Grant City, Staten Island

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 small, one-family homes were built in Grant City in the 1950s, with a stronger growth spurt occurring after the opening of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in November 1964 made access to the island from Brooklyn much easier.

Grant City and the neighborhoods surrounding it are also very conservative politically, with Republican Party candidates for most elected offices.

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.

The station immediately to the north is located at Jefferson Avenue, near the boundary between Grant City and neighboring Dongan Hills.