Walking Is Transportation

FROM THE ARCHIVES: The Vertical Life, or Hill-Walking on Staten Island's North Shore, Part 2

WHEN THIS SERIES FIRST APPEARED,
WIT READERS TOLD ME THEY FELT VINDICATED
IN THEIR LOVE OF OUR NORTH SHORE NEIGHBORHOODS

This post appeared originally in WALKING IS TRANSPORTATION (WIT) in October, 2007. It's the second in a series of photo-packed entries revealing the beauty and quirky charm that surround us here as in few other NYC neighborhoods that people of modest-to-moderate means can afford.

I understood the feelings of vindication several WIT readers expressed after the post appeared. When the place you live and (maybe) love is routinely ignored or sneered at most of the time in most of the press, it's a relief to see documented in photos the everyday reality you live. 

Cobblestone walk, Wall Street between St. Marks Place and Belmont Place, St. George

THEY DIDN'T FLATTEN STATEN ISLAND'S GRYMES, TODT AND EMERSON HILLS in order to lay down a street grid, as they flattened Murray Hill in Manhattan, according to a recent article in The New Yorker. On Staten Island, it seems they just made roadways around the hills, or built access roads where they could––that is, wherever the grade wasn't impossibly steep.

Staten Islanders found another way to make their ascents and descents less arduous and more convenient. They built a series of steps, stairways and walkways that people still use today to get up and down the hills.

Two of these stairways––both on the south side of Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville––are longer, wider and more substantial than any I've found in St. George or in Tompkinsville north of Victory Boulevard.

But first, a few urban-archaeological stair-remnants. Catch 'em while you can.

STAIRWAYS TO LOT-SIZE FORESTS AND STOCKADE FENCES

Close by on Victory, also on the north side, near Fiedler Avenue, are the remnants of two sets of stone retaining walls and slate steps. One will soon disappear under leaf-cover, then earth. Both led to what probably were residences. Today they lead to lot-size forests of maple and ailanthus.

Maples are growing undisturbed in and around another stone-wall-with-steps remnant, this one leading directly into a stockade fence. You'll find it north of Victory Boulevard, on the west side of Westervelt Avenue between Hendricks and Benziger avenues in Tompkinsville.

GETTING UP WARD HILL

Of course you could just walk up Fiedler Avenue––shown here on its rise from Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville––and use the sidewalk like a normal person, as my Aunt Harriet would have said. For the rest of us, there are other ways up Ward Hill. The east stairway, and the west. As you'll see, both have their charms.

THE EAST STAIRWAY. This is the closer of the two stairways to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. There's no sign or marker. It's just sort of there, in a little down-at-the-heels courtyard off the south side of Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville, roughly parallel to Monroe Avenue, across the street.

Not an auspicious beginning, but wait. It gets prettier, the commercial clatter from the street below starts to subside a bit, and then . . .

. . . before you know it, you're at the top--Tompkins Circle--where you stop a moment to look out at the bay, take a brief rest, and maybe do some stretches before heading down the hill to Victory Boulevard.

THE WEST STAIRWAY. This handsome Craftsman-style stone and timber archway leads to a wide and open stairway, obviously much used, that takes you to Willis Avenue and the adjacent Avon Place.

If you'd like to sample some of Ward Hill's panoramic views of the bay--with Brooklyn in the distance--walk left on Willis to Fiedler Avenue. Turn right on Fiedler and continue up the hill to Tompkins Circle. Stay on the bay side of the circle and you're practically guaranteed to see water. And Brooklyn.

WHEN THIS SERIES FIRST APPEARED,
WIT READERS TOLD ME THEY FELT VINDICATED
IN THEIR LOVE OF OUR NORTH SHORE NEIGHBORHOODS

This post appeared originally in WALKING IS TRANSPORTATION (WIT) in October, 2007. It's the second in a series of photo-packed entries revealing the beauty and quirky charm that surround us here as in few other NYC neighborhoods that people of modest-to-moderate means can afford.

I understood the feelings of vindication several WIT readers expressed after the post appeared. When the place you live and (maybe) love is routinely ignored or sneered at most of the time in most of the press, it's a relief to see documented in photos the everyday reality you live. 

Cobblestone walk, Wall Street between St. Marks Place and Belmont Place, St. George

THEY DIDN'T FLATTEN STATEN ISLAND'S GRYMES, TODT AND EMERSON HILLS in order to lay down a street grid, as they flattened Murray Hill in Manhattan, according to a recent article in The New Yorker. On Staten Island, it seems they just made roadways around the hills, or built access roads where they could––that is, wherever the grade wasn't impossibly steep.

Staten Islanders found another way to make their ascents and descents less arduous and more convenient. They built a series of steps, stairways and walkways that people still use today to get up and down the hills.

Two of these stairways––both on the south side of Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville––are longer, wider and more substantial than any I've found in St. George or in Tompkinsville north of Victory Boulevard.

But first, a few urban-archaeological stair-remnants. Catch 'em while you can.

