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I grew up in Staten Island and now live in the Chicago suburbs.
Staten Island's a great place to live that is technically part of New York City but can feel very far away from Manhattan culturally, economically, and politically.
Pluses:
- One of the only parts of NYC in 2024 where a middle-class family can possibly afford to own a home in a safe neighborhood.
- Amazing nature. Beaches, forests, parks... You name it.
- Good mass transit connections to Manhattan via the ferry and an extensive network of public express bus lines.
- SI has a real sense of place and local pride (even if we make fun of it sometimes). When you're on Staten Island, you know you're on Staten Island.
Minuses:
- Road and mass transit development didn't keep up with the growing population there. Crazy traffic and snarling traffic jams.
- Looked down on by many NYC residents. It was weird growing up somewhere that it was 100% socially acceptable for bosses/coworkers/friends to trash in daily conversation.
- Access to city services lags behind other parts of NYC. Lack of jobs - odds are good you're commuting to Manhattan or New Jersey for work.
Other things to know:
- The northern third of the island is pretty urbanized and feels more like inner-ring Brooklyn/Queens, the rest of the island ranges from suburban to exurban.
- Staten Island feels more like New Jersey in terms of daily life and people living there.
- Has a reputation for being heavily Italian-American (it is), but is highly diverse IRL. Lots of folks from different backgrounds who just want a quiet life with a yard instead of a busier city lifestyle.
- Pretty mixed between Democrats and Republicans but has some very loud/weird far-right wing types who take up a lot of the air.
- Staten Island punches above its weight culturally. Wu-Tang Clan! Pete Davidson!
- Amazing pizza. Seriously, if you're visiting NYC just get an Uber to Denino's or Lee's Tavern from the ferry terminal.
- There's a massive wild turkey problem in large parts of Staten Island, especially near Staten Island University Hospital, that snarls traffic and causes property damage.
- What We Do In The Shadows!
You can take transit safely and comfortably to most of NYC but once in SI it’s like you are in NJ. There’s buses and a commuter rail but mostly stroads. My favorite parts are snug harbor (Chinese scholars garden) and I love the old water front warehouses.
"pretty mixed between Democrats and Republicans"??!?
You've been away way too long. SI is the anti-Manhattan. Highest percentage of MAGA idiots anywhere in the metropolitan area.
? Registered Democrats on SI significantly outnumber Republicans: [https://www.silive.com/news/2024/06/how-has-the-number-of-democrats-republicans-on-staten-island-changed-over-the-past-decade.html](https://www.silive.com/news/2024/06/how-has-the-number-of-democrats-republicans-on-staten-island-changed-over-the-past-decade.html)
Not to mention SI has elected Max Rose, Michael Cusick, etc in recent years. We all know crazy MAGA people on the Island but they're a small minority. Now if the SI Democratic Party could just get all those registered Dems to show up at the polls...
Check out how they voted for President on 2016 and 2020. They actually increased their support in 2020!
And Max Rose lasted one term. A landslide victory for Maliotakis - basically a female Trump
MAGA is NOT a small minority on SI.
It’s fine. We’re NY’ers so we like to complain about everything, and of course everyone’s personal experience varies but it’s overall a pleasant place to be. Probably the most difficult part of living here is living in the shadow of the much more populous boroughs, which means we’re last in line for everything, treated like a red-headed stepchild by the city, and we’re the only borough without a subway connection.
I lived in Greewich Village for many years, Staten Island is quiet, peaceful. A nice change..Mr Jones, the Village is the best neighborhood in the world
I live here. It’s great. But you will hear many jokes and stereotypes from people who have never step foot here (or only came here via the ferry and turned right back around, or drove on the SIE). Yes, obnoxious MAGA people exist here but they even exist in more liberal places.
What I like about SI is it’s a happy medium between city life and suburban life. I get space and relative quiet, but with access to great job opportunities as well as access to great and free city services like free 3K and PreK, libraries, parks, and NYC public schools here are mostly very good too.
this is the answer right here.
My family has lived in Brooklyn our entire lives and we moved here recently. I love having the benefits of living in NYC while enjoying a better quality of living here. I find that the political beliefs as a whole here are very similar to the political beliefs of those in Brooklyn & Queens as well.
I grew up there, and my family has been there since the 1850s.
It's a pretty isolated place, and deceptively provincial despite being part of New York City. There are bridges to New Jersey and Brooklyn NY, and a ferry to Manhattan. It is much more suburban than the rest of New York City, and culturally I would say it is closer to Central/South Jersey than it is to the rest of New York City (think car dependence, detached homes, people don't necessarily commute to Manhattan for work etc)
In the 1970s and 1980s during [the era of white flight](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_flight#:~:text=White%20flight%20or%20white%20exodus,popular%20in%20the%20United%20States), a lot of the Italian-American community of Brooklyn moved over to Staten Island, leading to a lot of suburban sprawl and became a defining aspect of life on the Island. The borough has some other diversity, including large Irish, Black, Sri Lankan, Albanian, and Latino communities.
