Stapleton Staten Island: Complete Neighborhood Guide 2026

Stapleton Staten Island sits along Upper New York Bay on the borough’s North Shore, with median condo prices between $400,000 and $550,000 and a waterfront in the middle of the largest public investment program the area has seen in 50 years. For buyers priced out of Brooklyn or shopping the ferry-accessible side of New York City, this neighborhood deserves a serious look.

Robert DeFalco Realty has helped families buy and sell across the North Shore for more than four decades. This guide pulls together the real numbers on price, transit, safety, and lifestyle so you can decide if Stapleton is the right fit. If you are still mapping the borough, our moving to Staten Island guide covers the basics, and the North Shore neighborhood guide zooms in on this side of the island. You can also browse homes for sale in Stapleton directly while you read.

What Is Stapleton Staten Island Known For?

Stapleton was founded in 1832 by William J. Staples and Minthorne Tompkins on land bought from the Vanderbilt family. Cornelius Vanderbilt, the railroad and shipping titan, grew up at the site that later became the Paramount Theater. The village was incorporated as Edgewater in 1884 and then folded into New York City in 1898 when Staten Island joined the new five-borough city.

For a few years in the early 1930s, Stapleton hosted an NFL team. The Staten Island Stapletons played in the National Football League from 1929 through 1932 before the Great Depression forced them out of the league. The team is the answer to one of the most common search questions about this neighborhood, and you can still see the old footprint of Thompson’s Stadium in the street grid south of Tappen Park.

The area’s musical resume is just as serious. The Paramount Theater on Bay Street hosted the B-52s, Talking Heads, the Ramones, and the Dead Kennedys in the early 1980s, putting Stapleton on the punk and new-wave touring circuit. The neighborhood is also the birthplace of Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah, actor Mack Wilds, and jazz drummer Kenny Washington.

Today Stapleton is known for three things: a working-class waterfront with deep history, the largest single redevelopment project on Staten Island, and prices that still beat almost any comparable bay-front neighborhood in New York City.

Is Stapleton Staten Island a Good Place to Live?

The honest answer is yes for the right buyer. Stapleton rewards people who want a real urban-suburban mix, value over polish, and a front-row seat to a neighborhood in transition. It is not the right fit for someone expecting a finished, manicured community. The next four sections walk through the trade-offs.

Safety

This is the question buyers ask most, so let’s address it head on. Stapleton sits inside the NYPD’s 120th Precinct, which covers the entire North Shore. Per the most recent CompStat reports, the 120th Precinct ranked 12th safest out of 69 patrol areas in New York City in the 2010s, and reported crime in the precinct is down 83.3 percent since 1990. That includes a 67.7 percent drop in murders and a 78.6 percent decrease in robberies over the same period.

The precinct covers a wide area, and Stapleton’s experience varies block by block. The blocks immediately around the Stapleton Houses NYCHA complex see more reported incidents than the Victorian-lined streets of Stapleton Heights up the hill on Van Duzer Street. Buyers should walk any specific block at three different times, morning, evening, and weekend, before they make an offer. We always tell clients the same thing for any neighborhood on Staten Island: the precinct number tells you the macro picture, the block tells you the truth.

Affordability

This is where Stapleton wins. A two-bedroom condo in Stapleton typically lists between $400,000 and $550,000. A two-family Victorian on St. Paul’s Avenue or Van Duzer Street runs $650,000 to $900,000 for a buyer who plans to live in one unit and rent the other. Compare that to Park Slope, Cobble Hill, or even Sunset Park in Brooklyn, where similar properties sit $300,000 to $700,000 higher.

The math gets even better when you factor in property taxes. Staten Island’s effective property tax rate is one of the lowest in the city for one-to-three family homes. Our Staten Island property tax guide breaks down the actual annual bills, and the how much house can I afford calculator lets you stress-test your budget against current rates.

Community Feel

Stapleton is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Staten Island. Per 2020 census data for the wider Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills area, the population is 38.7 percent Hispanic, 31.7 percent Black, 15.8 percent White, and 9.6 percent Asian. Median household income is $58,373.

