Staten Island ( ) is a
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle A ...
of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, coextensive with Richmond County, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
by the
Arthur Kill and the
Kill Van Kull and from the rest of New York by
New York Bay. With a population of 495,747 in the
2020 Census,
Staten Island is the least populated borough but the third largest in land area at .
A home to the
Lenape indigenous people, the island was settled by Dutch colonists in the 17th century. It was one of the 12 original counties of New York state. Staten Island was
consolidated with New York City in 1898. It was formally known as the Borough of Richmond until 1975, when its name was changed to Borough of Staten Island. Staten Island has sometimes been called "the forgotten borough" by inhabitants who feel neglected by the
city government.
The
North Shore—especially the neighborhoods of
St. George,
Tompkinsville,
Clifton, and
Stapleton—is the island's most urban area. It contains the designated St. George Historic District and the St. Paul's Avenue-Stapleton Heights Historic District, which feature large Victorian houses. The
East Shore is home to the
F.D.R. Boardwalk, the world's fourth-longest
boardwalk
A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway built with wooden planks that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. They are also in effect a low type of brid ...
. The
South Shore, site of the 17th-century Dutch and
French Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Beza ...
settlement, developed rapidly beginning in the 1960s and 1970s and is now mostly suburban. The
West Shore is the island's least populated and most industrial part.
Motor traffic can reach the borough from
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
by the
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge ( ) is a suspension bridge connecting the New York City boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn. It spans the Narrows, a body of water linking the relatively enclosed New York Harbor with Lower New York Bay and t ...
and from New Jersey by the
Outerbridge Crossing
The Outerbridge Crossing, also known as the Outerbridge, is a cantilever bridge that spans the Arthur Kill between Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and Staten Island, New York. It carries New York State Route 440 (NY 440) and New Jersey R ...
,
Goethals Bridge
The Goethals Bridge () is the name of a pair of cable-stayed bridge spans connecting Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Staten Island, New York, in the United States. The spans cross a strait known as Arthur Kill, and replaced a cantilever bridge span b ...
and
Bayonne Bridge
Bayonne Bridge is an arch bridge spanning the Kill Van Kull and connecting Bayonne, New Jersey with Staten Island in New York City. It carries New York State Route 440 (NY 440) and New Jersey Route 440. It is the sixth-longes ...
. Staten Island has
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus lines and an MTA rapid transit line, the
Staten Island Railway, which runs from the ferry terminal at St. George to
Tottenville. Staten Island is the only borough not connected to the
New York City Subway system. The free
Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry route operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. The ferry's single route runs through New York Harbor between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island, with ferry ...
connects the borough to
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
across
New York Harbor. It provides views of the
Statue of Liberty,
Ellis Island
Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mil ...
, and
Lower Manhattan.
History
Native Americans
As in much of North America, human habitation appeared on the island fairly rapidly after the
Wisconsin glaciation
The Wisconsin Glacial Episode, also called the Wisconsin glaciation, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleated in the northern North American Cord ...
. Archaeologists have recovered tool evidence of
Clovis culture
The Clovis culture is a prehistoric Paleoamerican culture, named for distinct stone and bone tools found in close association with Pleistocene fauna, particularly two mammoths, at Blackwater Locality No. 1 near Clovis, New Mexico, in 1936 a ...
activity dating from about 14,000 years ago. This evidence was first discovered in 1917 in the Charleston section of the island. Various Clovis artifacts have been discovered since then, on property owned by
Mobil Oil
Mobil is a petroleum brand owned and operated by American oil and gas corporation ExxonMobil. The brand was formerly owned and operated by an oil and gas corporation of the same name, which itself merged with Exxon to form ExxonMobil in 1999.
...
.
The island was probably abandoned later, possibly because of the
extirpation
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...
of large mammals on the island. Evidence of the first permanent
Native American settlements and agriculture are thought to date from about 5,000 years ago,
[Jackson, 1995] although
early archaic habitation evidence has been found in multiple locations on the island.
Rossville points are distinct arrowheads that define a Native American cultural period from the
Archaic period to the Early
Woodland period, dating from about 1500 to 100 BC. They are named for the
Rossville section of Staten Island, where they were first found near the old Rossville Post Office building.
At the time of European contact, the island was inhabited by the
Raritan band of the
Unami
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) was formed on 14 August 2003 by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1500 at the request of the Iraqi government to support national development efforts.
UNAMI's mandate includes ...
division of the
Lenape. In
Lenape, one of the
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages ( or ; also Algonkian) are a subfamily of indigenous American languages that include most languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically simi ...
, Staten Island was called , meaning "as far as the place of the bad woods", or , meaning "the bad woods". The area was part of the Lenape homeland known as
Lenapehoking. The Lenape were later called the "Delaware" by the English colonists because they inhabited both shores of what the English named the
Delaware River.
The island was laced with Native American foot trails, one of which followed the south side of the ridge near the course of present-day Richmond Road and
Amboy Road
Amboy Road is a major north-south artery along the South- East Shore of the New York City borough of Staten Island. It is approximately long. Amboy Rd. was originally part of an extensive Native American trail system used by Algonquian peoples du ...
. The Lenape did not live in fixed encampments but moved seasonally, using
slash and burn
Slash-and-burn agriculture is a farming method that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody plants in an area. The downed veget ...
agriculture.
Shellfish was a staple of their diet, including the Eastern oyster (''
Crassostrea virginica'') abundant in the waterways throughout the present-day New York City region. Evidence of their habitation can still be seen in shell
middens along the shore in the Tottenville section, where oyster shells larger than 12 inches (305 mm) are sometimes found.
Burial Ridge
Ward's Point is the southernmost point in the U.S. state of New York and lies within Tottenville, Staten Island, New York City. It is located at the mouth of Arthur Kill, across from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, at the head of Raritan Bay. The sit ...
, a Lenape burial ground on a bluff overlooking
Raritan Bay
Raritan Bay is a bay located at the southern portion of Lower New York Bay between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey and is part of the New York Bight. The bay is bounded on the northwest by New York's Staten Island, on the west by Per ...
in
Tottenville, is the largest pre-European burial ground in New York City. Bodies have been reported unearthed at Burial Ridge from 1858 onward. After conducting independent research, which included unearthing bodies interred at the site, ethnologist and archaeologist
George H. Pepper was contracted in 1895 to conduct paid archaeological research at Burial Ridge by the
American Museum of Natural History. The burial ground today is unmarked and lies within
Conference House Park
Conference House Park is a park in Tottenville, Staten Island, New York City. The park is located along the Arthur Kill coast where the kill opens into Raritan Bay. It contains clay bluffs, part of the terminal moraine, formed when the Wisconsin ...
.
European settlement
The first recorded European contact on the island was in 1520 by Italian explorer
Giovanni da Verrazzano
Giovanni da Verrazzano ( , , often misspelled Verrazano in English; 1485–1528) was an Italian ( Florentine) explorer of North America, in the service of King Francis I of France.
He is renowned as the first European to explore the Atlanti ...
who sailed through
The Narrows
__NOTOC__
The Narrows is the tidal strait separating the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City, United States. It connects the Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay and forms the principal channel by which the Hudson Riv ...
on the ship ''
La Dauphine'' and anchored for one night.
The Dutch did not establish a permanent settlement on for many decades. Its name derived from the
Staten Generaal, the parliament of the
Republic of the Seven United Netherlands
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
. From 1639 to 1655,
Cornelis Melyn and
David de Vries
David (Dave) de Vries (born 1961) is a New Zealand film writer, director, and producer who also writes and illustrates comic books. He was born in New Zealand and emigrated with his family to Australia.
De Vries was born in Wellington, New Z ...
made three separate attempts to establish one there, but each time the settlement was destroyed in conflicts between the Dutch and the local tribe.
Russell Shorto
Russell Anthony Shorto (born February 8, 1959) is an American author, historian, and journalist who is best known for his book on the Dutch origins of New York City, '' The Island at the Center of the World''. Shorto's research for the book rel ...
, ''The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America.'' First Edition. New York City: Vintage Books (a Division of Random House, 2004), In 1661, the first permanent Dutch settlement was established at (Dutch for "Old Village") by a small group of Dutch,
Walloon, and French
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...
families,
just south of the Narrows near South Beach. Many French Huguenots had gone to the Netherlands as refugees from the religious wars in France, suffering persecution for their Protestant faith, and some joined the emigration to New Netherland. At one point nearly a third of the residents of the Island spoke French. The last vestige of Oude Dorp is the name of the present-day neighborhood of
Old Town adjacent to Old Town Road.
Staten Island was not spared the bloodshed that culminated in
Kieft's War
Kieft's War (1643–1645), also known as the Wappinger War, was a conflict between the colonial province of New Netherland and the Wappinger and Lenape Indians in what is now New York and New Jersey. It is named for Director-General of New Neth ...
. In the summer of 1641 and in 1642, Native American tribes laid waste to Old Town.
Richmond County
At the end of the
Second Anglo-Dutch War
The Second Anglo-Dutch War or the Second Dutch War (4 March 1665 – 31 July 1667; nl, Tweede Engelse Oorlog "Second English War") was a conflict between England and the Dutch Republic partly for control over the seas and trade routes, whe ...
in 1667, the Dutch ceded New Netherland to England in the
Treaty of Breda, and the Dutch ,
anglicized
Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influenc ...
as "Staten Island", became part of the new English
colony of New York
The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the Unit ...
.
In 1670, the Native Americans ceded all claims to Staten Island to the English in a deed to Governor
Francis Lovelace
Francis Lovelace (c. 1621–1675) was an English Royalist and the second Governor of New York colony.
Early life
Lovelace was born circa 1621. He was the third son of Sir William Lovelace (1584–1627) and his wife Anne Barne of Lovelace Plac ...
. In 1671, in order to encourage an expansion of the Dutch settlements, the English resurveyed (which became known as 'Old Town') and expanded the lots along the shore to the south. These lots were settled primarily by Dutch families and became known as (meaning 'New Village'), which later became anglicized as
New Dorp
New Dorp is a neighborhood on the East Shore of Staten Island, New York City, United States. New Dorp is bounded by Mill Road on the southeast, Tysens Lane on the southwest, Amboy and Richmond Roads on the northwest, and Bancroft Avenue on the n ...
.
Captain
Christopher Billopp, after years of distinguished service in the Royal Navy, came to America in 1674 along with the newly appointed royal governor of New York and the Jerseys Sir Edmund Andros, in charge of a company of infantry. The following year, he settled on Staten Island, where he was granted a patent for of land. According to one version of an oft-repeated but apocryphal tale,
Captain Billopp's seamanship secured Staten Island to New York, rather than to New Jersey: the island would belong to New York if the captain could circumnavigate it in one day, which he did. This story is most likely untrue, due to conflicting information on the time Christopher Billopp took to complete the race and whether he received a personal prize or not. Mayor
Michael Bloomberg perpetuated the myth by referring to it at a news conference in Brooklyn on February 20, 2007.
Reliable historical documentation of the event is extremely sparse, however, and most historians conclude that it is entirely apocryphal. In 2007, ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' addressed the issue in a news article, which concluded that this event was heavily embellished over the years and almost certainly originated in local folklore.
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
personality
CGP Grey
CGP Grey is an American-Irish educational YouTuber, podcaster, and live streamer who creates short explanatory videos on subjects including politics, geography, economics, sociology, history, and culture. In addition to video production, Gre ...
addressed the story of the Staten Island race and its historical discrepancies in a 2019 video, in which he concluded that Gabriel Disosway, a local chronicler in Staten Island, was responsible for originating the legend in the mid-1800s.
In 1683, the colony of New York was divided into ten counties. As part of this process, Staten Island, as well as several minor neighboring islands, was designated as ''Richmond County''. The name derives from the title of
Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond
Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, 1st Duke of Lennox, (29 July 167227 May 1723), of Goodwood House near Chichester in Sussex, was the youngest of the seven illegitimate sons of King Charles II, and was that king's only son by his French-bo ...
, an illegitimate son of King
Charles II.
