Staten Island (pronounced /ˌstætənˈaɪlənd/) is a borough New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is segmented into five boroughs. A borough is a unique form of government that administers the five fundamental constituent parts of the consolidated city. Technically, under New York State Law, a "borough" is a municipal corporation that is created when a county is merged with the of New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over global commerce, finance, media, culture, art, fashion, research, education, and entertainment. As host of the, New York New York City, which is geographically the largest city in the state and most populous in the United States, is known for its history as a gateway for immigration to the United States and its status as a financial, cultural, transportation, and manufacturing center. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, it is also a destination of choice, United States ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey The area was inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years, with historical tribes such as the Lenape along the coast. In the early 1600s, the Dutch and the Swedes made the first European settlements. The English later seized control of the region, naming it the Province of New Jersey. It was granted as a colony to Sir George Carteret by the Arthur Kill The Arthur Kill is a tidal strait separating Staten Island, New York from mainland New Jersey, USA, and a major navigational channel of the the Port of New York and New Jersey. Kill is from the Middle Dutch word kille, meaning "riverbed" or "water channel". Arthur Kill has also been known as Staten Island Sound and the Kill Van Kull The Kill Van Kull is a tidal strait between Staten Island, New York and Bayonne, New Jersey in the United States. Approximately 3 miles long and 1,000 feet (305 m) wide and connects Newark Bay with Upper New York Bay. The Robbins Reef Light marks the eastern end of the Kill, Bergen Point its western end. Spanned by the Bayonne Bridge, it is one of, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay New York Bay is the collective term for the marine areas surrounding the entrance of the Hudson River into the Atlantic Ocean. Its two largest components are Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay, which are connected by The Narrows. The first European to discover the area was Giovanni da Verrazano in 1524. With a population of 491,730, Staten Island is the least populated of the five boroughs but is the third largest in area at 59 sq mi (153 km2).

The Borough of Staten Island is coextensive with Richmond County, the southernmost county In the United States, a county is a local level of government below the state . Counties are used in 48 of the 50 states, while Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. These are considered "county-equivalents", as are some cities not designated as part of a county. The U.S. Census Bureau lists 3,140 counties or in the state of New York New York City, which is geographically the largest city in the state and most populous in the United States, is known for its history as a gateway for immigration to the United States and its status as a financial, cultural, transportation, and manufacturing center. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, it is also a destination of choice. Until 1975, the borough was officially named the Borough of Richmond.[2] Staten Island has been sometimes called "the forgotten borough" by inhabitants who feel neglected by the city government The government of New York City is organized under the City Charter and provides for a "strong" mayor-council system. The government of New York is more centralized than that of most other U.S. cities, with the city government being responsible for public education, correctional institutions, libraries, public safety, recreational.[3][4]

Staten Island is overall the most suburban of the five boroughs of New York City. The North Shore, especially the neighborhoods of St. George, Tompkinsville, Park Hill, and Stapleton, is the most urban part of the island; it contains the officially designated St. George Historic District and The St. Paul’s Avenue-Stapleton Heights Historic District, which feature large Victorian homes. The South Shore has more suburban-style residential neighborhoods and is home to the two and one-half mile long F.D.R. Boardwalk, the fourth longest in the world. Historically, the central and southern sections of the island were once dominated by dairy and poultry farms, almost all of which disappeared in the 20th century.

The borough is accessible to Brooklyn Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough with approximately 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area. It is also the westernmost county on Long Island via the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and to New Jersey via the Goethals Bridge The Goethals Bridge connects Elizabeth, New Jersey to Staten Island, New York, near the Howland Hook Marine Terminal, Staten Island, New York over the Arthur Kill. Operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the span was one of the first structures built by the authority. On the New Jersey side it is located on 2 exits north of the, Outerbridge Crossing The Outerbridge Crossing is a cantilever bridge which spans the Arthur Kill. The "Outerbridge", as it's commonly known, connects Perth Amboy, New Jersey with the New York City borough of, Staten Island and carries NY-440 and NJ-440, each road ending at the respective state border, and Bayonne Bridge The Bayonne Bridge is the fourth longest steel arch bridge in the world, and was the longest in the world at the time of its completion. It connects Bayonne, New Jersey with Staten Island, New York, spanning the Kill Van Kull. Staten Island has Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S. state of New York, serving 12 counties in southeastern New York, along with 2 counties in southwestern Connecticut under contract to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, carrying over 11 million passengers on an (MTA) bus service and an MTA rapid transit line, the Staten Island Railway, which runs from the ferry terminal at St. George to Tottenville Tottenville with an area of approx. 1.7 square miles , is the southernmost neighborhood of Staten Island, New York City and New York State. Originally named Bentley Manor by one of its first settlers, Captain Christopher Billop (1638-1726), after a small ship he owned named the Bentley, the district was renamed Tottenville in 1869, apparently in. Staten Island is the only one of the five boroughs of New York City that does not have below-ground rapid transit. The free Staten Island Ferry The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation that runs between Manhattan Island and Staten Island. The ferry departs Manhattan from South Ferry, near Whitehall Circle, at the southernmost tip of Manhattan near Battery Park. On Staten Island, the ferry arrives and departs from St connects the borough to Manhattan Manhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York. It consists of Manhattan Island and several small adjacent islands: Roosevelt Island, Randall's Island, and is a popular tourist attraction, providing views of the Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (originally called Liberty Enlightening the World ) is a massive sculpture that stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. Designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886, the statue was a gift of the people of France. It has become an iconic symbol of freedom and of the United States, Ellis Island Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States as the site of the nation's busiest immigration station from 1892 to 1954. Prior to that, the much smaller original island was the site of Fort Gibson and later a naval magazine. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Since and lower Manhattan.

