Staten Island

Staten Island is the southernmost of the five boroughs of New York City and is the same as Richmond County. It is located at the southern end of the State of New York, separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay.

Originally home to the Lenape Native Americans, the island was settled by Dutch colonists in the 1600s and joined New York City in 1898. It used to be called the Borough of Richmond but was renamed Borough of Staten Island in 1975. People sometimes call it "the forgotten borough." It is also known as "the borough of parks" because it has many green spaces.

Staten Island is the least crowded borough but the third largest in size, covering 58.5 square miles (152 km²). It is the least crowded and most suburban borough in New York City. Even so, it is still more crowded than the City of Los Angeles, and it has more people than cities like New Orleans, Miami, and St. Louis.

The North Shore, especially places like St. George, Tompkinsville, Clifton, and Stapleton, is the most city-like part of the island, with old Victorian houses. The East Shore has the world's fourth-longest boardwalk, the FDR Boardwalk. The South Shore became more like a suburb in the 1960s and 1970s, while the West Shore is mostly for businesses.

Staten Island can be reached from Brooklyn by the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge and from New Jersey by bridges like the Outerbridge Crossing, Goethals Bridge, and Bayonne Bridge. It has Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus lines and the Staten Island Railway, but it is the only borough not connected to the New York City Subway system. The free Staten Island Ferry offers a nice ride across New York Harbor with views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Lower Manhattan.

History

Staten Island has a long history. Thousands of years ago, Native American people lived there. They were part of the Lenape group.

Europeans arrived in the 1500s. Dutch settlers came in the 1600s and built a small village. The island became part of New York in 1667.

During the American Revolution, British forces used Staten Island as a base.

In the 1800s, Staten Island was mostly farms. It became part of New York City in 1898. The Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge opened in the 1960s, connecting the island to the rest of the city.

Today, Staten Island is one of New York City's five boroughs. It has natural areas like wetlands and parks. There are plans to turn an old landfill into a big new park.

Geology

During the Paleozoic Era, two large pieces of Earth’s crust moved together. This made the Appalachian Mountains. Part of the ocean floor got stuck and became the oldest rocks on Staten Island, called serpentinite.

These rocks are about 430 million years old. They have minerals like antigorite, chrysotile, and lizardite.

Later, a big rock formation called the Palisades Sill formed under part of northwest Staten Island. You can see some of it in Travis at the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge. This same rock formation is also along the Hudson River in Palisades Interstate Park.

Staten Island was shaped by huge glaciers that moved over it. The last glacier left about 12,000 years ago. The rocks and dirt left by the glaciers can still be seen in some wooded areas of the island.

Geography

Richmond County, where Staten Island is located, covers 102.5 square miles (265 km²). Of this, 58.5 square miles (152 km²) is land and 44.0 square miles (114 km²) is water. It is the third-smallest county in New York by land area.

Staten Island is a part of New York City, but it is really in New Jersey. It is separated from Long Island by the Narrows and from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull. Staten Island sits in the middle of New York Bight, a bend in the shore between New Jersey and Long Island.

Besides the main island, there are a few small, empty islands:

The Isle of Meadows (at the mouth of Fresh Kills)
Prall's Island (in the Arthur Kill)
Shooters Island (in Newark Bay; part of it is in New Jersey)
Swinburne Island (in Lower New York Bay)
Hoffman Island (in Lower New York Bay)

The highest point on the island is Todt Hill, which is 401 ft (122 m) tall. This is the highest point in all five parts of New York City. Ward's Point in Tottenville is the southernmost point in New York state.

Staten Island is the only part of New York City that does not touch another part by land. It touches Elizabeth and Bayonne, New Jersey on Shooters Island. It also has water borders with several places in New Jersey, like Perth Amboy, part of Old Bridge, Union Beach, and Keansburg.