In 1687 and 1688, the English divided the island into four administrative divisions based on natural features: the manorial estate of colonial governor
Thomas Dongan
Thomas Dongan, (pronounced "Dungan") 2nd Earl of Limerick (1634 – 14 December 1715), was a member of the Irish Parliament, Royalist military officer during the English Civil War, and Governor of the Province of New York. He is noted for hav ...
in the northeastern hills known as the "Lordship or Manor of Cassiltown", along with the North, South, and West divisions. These divisions later evolved into the four towns of
Castleton,
Northfield,
Southfield, and
Westfield. In 1698, the population was 727.
[, as cited in: ]
The government granted land patents in rectangular blocks of 80 acres (320,000 m
2), with the most desirable lands along the coastline and inland waterways. By 1708, the entire island had been divided up in this fashion, creating 166 small farms and two large manorial estates, the Dongan estate and a parcel on the southwestern tip of the island belonging to Christopher Billopp.
The first county seat was established in New Dorp in what was called Stony Brook at the time. In 1729, the county seat was moved to the village of Richmond Town, located at the headwaters of the
Fresh Kills near the center of the island. By 1771, the island's population had grown to 2,847.
18th century and the American Revolution
Staten Islanders were solidly supportive of the Crown, and the island played a significant role in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. General
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
once called Islanders "our most inveterate enemies."
As support of independence spread throughout the colonies, residents of the island were so uninterested that no representatives were sent to the
First Continental Congress, the only county in New York to not send anyone. This had economic repercussions in the months up through 1776, where New Jersey towns such as Elizabethport,
Woodbridge, and
Dover instituted boycotts on doing business with islanders.
On March 17, 1776, the British forces under
Sir William Howe
William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB PC (10 August 172912 July 1814) was a British Army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British land forces in the Colonies during the American War of Independence. Howe was one of three bro ...
evacuated
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
and sailed for
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...
. From Halifax, Howe prepared to attack New York City, which then consisted entirely of the southern end of
Manhattan Island. General
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
led the entire
Continental Army to New York City in anticipation of the British attack. Howe used the strategic location of Staten Island as a staging ground for the invasion.
Over 140 British ships arrived over the summer of 1776 and anchored off the shores of Staten Island at the entrance to New York Harbor. The British soldiers and
Hessian mercenaries
Hessians ( or ) were German soldiers who served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. The term is an American synecdoche for all Germans who fought on the British side, since 65% came from the German states ...
numbered about 30,000. Howe established his headquarters in New Dorp at the
Rose and Crown Tavern, near the junction of present New Dorp Lane and Richmond Road. There the representatives of the British government reportedly received their first notification of the
Declaration of Independence
A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...
.
In August 1776, the British forces crossed the Narrows to Brooklyn and
outflanked
In military tactics, a flanking maneuver is a movement of an armed force around an enemy force's side, or flank, to achieve an advantageous position over it. Flanking is useful because a force's fighting strength is typically concentrated i ...
the American forces at the
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn and the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, was an action of the American Revolutionary War fought on August 27, 1776, at the western edge of Long Island in present-day Brooklyn, New Yor ...
, resulting in the British control of the harbor and the capture of New York City shortly afterwards. Three weeks later, on September 11, 1776, Sir William's brother,
Lord Howe, received a delegation of Americans consisting of
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
,
Edward Rutledge, and
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of t ...
at the
Conference House
Conference House (also known as Billop House) is a stone house in Tottenville, Staten Island, New York City built by Captain Christopher Billopp some time before 1680. It is located in Conference House Park near Ward's Point, the southernmost ...
on the southwestern tip of the island on the former estate of Christopher Billopp. The Americans refused a peace offer from Howe in exchange for withdrawing the Declaration of Independence, and the conference ended without an agreement.
On August 22, 1777, the
Battle of Staten Island
The Battle of Staten Island was a failed raid by Continental Army troops under Major General John Sullivan against British forces on Staten Island on August 22, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War. After British Lieutenant General ...
occurred between the British forces and several companies of the
2nd Canadian Regiment
The 2nd Canadian Regiment (1776–1783), also known as Congress' Own or Hazen's Regiment, was authorized on January 20, 1776, as an Extra Continental regiment and raised in the province of Quebec for service with the American Continental Army ...
fighting alongside other American companies. The battle was inconclusive, though both sides surrendered over a hundred troops as prisoners. The Americans finally withdrew.
In early 1780, while the
Kill Van Kull was frozen over,
Lord Stirling
William Alexander, also known as Lord Stirling (1726 – 15 January 1783), was a Scottish-American major general during the American Revolutionary War. He was considered male heir to the Scottish title of Earl of Stirling through Scottish line ...
led an unsuccessful Patriot raid from New Jersey on the western shore of Staten Island. It was repulsed in part by troops led by British Commander
Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings
Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings, (9 December 175428 November 1826), styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762, Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783, The Lord Rawdon from 1783 to 1793 and The Earl of Moira b ...
.
In June 1780,
Wilhelm von Knyphausen
Wilhelm Reichsfreiherr von Innhausen und Knyphausen Some documents produced after 1806 referred to him as Reichsfreiherr Wilhelm zu Innhausen und Knyphausen while some documents after 1919 use Wilhelm Reichsfreiherr zu Innhausen und Knyphausen. ...
, commander of Britain's
Hessian auxiliaries, led many raids and a full assault into New Jersey from Staten Island with the aim of defeating
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
and the
Continental Army. Although the raids were successful in the Newark and Elizabeth areas, the advance was halted at Connecticut Farms (Union) and the
Battle of Springfield.
British forces remained on Staten Island for the remainder of the war. Most
Patriots fled after the British occupation, and the sentiment of those who remained was predominantly
Loyalist. Even so, the islanders found the demands of supporting the troops to be heavy. The British army kept headquarters in neighborhoods such as
Bulls Head
Bulls Head is a neighborhood in west-central Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City. It is bordered by New Springville to the south, Bloomfield to the west, Willowbrook to the east, Graniteville to the north, and Westerleig ...
. Many buildings and churches were destroyed for their materials, and the military's demand for resources resulted in an extensive
deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated ...
by the end of the war. The British army again used the island as a staging ground for its final evacuation of New York City on December 5, 1783. After their departure, many Loyalist landowners, such as
Christopher Billop
Christopher Billopp (1738March 29, 1827) was a British loyalist during the American Revolution.
His command of a Tory detachment during the war earned him the sobriquet, "Tory Colonel". After the American Revolution he emigrated to New Brunsw ...
, the family of Canadian historian
Peter Fisher, John Dunn, who founded
St. Andrews, New Brunswick, and
Abraham Jones, fled to Canada, and their estates were subdivided and sold.
Staten Island was occupied by the British longer than any single part of the Thirteen Colonies.
19th century
On July 4, 1827, the end of slavery in New York state was celebrated at Swan Hotel, West Brighton. Rooms at the hotel were reserved months in advance as local abolitionists, including prominent free blacks, prepared for the festivities. Speeches, pageants, picnics, and fireworks marked the celebration, which lasted for two days.
In the early 19th century, New Jersey and New York disputed the location of their maritime boundary. The original charters were of no help because they were worded ambiguously. New York argued that the eastern edge of New Jersey was located at the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
's shoreline during high tide, which would give New York control of all the docks and wharves on the Hudson River. New Jersey argued that the maritime boundary should be down the middle of the Hudson River and then continue out to the Atlantic Ocean, which would give New Jersey control of the docks and wharves as well as Staten Island.
Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren ( ; nl, Maarten van Buren; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party, he ...
negotiated a compromise that established the maritime boundary in the middle of the Hudson River and gave Staten Island to New York.
Ellis Island
Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mil ...
and
Bedloe's Island
Liberty Island is a federally owned island in Upper New York Bay in the United States. Its most notable feature is the Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''), a large statue by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi that was dedicated in ...
, both uninhabited at the time, also became controlled by New Jersey.
From 1800 to 1858, Staten Island was the location of the largest quarantine facility in the United States. Angry residents burned down the hospital compound in 1858 in a series of attacks known as the
Staten Island Quarantine War.
In 1860, parts of Castleton and Southfield were made into a new town,
Middletown. The Village of New Brighton in the town of Castleton was incorporated in 1866, and in 1872 the Village of New Brighton annexed all the remainder of the Town of Castleton and became coterminous with the town.
An 1887 movement to incorporate Staten Island as a city ended up resulting in nothing.
Consolidation with New York City
The towns of Staten Island were dissolved in 1898 with the consolidation of the
City of Greater New York
The City of Greater New York was the term used by many politicians and scholars for the expanded City of New York created on January 1, 1898, by consolidating the existing City of New York with Brooklyn, western Queens County, and Staten Is ...
, as Richmond County became one of the
five boroughs of the expanded city. Although consolidated into the City of Greater New York in 1898, the county sheriff of Staten Island maintained control of the jail system, unlike the other boroughs, which had gradually transferred control of the jails to the Department of Correction. The jail system was not transferred until January 1, 1942. Staten Island is the only borough without a New York City Department of Correction major detention center.
The construction of the
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge ( ) is a suspension bridge connecting the New York City boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn. It spans the Narrows, a body of water linking the relatively enclosed New York Harbor with Lower New York Bay and t ...
, along with the other three major Staten Island bridges, created a new way for commuters and tourists to travel from New Jersey to Brooklyn, Manhattan, and areas farther east on
Long Island. The network of highways running between the bridges has effectively carved up many of Staten Island's old neighborhoods. The bridge opened many areas of the borough to residential and commercial development, especially in the central and southern parts of the borough, which had been largely undeveloped. Staten Island's population doubled from 221,991 in 1960 to 443,728 in 2000. Nevertheless, Staten Island remained less developed than the rest of the city. A ''New York Times'' article in 1972 stated that despite the borough having 333,000 residents, parts of the island still maintained a bucolic atmosphere with woods and marshes.
Throughout the 1980s, a movement to
secede from the city steadily grew in popularity, notably championed by longtime New York state senator and former
Republican Party mayoral nominee
John J. Marchi. The campaign reached its peak during the mayoral term of
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins (July 10, 1927 – November 23, 2020) was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993. He was the first African American to hold the office.
Before enteri ...
(1990–1993), after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the
New York City Board of Estimate
The New York City Board of Estimate was a governmental body in New York City responsible for numerous areas of municipal policy and decisions, including the city budget, land-use, contracts, franchises, and water rates. Under the amendments effec ...
, which had given equal representation to the five boroughs. Dinkins and the city government opposed a non-binding secession referendum, contending that the vote should not be permitted by the state unless the city issued a
home rule
Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wit ...
message supporting it, which the city would not.
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo (, ; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party, Cuomo previously served as ...
disagreed, and the vote went forward in 1993. Ultimately, 65% of Staten island residents voted to secede, through the approval of a new
city charter
A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document ('' charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Traditionally the granting of a charte ...
making Staten Island an independent
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
, but implementation was blocked in the
State Assembly.
In the 1980s, the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
had a base on Staten Island called
Naval Station New York. It had two sections: a
Strategic Homeport Strategic Homeport was a plan developed in the 1980s by Secretary of the Navy John Lehman for building new U.S. Navy bases within the continental United States. It was proposed as part of the 600-ship Navy plan of the Reagan Administration. It ca ...
in
Stapleton and a larger section near
Fort Wadsworth
Fort Wadsworth is a former United States military installation on Staten Island in New York City, situated on The Narrows which divide New York Bay into Upper and Lower halves, a natural point for defense of the Upper Bay and Manhattan beyon ...
, where the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge enters the island. The base was closed in 1994 through the
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end ...
process because of its small size and the expense of basing personnel there.
Fresh Kills and its tributaries are part of the largest tidal wetland ecosystem in the region. Its creeks and wetlands have been designated a Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat by the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Opened along Fresh Kills as a "temporary landfill" in 1947, the
Fresh Kills Landfill
The Fresh Kills Landfill was a landfill covering in the New York City borough of Staten Island in the United States. The name comes from the landfill's location along the banks of the Fresh Kills estuary in western Staten Island.