New York's Five Boroughs New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is segmented into five boroughs. A borough is a unique form of government that administers the five fundamental constituent parts of the consolidated city. Technically, under New York State Law, a "borough" is a municipal corporation that is created when a county is merged with the at a Glance
Jurisdiction Population Land Area
Borough of County of estimate for 1 July 2009 square miles square km
Manhattan Manhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York. It consists of Manhattan Island and several small adjacent islands: Roosevelt Island, Randall's Island, New York 1,629,054 23 59
the Bronx The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also, as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated. Located north of Manhattan and Queens, and south of Westchester County, the Bronx is the only borough located primarily on the mainland. In 2009, the Census Bureau estimated that the Bronx 1,397,287 42 109
Brooklyn Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough with approximately 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area. It is also the westernmost county on Long Island Kings 2,567,098 71 183
Queens Queens is the largest in area, the second largest in population, and the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States Queens 2,306,712 109 283
Staten Island Richmond 491,730 58 151
City of New York New York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over global commerce, finance, media, culture, art, fashion, research, education, and entertainment. As host of the 8,391,881 303 786
State of New York New York City, which is geographically the largest city in the state and most populous in the United States, is known for its history as a gateway for immigration to the United States and its status as a financial, cultural, transportation, and manufacturing center. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, it is also a destination of choice 19,541,453 47,214 122,284
Source: United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as a leading source of data about America's people and economy[5][6][7]

Contents

Geology

Geology of Staten Island Serpentinite Serpentinite is a rock composed of one or more serpentine group minerals. Minerals in this group are formed by serpentinization, a hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle. The alteration is particularly important at the sea floor at tectonic plate boundaries. It is the state rock of California, USA and shown in rock cut along I-278 in Staten Island by Todt Hill marked on USGS geological map

During the Paleozoic Era The Paleozoic or Palaeozoic Era (from the Greek palaios , "old" and zoe (ζωή), "life", meaning "ancient life") is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. The Paleozoic spanned from roughly 542 to 251 million years ago (ICS, 2004), and is subdivided into six geologic periods; from oldest to , the tectonic plate Plate tectonics is a scientific theory which describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere. It is vital for the existence of life on earth because of the role that it plays in the global cycle that maintains the balance of carbon between the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.[citation needed] The theory containing the continent of Laurentia Laurentia , like all craton land, was created as continents moved about the surface of the Earth, bumping into other continents and drifting away and the plate containing the continent of Gondwanaland Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, is the name given to a southern precursor supercontinent. Its final geological suturing occurred between ca. 570 and 510 million years ago (Ma), joining East Gondwana to West Gondwana. It later separated from Laurasia 180-200 million years ago during the breakup of the Pangaea supercontinent that existed about 50 were converging, the Iapetus ocean that separated the two continents gradually closed and the resulting collision between the plates formed the Appalachian Mountains. During the early stages of this mountain building known as the Taconic orogeny The Taconic orogeny was a great mountain building period that perhaps had the greatest overall effect on the geologic structure of basement rocks within the New York Bight region. The effects of this orogeny are most apparent throughout New England, but the sediments derived from mountainous areas formed in the northeast can be traced throughout, 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 of one or more serpentine group minerals. Minerals in this group are formed by serpentinization, a hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle. The alteration is particularly important at the sea floor at tectonic plate boundaries. It is the state rock of California, USA and. This strata of the lower paleozoic (approximately 430 million years old) consists predominately of the serpentine minerals, antigorite, chrysotile Chrysotile or white asbestos is the most commonly encountered form of asbestos, accounting for approximately 95% of the asbestos in place in the United States and a similar proportion in other countries. It is a soft, fibrous silicate mineral in the serpentine group of phyllosilicates: as such, it is distinct from other asbestiform minerals in the, and lizardite, it also contains asbestos Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals exploited commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their asbestiform habit, long, (1:20) thin fibrous crystals. The inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious illnesses, including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma (a formerly rare cancer and talc Talc (derived from the Persian talc via Arabic talk (تلك)) is a mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate with the chemical formula H2Mg3(SiO3)4 or Mg3Si4O10(OH)2. In loose form, it is the widely-used substance known as talcum powder. It occurs as foliated to fibrous masses, its monoclinic crystals being so rare as to be almost unknown. At the end of the Paleozoic era (248 million years ago) all major continental masses were joined into the supercontinent of Pangaea Pangaea, Pangæa, or Pangea was the supercontinent that existed during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras about 250 million years ago, before the component continents were separated into their current configuration.

