Great Kills
To St. George To Tottenville To Stations
WHAT’S IN A NAME:  Great Kills was founded in 1664 by Frenchman, Jacques Guyon, who named the area “La Grand Kill.”  Kill is an archaic Dutch word for "creek" or "channel."  Many small streams dot the neighborhood.  It is mentioned in the Land Papers in 1676.  The area remained essentially a farming community until a railroad was built in 1860.
            The MTA Staten Island Railway now runs along the same route followed by the original railroad.
This town loves sports.  Gifford Lane has Sports Heroes and Legends memorabilia shop and the cozy Talk of the Town Tavern.  A sports bar with loyalties tending towards the Yankees, its slogan is:  meet friends, make friends. The town is home to the Great Kills Little League, one of eight on Staten Island.
 
Strolling the streets near the Station you, of course, come across at least one of those ubiquitous “bagel & deli” spots which are found at almost every commercial corner.
MTA Staten Island Railway Station 13 of 22
This tavern was written up by Andy Newman in the New York Times for the patrons’ use of vernacular: “As befits a place that can take pride in its otherness and even in its relative isolation, Staten Island has evolved, if not exactly its own language, then certainly a lexicon of words and phrases that require explanation to off-islanders.” The link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/nyregion/14journal.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=Talk%20of%20the%20town%20Tavern,%20Great%20Kills,%20Staten%20Island&st=csehttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/nyregion/14journal.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=Talk%20of%20the%20town%20Tavern,%20Great%20Kills,%20Staten%20Island&st=cseshapeimage_5_link_0
The Station is painted bright blue.
A couple kicks back to wait for the next train.
Bagels are everywhere.
Local streets