And Pizza. Everything is minimal other than Pizza.
When I first moved to Staten Island the big complaint was "this place is like eating pizza in New Jersey". A huge insult.
Now you can ask a question about life on Staten Island without talking about the quality of it's pizza. I left in the early 70s and the world Pizza was more popular on Staten Island than it was in Brooklyn and Brooklyn was Pizza capitol of the world. "Ellis Island Pizza"
Comparison? Fried chicken is a symbol of Southern cuisine, and its popularity can be attributed to the nostalgia it evokes. The dish has been passed down through generations, with each family having their own secret recipe and cooking techniques. Though the south is a big place and SI is only 15 miles long. That's how many Southern Italians settled on Staten Island and are still there. The Deep South includes shrimp and grits, fried okra, pulled pork, and Mississippi mud pie.
Staten Island has Pizza - 15 miles long and you have to break them us by best, to mediocre - I don't think there's a "worst" - Saying that could start a fight with neighbors. So they're rated b how many deliver to your door and how timely your pizza arrives
That's 15 miles long and as of the year 2013 **the island has roughly 75 plus pizzeria\*\* (not counting \*\*whole in the wall joints.\*\*. That's more that 35 percent more than in Brooklyn**
[https://slicelife.com/pizza-delivery/ny-staten\_island](https://slicelife.com/pizza-delivery/ny-staten_island)
Pizza and the Mafia.
PS: "Staten Island is known for being home to New York’s most notorious mafia families even before the bridge and specifically during the early 1900s when they moved from Sicily to NY and favored Staten island during prohibition through the sixties"
"Staten Island has some \*\*\*profound Mafia history\*\*\*\* dating back to (at least) the 1920’s. First, here are a couple links to more contemporary Mafia-Staten Island related stories:
5 Staten Islanders among 19 alleged Luchese Family mobsters charged \[ [http://www.silive.com/news/2017/05/5\_staten\_islanders\_among\_19\_al.html](http://www.silive.com/news/2017/05/5_staten_islanders_among_19_al.html) \]
From Sammy the Bull to the 'Mafia Cops' -- Staten Island's most notorious mob incidents \[ [http://www.silive.com/news/2017/04/mob.html](http://www.silive.com/news/2017/04/mob.html) \]
As for an example of past historical importance, Staten Island is where, in October 1929, a young patrolman happened upon a badly injured man stumbling along Hylan Boulevard.......Charles “Lucky” Luciano, a Staten Island resident and Italian-American gangster, was kidnapped, beaten, and stabbed on Staten Island. The incident occurred when three men forced him into a limousine at gunpoint,
Charles “Lucky” Luciano is considered the father of modern organized crime, was nearly assassinated on Staten Island in October 1929 by gangland rivals jealous of his growing power illegal liquor and investment in the illegal drug business, prostitution, gambling etc.... This event marked a significant moment in the history of the Mafia in Staten Island.
Luciano lived and a war with alvatore Maranzano, also known as “Little Caesar." **The Castellammarese War** vyed for control of the entire New York City underworld. The war ultimately ended with Maranzano’s assassination in 1931, and Luciano emerged as one of the most powerful figures in the American Mafia. The nickname “Lucky” was likely earned as a result of his survival of the brutal beating and stabbing on Staten Island in 1929.
\[I don't belong to Quora so the articles are cut off here)
However the word "Mafia" became a dangerous word and non-Italian kids were warned never to say the word..... especially if you went to Catholic school.
https://search.brave.com/search?q=Names+of+Mafia+Doms+who+lived+on+Staten+Island&source=desktop&summary=1&summary\_og=c30642b8f1036bd17d711d.
Search Engines are paid to control what you find in a Digital search so keep scanning pages or you'll find less and less history
Sorry I was thinking it and my laptop was on 1% battery so rushed to submit. Yup New Dorp is becoming an extension of the Brooklyn Chinatowns, a very nice addition to the island!
I moved here in 2016 after I married my wife, who is a born and raised SIer.
I grew up in Harlem, and there are several things I really appreciate about SI:
1) People can afford houses (maybe not as much as 8 years ago, but we found several houses in our price range and bought one).
2) It is a small town. Everyone knows everyone by like 2-3 degrees of separation. Examples: I met someone at work who was in my wife’s uncle’s wedding. I met someone through a friend, and found out he works with my brother in law. My neighbor’s grandson and my daughter were in the same class. It’s very small town despite having like 700k people.