At the retreat of the ice sheet, Staten Island was connected by land to Long Island Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, United States, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City, and two of which (Nassau and Suffolk) are mainly suburban. In popular usage, the term “Long Island” generally refers only as The Narrows had not yet formed. Geologists A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using physics, chemistry and biology as well as other' reckonings of the course of the Hudson River The Hudson River is a 315-mile river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. It rises at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains, flows past Albany, and finally forms the border between New York City and New Jersey at its mouth before emptying into Upper New York Bay. Its lower half is a have placed it alternatively through the present course of the Raritan River The Raritan River is a major river of central New Jersey in the United States. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean, south of the island, or through present-day Flushing Bay and Jamaica Bay.

History

Native Americans

Lenape women, Oklahoma (1910), descendants of original inhabitants of New York City region Skeletons unearthed at Lenape burial ground, Burial Ridge in Staten Island, the largest pre-European burial ground in NYC.

As in much of North America, human habitation appeared in the island fairly rapidly after the retreat of the ice sheet. Archaeologists have recovered tool evidence of Clovis culture activity dating from approximately 14,000 years ago. The island was probably abandoned later, possibly because of the extinction of large mammals on the island. Evidence of the first permanent American Indian 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 (Ritchie 1963).

Rossville points; a distinct type of arrowhead which defines a Native American cultural period which spans the Archaic period to the Early Woodland period, dating from approximately 1500 to 100 BC., are named for the Rossville section of Staten Island where they were first recognized, having been found in the vicinity of the old Rossville Post Office building.[9]

At the time of European contact the island was inhabited by the Raritan band of the Unami division of the Lenape. The Lenape who spoke Lenape (language) one of the Algonquian languages called Staten Island Aquehonga Manacknong part of the Lenape homeland known as Lenapehoking. The Lenape were known to the Europeans as the "Delaware" because they inhabitated both shores of the Delaware river.

The island was laced with foot trails, one of which followed the south side of the ridge near the course of present day Richmond Road and Amboy Road. The Lenape did not live in fixed encampments, but moved seasonally, using slash and burn agriculture. The staples of their diet included shellfish, including the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) which was abundant in the waterways throughout the present day New York City region.

Burial Ridge; a Lenape burial ground located on a bluff overlooking Raritan Bay in what is today the Tottenville section of Staten Island is the largest pre-European burial ground in New York City. The burial ground today is unmarked and lies within the confines of Conference House Park.

European Settlement

Voorlezer's house built c. 1696

The first recorded European contact with the island was in 1524 by Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, who in the employ of the French crown, sailed through The Narrows on the French ship La Dauphine and anchored for one night.

In 1609, the English explorer Henry Hudson sailing for the Dutch sailed into Upper New York Bay on his ship the Half Moon. Staaten Eylandt was named in honor of the Dutch parliament known as the Staten-Generaal,

The first Dutch settlement of the New Netherland colony was made on Manhattan in 1620, yet Staaten Eylandt remained uncolonized by the Dutch for many decades. From 1639 to 1655, the Dutch made three separate attempts to establish a permanent settlement on the island, but each time the settlement was destroyed in the conflicts between the Dutch and the local tribes. In 1661, the first permanent Dutch settlement was established at Oude Dorp (Dutch for "Old Village"),[10] just south of the Narrows near South Beach, by a small group of Dutch, Walloon, and Huguenot families. Today, the last vestige of Oude Dorp exists as the present-day neighborhood of Old Town, adjacent to Old Town Road.

Richmond County

Historic Richmondtown museum complex is located in the heart of Staten Island. See also: List of former municipalities in New York City

At the end of the Second Anglo-Dutch War in 1667, the Dutch ceded New Netherlands colony to England in the Treaty of Breda, and what was now anglicized as "Staten Island" became part of the new English colony of New York.

In 1670, the Native Americans ceded all claims to Staten Island to the English in a deed to Gov. Francis Lovelace. In 1671, in order to encourage an expansion of the Dutch settlements, the English resurveyed Oude Dorp (which became known as Old Town) and expanded the lots along the shore to the south. These lots were settled primarily by Dutch and became known as Nieuwe Dorp (meaning "New Village"), which later became anglicized as New Dorp.