STAIRWAYS TO LOT-SIZE FORESTS AND STOCKADE FENCES

Close by on Victory, also on the north side, near Fiedler Avenue, are the remnants of two sets of stone retaining walls and slate steps. One will soon disappear under leaf-cover, then earth. Both led to what probably were residences. Today they lead to lot-size forests of maple and ailanthus.

Maples are growing undisturbed in and around another stone-wall-with-steps remnant, this one leading directly into a stockade fence. You'll find it north of Victory Boulevard, on the west side of Westervelt Avenue between Hendricks and Benziger avenues in Tompkinsville.

GETTING UP WARD HILL

Of course you could just walk up Fiedler Avenue––shown here on its rise from Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville––and use the sidewalk like a normal person, as my Aunt Harriet would have said. For the rest of us, there are other ways up Ward Hill. The east stairway, and the west. As you'll see, both have their charms.

THE EAST STAIRWAY. This is the closer of the two stairways to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. There's no sign or marker. It's just sort of there, in a little down-at-the-heels courtyard off the south side of Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville, roughly parallel to Monroe Avenue, across the street.

Not an auspicious beginning, but wait. It gets prettier, the commercial clatter from the street below starts to subside a bit, and then . . .

. . . before you know it, you're at the top--Tompkins Circle--where you stop a moment to look out at the bay, take a brief rest, and maybe do some stretches before heading down the hill to Victory Boulevard.

THE WEST STAIRWAY. This handsome Craftsman-style stone and timber archway leads to a wide and open stairway, obviously much used, that takes you to Willis Avenue and the adjacent Avon Place.

If you'd like to sample some of Ward Hill's panoramic views of the bay--with Brooklyn in the distance--walk left on Willis to Fiedler Avenue. Turn right on Fiedler and continue up the hill to Tompkins Circle. Stay on the bay side of the circle and you're practically guaranteed to see water. And Brooklyn.

WHEN THIS SERIES FIRST APPEARED,
WIT READERS TOLD ME THEY FELT VINDICATED
IN THEIR LOVE OF OUR NORTH SHORE NEIGHBORHOODS

This post appeared originally in WALKING IS TRANSPORTATION (WIT) in October, 2007. It's the second in a series of photo-packed entries revealing the beauty and quirky charm that surround us here as in few other NYC neighborhoods that people of modest-to-moderate means can afford.

I understood the feelings of vindication several WIT readers expressed after the post appeared. When the place you live and (maybe) love is routinely ignored or sneered at most of the time in most of the press, it's a relief to see documented in photos the everyday reality you live. 

Cobblestone walk, Wall Street between St. Marks Place and Belmont Place, St. George

THEY DIDN'T FLATTEN STATEN ISLAND'S GRYMES, TODT AND EMERSON HILLS in order to lay down a street grid, as they flattened Murray Hill in Manhattan, according to a recent article in The New Yorker. On Staten Island, it seems they just made roadways around the hills, or built access roads where they could––that is, wherever the grade wasn't impossibly steep.

Staten Islanders found another way to make their ascents and descents less arduous and more convenient. They built a series of steps, stairways and walkways that people still use today to get up and down the hills.

Two of these stairways––both on the south side of Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville––are longer, wider and more substantial than any I've found in St. George or in Tompkinsville north of Victory Boulevard.

But first, a few urban-archaeological stair-remnants. Catch 'em while you can.

STAIRWAYS TO LOT-SIZE FORESTS AND STOCKADE FENCES

Close by on Victory, also on the north side, near Fiedler Avenue, are the remnants of two sets of stone retaining walls and slate steps. One will soon disappear under leaf-cover, then earth. Both led to what probably were residences. Today they lead to lot-size forests of maple and ailanthus.

Maples are growing undisturbed in and around another stone-wall-with-steps remnant, this one leading directly into a stockade fence. You'll find it north of Victory Boulevard, on the west side of Westervelt Avenue between Hendricks and Benziger avenues in Tompkinsville.

GETTING UP WARD HILL

Of course you could just walk up Fiedler Avenue––shown here on its rise from Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville––and use the sidewalk like a normal person, as my Aunt Harriet would have said. For the rest of us, there are other ways up Ward Hill. The east stairway, and the west. As you'll see, both have their charms.

THE EAST STAIRWAY. This is the closer of the two stairways to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. There's no sign or marker. It's just sort of there, in a little down-at-the-heels courtyard off the south side of Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville, roughly parallel to Monroe Avenue, across the street.

Not an auspicious beginning, but wait. It gets prettier, the commercial clatter from the street below starts to subside a bit, and then . . .

. . . before you know it, you're at the top--Tompkins Circle--where you stop a moment to look out at the bay, take a brief rest, and maybe do some stretches before heading down the hill to Victory Boulevard.

THE WEST STAIRWAY. This handsome Craftsman-style stone and timber archway leads to a wide and open stairway, obviously much used, that takes you to Willis Avenue and the adjacent Avon Place.

If you'd like to sample some of Ward Hill's panoramic views of the bay--with Brooklyn in the distance--walk left on Willis to Fiedler Avenue. Turn right on Fiedler and continue up the hill to Tompkins Circle. Stay on the bay side of the circle and you're practically guaranteed to see water. And Brooklyn.