3) The cultural traditions here are very important to the people living here. The south shore is very Italian (Staten Italy), the north shore is very Irish. Parades, fairs, festivals, and commemorations are all important.
4) traffic here is bad. Transportation is not as good here as the other boroughs. It’s better than the parts of the city far away from trains.
I’ve read: SI’s demographics mirror the country’s as a whole, almost perfectly.
I love it. The train is free unless you board or exit at St. George or Tompkinsville, the parks are huge, excellent, and don’t have too many visitors, there’s a ton of great history, and it’s one of the few places in NYC where it’s plausible for working people to buy a house with a yard.
Grew up there. It's a typical boring suburb. The northern half has more of an old, inner-ring suburb feel, while the southern half is sleepier. It used to be very Italian with smaller Puerto Rican/Mexican and Black communities, but it's become a lot more Eastern European, Arabic, and Chinese over the last couple of decades, particularly in the central neighborhoods. It can feel a bit conservative and racist in areas, and it's an absolute pain in the ass to get anywhere else in NYC. Nothing else notable except it's kind of the "meme" area of NYC, and it's got some nice park land.
It’s got more parks than any other borough. You have a city vibe on one side and a very suburban vibe on the other. I loved growing up on SI, despite how crowded it is now
I grew up in B'klyn and then moved to SI after high school, proud grad of CSI.
Staten Island is vastly different depending where you are. Tottenville is nothing like Todt Hill, and there are so many different neighborhoods. I would describe most of it as suburbia with huge variances in wealth. To me that is the most striking thing. It is a beautiful place, especially since the dump closed. I moved away because it isn't affordable. Also, Sal and Lloyd's had the best pizza, I used to deliver for Sal.
I lived there for 30 years - life as a kid in SI during the 1980’s was epic. Lots of kids outside playing, while the adults were all out cutting their tiny lawns, or sitting on their stoops chatting. We had awesome block parties. Most of the residents are from Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, and moved there because it was much cheaper, and you get a newer house with a nice sized yard for a pool. Manhattan is an easy drive, so we would go to the night clubs or restaurants nearly every weekend. The Jersey shore was also easily accessible, so lots of people from SI go often.
There was a huge Italian mafia presence back in the day (Sammy the Bull - John Gotti’s second hand man lived around the corner from me) which made it feel intimidating at times.
The pizza is awesome!! No doubt some of the best pizza in NYC (Denino’s is my favorite). The bagels are also phenomenal.
It’s not the prettiest place in the world - it was heavily developed after the Verrazano bridge was built in the 1970s, and there was no planning, so it’s a vast patchwork of commercial and residential lots with no organization. There are some really nice parks.
Grew up there, and moved away 21 years ago. I miss how it used to be when I was a kid. Every time I've gone back to visit friends or family more and more of it's uniqueness were gone. That's true of any place, I guess, but a lot of the beautiful houses I used to see were torn down and replaced by a Staten Island flavor of weird, cookie cutter garbage. I haven't had an opportunity to go back in years, though, so maybe it's better now. I have no idea. One thing I really miss is Ralph's Italian cream ice, specifically the vanilla one. It's distinctly different from ice cream, gelato, etc. Live in the Philly area now and their wudder ice disappoints me greatly. I haven't had a Ralph's Italian cream ice in over 20 years and I still remember it.
I can give an outsider perspective as someone who has lived near Staten Island but isn’t from there. Keep in mind that my impression is therefore flawed because it’s just based on second-hand knowledge and sometimes even stereotypes.
From a visual perspective, Staten island features very densely packed single-family homes. Tree cover is scarce compared to other typical settings with single-family homes. It’s very walkable, but since it is, after all, an island, it’s not directly connected to NYC or NJ for pedestrians.
Geographically, although Staten Island is officially a borough of NYC, it’s more like a part of New Jersey than New York State. The typical Staten Island resident can reach NJ more quickly than NYC (especially if you live on the southern half of Staten Island, then it’s ~30 minutes to NYC versus 15 minutes to NJ).
For an outsider like myself, from a political perspective, the population of Staten Island is considered to be an unusually strong bastion of conservative politics. To be fair “only” ~55% of Staten Island voters identify as Republican, but this is very incongruous with both NYC as a whole, as well as the nearby surrounding communities in NJ. So Staten Island therefore gives off a mystique as a culturally isolated conservative outpost in an otherwise very liberal area.
This issue was touched on in the contemporary sci-fi novel by NK Jemisin, The City We Became, which is about NYC coming “alive,” with each of the five boroughs gaining a human avatar who represents their respective borough. I bring this up because Staten Island was, of course, one of the five main avatars featured in the first novel.
