New Dorp, Staten Island Explained

New Dorp
Etymology:"new village" in Dutch
Settlement Type:Neighborhood of Staten Island
Coordinates:40.5736°N -74.1156°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:City
Subdivision Name2: New York City
Subdivision Type3:Borough
Subdivision Name3: Staten Island
Subdivision Type4:Community District
Subdivision Name4:Staten Island 2[1]
Established Title:Established
Established Date:1671
Area Total Sq Mi:2.881
Area Footnotes:[2]
Population Total:28,225
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Sq Mi:auto
Demographics Type1:Economics
Demographics1 Title1:Median income
Demographics1 Info1:$80,412
Timezone1:Eastern
Utc Offset1:−5
Postal Code Type:ZIP Codes
Postal Code:10306
Area Code Type:Area code
Area Code:718, 347, 929, and 917

New Dorp is a neighborhood on the South Shore of Staten Island, New York City, United States. New Dorp is bounded by Mill Road on the southeast, Tysens Lane on the southwest, Amboy and Richmond Roads on the northwest, and Bancroft Avenue on the northeast. It is adjacent to Oakwood to the southwest, Todt Hill to the northwest, Dongan Hills and Grant City, and Midland Beach and Miller Field to the southeast. New Dorp Beach, bordering to the east, is often listed on maps as a separate neighborhood from Mill Road to the shore of Lower New York Bay, but is generally considered to be a part of New Dorp.

One of the earliest European settlements in the New York City area, New Dorp was founded by Dutch settlers from the New Netherland colony, and the name is an anglicization of, meaning "New Village" in Dutch. It was historically one of the most important towns on Staten Island, becoming a part of New York City in 1898 as part of the Borough of Richmond. In the 1960s New Dorp ceased to be a distinct town during New York City's suburbanization, where rapid housing development on Staten Island saw the town added to the city conurbation. Despite this, today New Dorp remains one of the main commercial and transport centers on Staten Island.

New Dorp is often associated with the Vanderbilt family, who had a notable presence in the area and many of whom are buried in the neighborhood at the Moravian Cemetery, the largest and oldest active cemetery on Staten Island.

New Dorp is part of Staten Island Community District 2 and its ZIP Code is 10306.[1] New Dorp is patrolled by the 122nd Precinct of the New York City Police Department.

History

New Dorp was the location of the first county seat of Richmond County. Called Stony Brook, it was located approximately where Amboy Road experiences a sharp bend between the New Dorp and Oakwood train stations.[3]

In 1667, at the end of the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the Dutch Republic ceded their colony of New Netherland to England as a condition of the Treaty of Breda. The colony had been occupied by the English since 1664, and was re-branded as the Province of New York when it was granted as a proprietary colony to James, Duke of York. The areas of New Netherland already settled by the Dutch included the primary settlement of New Amsterdam (now renamed New York City) located at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, and numerous additional lands around the city and along the Hudson River. This included Staaten Eylandt, later anglicized as "Staten Island", a sparsely populated island south-west of New York across Upper New York Bay. In 1670, the local Native Americans, mainly Raritans and other subgroups of the Lenape tribe, ceded all claims to Staten Island to the English in a deed to Governor Francis Lovelace.

New Dorp was founded in 1671 following the English resurveying the pre-existing Dutch settlement of Dutch; Flemish: Oude Dorp|italic=no (now Old Town) and expanded the lots along the South Shore, which were then settled primarily by Dutch families. The new lots became known as Dutch; Flemish: Nieuwe Dorp (meaning "New Village" in the Dutch language), in contrast with Dutch; Flemish: Oude Dorp (meaning "Old Village"), and later became anglicized as New Dorp. The new village developed into one of the largest and most important settlements on Staten Island, and during the American Revolution it became a center of activity when it was occupied by British forces in preparation to attack the American-occupied New York City. The Rose and Crown Tavern in New Dorp, owned by the uncle of Cornelius Vanderbilt, temporarily served as the local British military headquarters.

