The Vertical Life, or Hill-Walking on Staten Island, Part 6

PRIVATE STEPS TO 2 PUBLIC STREETS

Situated at the front of a large, street-to-street property that faces New York harbor, the steps seen in the photo above lead to one of the very few surviving pre-Civil War buildings in St. George.

The path straight ahead, on the right side of the house, leads to a second set of exterior stairs, at the rear of the property, that ascend to the street above. The odd little two-story outbuilding next to the right of those stairs is a garage at street level and a potting-shed at garden level.

Fortunately, this property is protected as part of the St. George/New Brighton Historic District and cannot be altered or demolished without detailed review and approval by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Comments

[Dan Icolari]

Thanks for taking the time to comment, Brooklyn Escort.

As you'll see in her comments, above, Faith suggests an excursion up Pleasant Valley Avenue,
just below Grymes Hill, which I plan to do now that the weather's warmer. While I'm in the vicinity, I'll trek around Grymes Hill too. I will take photos and report what I found.

Thanks for the suggestion!

[brooklyn escort]

very nice. have you tried grymes hill? very steep and alot of fun.

[Dan Icolari]

And I love your appreciative comments, Faith.

Well, whether you intended it or not, you've given me my next assignment: Hillside Avenue between VanDuzer and, ultimately, Howard Avenue, I guess. But I will look out for that dead-end on Pleasant Valley Avenue and see what I can see (and photograph!)

In a related vein: At the end of last summer--and in connection with The Vertical Life series--I trekked to the top of Pearl Street (off Trossach Road, if you remember that; it ultimately lets out onto Van Duzer Street as well) in order to photograph a very modern ironwork gate at the bottom of a long stone staircase. Adjacent to that gate was a wide, grassy path leading to the same area, I believe, as the one you're referring to.

At the time, I didn't want to venture onto what may have been someone's private property, but your reminiscence has aroused my curiosity. When I go to check out Hillside Avenue, etc., I'll return to Pearl Street and ask the neighbors if it's okay to take a stroll down (or up, really) that grassy path.

Thanks for sharing your memories of growing up on Staten Island's (still) beautiful North Shore.

[Faith]

I love these photos, and seeing them awakens me to why I look for these kinds of scenes in other cities, having grown up on SI and not lived there in 30 years. The house I lived in on Hillside Avenue (between Grymes Hill and Van Duzer st./ Stapleton)had a staircase that went down the side of our house and connected to the dead end of Pleasant Valley Ave. through a little field. I assume that the stairs were "ours" and the next foot over belonged to Wagner College. Pleasant Valley dead-ended. There was no apparent boundry to the college there. I'm curious what it looks like now.

[Steve Patterson]

That little garage is so cute.