New Dorp, Staten Island : NYC Tourist Guide

New Dorp

New Dorp (anglicization of Nieuwe Dorp, Early New Dutch for New Town) is a neighborhood in the area of Staten Island, New York, USA. The community lies near the foot of Todt Hill, and Grant City lies immediately to its north, with Oakwood bordering it on the south. New Dorp Beach borders it to the East. Formerly one of the most important towns on the island before suburbanization, it was the center of much activity during the American Revolution. Despite surrounding development, the neighborhood has retained its distinct character as a town, and is one of the most thriving commercial centers on the Island.

Like all of Staten Island, the area of New Dorp was populated by American Indians going back over 10,000 years. At the time of the arrival of the Europeans in the 17th Century, it was inhabited primary by the Raritans and other subgroups of the Lenape tribe.

The first recorded European settlement of the area was in 1671. The English, after having taken over the New Netherland colony from the Dutch, expanded the previous Dutch settlements along the South Shore at Oude Dorp ("Old Town") which had been established ten years earlier. In the late 19th century, it became the home to members of the prominent Vanderbilt family, many of whom are buried here in the Moravian Cemetery. The Vanderbilt farm was later used by the U.S. Army, as Miller Air Field and in the 70s became part of Gateway Recreational Area.

New Dorp is home to FDNY Engine Company 165 (Nicknamed The Toxic Avengers) and Ladder Company 85 (Nicknamed The Monster Truck). Engine 165 is Staten Island's only Hazmat clothing company equipped Engine Company and also has extra Hazmat Training.

Today, the neighborhood's population is predominantly Italian-American, (with many residents of Irish and Polish ancestry as well), and a large majority belong to the Roman Catholic Church.