In the late 19th century, New Dorp became the home to members of the prominent Vanderbilt family, many of whom are buried in the Moravian Cemetery, the largest and oldest active cemetery on Staten Island. On January 1, 1898, New Dorp was consolidated as part of New York City along with the entirety of Staten Island as the Borough of Richmond. The Vanderbilt farm was later used by the U.S. Army as Miller Air Field, and in the 1970s became part of Gateway National Recreation Area. New Dorp continued to be one of the primary settlements on Staten Island until the 1960s, when the suburbanization of New York City began to expand into the island. The largely rural character of Staten Island was replaced with the massive development of suburban housing, causing separate towns such as New Dorp to be absorbed into New York City's conurbation and become one of many contiguous neighborhoods. New Dorp retained its distinct character as a town, and is one of the most thriving commercial centers on the Island which in the 1960s spread along Hylan Boulevard from New Dorp Lane and led to the construction of five shopping centers, anchored by supermarkets and department stores, with the largest being Hylan Plaza which opened in 1966.

The 1960 New York mid-air collision, where 134 people were killed and held the highest death toll for a commercial aviation accident until 1968, occurred over New Dorp.

Government and politics

Demographics

For census purposes, the New York City government classifies New Dorp as part of a larger neighborhood tabulation area called New Dorp-Midland Beach.[4] Based on data from the 2010 United States Census, the population of New Dorp-Midland Beach was 21,896, a change of 1,654 (7.6%) from the 20,242 counted in 2000. Covering an area of, the neighborhood had a population density of 17.2PD/acre.[5] The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 78.3% (17,136) White, 1.2% (261) African American, 0.1% (28) Native American, 5.2% (1,148) Asian, 0% (2) Pacific Islander, 0.1% (31) from other races, and 1% (215) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14% (3,075) of the population.[6]

The entirety of Community District 2, which comprises New Dorp and other Mid-Island neighborhoods, had 134,657 inhabitants as of NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 81.2 years.[7] This is the same as the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods.[8] [9] Most inhabitants are youth and middle-aged adults: 20% are between the ages of between 0–17, 25% between 25–44, and 29% between 45–64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 8% and 18% respectively.

As of 2017, the median household income in Community District 2 was $81,487,[10] though the median income in South Beach individually was $80,412.[2] In 2018, an estimated 14% of New Dorp and Mid-Island residents lived in poverty, compared to 17% in all of Staten Island and 20% in all of New York City. One in sixteen residents (6%) were unemployed, compared to 6% in Staten Island and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 52% in New Dorp and Mid-Island, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 49% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation,, New Dorp and Mid-Island are considered high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying.

Entertainment

The Lane Theater in New Dorp opened on February 10, 1938, playing One Hundred Men and a Girl as its first feature film. Charles, Lewis and Elias Moses, who operated theaters on Staten Island under the name Isle Theatrical had John Eberson design an "atmospheric theater" using lighting, projecting images, and an impressive painted ceiling.[11] [12] The facility cost about $100,000 to build, had seating for 600 people, the latest RCA sound system, and was cooled by refrigeration. The structure was remodeled in 1977 with a new seating capacity of 550.[13] In 1988 a landmark designation report was submitted describing the Lane Theater as "one of the last surviving pre-World War II movie theater interiors on Staten Island, and one of the few known largely intact examples of the Depression-era, Art Moderne style theater interior in New York City."[14] The theater's interior has been Landmarked since November 1988. Starting in 1998, several concerts were hosted including one by a young Eminem.[15] [16] "The EleMent" nightclub opened and eventually closed in 2001. In the summer of 2009 renovations were performed and Uncle Vinnies Comedy Club opened. The club closed in April 2011. In 2012 the building became the home of the Crossroads Church.[17]

Police and crime

New Dorp and Mid-Island are patrolled by the 122nd Precinct of the NYPD, located at 2320 Hylan Boulevard.[18] The 122nd Precinct ranked 2nd safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010, behind only the 123rd Precinct on Staten Island's South Shore.[19], with a non-fatal assault rate of 40 per 100,000 people, New Dorp and Mid-Island's rate of violent crimes per capita is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 253 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole.

The 122nd Precinct has a substantially lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 88.3% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported one murder, eight rapes, 63 robberies, 128 felony assaults, 91 burglaries, 373 grand larcenies, and 136 grand larcenies auto in 2022.[20]

Fire safety

New Dorp is served by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY)'s Engine Company 165/Ladder Company 85, located at 3067 Richmond Road.[21] Engine Company 165 is the only Engine Company in Staten Island that has clothing to deal with hazardous materials, and it also has extra hazmat training.

Health

, preterm births and births to teenage mothers are less common in New Dorp and Mid-Island than in other places citywide. In New Dorp and Mid-Island, there were 80 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 6.8 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). New Dorp and Mid-Island have a low population of residents who are uninsured. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 4%, less than the citywide rate of 12%, though this was based on a small sample size.

