Staten Island, New York is the largest (by area) of NYC’s five boroughs but has the lowest population: 474,558. It shares the same humid subtropical climate as neighboring towns, which means hot, humid summers, cold, wet winters. It is connected to New Jersey by several bridges and to Brooklyn by the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, a 2.5-mile, two-level suspension bridge—the longest in North America.
This island town also lays claim to the 4th longest boardwalk in the world—the 80-year-old F.D.R Boardwalk, which was restored after the damage of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, is a lovely place to bike or walk. Staten Island is an ideal place to live because it’s spacious and affordable while still being close enough to NYC for work or entertainment. Take the free ferry to Manhattan, which will give you a great look at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
If you come back from Manhattan laden with bags of souvenirs—Lady Liberty Comb, Obama Flip Flops, NYC Subway-Map-Emblazoned Thongs—keep them out of sight (and hopefully out of mind) in one of the many local self-storage facilities!
There are plenty of parks on the island, like the Greenbelt Conservancy, 2,800 acres of trail-laden green space, and High Rock Park, which has five ponds, six walking trails, and the 260-foot Mt. Moses with a panoramic view. There is a lot of wildlife in these parks, including white-tailed deer, pheasants, rabbits, foxes, and peeperfrogs.
If you’re a history buff, you’re sure to enjoy a visit to the Conference House (a.k.a. Billop Mansion), where the Staten Island Peace Conference was held in 1776 in an unsuccessful attempt to bring to an end the American Revolutionary War. Plus it’s reputedly haunted. After you’ve been suitably scared, you’ll want to imbibe heavily at Hashtag Bar, shake your groove thing at Above Rooftop, or replenish your energy with a cuppa joe at Beans and Leaves.
Just because Staten Island has tried—and failed—to secede from NYC, doesn’t mean it won’t happen one day. Keep all your valuables in a secure self storage unit in preparation for the potential Staten Island revolution!
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