Tottenville

DRINK UP Little girls don bonnets and sip tea at birthday parties hosted by La Tea Da inside the Scented Cottage antique shop. There’s also a playhouse cottage out back for kids to play in.

Photograph by Claudio Papapietro

Why your family should move there

Ideal for those who are itching to move to the burbs but reluctant to give up their NYC zip code and status, this quiet, safe community on Staten Island’s southernmost point offers picturesque streets, turn-of-the-century ranch homes and contemporary townhouses, landmarked Victorian homes, two spacious parks, antique shops and peaceful proximity to the water. You’re also mere minutes away, by car, from New Jersey. Tottenville will surely transform your assumptions about this oft-maligned borough.

What you’ll find

“There are people who have lived in the area for 50 years and families with young children just starting out,” says Mimi Neuhaus, owner of Neuhaus Realty. Cruise down any of the side streets off Amboy Road and you’ll see eclectic-looking homes—a purple cottage, a Frank Lloyd Wright–style abode—nestled beside modern, affordable townhouses. Lovely Conference House Park overlooks the Raritan Bay; kids can play on swings and slides at the new Lenape Playground, ride bikes or watch the boats pass by from the gazebo. Wolfe’s Pond Park, a short drive away, has ball fields, picnic tables, a playground and a popular dog run.

What you’ll pay

Often referred to as “the expensive part of the island” by locals, prices here are still reasonable compared to what you’d get in, say, Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill. A family of four can find a three-bedroom attached townhouse for $400,000 to $500,000—complete with a basement and driveway. But, warns Neuhaus, “Land is scarce. There isn’t a whole lot of it left to build on.” Older colonial homes with backyards big enough to fit a pool go for up to $700,000.

Where to hang out

Although shopping centers and big-box stores have recently moved in (welcome Target, Home Depot and Applebee’s), Tottenville still clings to its old-time roots. Egger’s Ice Cream Parlor (7437 Amboy Rd, 718-605-9335)serves up homemade sundaes and floats. At Docks Clam Bar (240 Page Ave, 718-227-8500), a family-owned business for over 30 years, kids chow down on fish and chips . Antiques shop Scented Cottage (7481 Amboy Rd, 718-984-4437) hosts birthday tea parties. The public library is in the middle of town and the Pavilion Ice Skating Rink (3080 Arthur Kill Rd, 718-948-4800) is nearby. The Staten Island Mall is about ten minutes away.

OLD WORLD CHARM Main Street is full of Victorian houses like this yellow gem.

Photograph by Claudio Papapietro

What the locals love

“It’s very safe here. My husband’s even left the door unlocked a few times,” says Jennifer Tobacco, mom of Madison, 5, and Christian, 2, who’s lived in the area since 1999. “And there’s a real sense of community. On Halloween, it’s so nice to see all of the families trick-or-treating together.”

Report card on the schools

Both P.S. 1 (58 Summit St) and P.S. 6 (555 Page Ave), the area’s zoned public elementary schools, rank high for reading and math scores. P.S. 1’s annex (a small red schoolhouse) dates back to 1878, while P.S. 6 was built in 2000 to accommodate the growing population.

What we’d change

The long commute to Manhattan. All the moms and dads we spoke to said that public transportation has long been an issue here. Our suggestion for filling the time: Read a book, learn to knit, pay bills—or, like many of the area’s residents, find a job in Staten Island or New Jersey.

Distance to manhattan

A trip on the Staten Island Railway to the ferry terminal takes 40 minutes—then it’s another 25 minutes to reach downtown Manhattan. Though a new park-and-ride and the X22 express bus have helped ease the trip to midtown, it’ll still take a good hour and 40 minutes, barring Lincoln Tunnel traffic. Of course, if you’re driving in on a weekend, the trip should take less than an hour.

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