The landfil ...
was a repository of trash for the city of New York. The landfill, once the world's largest man-made structure, was closed in 2001, but it was briefly reopened for the debris from
Ground Zero
In relation to nuclear explosions and other large bombs, ground zero (also called surface zero) is the point on the Earth's surface closest to a detonation. In the case of an explosion above the ground, ''ground zero'' is the point on the groun ...
following the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
in 2001. It is being converted into a park. Plans for the park include a bird-nesting island, public roads, boardwalks, soccer and baseball fields, bridle paths, and a 5,000-seat stadium. Today, freshwater and tidal wetlands, fields, birch thickets, and a coastal oak maritime forest, as well as areas dominated by non-native plant species, are all within the boundaries of Fresh Kills.
Geology
During the
Paleozoic Era
The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon.
The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838
by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and ''z ...
, the
tectonic plate
Plate tectonics (from the la, label=Late Latin, tectonicus, from the grc, τεκτονικός, lit=pertaining to building) is the generally accepted scientific theory that considers the Earth's lithosphere to comprise a number of large te ...
containing the continent of
Laurentia
Laurentia or the North American Craton is a large continental craton that forms the ancient geological core of North America. Many times in its past, Laurentia has been a separate continent, as it is now in the form of North America, althoug ...
and the plate containing the continent of
Gondwanaland were converging, the
Iapetus Ocean that separated the two continents gradually closed, and the resulting collision between the plates formed the
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
. During the early stages of this mountain building known as the
Taconic orogeny
The Taconic orogeny was a mountain building period that ended 440 million years ago and affected most of modern-day New England. A great mountain chain formed from eastern Canada down through what is now the Piedmont of the East coast of the Unit ...
, a piece of ocean crust from the Iapetus Ocean broke off and became incorporated into the collision zone and now forms the oldest bedrock strata of Staten Island, the
serpentinite
Serpentinite is a rock composed predominantly of one or more serpentine group minerals, the name originating from the similarity of the texture of the rock to that of the skin of a snake. Serpentinite has been called ''serpentine'' or ''se ...
.
This strata of the Lower Paleozoic (approximately 430 million years old) consists predominantly of the serpentine minerals,
antigorite
Antigorite is a lamellated, monoclinic mineral in the phylosilicate serpentine subgroup with the ideal chemical formula of (Mg,Fe2+)3Si2O5(OH)4. It is the high-pressure polymorph of serpentine and is commonly found in metamorphosed serpentinite ...
,
chrysotile
Chrysotile or white asbestos is the most commonly encountered form of asbestos, accounting for approximately 95% of the asbestos in the United StatesOccupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor (2007)29 C.F.R.&nb ...
, and
lizardite; it also contains
asbestos and
talc
Talc, or talcum, is a clay mineral, composed of hydrated magnesium silicate with the chemical formula Mg3Si4O10(OH)2. Talc in powdered form, often combined with corn starch, is used as baby powder. This mineral is used as a thickening agent a ...
. At the end of the Paleozoic era (248 million years ago) all major continental masses were joined into the supercontinent of
Pangaea
Pangaea or Pangea () was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. It assembled from the earlier continental units of Gondwana, Euramerica and Siberia during the Carboniferous approximately 335 million y ...
.
The
Palisades Sill
The Palisades Sill is a Triassic, 200 Ma diabase intrusion. It extends through portions of New York and New Jersey. It is most noteworthy for The Palisades, the cliffs that rise steeply above the western bank of the Hudson River. The ideal loc ...
has been designated a
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...
, being "the best example of a thick
diabase sill in the United States." It underlies a portion of northwest Staten Island, with a visible outcropping in
Travis, off Travis Road in the
William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge
The William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge (WTDWR) is an wildlife refuge straddling the New Springville and Travis sections of Staten Island. The park was named in honor of Staten Island native William T. Davis, a renowned naturalist and entomolog ...
. This is the same formation that appears in New Jersey and upstate New York along the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
in
Palisades Interstate Park
The Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) was formed in 1900 by Governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the quarrying operations along the Palisades Cliffs of New Jersey. The Palisades, a Na ...
. The sill extends southward beyond the cliffs in
Jersey City beneath the Upper New York Harbor and resurfaces on Staten Island. The Palisades sill date from the
Early Jurassic
The Early Jurassic Epoch (geology), Epoch (in chronostratigraphy corresponding to the Lower Jurassic series (stratigraphy), Series) is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic Period. The Early Jurassic starts immediately after the Triassic-J ...
period, 192 to 186 million years ago.
Staten Island has been at the southern terminus of various periods of
glaciation
A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate be ...
. The most recent, the
Wisconsin glaciation
The Wisconsin Glacial Episode, also called the Wisconsin glaciation, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleated in the northern North American Cord ...
, ended approximately 12,000 years ago. The accumulated rock and sediment deposited at the terminus of the glacier is known as the terminal moraine present along the central portion of the island. The evidence of these glacial periods is visible in the remaining wooded areas of Staten Island in the form of
glacial erratic
A glacial erratic is glacially deposited rock differing from the type of rock native to the area in which it rests. Erratics, which take their name from the Latin word ' ("to wander"), are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundre ...
s and
kettle ponds.
At the retreat of the ice sheet, Staten Island was connected by land to Long Island, as the Narrows had not yet formed. Geologists' reckonings of the course of the Hudson River have placed it alternatively through the present course of the
Raritan River
Raritan River is a major river of New Jersey. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.
History
Geologists assert that the lower Raritan provided t ...
, south of the island, or through present-day
Flushing Bay
Flushing Bay is a tidal embayment in New York City. It is located on the south side of the East River and stretches to the south near the neighborhood of Flushing, Queens. It is bordered on the west by LaGuardia Airport and the Grand Central Park ...
and
Jamaica Bay.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, Richmond County has a total area of , of which is land and (43%) is water.
It is the third-smallest county in New York by land area and fourth-smallest by total area.
Although Staten Island is a borough of New York City, the island is
topographically and geologically a part of New Jersey. Staten Island is separated from Long Island by the Narrows and from mainland New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull. Staten Island is positioned at the center of
New York Bight
The New York Bight is the geological identification applied to a roughly triangular indentation, regarded as a bight, along the Atlantic coast of the United States that extends northeasterly from Cape May Inlet in New Jersey to Montauk Point on ...
, a sharp bend in the shoreline between New Jersey and Long Island. The region is considered vulnerable to sea-level rise. On October 29, 2012, the island experienced severe damage and loss of life along with the destruction of many homes during
Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...
.
In addition to the main island, the borough and county also include several small uninhabited islands:
*
The Isle of Meadows (at the mouth of
Fresh Kills)
*
Prall's Island
Prall's Island is an uninhabited island in the Arthur Kill between Staten Island, New York, and Linden, New Jersey, in the United States. The island is one of the minor islands that are part of the borough of Staten Island in New York City.
T ...
(in the
Arthur Kill)
*
Shooters Island
Shooters Island is a uninhabited island at the southern end of Newark Bay, off the North Shore of Staten Island in New York City. The boundary between the states of New York and New Jersey runs through the island, with a small portion on the ...
(in
Newark Bay; part of it is in New Jersey)
*
Swinburne Island (in
Lower New York Bay
Lower New York Bay is a section of New York Bay south of the Narrows (the strait between Staten Island and Brooklyn). The eastern end of the Bay is marked by two spits of land, Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and Rockaway, Queens. The waterway b ...
)
*
Hoffman Island
Hoffman Island is an artificial island in the Lower New York Bay, off the South Beach of Staten Island, New York City. A smaller, artificial island, Swinburne Island, lies immediately to the south. Created in 1873 upon the Orchard Shoal by the ...
(in Lower New York Bay)
The highest point on the island, the summit of
Todt Hill
Todt Hill ( ) is a hill formed of serpentine rock on Staten Island, New York. It is the highest natural point in the five boroughs of New York City and the highest elevation on the entire Atlantic coastal plain from Florida to Cape Cod. The summi ...
, elevation 410 ft (125 m), is also the highest point in the five boroughs, as well as the highest point on the
Atlantic coastal plain south of
Great Blue Hill
Great Blue Hill is a hill of 635 feet (194 m) located within the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, Randolph and Canton, Massachusetts, about south of downtown Boston. It is the highest point in Norfolk County and the Greater Boston area.
The ...
in
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
and the highest point on
the coast proper south of
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
's Camden Hills.
Ward's Point in the neighborhood of Tottenville is the southernmost point in the state of New York.
Staten Island is the only borough in New York City that does not share a land border with another borough (
Marble Hill in Manhattan is contiguous with the Bronx). The borough has a land border with
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
and
Bayonne, New Jersey, on uninhabited Shooters Island.
Wildlife
Staten Island is home to a large and diverse population of wildlife. Wildlife found on Staten Island include
white-tailed deer
The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...
(which have increased from a population of 24 in 2008 to 2,000 in 2017 due to a hunting ban and a lack of predators), as well as hundreds of species of birds including
bald eagles,
turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
,
hawks,
egret
Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build ...
s and
ring-necked pheasants. Staten Island is home to
Atlantic horseshoe crab
The Atlantic horseshoe crab (''Limulus polyphemus''), also known as the American horseshoe crab, is a species of marine and brackish chelicerate arthropod. Despite their name, horseshoe crabs are more closely related to spiders, ticks, and sco ...
s,
cottontail rabbit
Cottontail rabbits are the leporid species in the genus ''Sylvilagus'', found in the Americas. Most ''Sylvilagus'' species have stub tails with white undersides that show when they retreat, giving them their characteristic name. However, this ...
s,
opossums,
raccoon
The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
s,
garter snake
Garter snake is a common name for generally harmless, small to medium-sized snakes belonging to the genus ''Thamnophis'' in the family Colubridae. Native to North and Central America, species in the genus ''Thamnophis'' can be found from the ...
s,
red-eared slider
The red-eared slider or red-eared terrapin (''Trachemys scripta elegans'') is a subspecies of the pond slider (''Trachemys scripta''), a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States, ...
turtles,
newt
A newt is a salamander in the subfamily Pleurodelinae. The terrestrial juvenile phase is called an eft. Unlike other members of the family Salamandridae, newts are semiaquatic, alternating between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Not all aqua ...
s,
spring peeper
The spring peeper (''Pseudacris crucifer'') is a small chorus frog widespread throughout the eastern United States and Canada. They prefer permanent ponds due to their advantage in avoiding predation; however, they are very adaptable with respect ...
frogs,
leopard frog
Leopard frog is a generic name used to refer to various species in the true frog genus Lithobates. They all have similar coloration: brown or green with spots that form a leopard pattern. They are distinguished by their distribution and behavior ...
s,
fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
,
box turtle
Box turtle is the common name for several species of turtle. It may refer to those of the genus '' Cuora'' or '' Pyxidea'', which are the Asian box turtles, or more commonly to species of the genus '' Terrapene'', the North American box turtles. ...
s,
skunks ,
northern snapping turtles and common snapping turtles
Parkland
Staten Island includes thousands of acres of federal, state, and local park land, including the "greenbelt" and "blue belt" park systems and the
Gateway National Recreation Area
Gateway National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area in New York City and Monmouth County, New Jersey. It provides recreational opportunities that are not commonly found in a dense urban environment, including ocean swimming, bir ...
, in addition to hundreds of acres of private wooded areas. The National Park Service maintains full-time wildland firefighters to patrol Staten Island sites in wildfire brush trucks.
The parks on Staten Island are managed by various state, federal and local agencies.
Five sites are part of the
Gateway National Recreation Area
Gateway National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area in New York City and Monmouth County, New Jersey. It provides recreational opportunities that are not commonly found in a dense urban environment, including ocean swimming, bir ...
, managed by the U.S.
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...
and patrolled by the
United States Park Police
The United States Park Police (USPP) is one of the oldest uniformed federal law enforcement agencies in the United States. It functions as a full-service law enforcement agency with responsibilities and jurisdiction in those National Park Servic ...
:
*
Great Kills Park
Great Kills Park is a public park in Great Kills, Staten Island, New York City. Originally named Marine Park, it is a part of the Staten Island unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. Administered by the National Park Service, it covers an area ...
*
Miller Field
*
Fort Wadsworth
Fort Wadsworth is a former United States military installation on Staten Island in New York City, situated on The Narrows which divide New York Bay into Upper and Lower halves, a natural point for defense of the Upper Bay and Manhattan beyon ...