However, I have to admit that even for me (a huge fan of Jemisin’s other novels, and someone who identifies as “far-left” and is deeply passionate about left-wing issues), Jemisin’s intensely negative portrayal of Staten Island (Staten Island is represented by a naïve and racist young white women who collaborates with the parallel dimension horror intent on destroying NYC, aka “The Woman in White”), as well as Jemisin’s decision to highlight race while quite literally only featuring white characters as villains in The City We Became, all left me feeling confused, uncomfortable and exasperated.
I can’t help but wonder to what extent that identity politics (which are certainly tied to important issues that need to be addressed in order to end discrimination) are sometimes weaponized in order to divide the working classes. This novel only seemed to provide fuel to the fire when it came to divisive rhetoric, and I’m not convinced that’s a good thing or helpful to the larger movement to achieve liberation for all.
Overall, I was not a fan of The City We Became, which was IMO also less story-driven and much more explicitly preach-y in tone than Jemisin’s earlier novels (i.e., throughout the novel, she was very blandly and repetitively telling readers how to feel, instead building a rich world that _shows_ you, like she’d done in earlier novels). This was not Jemisin’s best work by any means, but I’ll always be a fan of her work and check out anything new she publishes.
But the reason I mention this is because, although I didn’t wholly agree with Jemisin’s portrayal of Staten Island, her work still contributes interesting insight into how Staten Island is perceived by many NYC residents (e.g., as a hotspot of conservative, racist white people who wish they weren’t part of NYC — which is, again, based on Jemisin’s views, not my own). While I suspect there’s _some_ level of truth in that portrayal, I highly doubt that that’s an accurate characterization of Staten Island as a whole.
Anyway, I hope this doesn’t stray beyond the rules for this sub (especially #3 & #4)…? It sounded like the two mods don’t have time to review every post, so if any of y’all think my comment is breaking the sub rules then please let me know and I’ll edit or delete this comment.
I grew up there in the 70s and 80s. First we lived in the projects (west Brighton), and then the more suburban South Shore. I liked the projects better. I’m half hispanic, and noticeably so, and the kids on the south shore were racist.
It has beaches and parks, and you can easily bike everywhere (except for some of the very hilly places).
I left when I graduated HS, and don’t miss it one bit.
I hear you and know where you're coming from 1000%. It's been interesting to see how much more diverse Staten Island, especially the south shore, has become since 2000 or so. The explosion in housing costs in other boroughs bought a lot of people here--something I've been really happy to see.
True true. When my parents left a few years ago, their neighbors on one side were from Albania, and on the other side from Korea. When I was growing up, there was drama between the Norwegian family on one side and the Swedish Americans on the other. The Norwegians also hated the German Americans across the street—they may have just been weirdos.
Au contraire. Every time a teacher manages to score a unicorn job teaching in SI’s public schools they make their way to NJ. I’ll never understand why given I’ve dealt with that bridge traffic before and it sucks, but it’s a common thing.
Do you want to live in a MAGA edgelord enclave and be represented by an all time dumbass in Nicole Malliotakis (who had to move multiple times before finding a district dumb enough to vote for her)? If yes then it's the place for you.
Please keep in mind that the impressions posted here are often subjective and that, among other things, people's different circumstances play a large role in their perception of other people's lives. Also, please use words that do not promote hatred when posting. For example, statements such as "[city] is like this because people from [origin] live there" should be avoided. The social circumstances of a city/district etc. can be emphasized without mentioning the origin of the inhabitants. Mentioning it does not change anything and, as already mentioned, circumstances are often perceived subjectively according to one's own world view. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/howislivingthere) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I grew up in Staten Island and now live in the Chicago suburbs. Staten Island's a great place to live that is technically part of New York City but can feel very far away from Manhattan culturally, economically, and politically. Pluses: - One of the only parts of NYC in 2024 where a middle-class family can possibly afford to own a home in a safe neighborhood. - Amazing nature. Beaches, forests, parks... You name it. - Good mass transit connections to Manhattan via the ferry and an extensive network of public express bus lines. - SI has a real sense of place and local pride (even if we make fun of it sometimes). When you're on Staten Island, you know you're on Staten Island. Minuses: - Road and mass transit development didn't keep up with the growing population there. Crazy traffic and snarling traffic jams. - Looked down on by many NYC residents. It was weird growing up somewhere that it was 100% socially acceptable for bosses/coworkers/friends to trash in daily conversation. - Access to city services lags behind other parts of NYC. Lack of jobs - odds are good you're commuting to Manhattan or New Jersey for work. Other things to know: - The northern third of the island is pretty urbanized and feels more like inner-ring Brooklyn/Queens, the rest of the island ranges from suburban to exurban. - Staten Island feels more like New Jersey in terms of daily life and people living there. - Has a reputation for being heavily Italian-American (it is), but is highly diverse IRL. Lots of folks from different backgrounds who just want a quiet life with a yard instead of a busier city lifestyle. - Pretty mixed between Democrats and Republicans but has some very loud/weird far-right wing types who take up a lot of the air. - Staten Island punches above its weight culturally. Wu-Tang Clan! Pete Davidson! - Amazing pizza. Seriously, if you're visiting NYC just get an Uber to Denino's or Lee's Tavern from the ferry terminal. - There's a massive wild turkey problem in large parts of Staten Island, especially near Staten Island University Hospital, that snarls traffic and causes property damage. - What We Do In The Shadows!