The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, in New Dorp and Mid-Island is 0.0069mg/m3, less than the city average. Fourteen percent of New Dorp and Mid-Island residents are smokers, which is the same as the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In New Dorp and Mid-Island, 24% of residents are obese, 9% are diabetic, and 26% have high blood pressure—compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 19% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.

Eighty-eight percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is about the same as the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 76% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", slightly less than the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in New Dorp and Mid-Island, there are 7 bodegas.

The nearest major hospital is Staten Island University Hospital in South Beach.[22]

Post office and ZIP Code

New Dorp is located within the ZIP Code 10306.[23] The United States Postal Service operates the New Dorp Station post office at 2562 Hylan Boulevard.[24]

Parks

Dugan Park (Gerard P. Dugan Playground) is a large park in New Dorp, named after a civic association president when it was renovated in 1974. The park is often referred to as "Tysens Park" due to the park's location on an intersection of Tysens Lane. The accompanying Tysens Park Apartments, a large housing complex, stands across the street from the park. The park is usually crowded with people from nearby schools as well as people from the apartments nearby. The park contains a large field with 2 baseball/soft fields where leagues come play almost every weekend during the summer. There are 2 basketball courts, handball courts and jungle gyms.[25]

Education

New Dorp and Mid-Island generally have a similar rate of college-educated residents to the rest of the city . While 40% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 11% have less than a high school education and 49% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 39% of Staten Island residents and 43% of city residents have a college education or higher. The percentage of New Dorp and Mid-Island students excelling in math rose from 49% in 2000 to 65% in 2011, though reading achievement declined from 55% to 52% during the same time period.[26]

New Dorp and Mid-Island's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is lower than the rest of New York City. In New Dorp and Mid-Island, 15% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year, less than the citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 87% of high school students in New Dorp and Mid-Island graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%.

Schools

The New York City Department of Education operates the following public schools near New Dorp:[27]

Library

The New York Public Library (NYPL)'s New Dorp branch at 309 New Dorp Lane, is one of the busiest libraries on Staten Island.[31] The one-story branch was established by local residentsand opened in 1907 as the New Dorp Community Library. While the NYPL started providing books to the New Dorp branch through its Bookmobile program in 1909, the branch did not become an NYPL branch until 1926. The branch was renovated in 2000. [32]

Temporarily closures

The New Dorp branch will be shuttered down temporarily, the end of summer 2024, for a $5M renovations. Work involves heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems and include roof reconstruction[33] Alternative Staten Island libraries are to be found in Richmondtown Library[34] (200 Clarke Avenue) or Dongan Hills[35] (1617 Richmond Road).

Transportation

New Dorp is served by the Staten Island Railway's New Dorp station at New Dorp Lane and New Dorp Plaza. New Dorp is also served by numerous express and local bus routes. This includes the local and limited buses, the Select Bus Service bus, and the express buses.