*
Hoffman Island
Hoffman Island is an artificial island in the Lower New York Bay, off the South Beach of Staten Island, New York City. A smaller, artificial island, Swinburne Island, lies immediately to the south. Created in 1873 upon the Orchard Shoal by the ...
*
Swinburne Island
Two New York State parks are managed by the
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation:
*
Mount Loretto Unique Area
*
Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve
Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve is state park located near the southwestern shore of Staten Island, New York. It is the only state park located on Staten Island.
History
The park was the site of extensive mining of white kaolin clay in th ...
New York State Park Police
The New York State Park Police (NYSPP), is the law enforcement agency of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Mission of the NYSPP
The New York State Park Police provides police services consistent with the O ...
officers patrol these parks and the surrounding streets.
of State Forests, state wildlife management areas and Wetlands are managed by the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation:
*Saint Francis Woodland
*Butler Manor Woods
*Arden Heights Woods
*Todt Hill Woods
*North Mount Loretto State Forest
*Lemon Creek Tidal Wetland Wildlife Management Area
*Blosers Wetland Wildlife Management Area
*Goethal Pond Wetland
*Bridge Creek Tidal Wetland
*Old Place Creek Tidal Wetland
*Oakwood Beach Wetland
*Sharrots Shoreline Natural Resource Area
*Sawmill Creek Wetland
The of NYS Department of Environmental Conservation land throughout the island are patrolled by
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police officers and one NYS DEC Forest Ranger, who has the dual task of law enforcement and fire suppression.
The
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also called the Parks Department or NYC Parks, is the department of the government of New York City responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecolog ...
manages 156 parks, including:
*
Conference House Park
Conference House Park is a park in Tottenville, Staten Island, New York City. The park is located along the Arthur Kill coast where the kill opens into Raritan Bay. It contains clay bluffs, part of the terminal moraine, formed when the Wisconsin ...
*
Willowbrook Park
*
Graniteville Quarry Park
*
Silver Lake Park
Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical co ...
*
Clove Lakes Park
The
Fresh Kills Landfill
The Fresh Kills Landfill was a landfill covering in the New York City borough of Staten Island in the United States. The name comes from the landfill's location along the banks of the Fresh Kills estuary in western Staten Island.
The landfil ...
was the world's largest
landfill before closing in 2001, although it was temporarily reopened that year to receive debris from the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
. The landfill is being redeveloped as
Freshkills Park
Freshkills Park is a public park being built atop a former landfill on Staten Island. At about , it will be the largest park developed in New York City since the 19th century. Its construction began in October 2008 and is slated to continue in p ...
, an area devoted to restoring habitat. The park will become New York City's second largest public park when completed.
Adjacent counties
New Jersey
*
Hudson County
Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...
— north and northeast
*
Union County — northwest
*
Middlesex County — west and southwest
*
Monmouth County — south
New York
*
Kings County — east
*
New York County
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
— northeast
Demographics
As of the 2018 Estimate, 22.2% of residents are foreign born. 11.9% of residents live below the poverty line, the lowest of the five boroughs. Average per capita income was $33,922, while median household income was $76,244. There are 181,199 housing units, with a 69.5% owner occupancy rate, the highest of the five boroughs, as well as a median value of $460,200. There are 166,150 households, with 2.82 persons per household.
At the 2010 Census, there were 468,730 people living in Staten Island, which is an increase of 5.6% since the 2000 Census.
Staten Island is the only New York City borough with a
non-Hispanic White majority. According to the 2010 Census, 64.0% of the population was non-Hispanic
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, down from 79% in 1990, 10.6%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.5% Asian, 0.2% from some other race (non-Hispanic) and 2.6% of two or more races. 17.3% of Staten Island's population was of
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or Latino origin (of any race).
In 2009, approximately 20.0% of the population was foreign born, and 1.8% of the populace was born in Puerto Rico, U.S. Island areas, or born abroad to American parents. Approximately 28.6% of the population over five years of age spoke a language other than English at home, and 27.3% of the population over twenty-five years of age had a bachelor's degree or higher.
According to the 2009
American Community Survey, the borough's population was 75.7% White (65.8% non-Hispanic White alone), 10.2% Black or African American (9.6% non-Hispanic Black or African American alone), 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 4.6% from Some other race, and 1.9% from Two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race made up 15.9% of the population.
According to the survey, the top ten European ancestries were the following:
*
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
: 33.7%
*
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
: 14.2%
*
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
: 5.7%
*
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
: 3.8%
*
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
: 3.4%
*
Albanian: 1.9%
*
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
: 1.6%
*
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
: 1.3%
*
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
: 1.0%
*
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
: 1.0%
The borough has the highest proportion of Italian Americans of any county in the United States. There is a significant
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
community mainly in the
Willowbrook area. Since the 2000 census, a large
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
community has been growing on Staten Island, particularly in the Rossville, South Beach, and Great Kills area. There is also a significant
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
community mainly in the South Beach and Midland Beach area and there is also a large
Sri Lankan community on Staten Island, concentrated mainly on Victory Boulevard on the northeastern tip of Staten Island towards St. George. The Little Sri Lanka in the
Tompkinsville neighborhood is one of the largest Sri Lankan communities outside of the country of
Sri Lanka. The island houses more Liberians than anywhere outside
Liberia, and has included three Liberian heads of state:
David D. Kpormakpor,
Ruth Perry, and
George Weah
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (; born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional footballer who is the incumbent president of Liberia, in office since 2018. Prior to his election to the presidency, Weah served as ...
. The borough is also home to a
Chinanteco
The Chinantec or Chinantecan languages constitute a branch of the Oto-Manguean languages, Oto-Manguean family. Though traditionally considered a single language, ''Ethnologue'' lists 14 partially mutual intelligibility, mutually unintelligible va ...
-speaking
Indigenous Mexican American
Indigenous Mexican Americans or Mexican American Indians are American citizens who are descended from the indigenous peoples of Mexico. Indigenous Mexican-Americans usually speak an Indigenous language as their first language and may not speak eit ...
community.
Most of the borough's
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
and
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
residents live north of the
Staten Island Expressway, or Interstate 278. In terms of religion, the borough's population is largely
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
, peaking near 60% in the 2000 census. The
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
community is slightly less numerous compared to other parts of the
New York Metropolitan Area
The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...
. There is a growing presence of
Egyptian
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
Copt
Copts ( cop, ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ; ar, الْقِبْط ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group indigenous to North Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt and Sudan since antiquity. Most ethnic Copts are Co ...
s, most of whom are members of the
Coptic Orthodox Church.
Per the 2009 American Community Survey, the median income for a household was $55,039, and the median income for a family was $64,333. Males had a median income of $50,081 versus $35,914 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the borough was $23,905. About 7.9% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
If each borough were ranked as a separate city, Staten Island would be the
44th most-populous in the United States.
Languages
, 70.39% (306,310) of Staten Island residents age 5 and older spoke only English at home, while 10.02% (43,587) spoke Spanish, 3.14% (13,665) Russian, 3.11% (13,542) Italian, 2.39% (10,412) Chinese, 1.81% (7,867)
other Indo-European languages, 1.38% (5,990) Arabic, 1.01% (4,390) Polish, 0.88% (3,812) Korean, 0.80% (3,500)
Tagalog, 0.76% (3,308) other Asian languages, 0.62% (2,717)
, 0.57% (2,479)
other Indic languages, and African languages were spoken as a
first language
A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongu ...
by 0.56% (2,458) of the population over the age of five. In total, 29.61% (128,827) of Staten Island's population age 5 and older spoke a first language other than English.
Government and politics
History
Since New York City's consolidation in 1898, Staten Island has been governed by the New York City Charter that provides for a "strong"
mayor-council system. The centralized New York City government is responsible for public education, correctional institutions, libraries, public safety, recreational facilities, sanitation, water supply, and welfare services on Staten Island.
The office of
Borough president was created in the consolidation of 1898 to balance centralization with local authority. Each borough president had a powerful administrative role derived from having a vote on the
New York City Board of Estimate
The New York City Board of Estimate was a governmental body in New York City responsible for numerous areas of municipal policy and decisions, including the city budget, land-use, contracts, franchises, and water rates. Under the amendments effec ...
, which was responsible for creating and approving the city's budget and proposals for land use.
The Office of Borough President became one focal point for opinions over the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
when former intelligence agent and peace activist
Ed Murphy ran for office in 1973, sponsored by the Staten Island Democratic Association. Murphy's combat veteran status deflected traditional right-wing attacks on liberals, and the campaign facilitated the emergence of more liberal politics on Staten Island. In ''
Board of Estimate of City of New York v. Morris'' (1989), the
Supreme Court of the United States declared the Board of Estimate unconstitutional on the grounds that Brooklyn, the most populous borough, had no greater effective representation on the board than Staten Island, the least populous borough, a violation of the
Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause pursuant to the high court's 1964 "one man, one vote" decision.
Since 1990 the Borough president has acted as an advocate for the borough at the mayoral agencies, the City Council, the New York state government, and corporations. Staten Island's Borough President is
Vito Fossella
Vito John Fossella Jr. (born March 9, 1965) is an American politician serving as the Staten Island Borough President since 2022. A member of the Republican Party, Fossella previously represented the state's 13th congressional district in the U ...
, a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
who was elected in November 2021. Fossella is the only Republican borough president in New York City.
Staten Island flag
The Staten Island flag uses its old borough seal as a flag.
Politics
Staten Island's politics differ considerably from the rest of New York City. While the other four boroughs tend to be strongly Democratic, Staten Island is considered the most conservative, and the only one where Republicans usually do well. Although in 2005 44.7% of the borough's registered voters were registered Democrats and 30.6% were registered Republicans, the Republican Party holds a majority of local public offices. Staten Island is the base of New York City's Republican Party in citywide elections.
The main political divide in the borough is demarcated by the Staten Island Expressway; areas north of the Expressway tend to be more liberal while the south tends to be more conservative. Local party platforms center on affordable housing, education and
law and order
In modern politics, law and order is the approach focusing on harsher enforcement and penalties as ways to reduce crime. Penalties for perpetrators of disorder may include longer terms of imprisonment, mandatory sentencing, three-strikes laws a ...
. Two out of Staten Island's three
New York City Council members are Republicans, including conservative commentator
Joe Borelli
Joseph Charles Borelli (born July 27, 1982) is an American politician and the New York City Council member for the 51st district and Minority Leader of the New York City Council. He is a Republican. The district encompasses much of Staten Is ...
.
In national elections, Staten Island is a Republican-leaning county. Staten Island has voted for a Democratic presidential nominee only four times since 1940: in 1964, 1996, 2000, and 2012. In the
2004 presidential election, Republican
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
received 56% of the vote in Staten Island, and Democrat
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...
received 43%. By contrast, Kerry outpolled Bush in New York City's other four boroughs by a cumulative margin of 77% to 22%. In the
2008 presidential election, Republican
John McCain won 52% of the vote in the borough to Democrat
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
's 48%. In
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
, the borough flipped and was won by incumbent Democrat Barack Obama, who took 51% of the vote to Republican
Mitt Romney's 48%. This made the borough one of the few parts of the country where Barack Obama gained as compared to 2008.
The Democratic Party's gains on the island in the 2010s proved ephemeral. In
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
, Republican
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
carried Staten Island by 15.1%, the largest margin of any presidential candidate since
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
. With 56.1% of the island-wide vote, Trump became the first ever presidential candidate to receive over 100,000 votes out of Staten Island. The borough stayed Republican on election day
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
, delivering 56.9%—a record of more than 123,000 votes—to reelect incumbent President Donald Trump.
In both elections, Staten Island was the only borough where Trump managed even 30 percent of the vote.
Each of the city's five counties (coterminous with each borough) has its own criminal court system and
District Attorney, the chief public prosecutor who is directly elected by popular vote.
Michael McMahon
Michael E. McMahon (born September 12, 1957) is an American politician and attorney serving as the District Attorney for Richmond County, which is coextensive with Staten Island. A member of the Democratic Party, McMahon is a former U.S. Repre ...
