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Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills has emerged as Staten Island's most diverse and walkable neighborhood. Growing dining options and new development along the waterfront.
Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills has emerged as Staten Island's most diverse and walkable neighborhood. Growing dining options and new development along the waterfront.
Did you know?
The Paramount Theater on Bay Street in Stapleton hosted performances by everyone from the Three Stooges to Duke Ellington in its 1930s heyday.
Who’s your neighbor?
Housing cost
$414 / sq ft
Commute
Weekday mornings · leaving 7:30–9:00
- FromTompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills
- ToNear Bryant Park
Family scores
Show 5 moreShow fewer
Trade-offs
Stands out
- Affordability86/100
Lower costs than most
- Air & Child Health70/100
Cleaner air and better child-health measures
To weigh
- Family-Friendly Vibe4/100
Fewer families with children than most
- Transit11/100
Longer weekday-morning trips to the city's main job centers
- Safety16/100
More reported crimes, traffic injuries or serious housing violations per resident
Each score compares it with NYC's other residential neighborhoods.
What these scores don't measure: how a block feels on foot, what's changing on it, and whether a particular school suits your child. Walk it at school drop-off time, and check the zoned school for the exact address before you sign a lease.
Your family’s read
How does Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills fit your family?
An agentic read of this neighborhood — including safety and cost of living — tailored to your priorities, family size, budget, and commute.
Analyze for My FamilySchools & early education
Schools10 schools
The school landscape here is surprisingly robust for a quieter Staten Island pocket — you get a real mix of zoned public options like P.S. 65 The Academy of Innovative Learning and I.S. 49 Berta A. Dreyfus, plus a couple of single-gender public magnets: The Eagle Academy for Young Men and The Young Women's Leadership School both pull from beyond the zoned area. A handful of private and specialized programs (including EDEN II's services for autistic children) round things out. The result is more choice than you'd expect for a low-density, working-class stretch — though families hunting for specific private secular options will find thin pickings.
Browse all early-ed in this neighborhoodLiving here
Parks & Playgrounds1 place
Play options in Tompkinsville and Stapleton are limited to a couple of spots — Rev. Dr. Maggie Howard Playground in Stapleton and the smaller Stapleton Playground give kids somewhere to run, though families chasing more variety often look to the broader Staten Island green scene. The Island's larger parks and waterfront are within reach for anyone needing a bigger outdoor fix.
1 playground within a 10-min walk
Nearest large park: Dyker Beach Park · ~80 min walk (3.1 mi)
Transportation56 stops
These neighborhoods sit on the SIR's southern line, with Stapleton and Tompkinsville providing direct access to the Staten Island Ferry — meaning one-seat rides into Manhattan, though you're trading that for a roughly hour-long commute door-to-door. Bus coverage along Bay Street is dense, and cross-town routes on Tompkins Avenue and Broad Street fill in the gaps. For a part of Staten Island this well-served by both rail and bus, you can reasonably leave the car at home — just plan your ferry timing around the hour-long journey into the city.
Restaurants49 places
The dining scene here is a genuine mix — you get Caribbean and Dominican spots threading through alongside Italian pizzerias, a handful of South Asian kitchens, and a few solid American pubs and diners. Bay Street and Victory Boulevard carry the bulk of options, with casual takeout-heavy places outweighing any formal date-night spots. It's mostly independent local places doing their thing, with just a McDonald's on Bay St breaking up the independents. No deep bench of fast-casual chains, but what\'s here covers the bases for a quick bite or a low-key dinner.
Groceries3 places
Groceries here are sparse — a couple of independent options cover basics, but for a full weekly shop most families are looking at a drive or bus ride to larger supermarkets elsewhere on the island. The selection is limited to what's on hand, so you'll likely supplement with bigger stores outside the immediate area.
Coffee Shops8 places
There's a decent spread of coffee options along the Bay Street corridor, from quick counter-service spots to a few places where you can actually sit and linger. The indie options have personality — a book cafe, a couple of bistro-style spots — though they tend to come and go. For reliability, there's a Dunkin' on Bay Street if you just need coffee without thinking about it. The cluster around Navy Pier Court has grown lately, giving the waterfront end a different feel than the busier commercial stretch.