Captain Christopher Billopp, after years of distinguished service in the Royal Navy, came to America in 1674 in charge of a company of infantry. The following year, he settled on Staten Island, where he was granted a patent for 932 acres (3.8 km2) of land. According to one version of an oft-repeated but inaccurate myth, Capt. 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, according to the myth. Mayor Michael Bloomberg perpetuated the myth by referring to it at a news conference in Brooklyn on February 20, 2007.[11]

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, were designated as Richmond County. The name derives from the title of Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, 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 5100 acre (21 km²) manorial estate of colonial governor Thomas Dongan in the central hills known as the "Lordship or Manner of Cassiltown," along with the North, South, and West divisions. These divisions would later evolve into the four townships Castleton, Northfield, Southfield, and Westfield. In 1698, the population was 727.[12]

The government granted land patents in rectangular blocks of eighty acres (320,000 m²), 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 1600 acre (6.5 km²) parcel on the southwestern tip of the island belonging to Christopher Billop (Jackson, 1995).

In 1729, a county seat was established at 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.[12]

The American Revolution and 19th century

The island played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War. On March 17, 1776, the British forces under William Howe evacuated Boston and sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia. From Halifax, Howe prepared to attack New York City, which then consisted entirely of the southern end of Manhattan Island. General George Washington 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, which was the largest armada to set sail until the Second World War. The British troops and Hessian mercenaries numbered at 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 Amboy Road. It is here that the representatives of the British government reportedly received their first notification of the Declaration of Independence.

In August 1776, the British forces crossed the Narrows to Brooklyn and outflanked the American forces at the Battle of Long Island, resulting in the British control of the harbor and the capture of New York City shortly thereafter. Three weeks later, on September 11, 1776, the British received a delegation of Americans consisting of Benjamin Franklin, Edward Rutledge, and John Adams at the Conference House on the southwestern tip of the island (known today as Tottenville) on the former estate of Christopher Billop. The Americans refused the peace offer from the British in exchange for the withdrawal of the Declaration of Independence, however, and the conference ended without an agreement.

The Conference House

On August 22, 1777, the Battle of Staten Island occurred here between the British and several companies of the 2nd Canadian Regiment fighting alongside other American companies. While the battle was inconclusive, with both sides surrendering over a hundred troops as prisoners, the Americans withdrew.

British forces remained on Staten Island throughout the war. Most Patriots fled after the British occupation, and so local sentiment of the remaining population was predominantly Loyalist, However, the islanders found the demands of supporting the troops to be onerous. The British kept headquarters in neighborhoods such as Bulls Head. Many buildings and churches were destroyed, and the military demand for resources resulted in an extensive deforestation of the island by the end of the war. The British again used the island as a staging ground for their final evacuation of New York City on December 5, 1783. After the war, the largest Loyalist landowners fled to Canada and their estates were subdivided and sold.

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 and prominent free blacks prepared for the festivities. Speeches, pageants, picnics, and fireworks marked the celebration, which lasted for two days.

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.

The Conference House (seen right, http://www.conferencehouse.org/index.html) was built by a British Naval Officer in 1680. Built by Captain Christopher Billopp, this grand stone manor overlooking the Arthur Kill and Perth Amboy, New Jersey, around 1680, and his grandson, Colonel Christopher Billopp, owned the house when it was taken over by Admiral Lord Richard Howe, head of the British Forces in the Americas.

At Present this Historical site is host to many community events and Holiday celebration in Tottenville. Following in tradition with the history of Tottenville, many homeowners in town have restored their homes to their original appearance.(http://www.tottenvillehistory.com/)

Consolidation with New York City

The towns and villages of Staten Island were dissolved in 1898 with the consolidation of the City of Greater New York, with Richmond as one of its five boroughs.

The Verrazano, 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 the borough's old neighborhoods.

Throughout the 1980s, a movement to secede from the city steadily grew in popularity, reaching its peak during the mayoral term of David Dinkins. In a 1993 referendum, 65% voted to secede, but implementation was blocked in the State Assembly.[13][14]

In the 1980s, the United States Navy had a base on Staten Island called Naval Station New York. It was composed of two sections: a home port in Stapleton and a larger section around Fort Wadsworth, where the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge enters the island. Originally, this base was to be the home port for the battleship USS Iowa (BB-61), but an explosion in one of the ship's turrets led to the vessel's decommissioning. A number of other vessels, including the frigates USS Donald B. Beary FF 1085 and USS Ainsworth FF 1090 and at least one cruiser, the USS Normandy (CG-60), were based there. The base was closed in 1994 through the Base Realignment and Closure process because of its small size and the expense of basing personnel there. It was recently announced that the property will be converted into a mixed-use waterfront neighborhood with an announced completion date of 2009.

Opened as a "temporary landfill" in 1947, Fresh Kills Landfill was a repository of trash for the city of New York. The landfill was closed in 2001,[15] but was briefly re-opened for the debris from Ground Zero following the September 11 attacks in 2001. The Fresh Kills Landfill has been treated and cleaned up. A park larger than Central Park is in the works. Its creeks and wetlands have been designated a Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Fresh Kills and its tributaries are part of the largest tidal wetland ecosystem in the region. Plans for the park include a bird-nesting island, public roads, boardwalks, soccer and baseball fields, bridle paths and a 5,000-seat stadium.[16] 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. Already, many of the landscapes of Fresh Kills possess a stark beauty, with 360 degree, wide horizon views from the hills, over 300 acres (1.2 km2) of salt marsh and a winding network of creeks.