That diversity shows up on the ground. Lakruwana, the city’s most loved Sri Lankan restaurant, has been a Bay Street fixture for decades. Caribbean bakeries, Mexican grocers, and corner bodegas anchor the daily rhythm. Stapleton’s annual events, including the Tappen Park summer concert series and the Stapleton Holiday Lighting, pull people from across the North Shore.

Waterfront Revival

This is the story that has changed Stapleton’s trajectory. The former Stapleton Homeport, a Cold War naval base that closed in 1994, sat mostly empty for two decades. Then Urby opened in 2016, a 900-unit apartment complex with ground-floor retail, a working farm, and direct waterfront access. The City’s New Stapleton Waterfront project, run by NYC EDC, added a public esplanade, parks, and infrastructure for further development.

In 2023 the City unveiled the North Shore Action Plan, which earmarks money for a Stapleton promenade extension, a Stapleton Beacon community space, and Front Street redevelopment. In 2025 the City announced a 500-unit residential project on the remaining Homeport parcels, expected to break ground in 2026. Buyers who get in now are getting in before the next round of price appreciation tied to that project.

Real Estate and Housing Market

Stapleton’s housing stock is genuinely mixed. You will find 1880s Italianate Victorians on Van Duzer Street, 1920s row houses near Tappen Park, mid-century multi-families east of Bay Street, and brand-new construction along the waterfront. That variety is part of why prices have a wider band than tighter neighborhoods on the island.

Current Market Snapshot

Here is what the Stapleton market looks like in early 2026.

Property Type	Typical Price Range	Days on Market
Studio and 1BR condo	$300,000 to $425,000	60 to 80
2BR condo	$400,000 to $550,000	60 to 80
Two-family rowhouse	$550,000 to $800,000	70 to 90
Victorian / historic single-family	$650,000 to $1,200,000	75 to 100

Year-over-year appreciation has been 3 to 5 percent. That is slower than the post-pandemic surge of 2021 and 2022 but consistent with healthy long-term gains. For a wider view of how Stapleton compares to the borough, our Staten Island home value guide tracks every neighborhood, and the Staten Island real estate market update refreshes quarterly.

Housing Types

Buyers ask a lot about three specific terms when researching this area, so let’s clarify each.

Stapleton houses Staten Island in the marketplace sense usually means the for-sale single-family and multi-family homes scattered through the neighborhood, especially the Victorian stock along St. Paul’s Avenue, Van Duzer Street, and the Stapleton Heights blocks. These trade between $550,000 and $1.2 million depending on size, condition, and lot.

Stapleton projects Staten Island refers to Stapleton Houses, the New York City Housing Authority complex that opened in 1961 with eight stories and is the largest NYCHA project on Staten Island. Stapleton Houses is rental public housing, not for sale, but its presence affects the surrounding blocks and is worth understanding before you buy nearby.

Stapleton Heights Staten Island is the elevated western edge of the neighborhood, climbing up toward Grymes Hill along Van Duzer Street and St. Paul’s Avenue. This is where the largest concentration of Victorian and Queen Anne-style homes sits, and where prices reach the upper end of the local market.

For buyers interested in the multi-family route, our guide to buying a two-family home on Staten Island explains the FHA owner-occupant rules and the rental income math.

Homes for Sale

Active inventory shifts week to week. The most current options sit on our homes for sale in Stapleton page, and you can broaden the search to all Staten Island listings or filter to North Shore listings if you want to compare adjacent neighborhoods. Buyers from out of state should also read the ultimate guide to buying a home on Staten Island before scheduling tours.

One note for waterfront-curious buyers: the eastern edge of Stapleton along Front Street and the Urby blocks sits in or near FEMA-designated flood zones. Our guide to buying a home in a flood zone walks through insurance costs and inspection priorities. It is a real cost line, but it is manageable when you know it going in.

Transportation and Commuting

Transit is one of Stapleton’s quiet selling points. The neighborhood has more options than most of the borough.