Wildlife

Staten Island has many different animals. You can find white-tailed deer and many kinds of birds such as bald eagles, turkey, hawks, egrets and ring-necked pheasants. There are also Atlantic horseshoe crabs, cottontail rabbits, opossums, raccoons, garter snakes, red-eared slider turtles, newts, spring peeper frogs, leopard frogs, fox, box turtles, skunks, and snapping turtles. In 2014, scientists found a new kind of frog on Staten Island called the Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog (Lithobates kauffeldi).

Parkland

Staten Island has many parks. These include big areas of land called the "greenbelt" and "blue belt," and the Gateway National Recreation Area. There are also many private wooded areas.

Five places are part of the 26,000-acre (110 km²) Gateway National Recreation Area, which is looked after by the U.S. National Park Service:

Two parks in New York State are looked after by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation:

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation looks after 359 acres (145 ha) of forests, wildlife areas, and wetlands:

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
Sharrotts Shoreline Natural Resource Area
Sawmill Creek Wetland

The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation looks after 156 parks including:

The Fresh Kills Landfill was once the world's largest landfill. It closed in 2001 and is now being turned into Freshkills Park. When finished, this park will be the second-largest in New York City.

Adjacent counties

New Jersey

Hudson County — north and northeast
Union County — northwest
Middlesex County — west and southwest
Monmouth County — south

New York

Kings County — east
New York County — northeast

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Staten Island

Staten Island is home to many different kinds of people. In 2018, about 22% of people living there were born in another country. Many homes are owned, not rented.

In 2010, around 468,730 people lived on Staten Island. Most people there have European backgrounds, especially Italian and Irish families. There are also families from places like Russia, Poland, and Sri Lanka. Many people speak languages other than English at home, including Spanish, Russian, and Italian.

The area has many people who follow the Roman Catholic tradition, and there is also a group of people who follow Jewish traditions. Overall, Staten Island has a rich mix of cultures and languages.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	3,835	—
1800	4,564	19.0%
1810	5,347	17.2%
1820	6,135	14.7%
1830	7,082	15.4%
1840	10,965	54.8%
1850	15,061	37.4%
1860	25,492	69.3%
1870	33,029	29.6%
1880	38,991	18.1%
1890	51,713	32.6%
1900	67,021	29.6%
1910	85,969	28.3%
1920	116,531	35.6%
1930	158,346	35.9%
1940	174,441	10.2%
1950	191,555	9.8%
1960	221,991	15.9%
1970	295,443	33.1%
1980	352,029	19.2%
1990	378,977	7.7%
2000	443,728	17.1%
2010	468,730	5.6%
2020	495,747	5.8%
2025 (est.)	501,290	1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

Race	2020	2010	1990	1970	1950
White	59.6%	72.9%	85%	94%	97.1%
—Non-Hispanic	56.1%	64.0%	80%	n/a	n/a
Black or African American	10.5%	10.6%	8.1%	5.3%	2.8%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	19.6%	17.3%	8%	n/a	n/a
Asian	12.0%	7.5%	4.5%	0.4%	0.1%
Two or more races	7.8%	2.6%	n/a	n/a	n/a

Government and politics

Since New York City was formed in 1898, Staten Island has followed rules set in the New York City Charter. This system gives most power to the mayor and city council.

A special job called Borough President was made to give Staten Island some local control. The Borough President speaks for the island with city leaders and the state government. Staten Island’s Borough President is Vito Fossella, a Republican who was elected in November 2021. He is the only Republican borough president in New York City.

Staten Island’s politics are different from the rest of New York City. While the other parts of the city usually vote for Democratic leaders, Staten Island tends to support Republican leaders. This makes Staten Island important for the Republican Party in city elections. The island has voted for Republican presidents more often than the other parts of the city.

Staten Island has its own local leaders in the state assembly and state senate. The island also has its own criminal court and District Attorney, who is chosen by voters.

There have been discussions about Staten Island leaving New York City. In 1993, a vote showed many people wanted to leave, but it did not happen. After some city leaders promised to address Staten Island’s concerns, the idea slowed down. But interest in leaving the city came up again after 2013.