Notable residents

Guitarist of thrash metal band Overkill.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NYC Planning Community Profiles. communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov. New York City Department of City Planning. March 18, 2019.
  2. Web site: New Dorp neighborhood in New York. March 18, 2019.
  3. Morris, Ira. Morris's Memorial History of Staten Island, New York, Volume 1. 1898, page 40
  4. https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/census2010/ntas.pdf New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010
  5. http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/census2010/t_pl_p5_nta.pdf Table PL-P5 NTA: Total Population and Persons Per Acre - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010
  6. http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/census2010/t_pl_p3a_nta.pdf Table PL-P3A NTA: Total Population by Mutually Exclusive Race and Hispanic Origin - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010
  7. Web site: South Beach and Willowbrook (Including Bloomfield, Midland Beach, New Springville, South Beach, Todt Hill, Travis-Chelsea and Willowbrook). 2018. nyc.gov. NYC Health. March 2, 2019.
  8. Web site: 2016-2018 Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan: Take Care New York 2020. 2016. nyc.gov. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. September 8, 2017.
  9. Web site: New Yorkers are living longer, happier and healthier lives . New York Post . Short . Aaron . June 4, 2017 . March 1, 2019.
  10. Web site: NYC-Staten Island Community District 2--New Springville & South Beach PUMA, NY. July 17, 2018.
  11. Book: Lundrigan . Margaret . Staten Island : Isle of the Bay . 2004 . Arcadia Publishing . 0-7385-2443-3 . 118 . January 27, 2019.
  12. News: Gray . Christopher . STREETSCAPES: The Lane Theater; In a 1930's Movie Palace, the Stars Still Come Out . January 27, 2019 . New York Times . New York Times . September 25, 1988.
  13. Web site: Lane Theater in Staten Island, NY . Cinema Treasure . Cinema Treasures, LLC . January 27, 2019.
  14. Web site: Landmarks Preservation Commission, LP-1696, Lane Theater . NYC.gov . City of New York . January 27, 2019 . November 1, 1988.
  15. Web site: Green . Matt . The Lane on the Lane . Flickr.com . March 2, 2015 . January 27, 2019.
  16. Web site: Walsh . Kevin . GRANT CITY/NEW DORP, Staten Island . Forgotten New York . January 27, 2019 . May 31, 2010.
  17. Web site: Want a piece of the old Lane Theater? It's yours for $995 . SILive.com . Staten Island Advance . January 27, 2019 . Porpora . Tracey . October 14, 2014.
  18. Web site: NYPD – 122nd Precinct. www.nyc.gov. New York City Police Department. October 3, 2016.
  19. Web site: New Dorp & South Beach – DNAinfo.com Crime and Safety Report. www.dnainfo.com. October 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20170415061325/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/crime-safety-report/staten-island/new-dorp. April 15, 2017. dead.
  20. Web site: 122nd Precinct CompStat Report. www.nyc.gov. New York City Police Department. July 22, 2018.
  21. Web site: Engine Company 165/Ladder Company 85. FDNYtrucks.com . March 14, 2019.
  22. Web site: Best 30 Hospitals in Staten Island, NY with Reviews . Yellow Pages . December 1, 2009 . March 19, 2019.
  23. Web site: South Beach, New York City-Staten Island, New York Zip Code Boundary Map (NY) . United States Zip Code Boundary Map (USA) . March 19, 2019.
  24. Web site: Location Details: New Dorp . USPS.com . March 7, 2019.
  25. Web site: Gerard P. Dugan Playground . Gerard P. Dugan (1905-1973) was born in Brooklyn, New York. . NYC Parks.
  26. Web site: South Beach / Willowbrook – SI 02. 2011. Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy. October 5, 2016.
  27. Web site: New Dorp New York School Ratings and Reviews . Zillow . March 17, 2019.
  28. Web site: The Stephanie A. Vierno School . New York City Department of Education . December 19, 2018 . March 19, 2019.
  29. Web site: New Dorp High School . New York City Department of Education . December 19, 2018 . March 19, 2019.
  30. Web site: Staten Island Technical High School . New York City Department of Education . December 19, 2018 . March 19, 2019.
  31. Web site: About the New Dorp Library . The New York Public Library . March 14, 2019.
  32. Web site: About the New Dorp Library . The New York Public Library . March 14, 2019.
  33. Web site: pliotta@siadvance.com . Paul Liotta . 2024-04-25 . Staten Island library branch to close for at least a year to make $5M renovations . 2024-08-13 . silive . en.
  34. Web site: Richmondtown Library The New York Public Library . 2024-08-13 . www.nypl.org . en.
  35. Web site: Dongan Hills Library The New York Public Library . 2024-08-13 . www.nypl.org . en.
  36. News: Vecsey . Laura . Staten Island Villa Was Home to Nabisco 'Nilla' Wafer Inventor . January 21, 2019 . Zillow Porchlight . Zillow.com . June 30, 2014.
  37. News: Keil . Jennifer Gould . Rosenbaum . Sophia . 'Haunted' Staten Island mansion can be yours for $2 million . January 21, 2019 . New York Post . NewYorkPost.com . February 26, 2015.
  38. Web site: File:Vanderbilt Mansion Staten Island1.jpg . Wikimedia.org . Library of Congress . January 22, 2019.
  39. Web site: Lake and Mansion, Vanderbilt Estate, Miller Field, Staten Island, N.Y. . New York Public Library Digital Collections . New York Public Library . January 21, 2019.
  40. News: Sherry . Virginia N. . New life for historic, vacant aircraft hangar on Miller Field? . January 19, 2019 . SILive.com . Staten Island Advance . December 31, 2012.
  41. Web site: A Detailed History of Miller Field . Gateway National Recreation Area NY NJ . National Park Service (NPS) . January 19, 2019 . February 26, 2015.