, a
Conservative Democrat, is the current District Attorney.
Staten Island has three City Council members, the smallest number among the five boroughs. As of 2019, the island's city council delegation comprises two Republicans and one Democrat.
The borough also has three administrative districts, each served by a local
Community Board. Community Boards are representative bodies that field complaints and serve as advocates for local residents. In the 2009 election for city offices, Staten Island elected its first black official,
Debi Rose
Deborah Rose is a New York City politician. She was the Council member for the 49th district of the New York City Council. She is a Democrat and was the first African American elected to higher office from Staten Island.
The district includes ...
, who defeated the incumbent Democrat in the North Shore city council seat in a primary and then went on to win the general election.
Staten Island lies entirely within
New York's 11th congressional district
New York's 11th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. The 11th district includes all of Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn, including the neighborhoods of B ...
, which also includes part of southwestern Brooklyn. It is currently represented by a Republican,
Nicole Malliotakis, who was elected in 2020. The 11th district had been represented by Democrat
Max Rose, until Malliotakis defeated him by 58% to 42%. She won within her native Staten Island by 59.3% of the island's vote to Rose's 40.5%.
Local politics
Staten Island representation in the
state assembly has two
Democrats and two
Republicans. The 62nd and 64th districts are represented by Republicans
Michael Reilly and
Michael Tannousis. The 62nd district encompasses most of the south shore of the island. Both the 61st and 63rd districts have elected Democrats,
Charles Fall
Charles Fall (born March 12, 1989) is a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 61st District since 2019. He is a Democrat. The district includes portions of the North Shore of Staten Island. The first Muslim elected to the ...
and
Michael J. Cusick. Staten Island is split between two
state Senate districts. Most of the island used to be represented by Republican
John J. Marchi, the longest-serving legislator in state history; but is now represented by Republican
Andrew Lanza
Andrew Joseph Lanza (born March 12, 1964) is an American lawyer and Republican politician. He currently serves as a member of the New York State Senate, representing the 24th district, which encompasses most of Staten Island. He was first elec ...
; while the North Shore belongs to the Brooklyn-based district of Democrat
Diane Savino
Diane J. Savino (born September 28, 1963) is an American Democratic politician who represented the 23rd Senate District in the New York State Senate, in northern Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn, including Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, ...
. In 2018,
Matthew Titone
Matthew J. Titone (born January 24, 1961) is an American politician and lawyer from Staten Island, New York. A Democrat, he served as a member of the New York State Assembly from the 61st District, on Staten Island's North Shore from April 1, ...
, a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
who at the time was a member of the
New York State Assembly for the 61st District, was elected Surrogate Judge for Richmond County, which covers all of Staten Island. He was succeeded by
Charles Fall
Charles Fall (born March 12, 1989) is a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 61st District since 2019. He is a Democrat. The district includes portions of the North Shore of Staten Island. The first Muslim elected to the ...
, also a Democrat, and the first African American elected to the Assembly from Staten Island.
Until 2009, Staten Island was included with Brooklyn as part of New York State's 2nd Judicial District. In that year, Staten Island secured Judicial Independence when a new law was signed, creating New York's 13th Judicial District. Since 2009, Staten Island voters have had the opportunity to elect 5 Justices to the New York State Supreme Court.
In New York City mayoral elections, Staten Island has traditionally been reliably Republican, having last voted Democratic for incumbent mayor
Ed Koch
Edward Irving Koch ( ; December 12, 1924February 1, 2013) was an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, film critic, and television personality. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and was ma ...
in
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
. Staten Island's high Republican turnout is considered one of the major factors that helped
Rudy Giuliani win in
1993
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...
against incumbent Democratic mayor
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins (July 10, 1927 – November 23, 2020) was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993. He was the first African American to hold the office.
Before enteri ...
, and also
Michael Bloomberg in
2001 against
Mark J. Green
Mark Joseph Green (born March 15, 1945) is an American author, former public official, public interest lawyer, and Democratic politician from New York City. Green was New York City Consumer Affairs Commissioner from 1990 to 1993 and New York Ci ...
.
Secession from New York City
Secession from New York City has been a long time hot button issue on Staten Island. The "Greater City" exists as a result of actions of the
New York State Legislature
The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an officia ...
, and, as such, could be reduced in size by the same mechanism. A non-binding
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
was held in 1993 to consider whether it should be allowed to secede from the City. The New York City government and Mayor
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins (July 10, 1927 – November 23, 2020) was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993. He was the first African American to hold the office.
Before enteri ...
opposed the vote, contending that the referendum should not be permitted by the state unless the city issued a
home rule
Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wit ...
message supporting it, which the city would not.
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo (, ; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party, Cuomo previously served as ...
disagreed, and the vote went forward. Ultimately, 65% of Staten Island residents voted to secede, through the approval of a new city
charter making Staten Island an independent
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
, but implementation was blocked in the
State Assembly.
The Staten Island secession movement was defused by the election of Rudy Giuliani as New York City mayor on the same ballot. He had campaigned on the promise that Staten Island's grievances would be addressed. Giuliani's plurality in his narrow victory over Dinkins was aided by overwhelming support from Staten Island. Two of the borough's biggest demands were closing the
Fresh Kills Landfill
The Fresh Kills Landfill was a landfill covering in the New York City borough of Staten Island in the United States. The name comes from the landfill's location along the banks of the Fresh Kills estuary in western Staten Island.
The landfil ...
and making the
Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry route operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. The ferry's single route runs through New York Harbor between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island, with ferry ...
free, both of which were done. However, after the election of
Bill de Blasio as Mayor in 2013 and the success of the
Brexit
Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC ...
vote in the United Kingdom in 2016, interest in secession was revived. In 2019, New York City councilman Joe Borelli announced his plan to introduce another set of bills to study the feasibility of secession.
Tourism
In 2009, Borough president
James Molinaro started a program to increase tourism on Staten Island. This program included a new website, a "Staten Island Attractions" video that is aired in both the Staten Island and the Manhattan Whitehall ferry terminals, as well as informational kiosks at the terminals, which supply printed information on Staten Island attractions, entertainment and restaurants.
Empire Outlets
Empire Outlets New York City is a retail complex in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island in New York City. Construction on Empire Outlets started in 2015, and the complex opened on May 15, 2019. Tentative plans called for 100 stores, bu ...
New York City, is a retail complex constructed in the
St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. Empire Outlets features 100 designer outlets. It is the first
outlet mall
An outlet store, factory outlet or factory shop is a brick and mortar or online store in which manufacturers sell their stock directly to the public. Traditionally, a factory outlet was a store attached to a factory or warehouse, sometimes allowin ...
in New York City. The mall is located next to the
St. George Terminal, a major ferry, train, and bus hub.
Staten Island's Arts District is located in the North Shore region with many locations to see music and experience art. The Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanic Gardens (1000 Richmond Terrace) is home to The Staten Island Museum, The Staten Island Children's Museum, Heritage Farm, The Newhouse Gallery, The Chinese Scholar's Garden and the Great Hall. The St. George Theater is a historic landmark seated theater within walking distance from the ferry and it hosts many touring music artists. ArtSpace located at Navy Pier Court is run by the local arts council with revolving exhibits by local artists. Staten Island's only community radio station, Maker Park Radio, is located in the Stapleton neighborhood of Staten Island. The Alice Austin House is a historic landmark and photography gallery with a view of Manhattan. Although Staten Island lacks venues one can see many live music artists at local restaurants and spaces such as Flagship Brewery and Taproom, O'Henry's, The Hop Shoppe, Seppe Pizza Bar, The Burrito Bar, Adobe Blues and Hub17 on most weekends. For theater there is the Staten Island Shakesperean Theater, Illuminart Productions, Hemlock Theater, Sundog Theater, The Arts Center at the College of Staten Island, Seaview Playwrights Theater and The Little Victory Theater.
Staten Island is known as the borough of parks because of its numerous parks. Some well known parks are Clove Lakes, Silver Lake, Greenbelt and High Rock. Moses Mountain, a hill known for its view of the borough, is the location where
Robert Moses wanted to build the
Richmond Parkway before protests defeated this arrangement. It is now a key point of Staten Island for tourists.
Culture
Local support for the arts
Artists and musicians have been moving to Staten Island's North Shore so they can be in close proximity to Manhattan but also have enough affordable space to live and work.
Filmmakers, most of whom work independently, also play an important part in Staten Island's art scene, which has been recognized by the local government. Staten Island Arts (formerly The Council on the Arts and Humanities for Staten Island) is Staten Island's local arts council and helps support local artists and cultural organizations with regrants, workshops, folklife and arts-in-education programs, and advocacy. Conceived by the
Staten Island Economic Development Corporation
Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves as a lead advocate for economic development of Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York Cit ...
to introduce independent and international films to a broad and diverse audience, the Staten Island Film Festival (SIFF) held its first four-day festival in 2006.
Attractions
Historic Richmond Town
Historic Richmond Town is an authentic town and farm museum complex in the neighborhood of Richmondtown, Staten Island, in New York City. It is located near the geographical center of the island, at the junction of Richmond Road and Arthur Kill R ...
is New York City's living history village and museum complex. Visitors can explore the diversity of the American experience, especially that of Staten Island and its neighboring communities, from the colonial period to the present. The village area occupies of a site with about 15 restored buildings, including homes, commercial and civic buildings, and a museum.
The island is home to the
Staten Island Zoo. Zoo construction commenced in 1933 as part of the Federal Government's works program on an eight-acre (three-hectare) estate willed to New York City. It was opened on June 10, 1936, the first zoo in the U.S. specifically devoted to an educational mandate. In the late 1960s, the zoo maintained the most complete
rattlesnake collection in the world with 39 varieties.
Museums
Snug Harbor Cultural Center
Sailors' Snug Harbor, also known as Sailors Snug Harbor and informally as Snug Harbor, is a collection of architecturally significant 19th-century buildings on Staten Island, New York City. The buildings are set in an park along the Kill Van ...
, the
Alice Austen
Elizabeth Alice Austen (March 17, 1866 – June 9, 1952) was an American photographer working in Staten Island.
Biography
Alice Austen was born in 1866 to Alice Cornell Austen and Edward Stopford Munn. Austen's father abandoned the famil ...
House Museum, the
Conference House
Conference House (also known as Billop House) is a stone house in Tottenville, Staten Island, New York City built by Captain Christopher Billopp some time before 1680. It is located in Conference House Park near Ward's Point, the southernmost ...
, the
Garibaldi–Meucci Museum,
Historic Richmond Town
Historic Richmond Town is an authentic town and farm museum complex in the neighborhood of Richmondtown, Staten Island, in New York City. It is located near the geographical center of the island, at the junction of Richmond Road and Arthur Kill R ...
,
Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, the Noble Maritime Collection, Sandy Ground Historical Museum,
Staten Island Children's Museum, the
Staten Island Museum
Staten Island Museum (officially the Staten Island Institute of Arts & Sciences) is Staten Island’s oldest cultural institution, and the only remaining general interest museum in New York City.
Founded in 1881 by fourteen of New York City’s ...
, and the
Staten Island Botanical Garden, home of the
New York Chinese Scholar's Garden
The New York Chinese Scholar's Garden () is part of the Staten Island Botanical Garden, located in the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. Materials were shipped to Staten Island in the spring of 1998, when a team of 40 Chinese artists and artisans from ...
, can all be found on the island.
The
National Lighthouse Museum recently undertook a major fundraising project and opened in 2012, and the
Staten Island Museum
Staten Island Museum (officially the Staten Island Institute of Arts & Sciences) is Staten Island’s oldest cultural institution, and the only remaining general interest museum in New York City.
Founded in 1881 by fourteen of New York City’s ...
(art, science, and history) plans to open a new branch in Snug Harbor by 2014.
The Seguine Mansion, also known as The Seguine-Burke Mansion, is located on
Lemon Creek near the southern shore of Staten Island. The
Greek Revival
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but a ...
house is one of the few surviving examples of 19th century life on Staten Island. It is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
and is a member of the
Historic House Trust
The Historic House Trust of New York City was formed in 1989 as a public-private partnership with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to preserve the historic houses located within New York City parks, although most of the houses ...
