Tompkins Avenue

Tompkins Avenue is a mostly residential yet primary east-west artery that runs through the Fort Wadsworth, Rosebank, Shore Acres, Clifton, and Stapleton neighborhoods of New York City, in the borough of Staten Island, New York.

History and nature of route

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

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 the before-mentioned St. Joseph's R.C. Church from 1983-2009.^[4]

Tompkins Avenue is residential again between the Staten Island Railway and Vanderbilt Avenue.

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 the before-mentioned Stapleton AME 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

Tompkins Avenue is served by the s52 and s78 local buses^[10][11] and was 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

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