Grant City, Staten Island
Grant City is the name of a neighborhood located on the East Shore of Staten Island, New York City. To the east of Grant City lies Midland Beach, and a high cliff to the west of Richmond Road separates Grant City from Todt Hill. New Dorp is situated immediately south of Grant City. Dongan Hills is situated to the north. History. Originally known as Frenchtown, the community was renamed in honor of Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant soon after the conflict began, despite the fact that the war itself was so unpopular on Staten Island  that the island was the scene of anti-draft riots in July 1863. Many of the streets are named after historical figures such as Lincoln Ave (after President Abraham Lincoln), Fremont Ave (after General John C. Fremont who was the first Republican candidate for president, as well as a Staten Island resident, in 1856), Adams Avenue (after President John Adams), Colfax Ave (after Vice President Schuyler Colfax) and Greeley Ave (after newspaper editor Horace Greeley). Many other streets were originally named after historical figures but those streets have been renamed. Many small, one-family homes were built in Grant City  in the 1950s, with a stronger growth spurt occurring after the opening of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in November 1964 made access to the island from Brooklyn much easier. Today the neighborhood's population is heavily Italian-American by ethnicity and Roman Catholic by religion, and many of its residents were born in Brooklyn. Grant City and the neighborhoods surrounding it are also very conservative politically, with Republican Party candidates for most elected offices. Notable events. In August 1990 an F0 tornado made its way north along Fremont Ave. in Grant City, toppling 100-plus year old trees and causing  widespread damage. Transportation. Grant City is served by the along Midland Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, the S74, S76, S84, S86 and SIM15 along Richmond Road, and the along Hylan Blvd. It is also served by express buses along Hylan Boulevard. The Grant City station on the Staten Island Railway serves the community. The station immediately to the north is located at Jefferson Avenue, near the boundary between Grant City and neighboring Dongan Hills.