ Grunlund, Maura (March 19, 2011). "Stapleton UAME Church to celebrate 210th year". Staten Island Advance.
7. ^ Archives of the Mayor's Press Office: Release #275-99: MAYOR GIULIANI SIGNS BILL THAT ADDS THE NAME "REV. DR. BEASLEY WAY" ON TOMPKINS AVENUE BETWEEN BROAD STREET AND VANDERBILT AVENUE IN STATEN ISLAND
8. ^ Nyback, Glenn (August 4, 2009). "Two Staten Island post offices in danger of being closed". Staten Island Advance.
9. ^ Overview map of the intersection of Tompkins Avenue and McClean Avenue (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
10. ^ Bus Timetable Effective September 12, 2010 Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
11. ^ Bus Timetable Effective September 4, 2011 Archived November 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
12. ^ Padnani, Amy (November 4, 2010). "Assembly-winner Nicole Malliotakis takes a victory lap". Staten Island Advance.
13. ^ Platt, Tevah (May 15, 2008). "A rail station for Rosebank?". Staten Island Advance.
14. ^ Gary Owen’s S.I.R.T. South Beach Line Page

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Streets of Staten Island

* Amboy Road
* Arthur Kill Road
* Father Capodanno Boulevard
* Forest Avenue
* Hylan Boulevard
* Lily Pond Avenue
* Richmond Avenue
* Richmond Road
* Tompkins Avenue
* Vanderbilt Avenue
* Victory Boulevard

List of eponymous streets in New York City

40°36′43.5″N 74°4′15.12″W﻿ / ﻿40.612083°N 74.0708667°W﻿ / 40.612083; -74.0708667
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