Oakwood, Staten Island
Encyclopedia
Oakwood is the name of a neighborhood located in east central Staten Island
, one of the five boroughs of New York City
, USA
. It lies near the southern shore, and is bordered by Ebbitts Street (north); the Atlantic Ocean (east); Great Kills Park
(south); and the Staten Island Railway
(west).
The community's station on the Staten Island Railway
bears the name Oakwood Heights, because of the fact that the neighborhood is divided into two sections: Oakwood Heights, to the west, and Oakwood Beach, to the east. The area's bus service is provided by the S57 (along Amboy Road), and the S78, and S79 buses (along Hylan Boulevard).
Dominated by farmland in the heights area, and an ocean resort in the beach area until the mid-20th Century, Oakwood started suburbanization when a subway line was proposed between Brooklyn and Staten Island, and it underwent rapid suburbanization after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
opened in November 1964. Today, Oakwood is a middle-class neighborhood of one- and two-family homes and garden apartments, with important commercial establishments along Hylan Boulevard.
Points of interest located in Oakwood include Monsignor Farrell High School
and a string of cemeteries on the neighborhood's southwest side, most notably Frederick Douglass
Memorial Park, an African-American burial ground — a curious anomaly as very few African-Americans actually reside in Oakwood or any of the neighborhoods that surround it. Historic Richmond Town
lies immediately to the west.
The neighborhood has a coastline on the Lower New York Bay
; the coastal area is sometimes referred to as Oakwood Beach, and is the site of a sewage treatment
facility. Bordering this facility on the south is the Staten Island Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area
, also known locally (and formerly, officially) as Great Kills Park.
Oakwood's ZIP Code
is 10306, the post office serving it being located in New Dorp
, the community's northern neighbor.
The greenbelt woods located along Riedel Avenue have some concrete artifacts (such as a piece of sidewalk located near the pond at Riedel and Thomas Street), and pieces of the Great Depression can be occasionally found along the trails, such as bricks or chimneys or foundations of houses that were once located in the area, when it was still rural. The trails along Riedel Avenue also contain large boulders dropped off from glacial retreat during the ice age (though many are painted red due to vandals).
Amundsen Circle (officially the Captain Roald Amundsen Plaza) is a traffic circle and 1.05 acres (4,249.2 m²) park bounded by Amboy Road, Clarke Avenue and Savoy Street. Amundsen Circle and the 4.5 miles (7.2 km) Amundsen Trail for joggers
both commemorate explorer Roald Amundsen
. The park was acquired by the city in 1928, and named on 1929-07-09. In the park, there is a stone plaque, erected in 1933, when there was a large Norwegian population in Oakwood, by the Norsemen Glee Club of Staten Island and the Norwegian Singing Society of Brooklyn. The park is currently maintained by the Richmond Ever-Green Garden Club.
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, one of the five boroughs of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies near the southern shore, and is bordered by Ebbitts Street (north); the Atlantic Ocean (east); Great Kills Park
Great Kills Park
Great Kills Park in Great Kills, Staten Island is a part of the Staten Island unit of Gateway National Recreation Area, part of the National Park System it covers an area of approximately of salt marsh, beach and woodlands stretching along two miles of Staten Island's south shore.Great Kills...
(south); and the Staten Island Railway
Staten Island Railway
The Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, publicly known as MTA Staten Island Railway or SIR, is the operator of the lone rapid transit line in the borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA...
(west).
The community's station on the Staten Island Railway
Staten Island Railway
The Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, publicly known as MTA Staten Island Railway or SIR, is the operator of the lone rapid transit line in the borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA...
bears the name Oakwood Heights, because of the fact that the neighborhood is divided into two sections: Oakwood Heights, to the west, and Oakwood Beach, to the east. The area's bus service is provided by the S57 (along Amboy Road), and the S78, and S79 buses (along Hylan Boulevard).
Dominated by farmland in the heights area, and an ocean resort in the beach area until the mid-20th Century, Oakwood started suburbanization when a subway line was proposed between Brooklyn and Staten Island, and it underwent rapid suburbanization after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City at the Narrows, the reach connecting the relatively protected upper bay with the larger lower bay....
opened in November 1964. Today, Oakwood is a middle-class neighborhood of one- and two-family homes and garden apartments, with important commercial establishments along Hylan Boulevard.
Points of interest located in Oakwood include Monsignor Farrell High School
Monsignor Farrell High School
Monsignor Farrell High School is a Catholic secondary school located in the Oakwood section of Staten Island, New York. Opened in 1961, the school was named in honor of Monsignor Joseph Farrell, a prominent Catholic priest, as well as a religious, political and community leader on Staten Island.The...
and a string of cemeteries on the neighborhood's southwest side, most notably Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman. After escaping from slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writing...
Memorial Park, an African-American burial ground — a curious anomaly as very few African-Americans actually reside in Oakwood or any of the neighborhoods that surround it. Historic Richmond Town
Historic Richmond Town
Historic Richmond Town is a living history village and museum complex in the neighborhood of Richmond, Staten Island, in New York City. It is located near the geographical center of the island, at the junction of Richmond Road and Arthur Kill Road....
lies immediately to the west.
The neighborhood has a coastline on the Lower New York Bay
Lower New York Bay
Lower New York Bay is that section of New York Bay south of the Narrows, the relatively narrow strait between the shores of Staten Island and Brooklyn. The southern end of the bay opens directly to the Atlantic Ocean between two spits of land, Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and Rockaway, Queens, on Long...
; the coastal area is sometimes referred to as Oakwood Beach, and is the site of a sewage treatment
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
facility. Bordering this facility on the south is the Staten Island Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area
Gateway National Recreation Area
Gateway National Recreation Area is a National Recreation Area in the Port of New York and New Jersey. Scattered over Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, New York and Monmouth County, New Jersey, it provides recreational opportunities that are rare for a dense urban environment, including ocean...
, also known locally (and formerly, officially) as Great Kills Park.
Oakwood's ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 10306, the post office serving it being located in New Dorp
New Dorp, Staten Island
New Dorp – an anglicization of Nieuwe Dorp, Dutch for New Village – is a neighborhood in Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, United States. The community lies near the foot of Todt Hill, with Grant City immediately to its north, Oakwood bordering to the south, and...
, the community's northern neighbor.
The greenbelt woods located along Riedel Avenue have some concrete artifacts (such as a piece of sidewalk located near the pond at Riedel and Thomas Street), and pieces of the Great Depression can be occasionally found along the trails, such as bricks or chimneys or foundations of houses that were once located in the area, when it was still rural. The trails along Riedel Avenue also contain large boulders dropped off from glacial retreat during the ice age (though many are painted red due to vandals).
Amundsen Circle (officially the Captain Roald Amundsen Plaza) is a traffic circle and 1.05 acres (4,249.2 m²) park bounded by Amboy Road, Clarke Avenue and Savoy Street. Amundsen Circle and the 4.5 miles (7.2 km) Amundsen Trail for joggers
Jogging
Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running.-Definition:...
both commemorate explorer Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
. The park was acquired by the city in 1928, and named on 1929-07-09. In the park, there is a stone plaque, erected in 1933, when there was a large Norwegian population in Oakwood, by the Norsemen Glee Club of Staten Island and the Norwegian Singing Society of Brooklyn. The park is currently maintained by the Richmond Ever-Green Garden Club.