Stapleton

Stapleton is a neighborhood in northeastern Staten Island. It is located along the waterfront of Upper New York Bay. Stapleton is one of the older waterfront neighborhoods of the borough, built in the 1830s on land once owned by the Vanderbilt family.

In 1801, the local Union American Methodist Episcopal church was founded in the neighborhood. It still stands in the neighborhood at 43 Tompkins Avenue and has a very active congregation. The church is the oldest African-American church on the Island and was founded before the Civil War. Today it is an area undergoing revitalization and it is just as common to find new upscale housing developments, Spanish bodegas and vibrant street art as winding roads, used book stores, old Victorian estates and coffee shops.

Culturally, the borough is home to the NYC Arts Cypher, a local not for profit youth arts center located on Broad Street, which provides programming and a safe space to promote youth empowerment and artistic expression. Additionally, several popular places for the performance of local music include The Full Cup, located on Van Duzer Street, and the Bay Street Saloon and Dock Street, both of which operate on Bay Street.

The neighborhood also lays claim to a huge diversity of restaurants, including an American-style diner, a Gastropub, as well as Sri Lankan, Mexican, and Italian eateries in addition to chain restaurants including Subway and McDonald’s.