Originally known as Frenchtown, the community was renamed in honor of Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant soon after the conflict began, despite the fact that the war itself was so unpopular on Staten Island that the island was the scene of anti-draft riots in July 1863. Many of the streets are named after historical figures such as Lincoln Ave (after President Abraham Lincoln), Fremont Ave (after General John C. Fremont who was the first Republican candidate for President, as well as a Staten Island resident, in 1856), Adams Avenue (after President John Adams), and Greeley Ave (after newspaper editor Horace Greeley).

The Grant City station on the Staten Island Railway serves the community, and the station immediately to the north is located at and named Jefferson Avenue, this street generally regarded as the boundary between Grant City and neighboring Dongan Hills. To the east of Grant City lies Midland Beach, and a high cliff to the west of Richmond Road separates Grant City from Todt Hill. New Dorp is situated immediately south of Grant City.

Many small, one-family homes were built in Grant City in the 1950s, with a stronger growth spurt occurring after the opening of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in November 1964 made access to the island from Brooklyn much easier. Today the neighborhood's population is heavily Italian-American by ethnicity and Roman Catholic by religion, and many of its residents were born in Brooklyn. Grant City and the neighborhoods surrounding it are also very conservative politically, with the Republican Party candidates for virtually all elected offices routinely carrying these neighborhoods by large majorities although popular Democratic candidates have been gaining ground.

Grant City, Staten Island, is a modest suburb with a stop on the Staten Island Railway. The town itself becomes a bit more urban near mid-rise condos on Lincoln Ave. Much of this community is safe, with colonials on tree-lined streets. In August 1990 an F0 tornado made its way north along Fremont Ave. in Grant City, toppling 100-plus year old trees and causing widespread damage.

Grant City is served by the S51/S81 along Midland Avenue, the S74/S76/S84/S86 along Richmond Road, the S78/S79 along Hylan Blvd, and numerous express buses along Hylan Blvd.

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