Panoramic view of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which connects the eastern portion of the island to Brooklyn

Geography

See also: List of Staten Island neighborhoods

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough-county has a total area of 102.5 sq mi (265.5 km²). Land comprises 58.5 sq mi (151.5 km²) and water 44.0 sq mi (114.0 km²) of it (42.95%).

Staten Island is separated from Long Island by the Narrows and from mainland New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull.

In addition to the main island, the borough and county also include several small uninhabited islands:

The highest point on the island, the summit of Todt Hill, 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 in Massachusetts and the highest point on the coast proper south of Maine's Camden Hills.

In the late 1960s the island was the site of important battles of open-space preservation, resulting in the largest area of parkland in New York City and an extensive Greenbelt that laces the island with woodland trails.

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).

Adjacent counties

Jersey City, The Statue of Liberty, Lower Manhattan, and Downtown Brooklyn as seen from Northeast Staten Island

Parks

There are two New York State parks located on Staten Island:

There are multiple New York City parks including:

Transportation

The Staten Island Ferry provides travel between lower Manhattan and the St. George Ferry Terminal.

The Staten Island Ferry is the only direct transportation network from Staten Island to Manhattan, roughly a 25 minute trip.[17] The St. George ferry terminal built in 1950 recently underwent a $130-million renovation and now features floor-to-ceiling glass for panoramic views of the harbor and incoming ferries. The ferry had its fare eliminated in 1997.

Unlike the other four boroughs of New York, Staten Island follows no numbered grid system to any significant degree. The only numbered grid is within a small area in New Dorp, which only goes up to 10th street and does not intersect with any numbered avenues. However, most Staten Island neighborhoods do follow some degree of grid system, but they don't follow a system where streets are perpendicular to avenues, they are not numbered, with few exceptions, and they are often not contiguous to one another. This is one reason why Staten Island is significantly suburban compared to other boroughs. Some neighborhoods, however, do follow an alphabetical organization of their streets.

Staten Island is connected to Brooklyn via the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge using I-278, the Staten Island Expressway. Once in Brooklyn, I-278 becomes the Gowanus Expressway and then the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, providing access to Manhattan through various tunnels and bridges.

Staten Island is connected to New Jersey via three vehicular bridges and one railroad bridge. The Outerbridge Crossing to Perth Amboy, New Jersey is at the southern end of Route 440 and the Bayonne Bridge to Bayonne, New Jersey is at the northern end of Route 440, which continues into Jersey City, New Jersey. From the New Jersey Turnpike, the Goethals Bridge using I-278 connects to the Staten Island Expressway. The Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Railroad Bridge carries freight between the northwest part of the island and Elizabeth, New Jersey.

The Staten Island Railway operates along the Richmond/Amboy Roads corridor.

The Staten Island Railway traverses the island from its northeastern tip to its southwestern tip. Staten Island is the only borough not serviced by the New York City Subway. As such, express bus service is provided by NYC Transit throughout Staten Island to lower and midtown Manhattan.

There have been proposals to revive the North Shore Branch of the Staten Island Railway for passenger service. There is also a proposal to build a West Shore Line that would go in the center of the Dr. Martin Luther King Expressway, Staten Island Expressway, and West Shore Expressway, continuing to Richmond Valley, Staten Island to connect with the main line of the Staten Island Railway. See Staten Island light rail

Beginning September 4, 2007, the MTA began offering bus service from Staten Island to Bayonne, NJ over the Bayonne Bridge via the S89 Bus. It allows passengers to connect to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail's 34th St. Station, giving Staten Island residents a new route into Manhattan. It is notably, despite Staten Island's proximity to New Jersey, the only route directly into New Jersey from Staten Island via public transportation.

The only pedestrian link to Staten Island is via a footpath on the Bayonne Bridge.

Government and politics

Presidential election results[citation needed]
Year Republican Democrat
2008 51.7% 86,062 47.6% 79,311
2004 56.4% 90,325 42.7% 68,448
2000 45.0% 63,903 51.9% 73,828
1996 40.8% 52,207 50.5% 64,684
1992 47.9% 70,707 38.5% 56,901
1988 61.5% 77,427 38.0% 47,812
1984 65.1% 83,187 34.7% 44,345
1980 58.6% 64,885 33.7% 37,306
1976 54.1% 56,995 45.4% 47,867
1972 74.2% 84,686 25.6% 29,241
1968 55.3% 54,631 35.2% 34,770
1964 45.5% 42,330 54.4% 50,524
1960 56.5% 50,356 43.4% 38,673
Main article: Government of Staten Island
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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, which was responsible for creating and approving the city's budget and proposals for land use. In 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.[18]

Borough Hall in St. George, Staten Island

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 James Molinaro, a member of the Conservative Party elected in 2001 and reelected in 2005 with the endorsement of the Republican Party. Molinaro is the only Republican-supported borough president in New York City.