Staten Island Railway (SIR)

The Stapleton SIR station sits at the corner of Prospect Street and Bay Street. The SIR runs to St. George Terminal in about 10 minutes, where you connect to the Staten Island Ferry. Within Staten Island, the SIR is currently free between Tompkinsville and Tottenville. Standard MetroCard, OMNY, or transfer-from-bus rules apply when you exit at St. George.

Bus Lines

Stapleton sits on eight local bus routes: the S51, S52, S74, S76, S78, S81, S84, and S86. The S78 runs the length of Hylett Avenue and Hylan Boulevard, taking you to the South Shore. The S74 connects to Richmond Avenue and the borough’s commercial spine. For commuters going straight to Manhattan, the SIM30 express bus runs from Stapleton directly to Midtown without the ferry.

NYC Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry runs from St. George Terminal to Whitehall in Lower Manhattan, free, every 15 to 30 minutes. Schedules and updates are on the NYC Ferry official site and the Staten Island Ferry’s own page on the NYC DOT site. From Stapleton’s center, you can be at your Wall Street desk in roughly 35 to 45 minutes door to door.

By Car from Stapleton

Car owners reach the rest of the city through three crossings. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge (I-278) connects to Brooklyn in 10 to 15 minutes outside rush hour. The Goethals Bridge connects to New Jersey via the West Shore. The Bayonne Bridge takes you to Bayonne and the Hudson County rail network. Bay Street, the main commercial corridor, runs the length of the neighborhood and has metered parking plus residential side streets.

ZIP Codes and Area Codes

Stapleton uses two ZIP codes. The southern half, including most of the Stapleton Houses and the Tappen Park area, sits in stapleton 10304. North of Clinton Street, the ZIP shifts to 10301, which Stapleton shares with St. George and Tompkinsville. Area codes for the whole neighborhood include 718, 347, 929, and 917.

Things to Do

Stapleton’s amenities punch above its weight for a neighborhood this size.

Tappen Park is the green heart of the neighborhood, anchored by Edgewater Village Hall, an 1889 Romanesque Revival building on the National Register of Historic Places. The park hosts a summer concert series, a farmers’ market in season, and a holiday tree lighting in December. The Boardman-Mitchell House at 364 and 390 Van Duzer Street and St. Paul’s Memorial Church round out the neighborhood’s National Register listings.

The Paramount Theater site at 560 Bay Street is a piece of music history. Built in 1930 as a 2,400-seat movie palace, it became a punk and new-wave venue in the early 1980s, hosting the B-52s, Talking Heads, the Ramones, and the Dead Kennedys. The building is no longer operating as a theater, but the facade still stands and preservation advocates have pushed for landmark protection.

5050 Skatepark at 354 Front Street is one of the more unusual amenities on Staten Island. It is the only indoor skatepark in New York City, with bowls, ramps, and a regular schedule of classes and competitions.

Lakruwana at 668 Bay Street has anchored Stapleton’s restaurant scene since 2010. The Sri Lankan buffet on Saturday and Sunday is a borough institution. Add Cargo Cafe, the long-running Bay Street bar and grill, and Beso, a tapas spot that has hosted music acts for years, and you have a real food and nightlife corridor.

Urby’s ground-floor retail along Front Street brought a coffee roaster, a brewpub, and a shared workspace to the waterfront. The complex’s working farm sits open to the public on weekends.

For families, Tappen Park plus the new waterfront esplanade give kids two outdoor options within walking distance, both free. The annual North Shore arts walk includes Stapleton stops, and the Snug Harbor Cultural Center sits 10 minutes north by car.

Schools and Education

Public Schools

Stapleton sits in NYC DOE District 31. PS 65, the Academy of Innovative Learning, serves pre-K through fifth grade and pulls from the south end of Stapleton plus parts of Clifton. IS 49, the Bertha A. Dreyfus School, serves grades 6 through 8 and is the catchment middle school for most Stapleton families. High schools in the area include Curtis High School up the hill in St. George.

For families weighing schools across the borough, our school district rankings and home values guide shows the relationship between school zones and listing prices. Our neighborhoods guide for relocating families is also a good starting point.