Things to Do7 places
The north shore keeps things grounded when it comes to getting the kids out of the house — you've got a solid public pool and recreation center anchoring the active options, plus a dance studio and an artistic space for something more creative. A tutoring center rounds out the mix for families looking to layer in some enrichment. It's not a packed calendar, but what's here covers the basics without needing to cross too many bridges.
Daycare & informal care1 place
Pre-K options here outnumber private daycares significantly — there's a solid mix of public school-based programs and community-based Pre-K sites scattered across the St. George and Stapleton edges. Morning drop-off can get tight around Tompkins Avenue and Grant Street, so it's worth mapping your route before the first week. Private daycare options are thinner on the ground, so families leaning that direction may need to cast a wider net.
Family Resources2 places
The Rev. Dr. Maggie Howard Playground on Tompkins Avenue gives kids a solid spot to burn off energy, and the Stapleton Library at 132 Canal Street anchors the neighborhood's civic life with programs and resources that actually serve local families. Public anchors here are thin — this isn't a neighborhood overflowing with community centers — but what's here works. The library in particular punches above its weight for a community this size.
Healthcare8 places
Healthcare on the North Shore is anchored by several hospitals — RUMC-Bayley Seton, the Stapleton St. George Health Center, and Vanderbilt Avenue Health Center among them — giving the area real institutional depth. Pediatric care is thin, with just one clinic for families, and urgent care is essentially absent locally. Dental options are modest but real, with a couple of practices on the ground. For anything beyond routine visits, many families end up traveling off-island.
Compare with nearby neighborhoods
Best schools in Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills
Schools in Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills
10
- EDEN II - LITTLE MIRACLES
- EDEN II SCH FOR AUTISTIC CHLDRN
- I.S. 49 Berta A. Dreyfus
- P.S. 65 The Academy of Innovative Learning
- P.S. 78
- RICHMOND MEDICAL CENTER - OSGOOD
- The Eagle Academy for Young Men of Staten Island
- The Richard H. Hungerford School
- The Waverly Academy of Empowered Learners
- The Young Women's Leadership School of Staten Island
Early education in Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills
10
- BBRU TARGEE
- EDEN II - LITTLE MIRACLES
- EDEN II SCH FOR AUTISTIC CHLDRN
- Foch
- FRIENDS OF CROWN HEIGHTS - 195 GORDON STREET
- P.S. 65 The Academy of Innovative Learning
- P.S. 78
- SILVER LAKE HEAD START II
- The Waverly Academy of Empowered Learners
- Yeled V'Yalda / Silver Lake Head Start II
All early education in Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills →
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills a good neighborhood for families?
- Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills scores 34/100 for families on Motley — toward the lower end citywide. The Family Fit score blends six parts: how many families live there, schools, affordability, weekday-morning transit time to job centers, safety, and air quality and child health.
- What are the pros and cons of Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills for families?
- For families, Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills stands out for lower costs than most, and cleaner air and better child-health measures. What to weigh: fewer families with children than most; longer weekday-morning trips to the city's main job centers; and more reported crimes, traffic injuries or serious housing violations per resident. Each score compares it with NYC's other residential neighborhoods. They don't measure how a block feels on foot or whether a particular school suits your child, so walk it before you decide.
- Is Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills safe?
- Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills scores 16/100 on safety — toward the lower end citywide. We build the score from NYPD crime complaints, pedestrian and cyclist injuries, and serious (Class C) housing violations, each counted per 1,000 residents.
- How are the schools in Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills?
- Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills has 10 schools mapped inside its boundary and scores 23/100 for schools — toward the lower end citywide.
- How do middle and high school admissions work from Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills?
- Middle school: families in Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills apply in 5th grade through the citywide middle school application. District 31's 28 middle school programs admit by method: 13 zoned, 7 unscreened, 6 screened and 2 charter lottery. High school: one citywide application in 8th grade lets a family rank programs anywhere in the city, and the eight specialized high schools admit on the SHSAT alone.
- Is Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills affordable?
- Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills scores 86/100 for affordability on Motley — more affordable than most NYC neighborhoods.
- Which borough is Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills in?
- Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills is a neighborhood in Staten Island, New York City.
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