Staten Island's politics differ considerably from New York City's other boroughs. 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 small majority of local public offices. Staten Island is the base of New York City's Republican Party in citywide elections. In the 2001 mayoral election, borough voters chose Republican Michael Bloomberg, with 75.87% of the vote, over Democrat Mark Green, with 21.15% of the vote. Since Green narrowly lost the election citywide, Staten Island provided the margin of Bloomberg's victory. 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. Two out of Staten Island's three New York City Council members are Republicans.

In national elections Staten Island is not the Republican stronghold it is in local elections, but it is also not the a Democratic stronghold the rest of New York City is. The borough is a Republican-leaning swing county, though like the New York suburbs in Long Island and Westchester County it has become increasingly Democratic since the 1990s.

Each of the city's five counties (coterminous with each borough) have its own criminal court system and District Attorney, the chief public prosecutor who is directly elected by popular vote. Daniel Donovan, a Republican, has been the District Attorney of Richmond County since 2004. Staten Island has three City Council members, two Republicans and one Democrat, the smallest number among the five boroughs. It 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, 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 has voted for a Democratic presidential nominee only three times since 1952: in 1964, 1996, and 2000. In the 2004 presidential election Republican George W. Bush received 57% of the vote in Staten Island and Democrat John Kerry received 42%. By contrast, Kerry outpolled Bush in New York City's other four boroughs by a cumulative margin of 77% to 22%. It is worth mentioning that in the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain won 51% of the vote and Democrat Barack Obama won 47%.

Staten Island flag

The flag is on a white background in the center of which is the design of a seal in the shape of an oval. Within the seal appears the color blue to symbolize the skyline of the borough, in which two seagulls appear colored in black and white. The green outline represents the countryside of the borough with white outline denoting the residential areas of Staten Island. Below is inscribed the words "Staten Island" in gold. Below this are five wavy lines of blue to symbolize the water that surrounds the island borough on all sides. Gold fringe outlines the flag.[19]

See also: Government of New York City

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Staten Island
Staten Island Compared
2000 Census Staten Island New York City New York State
Total population 443,728 8,008,278 18,976,457
People per square mile 7,588 26,403 402
People per square km 2,930 10,194 155
Median household income (1999) $55,039 $38,293 $43,393
Per capita income $23,905 $22,402 $23,389
Bachelor's degree or higher 27% 27% 24%
Foreign born 16% 36% 20%
White 78% 45% 68%
Black 11% 27% 16%
Asian 7% 10% 6%
Hispanic (any race) 15% 27% 14%

According to the 2008 estimates of the United States Census, 487,407 people live on Staten Island. Staten Island has a population density of 8,334.6 per square mile (3,217.2 per km²).

According to the 2005–2007 American Community Survey Estimates, the borough's population was 76.6% White (67.4% non-Hispanic White alone), 10.6% Black or African American (9.5% non-Hispanic Black or African American alone), 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.6% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 6.0% from some other race and 1.1% from two or more races. 14.7% of the total population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[20]

As of 2005-2007 the population represented several European and Middle Eastern ancestries:[2]

20.9% of the population were foreign born and another 1.8% were born in Puerto Rico, U.S. Island areas, or born abroad to American parents. 29.5% spoke a language other than English at home and 27.1% had a Bachelor's degree or higher.[20]

As of 2000, there were 464,573 people, 256,341 households, and 214,128 families residing in the borough/county. The population density was 2,929.6/km² (7,587.9/sq mi). There were 163,993 housing units at an average density of 1,082.7/km² (2,804.3/sq mi). The racial makeup was 77.60% White, 9.67% Black, .25% Native American, 5.65% Asian, .04% Pacific Islander, 4.14% from other races, and 2.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.07% of the population.

Staten Island population
By town, by census
Census Castle- ton Middle- town North- field South- field West- field Total
1790 805 * 1,021 855 1,154 3,835
1800 1,056 * 1,377 932 1,198 4,564
1810 * * * * * 5,347
1820 1,527 * 1,980 1,012 1,616 6,135
1830 2,204 * 2,171 975 1,734 7,082
1840 4,275 * 2,745 1,619 2,326 10,965
1850 5,389 * 4,020 2,709 2,943 15,061
1860 6,778 6,243 4,841 3,645 3,985 25,492
1870 9,504 7,589 5,949 5,082 4,905 33,029
1880 12,679 9,029 7,014 4,980 5,289 38,991
1890 16,423 10,577 9,811 6,644 8,258 51,713
1900 * * * * * 67,021
1910 * * * * * 85,969
1920 * * * * * 116,531
1930 * * * * * 158,346
1940 * * * * * 174,441
1950 * * * * * 191,555
1960 * * * * * 221,991
1970 * * * * * 295,443
1980 * * * * * 352,029
1990 * * * * * 378,977
2000 * * * * * 443,728
est.† 2009 * * * * * 491,730

† estimate by the Census Bureau; * = not available

Staten Island (Richmond County) has a higher percentage of Italian-Americans than any other county in the United States, though it comes in 27th amongst Italian-American communities.[21] Since the 2000 census, a large Russian community has been growing on Staten Island, particularly in the Rossville, South Beach, and Great Kills area. There is also a significant Polish community mainly in the South Beach and Midland Beach area.