Stapleton Library Staten Island

The NYPL Stapleton branch at 132 Canal Street is one of the borough’s architectural gems. Designed by Carrere and Hastings, the same firm behind the Main Branch on Fifth Avenue, the Stapleton library opened in 1907 as one of the original Andrew Carnegie-funded libraries in New York City. The branch runs after-school programs, ESL classes, computer access, and a strong children’s section. Hours and the current event calendar are on the NYPL Stapleton page.

Stapleton Staten Island vs. Nearby Neighborhoods

Stapleton vs. St. George

St. George sits directly north and is the borough’s civic center, home to the Staten Island Ferry terminal, Borough Hall, the courts, and Empire Outlets. St. George condos run $475,000 to $700,000, roughly 15 to 20 percent above Stapleton, in exchange for a one-step ferry commute. Stapleton offers a 10-minute SIR ride and lower entry prices.

Stapleton vs. Tompkinsville

Tompkinsville is the strip directly north of Grant Street and shares much of Stapleton’s housing stock. The pricing is similar, $400,000 to $550,000 for condos. Tompkinsville is a touch closer to St. George Terminal but has less green space. Many buyers cross-shop both.

Stapleton vs. Clifton

Clifton sits south of Vanderbilt Avenue and was historically wealthier. Today the housing mix has flipped and prices are roughly comparable. Clifton has more single-family detached stock and fewer mid-rise rentals.

Stapleton vs. Grymes Hill

Grymes Hill rises west of Van Duzer Street and is a different neighborhood entirely, dominated by single-family homes priced $700,000 to $1.5 million on larger lots, with two private universities (Wagner College and St. John’s University Staten Island campus). It is quieter, greener, and more expensive. Stapleton Heights is the transitional bridge between the two.

For buyers weighing all of Staten Island’s neighborhoods, our pros and cons of moving to Staten Island gives a wider view, and the Midland Beach guide covers a very different waterfront option on the South Shore.

Living Here: Pros and Cons

Six Pros

1. Price. Stapleton is one of the lowest-priced waterfront neighborhoods in all five boroughs.
2. Transit. Eight bus lines, SIR, the Manhattan-direct SIM30 express, and ferry access via St. George.
3. Diversity. One of the most demographically mixed neighborhoods on Staten Island.
4. Real history. National Register buildings, an NFL footprint, and a punk-rock music legacy.
5. Waterfront revival. The New Stapleton Waterfront and 2025 Homeport announcement set the stage for the next decade of growth.
6. Schools and library. PS 65, IS 49, and a 1907 Carnegie library all sit within walking distance for most blocks.

Five Cons

1. Mixed safety perception. Crime is down 83 percent since 1990, but the reputation lags the data and varies by block.
2. Stapleton Houses proximity. The NYCHA complex affects nearby blocks. You should walk the specific block before buying.
3. Parking. Bay Street and the older grid have limited off-street parking, especially in the Heights.
4. Ferry transfer. No direct Manhattan subway. You will transfer to ferry or the SIM30 express.
5. Flood zones. The eastern waterfront edge is in or near FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas, which adds insurance cost.

For a wider read on costs, our cost of living on Staten Island post puts Stapleton’s expenses in context against the rest of the borough.

Robert DeFalco Realty has served Staten Island since 1985. Founded by Robert DeFalco, the brokerage is the largest independent real estate firm on the borough, with more than 200 agents across multiple offices and over 40 years of family-owned local market experience. Our agents have closed thousands of transactions across every Staten Island ZIP code, and the firm’s leadership sits on local boards covering housing, education, and civic life. When you work with our team in Stapleton, you are working with neighbors who know the block, the history, and the trajectory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is safe to live in?

Stapleton sits in the NYPD’s 120th Precinct, which has historically ranked 12th safest of 69 patrol areas in New York City. Reported crime in the precinct is down 83.3 percent since 1990, with a 67.7 percent drop in murders and a 78.6 percent drop in robberies. Safety varies block by block, so we recommend walking any specific street at multiple times of day before buying.

