Great Kills is a neighborhood within the borough of Staten Island in New York City. It is located on the island’s South Shore, and according to many local geographers, it is the South Shore’s northernmost community. It is bordered by Richmondtown to the north, Bay Terrace to the east, Eltingville to the west, and Great Kills Harbor to the south.
Kill is an archaic Dutch word with various popular translations, including “creek” and “channel”. Indeed, many small streams dot the neighborhood, and the name can be interpreted as meaning that a great number of such streams can be found there.
At the southeastern corner of the neighborhood is Great Kills Park, part of the Gateway National Recreation Area. The park includes a beach, trails, fishing and bird-watching areas, sports fields, and the Nichols Marina, with several private marinas nearby. The shorefront has required extensive work after heavy damage from Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
See our weather radar, buoy data, marine forecast, and current weather for Lloyd Harbor, NY.
Other Helpful Resources:
Great Kills Harbor, a shallow bight on the south side of Staten Island northwestward of Old Orchard Shoal Light, is used as an anchorage by small craft. Chart 12331 is the best guide for entering the harbor. The channel is marked by buoys and a light. Great Kills Light (40°31’18″N., 74°07’54″W.), 35 feet above the water, is shown from a skeleton tower with a red and white diamond-shaped dayboard on a red concrete base east of the channel entrance.
Great Kills, on the west side of Great Kills Harbor, has several small-craft facilities with berths, electricity, gasoline, diesel fuel, water, ice, storage, and marine supplies. A public launching ramp is located in the northeast corner of the harbor.