Party affiliation of Staten Island registered voters
Party	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000	1999	1998	1997	1996
Democratic (%)	44.70	44.76	45.19	45.39	45.63	45.47	45.51	45.60	46.38	46.15
Republican (%)	30.64	30.47	30.77	30.55	30.68	30.76	31.17	31.60	30.80	31.28
No affiliation (%)	19.00	19.10	18.46	18.54	18.67	18.84	18.67	18.25	18.43	18.48
Other (%)	5.66	5.67	5.58	5.52	5.02	4.93	4.65	4.55	4.39	4.09

Tourism

In 2009, the leader of Staten Island started a plan to bring more visitors to the island. The plan included a new website, a video shown at ferry stops, and information boards at the ferry terminals.

Empire Outlets New York City is a big shopping area in Staten Island with many stores offering lower prices. It is the first shopping area like this in New York City and is close to a major transportation center where ferries, trains, and buses stop.

Staten Island is famous for its many parks, such as Clove Lakes, Silver Lake, Greenbelt, and High Rock. Paulo's Peak, once called Moses Mountain, is a popular spot for its great views. It is now a favorite place for visitors.

Culture

See also: Culture of New York City

Artists and musicians move to Staten Island's North Shore to be close to Manhattan while having affordable space to live and work. Filmmakers are important to Staten Island's art scene, and the local government supports this. Staten Island Arts is the local arts council and helps artists and cultural groups. The Staten Island Film Festival (SIFF) started its first four-day festival in 2006.

Historic Richmond Town is New York City's living history village and museum. Visitors can learn about American life, especially in Staten Island and nearby areas, from the colonial period to today. The village has 25 acres of a 100-acre site with about 15 restored buildings, including homes, shops, and a museum.

The island has the Staten Island Zoo. Zoo building started in 1933 and it opened on June 10, 1936, as the first zoo in the U.S. made for education.

Snug Harbor Cultural Center, the Alice Austen House Museum, the Conference House, the Garibaldi–Meucci Museum, Historic Richmond Town, Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, the Noble Maritime Collection, Sandy Ground Historical Museum, Staten Island Children's Museum, the Sri Lankan Art & Cultural Museum of NY, the Staten Island Museum, and the Staten Island Botanical Garden, home of the New York Chinese Scholar's Garden, are all on the island.

The Staten Island Museum opened a new branch in Snug Harbor in 2015. The Seguine Mansion, also called The Seguine-Burke Mansion, is on Lemon Creek near the southern shore of Staten Island. This 19th-century house is on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Historic House Trust; it has peacocks and an equestrian center.

Staten Island's local paper is The Staten Island Advance. The newspaper has a website called SILive.com.

Movies filmed on Staten Island include:

Analyze This
The Astronaut's Wife
Bad Hurt
A Beautiful Mind
Big Daddy
Big Fan
The Devil's Own
Donnie Brasco
Easy Money
Freedomland
The First Purge
Fur
The Godfather
Goodfellas
Grace Quigley
He Knows You're Alone
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
The Irishman
The Jimmy Show
Joe the King
The Kindergarten Teacher
The King of Staten Island
Little Children
Neighbors
Nerve
The Other Guys
The Perils of Pauline (1914 serial)
Scent of a Woman
School of Rock
Shamus
Sisters
Sleepwalk With Me
Sorry, Wrong Number
Splendor in the Grass
Staten Island
Staten Island Summer
Strong Island
Terrifier
The Eltingville Club
The Toxic Avenger
Three Christs
Trainwreck
Two Family House
War of the Worlds
Wedding Daze
What We Do in the Shadows (TV series)
Who's That Knocking at My Door
Working Girl
Wu-Tang: An American Saga

Lydia Sigourney wrote a poem called "Autumn on Staten Island" in her book, Scenes in my Native Land, in 1845.

World War One poet Alan Seeger, who fought with the French Foreign Legion, grew up at St. Marks Place above the ferry stop on Staten Island. Ki Longfellow was born on the island. She wrote The Secret Magdalene and other books. Her Sam Russo novels are set around Stapleton.