What are the demographics of?

Per 2020 census data for the wider Tompkinsville-Stapleton-Clifton-Fox Hills area (NTA SI0102), the population is 38.7 percent Hispanic, 31.7 percent Black, 15.8 percent White, and 9.6 percent Asian. Median household income is $58,373.

What happened to the Staten Island Stapletons NFL team?

The Stapletons played in the National Football League from 1929 through 1932 and folded due to financial pressure during the Great Depression. The team played at Thompson’s Stadium in Stapleton and shared a roster with the better-known New York Giants in some seasons. They are the answer to one of Staten Island’s most famous trivia questions.

Where is Stapleton Heights Staten Island?

Stapleton Heights is the elevated western edge of the neighborhood that climbs from Van Duzer Street and St. Paul’s Avenue toward Grymes Hill. It is best known for Victorian and Queen Anne-era single-family homes, several of which are on the National Register. Prices in the Heights run $650,000 to $1.2 million for restored homes.

What is the difference between Stapleton Houses and the Stapleton neighborhood?

Stapleton is the entire neighborhood. Stapleton Houses, sometimes searched as “stapleton projects staten island,” is the New York City Housing Authority complex that opened in 1961 and is the largest NYCHA development on Staten Island. The Houses are public-housing rentals, not for-sale property, and occupy a specific footprint between Broad Street and Hill Street.

Is Stapleton 10304 or 10301?

Both. The neighborhood splits at Clinton Street. The southern part of Stapleton, including Tappen Park and most of the Stapleton Houses, uses stapleton 10304. North of Clinton Street, the ZIP code is 10301, which Stapleton shares with St. George and Tompkinsville.

How much does an apartment at Urby in Stapleton cost?

Urby opened in 2016 at the former Homeport site and has historically rented studios starting around $1,735 per month per DNAinfo’s launch reporting. Current rents at Urby vary by floor and view; the building is rental, not condo. The 500-unit project announced for the adjacent Homeport parcels in 2025 is expected to include both rental and for-sale units.

How long is the commute from Stapleton to Manhattan?

Plan on 35 to 45 minutes door to door for a typical Wall Street commute. The route is SIR from Stapleton station to St. George (10 minutes), free Staten Island Ferry to Whitehall (25 minutes), then a short walk or subway to your office. The SIM30 express bus runs Stapleton directly to Midtown for riders willing to pay the express fare.

What is the new Stapleton Waterfront project?

The New Stapleton Waterfront is a multi-phase NYC EDC project on the former Stapleton Homeport naval base. Phase one delivered Urby and a public esplanade in 2016. The 2023 North Shore Action Plan funded the Stapleton Beacon, a Front Street redevelopment, and an esplanade extension. In 2025 the City announced a 500-unit residential project on the remaining Homeport parcels.

What does the Stapleton Library Staten Island offer?

The NYPL Stapleton branch at 132 Canal Street is a 1907 Andrew Carnegie-funded library designed by Carrere and Hastings. The branch runs after-school programs, ESL classes, free computer and Wi-Fi access, a children’s section, and rotating community events. Hours and the current calendar are on the NYPL Stapleton page.

Next Steps: Finding Your Home

Stapleton is one of the most interesting buying opportunities on Staten Island right now. The mix of waterfront redevelopment, transit access, and pricing that still beats Brooklyn by hundreds of thousands of dollars is rare. The neighborhood is not for everyone, but for buyers who want a real urban-suburban blend with room for appreciation, it deserves a tour.

Three steps to take next.

1. Browse current listings. Start with our homes for sale in Stapleton Staten Island page or widen out to all Staten Island listings.
2. Run your numbers. Our how much house can I afford calculator and Staten Island home value guide help you set a realistic budget.
3. Talk to an agent who knows the block. Reach out through Robert DeFalco Realty and we will pair you with a Stapleton specialist for a walking tour.

Stapleton has been waiting on this revival for two decades. The window to buy in before the Homeport build-out is open right now. We would be glad to help you decide if it is the right fit.