The vast majority of the island's African-American and Hispanic residents live north of the Staten Island Expressway, or Interstate 278. In terms of religion, the population is largely Roman Catholic. There is a growing presence of Egyptian Copts, the vast majority of whom are members of the Coptic Orthodox Church.[22]

There were 156,341 households out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% are married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. Individuals occupied 23.2% of all households, and 8.4% of households had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.31.

The population is spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

The median income for a household is $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 for the borough was $23,905. About 7.9% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Tourism on Staten Island

In 2009, Borough President James Molinaro started a program to increase tourism on Staten Island. At the top of that program was a new website, http://www.visitstatenisland.com, the official tourism website for the Borough of Staten Island, NY. The website was developed by local web development firm Mindsaw in cooperation with the Borough Presidents office and was Launched in July 2009.

The Tourism Program also includes 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.

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 in. Recently The New York Times[4][23] and NY1 News[24] featured Staten Island as a haven for artists and musicians. Filmmakers, most of whom work independently, also play an important part on Staten Island's art scene, which has been recognized by the local government. Conceived by the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation 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.

Museums

Sailors' Snug Harbor

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,[25], Staten Island Children's Museum, the Staten Island Museum and the Staten Island Botanical Garden, home of The New York Chinese Scholar's Garden.

While Staten Island was selected as the future site of the National Lighthouse Museum, the museum never got off the ground, after ten plus years of planning the board officially disbanded in the fall of 2009.

Attractions

Historic Richmond Town 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 25 acres (100,000 m2) of a 100-acre (0.40 km2) site with about 15 restored buildings, including homes, commercial and civic buildings, and a museum.

The island is home to the Staten Island Zoo, which recently opened a newly refurbished reptile exhibit and is in the process of designing a new carousel and leopard enclosure. 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. The Society has remained steadfast in its concentration on this goal, which is still a vital part of the Society’s current mission. The Staten Island Zoo was also the first zoo anywhere to exhibit all the 32 varieties of rattlesnakes known to occur in the United States. In the late 1960s the Zoo maintained the most complete rattlesnake collection in the world with 39 varieties.

Theater

The St. George Theater

The newly renovated St. George Theatre serves as a cultural arts center for a myriad of activities including outreach educational programs, architectural tours, television and film shoots, concerts, comedy, Broadway touring companies and small and large scale children's shows. It has featured many known artists such as The B52s, The Jonas Brothers, Tony Bennett, and Don McLean.

Media

Staten Island's local paper is The Staten Island Advance. The paper also has an affiliated website called silive.com.

SI Parent, Staten Island's parenting magazine has been publishing monthly issues since 1989. Their website siparent.com debuted in 2005. The parent company, Family Resource Publications, Inc. also publishes an annual S.I. Parent Resource Handbook since 1997.

The free monthly full color What's Good? Magazine, a guide to Staten Island was being published by Reduced Printing from September 2009 until December 2009. What's Good Magazine appeared on NY1 news as the first magazine to uplift the perception of Staten Island, detailing monthly activities to visit around the Island.

The documentary "A Walk Around Staten Island with David Hartman and Barry Lewis" premiered on public television station WNET on December 3, 2007, profiling Staten Island culture and history, including major attractions such as the Staten Island Ferry, Historic Richmondtown, the Conference House, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, the Chinese Scholars Garden and many more sites.[26]

Film and television

Movies filmed partially or wholly on Staten Island include The Godfather; It takes two Working Girl; War of the Worlds; Sorry, Wrong Number; Sisters; Splendor in the Grass; GoodFellas; Donnie Brasco; Shamus; School of Rock; Two Family House; He Knows You're Alone; Analyze This; Big Daddy; The Astronaut's Wife; Scent of a Woman; Freedomland; The Toxic Avenger; Easy Money, Big Fan and Staten Island (the movie). Also independent films The Atomic Space Bug (1999), Stairwell: Trapped in the World Trade Center (2002) and A Conversation with Norman (2005) were filmed on Staten Island and directed by Jonathan M. Parisen and Dan Quinn. Combat Shock (1986) and No Way Home (1996) were filmed by Staten Island director Buddy Giovinazzo. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days was also filmed in Staten Island.

Television series shot partially or wholly on Staten Island include The Education of Max Bickford and The Book of Daniel as well as parts of many episodes of Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The sitcom Grounded for Life was set on Staten Island, while the animated Godzilla: The Series, the Humanitarian Environmental Analysis Team (HEAT), which monitors Godzilla, has their headquarters based on Staten Island in an old ferry terminal.