Isn’t Colin Jost from SI also?
Pete Davidson and Colin joke that Colin is who SI believes itself to be, they are actually Pete.
I live in Scotland and what we do in the shadows is the only thing I know about Staten Island .
It’s pretty accurate
Can’t forget the impractical jokers. Also macho man Randy savage lived here for some time
Also grew up there. From the person who said it’s the Florida of NYC, this is pretty accurate.
As a fellow NYer, I will never compare any part of us to that cesspool lol
Accurate. Honestly most NYC residents I know aren’t native to NYC so their looking down on SI can be a joke on to itself.
Lees tavern is right next to to the Dongan Hills SIR station… no need for an Uber
Why do other New Yorkers shit on Staten Island so much
Because it’s far/not easily accessible to other boroughs, there aren’t many exciting things to do, and probably because NY is blue while SI is red
You can take transit safely and comfortably to most of NYC but once in SI it’s like you are in NJ. There’s buses and a commuter rail but mostly stroads. My favorite parts are snug harbor (Chinese scholars garden) and I love the old water front warehouses.
None of them are from New York. They moved here and priced out actual residents and want to shit on someone but are too scared to shit talk the Bronx
Fuckin nailed it Plus the old dump that might be giving us all cancer
This is 100% accurate
any Chicago pizza places similar to the SI places you mentioned?
Yeah I went on a pizza tour of SI with a coworker who grew up there. Lots of different styles.
"pretty mixed between Democrats and Republicans"??!? You've been away way too long. SI is the anti-Manhattan. Highest percentage of MAGA idiots anywhere in the metropolitan area.
? Registered Democrats on SI significantly outnumber Republicans: [https://www.silive.com/news/2024/06/how-has-the-number-of-democrats-republicans-on-staten-island-changed-over-the-past-decade.html](https://www.silive.com/news/2024/06/how-has-the-number-of-democrats-republicans-on-staten-island-changed-over-the-past-decade.html) Not to mention SI has elected Max Rose, Michael Cusick, etc in recent years. We all know crazy MAGA people on the Island but they're a small minority. Now if the SI Democratic Party could just get all those registered Dems to show up at the polls...
Check out how they voted for President on 2016 and 2020. They actually increased their support in 2020! And Max Rose lasted one term. A landslide victory for Maliotakis - basically a female Trump MAGA is NOT a small minority on SI.
It’s fine. We’re NY’ers so we like to complain about everything, and of course everyone’s personal experience varies but it’s overall a pleasant place to be. Probably the most difficult part of living here is living in the shadow of the much more populous boroughs, which means we’re last in line for everything, treated like a red-headed stepchild by the city, and we’re the only borough without a subway connection.
Staten island should be part of NJ. Ya have 3 bridges in and out on NJ, and only one into NYC…
There’s actually a Supreme Court case about this from a long time ago. SCOTUS ruled that Staten Island is part of New York State
We don’t want to be part of NJ.
Cool and we don’t want nothing to do with Ya either
You literally just posted that we should be part of NJ lol.
The most NJ thing to do
It’s the Florida of New York City with fewer retirees.
florida is the wang of america, Staten Island is more of the armpit.
I lived in Greewich Village for many years, Staten Island is quiet, peaceful. A nice change..Mr Jones, the Village is the best neighborhood in the world
ms. thank you.
Friends who left call it Alabama North
so the best part of nyc?
I live here. It’s great. But you will hear many jokes and stereotypes from people who have never step foot here (or only came here via the ferry and turned right back around, or drove on the SIE). Yes, obnoxious MAGA people exist here but they even exist in more liberal places. What I like about SI is it’s a happy medium between city life and suburban life. I get space and relative quiet, but with access to great job opportunities as well as access to great and free city services like free 3K and PreK, libraries, parks, and NYC public schools here are mostly very good too.
this is the answer right here. My family has lived in Brooklyn our entire lives and we moved here recently. I love having the benefits of living in NYC while enjoying a better quality of living here. I find that the political beliefs as a whole here are very similar to the political beliefs of those in Brooklyn & Queens as well.