. It is an underappreciated attraction, harboring peacocks and an equestrian center.
Newspapers
Staten Island's local paper is ''
The Staten Island Advance''. The paper also has an affiliated website called .
In culture
Film
Movies filmed partially or wholly on Staten Island include:
*''
The King of Staten Island
''The King of Staten Island'' is a 2020 American comedy-drama film directed by Judd Apatow, from a screenplay by Apatow, Pete Davidson, and Dave Sirus. It stars Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Bel Powley, Maude Apatow, and Steve Buscemi ...
''
*''
Analyze This
''Analyze This'' is a 1999 American mafia comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, who co-wrote the screenplay with playwright Kenneth Lonergan, and Peter Tolan. The plot follows a crisis-stricken mafioso (Robert De Niro) who solicits the assi ...
''
*''
The Astronaut's Wife
''The Astronaut's Wife'' is a 1999 American science fiction thriller film directed and written by Rand Ravich. It stars Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron.
The film was released on August 27, 1999. It received negative reviews from critics and was ...
''
*''
A Beautiful Mind''
*''
Bad Hurt
''Bad Hurt'' is a 2015 American film directed by Mark Kemble. It stars Theo Rossi, Karen Allen and Johnny Whitworth. The film is based on the play ''Badhurt on Cedar Street''.
Plot
A Staten Island family cares for their Iraq veteran son with PT ...
''
*''
Big Daddy''
*''
Big Fan''
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Cropsey''
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Combat Shock
''Combat Shock'' is a 1986 exploitation war drama film written, produced, and directed by Buddy Giovinazzo and starring his brother Rick Giovinazzo in the lead role. The film was distributed by Troma Entertainment.
The plot of the film takes ...
''
*''
The Devil's Own
''The Devil's Own'' is a 1997 American action thriller film starring Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt, with Rubén Blades, Natascha McElhone, Julia Stiles, Margaret Colin, and Treat Williams in supporting roles. It was the final film directed by ...
''
*''
Donnie Brasco''
*''
Easy Money''
*''
The First Purge
''The First Purge'' is a 2018 American dystopian action horror film directed by Gerard McMurray and starring Y'lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade, and Steve Harris. Written and co-executive produced by James DeMonaco, it is the first film of ...
''
*''
Freedomland''
*''
Fur
Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket t ...
''
*''
The Godfather
''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caa ...
''
*''
Goodfellas
''Goodfellas'' (stylized ''GoodFellas'') is a 1990 American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and produced by Irwin Winkler. It is a film adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book '' W ...
''
*''
Grace Quigley ''
*''
He Knows You're Alone
''He Knows You're Alone'' is a 1980 American slasher film directed by Armand Mastroianni, written by Scott Parker, and starring Caitlin O'Heaney, Don Scardino, Elizabeth Kemp, Tom Rolfing, and Tom Hanks in his feature film debut. The plot follo ...
''
*''
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
''How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days'' is a 2003 romantic comedy film directed by Donald Petrie, starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. It is based on the picture book of the same name by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. The book has no narrat ...
''
*''
The Irishman
''The Irishman'' (subtitled onscreen as ''I Heard You Paint Houses'') is a 2019 American epic gangster film directed and produced by Martin Scorsese and written by Steven Zaillian, based on the 2004 nonfiction book ''I Heard You Paint Hou ...
''
*''
The Jimmy Show
''The Jimmy Show'' is a 2001 drama written and directed by Frank Whaley, based on the Off-Broadway play ''Veins and Thumbtacks'' by Jonathan Marc Sherman. The film stars Whaley, Carla Gugino, and Ethan Hawke. The film premiered at the 2001 Toront ...
''
*''
Joe the King''
*''
Little Children''
*''
Neighbors''
*''
Nerve''
*''
The Other Guys
''The Other Guys'' is a 2010 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Adam McKay, who co-wrote it with Chris Henchy. It stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg with Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Samuel L. J ...
''
*''
The Kindergarten Teacher''
*''
The Perils of Pauline (1914 serial)''
*''
Scent of a Woman''
*''
School of Rock''
*''
Shamus''
*''
Stairwell: Trapped in the World Trade Center''
*''
Sisters
A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...
''
*''
Sorry, Wrong Number
''Sorry, Wrong Number'' is a 1948 American thriller film noir directed by Anatole Litvak, from a screenplay by Lucille Fletcher, based on her 1943 radio play of the same name. The film stars Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster. It follows a ...
''
*''
Splendor in the Grass
''Splendor in the Grass'' is a 1961 American period drama film produced and directed by Elia Kazan, from a screenplay written by William Inge. It stars Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty (in his film debut) as two high school sweethearts, naviga ...
''
*''
Staten Island''
*''
Staten Island Summer
''Staten Island Summer'' is a 2015 American comedy film directed by Rhys Thomas, written by Colin Jost and starring Graham Phillips, Zack Pearlman, John DeLuca, Bobby Moynihan, Will Forte, Fred Armisen, Cecily Strong, Owen Benjamin and Ashley ...
''
*''
The Toxic Avenger''
*''
Three Christs''
*''
Trainwreck''
*''
Two Family House
''Two Family House'' is a 2000 American film produced by Alan Klingenstein, based on the story of the uncle of the film's writer and director Raymond De Felitta (''Café Society'').War of the Worlds
''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appearance in hardcover was i ...
''
*''
Wedding Daze
''Wedding Daze'' (also known as ''The Pleasure of Your Company'' and ''The Next Girl I See'') is a 2006 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Michael Ian Black and starring Jason Biggs and Isla Fisher.
Plot
Against the advice ...
''
*''
What We Do in the Shadows (TV series)
''What We Do in the Shadows'' is an American mockumentary comedy horror television series created by Jemaine Clement that premiered March 27, 2019, on FX. The second television series in the franchise based on the 2014 New Zealand film of th ...
''
*''Who's That Knocking at My Door''
*''Working Girl''
*''Wu-Tang Clan: The American Saga''
Literature
World War One poet Alan Seeger, who fought with the French Foreign Legion and was killed in the Battle of the Somme and author of
I Have a Rendezvous with Death' grew up at St. Marks Place above the ferry stop on Staten Island in the last decade of the 19th century. His poem
The Old Lowe House' described property that would become Low Terrace, St. George.
Ki Longfellow was born on the island. Longfellow is the author of ''The Secret Magdalene'' and other books. Her Sam Russo Historical mystery, historical detective Noir fiction, noir novels are based in and around
Stapleton.
Lois Lowry, the author of ''The Gossamer'', ''The Giver'', and many other books, attended school on Staten Island.
Writer Paul Zindel lived in Staten Island during his youth and based most of his teenage novels in the island.
George R. R. Martin based World of A Song of Ice and Fire#King's Landing, King's Landing on the view of Staten Island from his childhood home in
Bayonne, New Jersey.
Music
Staten Island also has a local music scene. These venues in the North Shore are part of the art movement mentioned above. Local bands include many punk, ska, hardcore punk, indie, metal, and pop punk bands. Staten Island is known internationally for its hip hop culture from the critically acclaimed Wu-Tang Clan.
Musicians who were born or reside on Staten Island and groups that formed on Staten Island are found at List of people from Staten Island.
Television
The Charter Spectrum, Spectrum cable news channel NY1 airs a weekly show called ''This Week on Staten Island'', hosted by Anthony Pascale. The magazine-style show takes content from NY1's hourly newscasts called "Your Staten Island News Now".
A documentary series, ''A Walk Around Staten Island with David Hartman (TV personality), David Hartman and Barry Lewis'', premiered on Public broadcasting, public television station WNET on December 3, 2007. The hosts profile Staten Island culture and history, including major attractions such as the
Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry route operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. The ferry's single route runs through New York Harbor between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island, with ferry ...
, Historic Richmond Town, Historic Richmondtown, the
Conference House
Conference House (also known as Billop House) is a stone house in Tottenville, Staten Island, New York City built by Captain Christopher Billopp some time before 1680. It is located in Conference House Park near Ward's Point, the southernmost ...
,
Snug Harbor Cultural Center
Sailors' Snug Harbor, also known as Sailors Snug Harbor and informally as Snug Harbor, is a collection of architecturally significant 19th-century buildings on Staten Island, New York City. The buildings are set in an park along the Kill Van ...
and its Chinese Scholars Garden, and many more sites.
The Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox and The WB, WB sitcom ''Grounded for Life'' (2001–2005) was centered on a family of Irish heritage living on Staten Island.
All four cast members of truTV hidden camera reality TV show ''Impractical Jokers'' (2011–) hail from Staten Island. Joe Gatto (comedian), Joe Gatto, James "Murr" Murray, Brian "Q" Quinn, and Sal Vulcano are four friends who originally met while attending Monsignor Farrell High School, where they formed the improv comedy troupe The Tenderloins. ''Impractical Jokers'' features many references to Staten Island and filming often takes place in the borough.
The FX (TV channel), FX comedy horror series What We Do in the Shadows (TV series), ''What We Do in the Shadows'' (2019–) is centered on a group of vampires who live on Staten Island. The fact that they live on Staten Island and not more centrally in New York City is a common joke within the series, and their attempts to take over the entire borough have resulted in control of only five houses, according to the group.
Theater
The St. George Theatre serves as a cultural arts center, hosting educational programs, architectural tours, television and film shoots, concerts, comedy, Broadway theatre, Broadway touring companies, and small and large children's shows. Artists who have performed there include the B-52's, Jonas Brothers, Tony Bennett, and Don McLean. In 2012, the NBC musical drama ''Smash (TV series), Smash'' series filmed several scenes there.
The Ritz Theater in Port Richmond, Staten Island, Port Richmond, a movie theater and vaudeville venue now a home-improvement showroom, once hosted the biggest names in rock and roll and show business. The theater was built by Isle Theatrical and opened in 1924.
From 1970 to 1972, the theater had an arrangement with a
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
club that enabled them to bring top names, many of whom are now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to the location.
The Stadium Theatre was a 1,037-seat movie theater in
Tottenville from 1927 to 1957. In January 1969 it re-opened as the New Stadium Theatre and was a rock-music venue, but by the 1970s it had become the site of a roller rink.
The Lane Theater in
New Dorp
New Dorp is a neighborhood on the East Shore of Staten Island, New York City, United States. New Dorp is bounded by Mill Road on the southeast, Tysens Lane on the southwest, Amboy and Richmond Roads on the northwest, and Bancroft Avenue on the n ...
opened on February 10, 1938, and was operated by Charles, Lewis and Elias Moses.
[ The theater's interior has been List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Staten Island, landmarked since November 1988. Starting in 1998, several concerts were hosted; and the theater briefly hosted "The EleMent" nightclub in 2001. After renovations were completed in summer 2009, Uncle Vinnie's Comedy Club opened there, operating until 2011. In 2012 the building became the home of the Crossroads Church.
]
Sports
Baseball
The Staten Island Yankees played in the New York–Penn League from 1999 to 2020; the team was a Class-A Minor League affiliate of the New York Yankees before being eliminated during the restructuring of Minor League Baseball. The Yankees have stated they hope to assist in creating a new team for Staten Island in the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, Atlantic League.
The New York Metropolitans of the American Association (19th century), American Association played baseball on Staten Island from April 1886 through 1887. Erastus Wiman, the developer of St. George, brought the team to Staten Island at a stadium called the St. George Cricket Grounds, St. George Grounds, near the site of the present-day Staten Island Yankees' Richmond County Bank Ballpark and the Staten Island Ferry terminal.
Staten Island's Mid-Island Little League won the 1964 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Three Mid-Island Little League teams and six overall from Staten Island have reached the tournament since it started in 1947. Staten Island Little League was the island's first Little League. Its "founding fathers"; Buddy Cusack, Jiggs Seaman, John Marino, Joe Darcy Sr., Joe "Babe" Darcy Jr., Ed Elliott, and Jim Darcy, built Hy Turkin Field (and additional fields) in Dongan Hills, Staten Island, Dongan Hills and have been inducted as a group into the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame.