Lois Lowry, author of The Gossamer and The Giver, went to school on Staten Island. Writer Paul Zindel lived on Staten Island when he was young and based many of his books there. George R. R. Martin based King's Landing on views of Staten Island from his home in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Staten Island has a local music scene. Venues in the North Shore are part of this art movement. Local bands include punk, ska, hardcore punk, indie, metal, and pop punk. Staten Island is known for its hip-hop culture, especially the Wu-Tang Clan.

Musicians from Staten Island and groups that started there are listed in the list of people from Staten Island.

The Spectrum cable news channel NY1 has a weekly show called This Week on Staten Island, hosted by Anthony Pascale. The show uses content from NY1's newscasts called "Your Staten Island News Now". A documentary series, A Walk Around Staten Island with David Hartman and Barry Lewis, premiered on public television station WNET on December 3, 2007. The hosts talk about Staten Island culture and history, including major places such as the Staten Island Ferry, Historic Richmond Town, the Conference House, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, and its Chinese Scholars Garden.

The Fox sitcom Grounded for Life (2001–2005) was about a family of Irish heritage living on Staten Island. All four cast members of truTV hidden camera reality TV show Impractical Jokers (2011–) are from Staten Island. Joe Gatto, James "Murr" Murray, Brian "Q" Quinn, and Sal Vulcano met while at Monsignor Farrell High School, where they formed the improv comedy troupe The Tenderloins. Impractical Jokers often films there.

The St. George Theatre is a cultural arts center, hosting programs, tours, film shoots, concerts, comedy, Broadway shows, and children's shows. Artists who have performed there include the B-52's, Jonas Brothers, Tony Bennett, and Don McLean. In 2012, the NBC series Smash filmed scenes there.

The Ritz Theater in Port Richmond, a movie theater and vaudeville place now a home-improvement showroom, once had top names in rock and roll and show business. The Stadium Theatre in Tottenville was a movie theater from 1927 to 1957. In 1969, it reopened as a rock music venue, but later became a roller rink.

The Lane Theater in New Dorp opened on February 10, 1938. After renovations in 2009, it became Uncle Vinnie's Comedy Club until 2011. In 2012 the building became the Crossroads Church.

Sports

Baseball

The Staten Island Yankees played in the New York–Penn League from 1999 to 2020. They were a Class-A Minor League team linked to the New York Yankees. Today, Staten Island is home to the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League.

The New York Metropolitans played baseball on Staten Island from April 1886 to 1887.

Staten Island's Mid-Island Little League won the 1964 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Basketball

In 2015, the New York Post listed Staten Island's top basketball players. Some well-known NBA players from Staten Island include Renaldo Balkman and Mouhamadou Gueye.

Bowling

Staten Island has had many top bowlers and national champions, including Mark Roth, Johnny Petraglia, and others.

Boxing

The Daily News Golden Gloves Tournament began in 1927. Eppie Alonzo was the first Staten Islander to win a Daily News Golden Gloves championship in 1949 and again in 1950.

College athletics

The Wagner College Seahawks compete in NCAA Division I sports. National Basketball Association coach P. J. Carlesimo coached the men's basketball team from 1976 to 1982.

The College of Staten Island Dolphins compete in NCAA Division II sports.

Cricket

The Staten Island Cricket Club, started in 1872, is the oldest cricket club still operating in the United States.

Football

Staten Island once had a National Football League team called the Stapletons.

Some NFL players from Staten Island include Joe Andruzzi, Frank Ferrara, and James Jenkins.

Golf

Staten Island has four golf courses.

Staten Island has been home to many golf courses over the years.

Ice hockey

The New York Slapshots joined the Atlantic Coast Hockey League in the 1985–86 season.

Some National Hockey League players from Staten Island include Nick Fotiu, Kevin Labanc, and Zach Aston-Reese.

Motor sports

From 1953 to 1972, stock car races were held every week from May to October at a small racetrack on Staten Island.

Olympians

Many people from Staten Island have competed in the Olympic Games, including John Henry Lake in cycling in 1900, Abel Kiviat in athletics in 1912, and Frankie Genaro in boxing in 1920, among others.