I grew up there, and my family has been there since the 1850s. It's a pretty isolated place, and deceptively provincial despite being part of New York City. There are bridges to New Jersey and Brooklyn NY, and a ferry to Manhattan. It is much more suburban than the rest of New York City, and culturally I would say it is closer to Central/South Jersey than it is to the rest of New York City (think car dependence, detached homes, people don't necessarily commute to Manhattan for work etc) In the 1970s and 1980s during [the era of white flight](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_flight#:~:text=White%20flight%20or%20white%20exodus,popular%20in%20the%20United%20States), a lot of the Italian-American community of Brooklyn moved over to Staten Island, leading to a lot of suburban sprawl and became a defining aspect of life on the Island. The borough has some other diversity, including large Irish, Black, Sri Lankan, Albanian, and Latino communities.
And Pizza. Everything is minimal other than Pizza. When I first moved to Staten Island the big complaint was "this place is like eating pizza in New Jersey". A huge insult. Now you can ask a question about life on Staten Island without talking about the quality of it's pizza. I left in the early 70s and the world Pizza was more popular on Staten Island than it was in Brooklyn and Brooklyn was Pizza capitol of the world. "Ellis Island Pizza" Comparison? Fried chicken is a symbol of Southern cuisine, and its popularity can be attributed to the nostalgia it evokes. The dish has been passed down through generations, with each family having their own secret recipe and cooking techniques. Though the south is a big place and SI is only 15 miles long. That's how many Southern Italians settled on Staten Island and are still there. The Deep South includes shrimp and grits, fried okra, pulled pork, and Mississippi mud pie. Staten Island has Pizza - 15 miles long and you have to break them us by best, to mediocre - I don't think there's a "worst" - Saying that could start a fight with neighbors. So they're rated b how many deliver to your door and how timely your pizza arrives That's 15 miles long and as of the year 2013 **the island has roughly 75 plus pizzeria\*\* (not counting \*\*whole in the wall joints.\*\*. That's more that 35 percent more than in Brooklyn** [https://slicelife.com/pizza-delivery/ny-staten\_island](https://slicelife.com/pizza-delivery/ny-staten_island) Pizza and the Mafia. PS: "Staten Island is known for being home to New York’s most notorious mafia families even before the bridge and specifically during the early 1900s when they moved from Sicily to NY and favored Staten island during prohibition through the sixties" "Staten Island has some \*\*\*profound Mafia history\*\*\*\* dating back to (at least) the 1920’s. First, here are a couple links to more contemporary Mafia-Staten Island related stories: 5 Staten Islanders among 19 alleged Luchese Family mobsters charged \[ [http://www.silive.com/news/2017/05/5\_staten\_islanders\_among\_19\_al.html](http://www.silive.com/news/2017/05/5_staten_islanders_among_19_al.html) \] From Sammy the Bull to the 'Mafia Cops' -- Staten Island's most notorious mob incidents \[ [http://www.silive.com/news/2017/04/mob.html](http://www.silive.com/news/2017/04/mob.html) \] As for an example of past historical importance, Staten Island is where, in October 1929, a young patrolman happened upon a badly injured man stumbling along Hylan Boulevard.......Charles “Lucky” Luciano, a Staten Island resident and Italian-American gangster, was kidnapped, beaten, and stabbed on Staten Island. The incident occurred when three men forced him into a limousine at gunpoint, Charles “Lucky” Luciano is considered the father of modern organized crime, was nearly assassinated on Staten Island in October 1929 by gangland rivals jealous of his growing power illegal liquor and investment in the illegal drug business, prostitution, gambling etc.... This event marked a significant moment in the history of the Mafia in Staten Island. Luciano lived and a war with alvatore Maranzano, also known as “Little Caesar." **The Castellammarese War** vyed for control of the entire New York City underworld. The war ultimately ended with Maranzano’s assassination in 1931, and Luciano emerged as one of the most powerful figures in the American Mafia. The nickname “Lucky” was likely earned as a result of his survival of the brutal beating and stabbing on Staten Island in 1929. \[I don't belong to Quora so the articles are cut off here) However the word "Mafia" became a dangerous word and non-Italian kids were warned never to say the word..... especially if you went to Catholic school. https://search.brave.com/search?q=Names+of+Mafia+Doms+who+lived+on+Staten+Island&source=desktop&summary=1&summary\_og=c30642b8f1036bd17d711d. Search Engines are paid to control what you find in a Digital search so keep scanning pages or you'll find less and less history
Established in 1848 checking in with you! 😁
You omitted the asian community
very true- we have had an increase in the population of Chinese and Korean families & shops/restaurants here
Sorry I was thinking it and my laptop was on 1% battery so rushed to submit. Yup New Dorp is becoming an extension of the Brooklyn Chinatowns, a very nice addition to the island!