Basketball
In 2015, the ''New York Post'' listed Staten Island's all-time basketball team as: Warren Fenley, Kyle McAlarney, Bill Murtha, Kevin O'Connor (basketball), Kevin O’Connor, Kenny Page. As of 2014, McAlarney was Staten Island's all-time high-school boys' scoring leader with 2,566 points.
Bowling
Staten Island has been home to a number of national champions and world-class bowlers, including Mark Roth, Johnny Petraglia, Mary Ontek, Ben McNevich, Dom LaBargo, and Joseph Berardi. Roth, Petraglia and Berardi are in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Hall of Fame.
Boxing
The New York Golden Gloves, Daily News Golden Gloves Tournament started in 1927. It is believed that Eppie Alonzo, who lived and trained at the Mount Loretto Home for Boys, is the first Staten Islander to win a Daily News Golden Gloves championship. Alonzo won his division in 1949 and again in 1950. Other Staten Islanders who have won a Daily News Golden Gloves championship include: Gabe Perillo Jr. (1974), Kevin Rooney (boxer), Kevin Rooney (1975), Al Tobe (1975), Johnny Verderosa (1975, 1976), Gary Stark Jr. (2000, 2001, 2002), Amanda Walsh (2008), Nafisa Umarova (2012), Chad Trabuscio (2012), Anthony Caramanno (2008, 2010, 2012).
College athletics
The Wagner College Wagner Seahawks, Seahawks participate in NCAA Division I athletics and are a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC). National Basketball Association (NBA) coach P. J. Carlesimo coached the Wagner Seahawks men's basketball, men's basketball team from 1976 to 1982. Terrance Bailey led List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season scoring leaders, NCAA Division I basketball in scoring as a junior in 1985–86. Rich Kotite, a former NFL player and coach, played tight end on Wagner's football team in the 1960s.
The College of Staten Island Dolphins participate in NCAA Division II athletics. The College of Staten Island Baseball Complex was the home of the Staten Island Yankees until 2001.
Cricket
The Staten Island Cricket Club, founded in 1872, is the oldest continuously operating cricket club in the United States.
Football
Staten Island had a National Football League (NFL) team, the Staten Island Stapletons, Stapletons, also known as the Stapes. The team was based in Stapleton at Thompson Stadium (Staten Island), Thompson Stadium, located on the current site of New York City Department of Education, Berta A. Dreyfus Intermediate School 49 and the Stapleton Houses. They played in the league from 1929 to 1932, defeating the New York Giants twice and the History of the Chicago Cardinals, Chicago Cardinals once. During the 1932 NFL season, the Stapletons, last in the NFL, played the eventual season champion Chicago Bears to a scoreless tie. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Football Hall of Famer Ken Strong played for the Stapletons.
The following NFL players were born on Staten Island: Joe Andruzzi (1998–2006), Frank Ferrara (2001–2003), James Jenkins (American football), James Jenkins (1991–2000), David Richards (American football), David Richards (1988–1996), 1960 New York Titans season#Roster, Joseph Ryan (1960), Lewis Sanders (2000–2007), Mike Siani (1972–1980), Frank Umont (1944–1948, then MLB umpire 1954–1973). NFL coaches Kevin Coyle and Lou Anarumo were also born on Staten Island.
The New York Predators of the semi-pro Regional American Football League have called Staten Island home since their inception in 1998. Owned by Bill Simo, they play most home games at St. Peter's H.S.
Golf
Staten Island has four golf courses. La Tourette Golf Course, La Tourette, Silver Lake, and South Shore are public, while Richmond County Country Club is the only private country club in New York City. The New York City Amateur is conducted annually at La Tourette Golf Course by the Staten Island Golf Association.
By some estimates, Staten Island has been the site of nearly a dozen golf courses.
*Harbour Hills Golf Links near Brighton, Lafayette, and Prospect Avenue in New Brighton, Staten Island, New Brighton opened in 1878 and is said to have conducted the island's first golf tournaments. In 1898, the club opened a new clubhouse opposite the Brighton Heights Inn along Castleton Avenue. In 1904, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac reported that the club had 250 members and had been officially incorporated in 1896. Today most of the property is known as Goodhue Park and Allison Pond Park.
*Clovena Club was in the vicinity of Clove Road and Victory Boulevard in 1897.
*Staten Island Cricket Club, Staten Island Cricket and Base Ball Club had a course in Livingston, Staten Island, Livingston and was a Charter member of the Metropolitan Golf Association. Besides the "baseball" name, it is also seen in journals at the time as Staten Island Country Club and Staten Island Cricket Club. As with other clubs making the transition from cricket to golf, the organization completed planning for what would become the Fox Hills Golf Course by identifying the site and hiring an architect, but abandoned golf in 1899.
*Fox Hills Golf Course was one of the island's first true 18-hole courses. It opened in 1900 with over 200 members and had nearly 275 members by 1904. Fox Hills was semi-private, and attracted players from around the New York metropolitan area to its location in Clifton off Vanderbilt Avenue and Targee Street, where its clubhouse was one of the largest in the country. Prolific golf architect Tom Bendelow was selected to develop the course's original layout. Fox Hills's head professional, Scotsman Isaac Mackie, worked with Walter Travis in 1906 to revamp the golf course, and in 1928 Donald Ross (golfer), Donald Ross made additional changes. Mackie played in at least 12 U.S. Open (golf), U.S. Opens from 1901 to 1921, and won the Eastern PGA Championship in 1908 at Fox Hills. From 1899 through 1926 the Staten Island Amateur was played annually at either Fox Hills or Richmond County Country Club. Like many private golf courses of that era, the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depression, as well as the growing number of public courses, contributed to the end of the club and Fox Hills closed in 1935.
*Tysen Manor Golf Course, which was located on site between Hylan Boulevard, Mill Road, New Dorp Lane, and Tysens Lane, was in existence from 1928 until 1936. The course was operated by Henry H. Nutt. Tavern on the Green, a restaurant that closed in 1976, was originally the golf course's clubhouse, near the location of the current post office on Hylan Boulevard.
*Mayflower Country Club's golf course, designed by Devereux Emmet with Alfred H. Tull, was built on a tract in Huguenot, Staten Island, Huguenot in 1928. The club had designs for sporting facilities that included an indoor swimming pool and tennis courts, but member funding dried up once the Wall Street Crash of 1929, stock market crashed in 1929. Regardless, Frank B. Sterner & Co. built the country club's clubhouse for $200,000 in 1930, and the first annual club championship was conducted in September 1931. New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
took over the site in 1966 and opened South Shore Golf Course in 1967.
*Willowbrook State School Golf Course was a 9-hole layout on Forest Hill Road that opened in May 1945 and closed in the 1960s. The Metropolitan section of the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) funded construction of the golf course at Willowbrook State School, Halloran General Hospital in support of the United States Army, U.S. Army and the war effort. Robert Trent Jones, Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed a layout that consisted of all par-3s on . Jones modeled the holes on what he thought were the great par-3s of the world and the unique course opened with complimentary reviews.
Bill Britton, a tournament winner on the PGA Tour, and Jim Albus, a multiple winner on the PGA Tour Champions, learned the game on Staten Island. Both won the prestigious Metropolitan Open. Albus was the head professional at La Tourette and a winner of the Senior Players Championship. Carolyn Cudone, raised on Staten Island, won a record five straight United States Senior Women's Amateur Golf Championship, U.S. Senior Women's Amateur championships between 1968 and 1972, the most wins in a row by an individual in any United States Golf Association (USGA) championship. Frank Esposito, who learned the game on Staten Island, won the 2014 PGA Tour Champions National Qualifying Tournament. Sean Kelly, a regular golfer at Silver Lake Golf Course, took medalist honors at both the First and Second Stage of the 2018 Korn Ferry Tour, Web.com Tour Qualifying school, Qualifying Tournament.
Frank Hannigan was the USGA Executive Director and a TV golf analyst for ABC. He wrote for the ''Staten Island Advance'' as a golf columnist and was influential in bringing the US Open to Shinnecock Hills and Bethpage State Park, and promoted the creation of the New York City Amateur. Staten Island native Joe Moresco was President of the Metropolitan section of the PGA in 1969 and 1970, was the Section's Professional of the Year in 1971 and is a member of the PGA Metropolitan Section Hall of Fame, along with Jim Albus.
Ice hockey
The following National Hockey League (NHL) players were born on Staten Island: Nick Fotiu, Kevin Labanc, Zach Aston-Reese, Joe Gambardella.
Motor sports
From 1953 until 1972 Stock car racing, stock car races were held weekly from May until October at a 1/5th-mile asphalt racetrack on Staten Island. The local dairy, owned by the Weissglass family, financed promoter Gabe Rispoli with $700 so he could make improvements to an existing sporting facility that became known as Weissglass Stadium.
There was a controversial plan by the International Speedway, International Speedway Corporation (ISC) to build an 82,000-seat race track on the island that would host National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) races by 2010. The ISC abandoned the plan in 2006 citing financial concerns, and sold the parcel in 2013.
Olympians
The following Islanders have qualified to participate in the Olympic Games:
*John Henry Lake (Cycling at the 1900 Summer Olympics, 1900: Cycling, Bronze medal winner)
*Abel Kiviat (Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metres, 1912: Athletics – 1500 Meters, Silver medal winner); World record holder
*Frankie Genaro (Boxing at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Flyweight, 1920: Boxing – Flyweight, Gold medal winner)
*Carl Borack (Fencing at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's team foil, 1972: Fencing – Men's team foil)
*Marilyn King (Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Women's pentathlon, 1972: Athletics – Pentathlon; Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Women's pentathlon, 1976: Athletics – Pentathlon; Athletics at the 1980 Summer Olympics – Women's pentathlon, 1980: Athletics – Pentathlon)
*Bill Jankunis (Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Men's high jump, 1976: Athletics – High Jump)
*Ray Rudolph (Handball at the 1980 Summer Olympics, 1980: Handball)
*Dominick Minicucci (Gymnastics at the 1988 Summer Olympics, 1988: Gymnastics; Gymnastics at the 1992 Summer Olympics, 1992: Gymnastics)
*Robert Pipkins (Luge at the 1992 Winter Olympics, 1992: Luge; Luge at the 1994 Winter Olympics, 1994: Luge)
*Silvia Fontana (Figure skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics, 2002: Figure skating, Figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics, 2006: Figure skating)
*Marcus Browne (Boxing at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's light heavyweight, 2012: Boxing – Light Heavyweight)
*Gary di Silvestri (Cross-country skiing at the 2014 Winter Olympics – Men's 15 kilometre classical, 2014: Cross-Country Skiing – 15 kilometre classical)
*Robby Andrews (Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metres, 2016: Athletics – 1500 Meters)
*Krystal Lara (Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre backstroke, 2020: Swimming – 100 metre backstroke; Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's 200 metre backstroke, Swimming - 200 metre backstroke)
Elmer Ripley, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Basketball Hall of Fame and Staten Island native, coached the Olympic basketball teams for Israel (1956) and Canada (1960).
Running
The New York City Marathon is a foot race run over a course through the five boroughs of New York City. The marathon starts each year on Staten Island.
The Ocean Breeze Track and Field Athletic Complex is a state-of-the-art indoor track and field facility in Ocean Breeze Park that is part of the South Beach, Staten Island, South Beach section of Staten Island. On November 19, 2015 the complex became the first facility in the United States to be recognized as a certified World Athletics, International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) facility. A project under Mayor Bloomberg's Design Excellence initiative, the athletic complex was designed as part of the PlaNYC 110-acre Ocean Breeze regional park. The project, launched in 2007, encountered several delays, including a four-month setback due to Hurricane Sandy that exposed the vulnerability of generators, transformers, and electronic control rooms all of which had to be raised to avoid storm-surge flooding.
Tennis
Tennis is said to have made its United States debut on Staten Island. The first American National championship was played at the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club (now known as the Staten Island Cricket Club) in September 1880. Tennis was introduced in Staten Island by Mary Ewing Outerbridge.
Robert Wrenn, Robert "Bob" Duffield Wrenn four-time US Open (tennis), U.S. singles championship winner, and one of the first inductees in the International Tennis Hall of Fame was a tennis member at Richmond County Country Club. His brother George Wrenn and friend Arthur E. Foote were also members.