Running

The New York City Marathon starts each year on Staten Island.

Swimming

In 1961, a lifeguard was the first to swim around Staten Island. In 2023, Leslie Hamilton became the first woman to swim around the island.

Tennis

Tennis is believed to have first been played in the United States on Staten Island. It was introduced to Staten Island by Mary Ewing Outerbridge.

Robert "Bob" Duffield Wrenn, a four-time U.S. singles championship winner, was a member of the Richmond County Country Club.

Education

Public schools

Non-charter public schools are run by the New York City Department of Education, the largest public school system in the United States.

Public middle schools include Intermediate Schools 2, 24, 27, 30, 51, 61, and 75; and 861, a K–to–8 school; as well as part of the Petrides School (which runs from kindergarten through high school).

Public high schools include:

Private schools

Staten Island Academy is the only independent private grade school on the island.

Nondenominational Christian

Gateway Academy (co-educational)

Catholic

Monsignor Farrell High School (all-boys)
Moore Catholic High School (co-educational)
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)

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, as well as master's and doctoral-level study.
Wagner College is a private liberal arts college.
St. John's University had a campus on Grymes Hill from 1971 to 2024. Notre Dame College occupied the campus from 1933 until its merger with St. John's in 1971.

Transportation

Bridges

Staten Island connects to New Jersey by three vehicle bridges and one railroad bridge. The Outerbridge Crossing goes to Perth Amboy, New Jersey. The Bayonne Bridge goes to Bayonne, New Jersey. The Goethals Bridge links Elizabeth, New Jersey with Staten Island. The Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge carries freight trains between Staten Island and Elizabeth, New Jersey. The Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge connects Staten Island to Brooklyn.

Roads

In 2015, 82% of households on Staten Island owned a car, more than any other area of New York City. Unlike other parts of the city, Staten Island does not have a grid of numbered streets. Some neighborhoods name their streets in alphabetical order. Major roads include Hylan Boulevard, the longest street in the city.

Public transit

As of 2021, public transportation on Staten Island includes:

The Staten Island Ferry to Manhattan
The Staten Island Railway from St. George to Tottenville
MTA Regional Bus Operations buses

Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry is the only direct way to travel from Staten Island to Manhattan, taking about 25 minutes. It has been free since 1997. It runs all day and night, every 15 to 20 minutes during busy times and every 30 minutes at other times.

Trains

The Staten Island Railway runs all day and night from the northeastern to the southwestern tip of the island. It opened in 1860 and has been operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority since 1971.

Staten Island is the only part of New York City not served by the subway. There were plans to build a subway tunnel in the 1920s, but it was never finished.

Buses

MTA Regional Bus Operations runs many bus lines on Staten Island. Some buses go across the Verrazzano Bridge to Brooklyn. There is also a bus that goes to Bayonne, New Jersey over the Bayonne Bridge. Express buses to Manhattan are also available.

Freight rail

Conrail Shared Assets Operations runs freight trains on Staten Island, connecting to New Jersey via the Arthur Kill Rail Bridge.

Infrastructure

Hospitals

Staten Island is the only part of New York City without a hospital run by the city. It has two private hospitals: the Richmond University Medical Center and the Staten Island University Hospital.

Jails

Staten Island does not have a large jail run by New York City. The city has small jails at its three court buildings for people waiting for their court dates. Local police also have small jails, but they move people to jails in other parts of the city after they are arrested.

In the past, the Staten Island County Sheriff had its own jails, but these closed in 1942. Later, in 1976, a state jail called the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility opened, but it closed in 2011.

Nicknames

Staten Island has a few fun nicknames. People sometimes call it the "Forgotten Borough" because some feel it gets less attention than other parts of New York City. Another nickname is the "borough of parks" because it has lots of green spaces and over 170 parks. The hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan from Staten Island called it "Shaolin Land." Some people also refer to it as "The Rock," a name that became popular in a New York Times article in 2007.