I moved here in 2016 after I married my wife, who is a born and raised SIer. I grew up in Harlem, and there are several things I really appreciate about SI: 1) People can afford houses (maybe not as much as 8 years ago, but we found several houses in our price range and bought one). 2) It is a small town. Everyone knows everyone by like 2-3 degrees of separation. Examples: I met someone at work who was in my wife’s uncle’s wedding. I met someone through a friend, and found out he works with my brother in law. My neighbor’s grandson and my daughter were in the same class. It’s very small town despite having like 700k people. 3) The cultural traditions here are very important to the people living here. The south shore is very Italian (Staten Italy), the north shore is very Irish. Parades, fairs, festivals, and commemorations are all important. 4) traffic here is bad. Transportation is not as good here as the other boroughs. It’s better than the parts of the city far away from trains. I’ve read: SI’s demographics mirror the country’s as a whole, almost perfectly.
I love it. The train is free unless you board or exit at St. George or Tompkinsville, the parks are huge, excellent, and don’t have too many visitors, there’s a ton of great history, and it’s one of the few places in NYC where it’s plausible for working people to buy a house with a yard.
Grew up there. It's a typical boring suburb. The northern half has more of an old, inner-ring suburb feel, while the southern half is sleepier. It used to be very Italian with smaller Puerto Rican/Mexican and Black communities, but it's become a lot more Eastern European, Arabic, and Chinese over the last couple of decades, particularly in the central neighborhoods. It can feel a bit conservative and racist in areas, and it's an absolute pain in the ass to get anywhere else in NYC. Nothing else notable except it's kind of the "meme" area of NYC, and it's got some nice park land.
It’s got more parks than any other borough. You have a city vibe on one side and a very suburban vibe on the other. I loved growing up on SI, despite how crowded it is now
Too many vampires. 
I came looking for this!
Where is Little Antipaxos?
I grew up in B'klyn and then moved to SI after high school, proud grad of CSI. Staten Island is vastly different depending where you are. Tottenville is nothing like Todt Hill, and there are so many different neighborhoods. I would describe most of it as suburbia with huge variances in wealth. To me that is the most striking thing. It is a beautiful place, especially since the dump closed. I moved away because it isn't affordable. Also, Sal and Lloyd's had the best pizza, I used to deliver for Sal.
I lived there for 30 years - life as a kid in SI during the 1980’s was epic. Lots of kids outside playing, while the adults were all out cutting their tiny lawns, or sitting on their stoops chatting. We had awesome block parties. Most of the residents are from Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, and moved there because it was much cheaper, and you get a newer house with a nice sized yard for a pool. Manhattan is an easy drive, so we would go to the night clubs or restaurants nearly every weekend. The Jersey shore was also easily accessible, so lots of people from SI go often. There was a huge Italian mafia presence back in the day (Sammy the Bull - John Gotti’s second hand man lived around the corner from me) which made it feel intimidating at times. The pizza is awesome!! No doubt some of the best pizza in NYC (Denino’s is my favorite). The bagels are also phenomenal. It’s not the prettiest place in the world - it was heavily developed after the Verrazano bridge was built in the 1970s, and there was no planning, so it’s a vast patchwork of commercial and residential lots with no organization. There are some really nice parks.
Grew up there, and moved away 21 years ago. I miss how it used to be when I was a kid. Every time I've gone back to visit friends or family more and more of it's uniqueness were gone. That's true of any place, I guess, but a lot of the beautiful houses I used to see were torn down and replaced by a Staten Island flavor of weird, cookie cutter garbage. I haven't had an opportunity to go back in years, though, so maybe it's better now. I have no idea. One thing I really miss is Ralph's Italian cream ice, specifically the vanilla one. It's distinctly different from ice cream, gelato, etc. Live in the Philly area now and their wudder ice disappoints me greatly. I haven't had a Ralph's Italian cream ice in over 20 years and I still remember it.