Education
Public schools
Non-charter public schools in the borough are managed by the New York City Department of Education, the largest public school system in the United States.
Public middle schools include Intermediate Schools 2, Elias Bernstein Intermediate School, 7, 24, 27, 30, Totten Intermediate School 34, 34, New York City Department of Education, 49, 51, 61, The Police Officer Rocco Laurie Intermediate School, 72 and 75; and 861, a K–to–8 school; as well as part of the Michael J. Petrides School, Petrides School (which runs from kindergarten through High school (North America), high school).
Public high schools include:
* College of Staten Island High School for International Studies
* Curtis High School
* Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School
* New Dorp High School
*Michael J. Petrides School, Petrides High School
* Port Richmond High School
* Ralph R. McKee CTE High School
* Staten Island Technical High School
* Susan E. Wagner High School
* Tottenville High School
Private schools
* Staten Island Academy is the only independent private (non-public, non-religious) grade school on the island and is one of the oldest in the country.
Nondenominational Christianity, Nondenominational Christian
* Gateway Academy (co-educational)
Catholic Church, Catholic
* Monsignor Farrell High School (all-boys)
* Moore Catholic High School (co-educational)
* Notre Dame Academy (Staten Island), Notre Dame Academy (New York) (all-girls)
* St. Joseph by the Sea High School (co-educational)
* St. Joseph Hill Academy (all-girls)
* St. Peter's Boys High School (all-boys)
Islamic
* Miraj Islamic School (co-educational)
Judaism, Jewish
*Jewish Foundation School (co-educational)
*Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem, Staten Island campus (all-boys)
*Yeshiva Merkaz HaTorah (separate boys and girls)
Colleges and universities
* The College of Staten Island is one of the eleven senior colleges of the City University of New York (CUNY). The college offers associate's and bachelor's degrees, and also offers master's and doctoral-level study.
* Wagner College is a co-educational private liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,000 undergraduates and 500 graduate students.
*St. John's University (New York City), St. John's University has a campus on Staten Island. It is a private, co-educational Roman Catholic university.
Transportation
Bridges
Staten Island is connected to New Jersey via three vehicular bridges and one railroad bridge. The Outerbridge Crossing
The Outerbridge Crossing, also known as the Outerbridge, is a cantilever bridge that spans the Arthur Kill between Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and Staten Island, New York. It carries New York State Route 440 (NY 440) and New Jersey R ...
to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, is at the southern end of New York State Route 440, and the Bayonne Bridge
Bayonne Bridge is an arch bridge spanning the Kill Van Kull and connecting Bayonne, New Jersey with Staten Island in New York City. It carries New York State Route 440 (NY 440) and New Jersey Route 440. It is the sixth-longes ...
to Bayonne, New Jersey, is at the northern end of NY 440; both ends of NY 440 continue into New Jersey as New Jersey Route 440, Route 440. The Goethals Bridge
The Goethals Bridge () is the name of a pair of cable-stayed bridge spans connecting Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Staten Island, New York, in the United States. The spans cross a strait known as Arthur Kill, and replaced a cantilever bridge span b ...
, carrying Interstate 278, connects Elizabeth, New Jersey, onto the Interstate 278, Staten Island Expressway. Just north of the Goethals, the Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge carries freight between the northwest part of the island and Elizabeth, New Jersey. The Staten Island Expressway is connected to Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
via the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge ( ) is a suspension bridge connecting the New York City boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn. It spans the Narrows, a body of water linking the relatively enclosed New York Harbor with Lower New York Bay and t ...
, which carries I-278. Pedestrian links to Staten Island are available via a footpath on the Bayonne and Goethals Bridges.
From 1964 to 1977, Staten Island contained the longest Vertical-lift bridge, vertical lift, Through arch bridge, steel arch, and suspension bridges in the world: the Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge, Bayonne Bridge, and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, respectively. The Arthur Kill Bridge still holds the title for longest vertical lift bridge, while the Bayonne and Verrazzano bridges are now the 5th- and 14th-longest in their respective categories.
Roads
As of 2015, 82% of Staten Island households owned a car, the highest rate of any borough. Citywide, the rate was 45%. Unlike the other four boroughs, Staten Island has no large, numbered grid plan, grid system for its roads. New Dorp
New Dorp is a neighborhood on the East Shore of Staten Island, New York City, United States. New Dorp is bounded by Mill Road on the southeast, Tysens Lane on the southwest, Amboy and Richmond Roads on the northwest, and Bancroft Avenue on the n ...
's grid has a few numbered streets, but they do not intersect with any numbered avenues. Some neighborhoods organize their street names alphabetically. In addition to the island's highways (I-278, NY 440, Korean War Veterans Parkway), the borough's neighborhoods are connected by :Streets in Staten Island, a number of heavily trafficked roads including Hylan Boulevard, the longest street in New York City.
Public transit
As of 2021, public transportation on the island is limited to:
*New York City Department of Transportation (Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry route operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. The ferry's single route runs through New York Harbor between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island, with ferry ...
)
*MTA Regional Bus Operations (List of bus routes in Staten Island, local service on Staten Island, including some service to Brooklyn; and List of express bus routes in New York City#Manhattan to Staten Island, express service to Manhattan)
* Staten Island Railway service from St. George to Tottenville
Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry route operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. The ferry's single route runs through New York Harbor between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island, with ferry ...
is the only transportation directly from Staten Island to Manhattan, roughly a 25-minute trip. The St. George Terminal, first opened in 1886, was rebuilt in 1951 and again in the 2000s. The ferry has been fare-free since 1997. The Staten Island Ferry transports over 60,000 passengers per day. It runs 24/7 every 15 to 20 minutes during weekday rush hours and every 30 minutes at other times. The ferries and both of its terminals are patrolled by a combination of the New York City Department of Transportation, New York City Police Department, United States Coast Guard and private security contractors.
An NYC Ferry route operates between St. George Terminal and Manhattan's West Side since August 2021, calling at Battery Park City/Vesey Street and terminating at Pier 79/Midtown West. This route is operated separately from the Staten Island Ferry and charges a fare.
Trains
The Staten Island Railway, currently the borough's only passenger railroad, traverses the island 24/7 from its northeastern tip to its southwestern tip. The Staten Island Railway opened in 1860 and was owned and operated by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) until July 1, 1971, when the line was bought by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The Staten Island Railway continued to have its own railway police, the Staten Island Rapid Transit Police, until 2005 when the 25-officer police force was consolidated into the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department.
Staten Island is the only borough not served by the New York City Subway. A subway tunnel called the Staten Island Tunnel started construction in 1923, but was abandoned two years later; the completed portion lies dormant beneath Owl's Head Park in Brooklyn. Today, List of express bus routes in New York City#Manhattan to Staten Island, express bus service is provided by New York City Transit Authority, NYC Transit throughout Staten Island to Lower Manhattan, Union Square (Manhattan), Union Square, and Midtown Manhattan.
A Right-of-way (transportation), right of way exists along the north shore of Staten Island. This North Shore Branch of the Staten Island Railway was built, owned, and operated by the B&O, which used it for passenger service until 1953. It then became a B&O freight line until the 1980s, when service was stopped. There have been proposals to revive the abandoned right-of-way for passenger service as a rail line or for use as bus rapid transit. There is also a proposal to build a Staten Island light rail, West Shore Light Rail along New York State Route 440, running from the Staten Island Railway main line on the South Shore, to the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail in Bayonne, New Jersey. The South Beach Branch of the Staten Island Railway, which transported summer vacationers to South Beach, Staten Island, also ceased service in 1953.
Buses
MTA Regional Bus Operations provides local and limited bus service with over 30 lines throughout Staten Island. Most lines feed into the St. George Terminal in the northeastern corner of the borough. Three lines (the ) provide service over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, Verrazzano Bridge to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The S79 SBS is the only Select Bus Service route in the borough. Beginning September 4, 2007, the MTA began offering bus service from Staten Island to Bayonne, New Jersey, over the Bayonne Bridge
Bayonne Bridge is an arch bridge spanning the Kill Van Kull and connecting Bayonne, New Jersey with Staten Island in New York City. It carries New York State Route 440 (NY 440) and New Jersey Route 440. It is the sixth-longes ...
via the limited-stop bus, allowing passengers to connect to the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail's 34th Street station (Hudson–Bergen Light Rail), 34th Street station, giving Staten Island residents a new route into Manhattan. Despite Staten Island's proximity to New Jersey, the S89 is the only route directly into New Jersey from Staten Island via public transportation.
Express bus service to Manhattan (via the Verrazzano Bridge or Goethals Bridge) is also available for a $6.75 fare each way. The are the only express routes to run outside of weekday commuter hours.
Freight rail
Conrail Shared Assets Operations operates freight rail service for customers of CSX Transportation and the Norfolk Southern Railway via the Travis Branch, with a intermodal on-dock rail facility on the West Shore of Staten Island, which connects to the National Rail System via the Arthur Kill Rail Bridge to New Jersey. In addition to the intermodal on-dock rail yard, the Conrail Staten Island Rail line also connects to the Sanitation Department's waste transfer station. Conrail railroad police officers patrol and respond to emergencies along the freight line.
Infrastructure
Hospitals
Staten Island is the only borough without a hospital operated by New York City. The Richmond University Medical Center and the Staten Island University Hospital are privately operated.
Jails
Staten Island is the only borough without a New York City Department of Correction major detention center. The Department of Corrections only maintains court holding jails at the three court buildings on Staten Island for inmates attending court. The various police agencies on Staten Island maintain in-house holding jails for post arrest detention prior to transfer to a corrections jail in another borough.
The Staten Island county sheriff operated a jail system on Staten Island until 1942, when the Staten Island jail system was transferred from the county sheriff's department to the New York City Department of Corrections and eventually closed. In 1976, the New York State Department of Correctional Services opened the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility of Staten Island, but the facility was closed in 2011.
Nicknames
Staten Island has acquired a number of nicknames over the decades, some connected to the notion that it is considered an afterthought by other New York City residents. The "Forgotten Borough" was first used nearly 100 years ago in a ''The New York Times, New York Times'' article that quoted a real estate executive. The phrase was more used during the secession movement of the 1990s, and came into greater use in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Most recently people have been using "The Rock", more commonly associated with Alcatraz Island, Alcatraz, as a nickname that first appeared in a ''New York Times'' article in 2007.
The hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which originates from Staten Island, coined the nickname "Shaolin Land" (later simply Shaolin) for Staten Island as part of their slang.
See also
* List of people from Staten Island
* List of counties in New York
* List of Staten Island neighborhoods
*National Register of Historic Places listings in Staten Island
* Staten Island Legal Services
* Staten Island Economic Development Corporation
Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves as a lead advocate for economic development of Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York Cit ...
Notes
References
* Kenneth T. Jackson (editor); ''The Encyclopedia of New York City''; Yale University Press; (1995).
* John Waldman; ''Heartbeats in the Muck''; The Lyons Press; (2000)
Famous Staten Islanders page at the New York Public Library site:
Staten Island gets its own Tourism Website
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* John H. Betts
' published in Rocks & Minerals magazine, Volume 84, No. 3 pages 204–252 (2009).
Further reading
Published in the 19th century
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chapter 20
Richmond, or Staten Island: Olden Times
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chapter 21
Richmond, or Staten Island: Present Century
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Published in the 20th century
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External links
Staten Island
– Office of the Borough President
VisitStatenIsland.com
– Official Tourism Website of Staten Island
Staten Island Economic Development Corp. (SIEDC)
Other websites
* New York Public Library
Images related to Staten Island
various dates
Staten Island Film Festival
Staten Island Attractions Video
Online Collections Database, Staten Island Historical Society
StatenIsland.com
online magazine
a comprehensive website about Staten Island's past
SILive.com
online version of the ''Staten Island Advance'' daily newspaper
{{Authority control
Staten Island,
1683 establishments in the Province of New York
Boroughs of New York City
Islands of New York City
Islands of Staten Island
Italian-American culture in New York City
Populated coastal places in New York (state)
Populated places established in 1683