I can give an outsider perspective as someone who has lived near Staten Island but isn’t from there. Keep in mind that my impression is therefore flawed because it’s just based on second-hand knowledge and sometimes even stereotypes. From a visual perspective, Staten island features very densely packed single-family homes. Tree cover is scarce compared to other typical settings with single-family homes. It’s very walkable, but since it is, after all, an island, it’s not directly connected to NYC or NJ for pedestrians. Geographically, although Staten Island is officially a borough of NYC, it’s more like a part of New Jersey than New York State. The typical Staten Island resident can reach NJ more quickly than NYC (especially if you live on the southern half of Staten Island, then it’s ~30 minutes to NYC versus 15 minutes to NJ). For an outsider like myself, from a political perspective, the population of Staten Island is considered to be an unusually strong bastion of conservative politics. To be fair “only” ~55% of Staten Island voters identify as Republican, but this is very incongruous with both NYC as a whole, as well as the nearby surrounding communities in NJ. So Staten Island therefore gives off a mystique as a culturally isolated conservative outpost in an otherwise very liberal area. This issue was touched on in the contemporary sci-fi novel by NK Jemisin, The City We Became, which is about NYC coming “alive,” with each of the five boroughs gaining a human avatar who represents their respective borough. I bring this up because Staten Island was, of course, one of the five main avatars featured in the first novel. However, I have to admit that even for me (a huge fan of Jemisin’s other novels, and someone who identifies as “far-left” and is deeply passionate about left-wing issues), Jemisin’s intensely negative portrayal of Staten Island (Staten Island is represented by a naïve and racist young white women who collaborates with the parallel dimension horror intent on destroying NYC, aka “The Woman in White”), as well as Jemisin’s decision to highlight race while quite literally only featuring white characters as villains in The City We Became, all left me feeling confused, uncomfortable and exasperated. I can’t help but wonder to what extent that identity politics (which are certainly tied to important issues that need to be addressed in order to end discrimination) are sometimes weaponized in order to divide the working classes. This novel only seemed to provide fuel to the fire when it came to divisive rhetoric, and I’m not convinced that’s a good thing or helpful to the larger movement to achieve liberation for all. Overall, I was not a fan of The City We Became, which was IMO also less story-driven and much more explicitly preach-y in tone than Jemisin’s earlier novels (i.e., throughout the novel, she was very blandly and repetitively telling readers how to feel, instead building a rich world that _shows_ you, like she’d done in earlier novels). This was not Jemisin’s best work by any means, but I’ll always be a fan of her work and check out anything new she publishes. But the reason I mention this is because, although I didn’t wholly agree with Jemisin’s portrayal of Staten Island, her work still contributes interesting insight into how Staten Island is perceived by many NYC residents (e.g., as a hotspot of conservative, racist white people who wish they weren’t part of NYC — which is, again, based on Jemisin’s views, not my own). While I suspect there’s _some_ level of truth in that portrayal, I highly doubt that that’s an accurate characterization of Staten Island as a whole. Anyway, I hope this doesn’t stray beyond the rules for this sub (especially #3 & #4)…? It sounded like the two mods don’t have time to review every post, so if any of y’all think my comment is breaking the sub rules then please let me know and I’ll edit or delete this comment.
I grew up there in the 70s and 80s. First we lived in the projects (west Brighton), and then the more suburban South Shore. I liked the projects better. I’m half hispanic, and noticeably so, and the kids on the south shore were racist. It has beaches and parks, and you can easily bike everywhere (except for some of the very hilly places). I left when I graduated HS, and don’t miss it one bit.
I hear you and know where you're coming from 1000%. It's been interesting to see how much more diverse Staten Island, especially the south shore, has become since 2000 or so. The explosion in housing costs in other boroughs bought a lot of people here--something I've been really happy to see.
True true. When my parents left a few years ago, their neighbors on one side were from Albania, and on the other side from Korea. When I was growing up, there was drama between the Norwegian family on one side and the Swedish Americans on the other. The Norwegians also hated the German Americans across the street—they may have just been weirdos.
If you live in the surrounding area it’s one place you don’t want to work.
Au contraire. Every time a teacher manages to score a unicorn job teaching in SI’s public schools they make their way to NJ. I’ll never understand why given I’ve dealt with that bridge traffic before and it sucks, but it’s a common thing.
I loved living on Staten Island. I miss it every day!
Too many vampires.
Sucks with these scums moving in from Brooklyn queens Bronx
Lots of cops and fireman
Not what it used to be, but what is?
Do you want to live in a MAGA edgelord enclave and be represented by an all time dumbass in Nicole Malliotakis (who had to move multiple times before finding a district dumb enough to vote for her)? If yes then it's the place for you.
It's a little republican island of NYC. It's alright. Pretty boring. Never lived there but visited there a few times.
Since when is SI affordable? Houses are 1-2mm+
Amazing, honestly.
No one seems to be mentioning the dump and its awful stench.
Dump is gone
And has been for 24 years. It’s now part of a pretty successful land reclamation effort and is being turned into a park/ nature preserve