Music

Main article: Music of New York City

Singer Christina Aguilera, David Johansen (also known as Buster Poindexter) of the New York Dolls, Guitarist Earl Slick (of David Bowie, John Lennon), Ingrid Michaelson, Mary Edwards, Eamon, Rick Schroder (the actor), Alyssa Milano (the actress), and Vernon Reid of Living Colour were born or reside on Staten Island. The hard rock band White Lion and the critically acclaimed hip hop-collective Wu-Tang Clan (who dubbed the borough "Shaolin"), the band The Headlocks and rapper Shyheim all formed on Staten Island. Force MD's were from Staten Island; their top ten hit was Tender Love. Drummer A.J. Pero from Twisted Sister resides in Staten Island. Vito and the Elegants had a #1 hit in 1959 with Little Star, whIch was recorded on South Beach Staten Island. Joan Baez was born on Staten Island, and Blackie Lawless from W.A.S.P.. Staten Island plays host to a well supported punk scene, including up and coming politically oriented rock groups such as Ballz, the Roman Geez, Avon Junkies, Curious Volume, and The We Are's.

See also: Culture of New York City

Literature

The late writer Paul Zindel lived in Staten Island during his youth and based most of his teenage novels in the Island. American Wildflower a novel about life on Staten Island in the 1970s was written by Bobby Clark who was born on the island and lived there for forty years. Lois Lowry, the author of The Gossamer and many other books attended school on Staten Island.

Sports

See also: Sports in New York City The Richmond County Bank Ballpark

Hospitals

Education

See also: Education in New York City and List of high schools in New York City

Public schools

Education in Staten Island is provided by a number of public and private institutions. 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, 7, 24, 27, 32, 34, 49, 51, 61, 63, 72 and 75, and 861, a K to 8 school as well as part of the Petrides School (which runs from kindergarten to High School)

Public high schools include:

Private schools

Non-denominational - Christian

Moore Catholic and St. Joseph by the Sea are the only co-educational Catholic schools on the island.

Colleges and universities

Libraries

Twelve branches of the New York Public Library serve the borough.

Notable natives and residents

Main article: List of people from Staten Island

Notes

  1. ^ "Richmond County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". September 4, 2009. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36085.html. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  2. ^ "Timeline of Staten Island - 1900s - Present". New York Public Library. http://www.nypl.org/branch/staten/history/timeline5.html. Retrieved January 16, 2006.
  3. ^ Brown, Chip (January 30, 1994). "Escape From New York - The New York Times". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/30/magazine/escape-from-new-york.html?scp=6&sq=%22the+forgotten+borough%22+government. Retrieved January 14, 2008. "Given their status as residents of "the forgotten borough" – the sorry Cinderella sister in New York's dysfunctional family – maybe the giddiest aspect of all was the attention."
  4. ^ a b Buckley, Cara (October 7, 2007). "Bohemia by the Bay". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/nyregion/thecity/07hips.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=%22the+forgotten+borough%22&oref=slogin. Retrieved January 14, 2008. "Even as New York’s hip young things invade and colonize neighborhoods near, far and out of state, Staten Island has stayed stubbornly uncool. It remains the forgotten borough."
  5. ^ U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Table 5. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Minor Civil Divisions in New York, Listed Alphabetically Within County: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009 (SUB-EST2009-05-36), Release Date: June 2010, retrieved on July 31, 2010
  6. ^ County and City Data Book:2007 (U.S. Census Bureau), Table B-1, Area and Population, retrieved on July 12, 2008. New York County (Manhattan) was the nation's densest-populated county, followed by Kings County (Brooklyn), Bronx County, Queens County and San Francisco, California.
  7. ^ American Fact Finder (U.S. Census Bureau): New York by County - Table GCT-PH1. Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2000 Data Set: Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data, retrieved on February 6, 2009
  8. ^ Continental Collisions and Ancient Volcanoes: The Geology of Southeastern New York by Yngvar W. Isachsen, Educational Leaflet No. 24 published by The New York State Educational Department.
  9. ^ Anthropological papers of the American Museum of Natural History, Volumes 3-4 By American Museum of Natural History
  10. ^ Ellis, Edward Robb (1966). The Epic of New York City. Old Town Books. p. 55.
  11. ^ Chan, Sewell (February 21, 2007). "That Old Tale About S.I.? Hold On Now". New York Times
  12. ^ a b Greene and Harrington (1932). American Population Before the Federal Census of 1790. New York. , as cited in: Rosenwaike, Ira (1972). Population History of New York City. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press. p. 12. ISBN 0815621558.
  13. ^ [1]
  14. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (March 5, 1994). "'Home Rule' Factor May Block S.I. Secession". http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/05/nyregion/home-rule-factor-may-block-si-secession.html. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  15. ^ Fresh Kills: Landfill to close
  16. ^ "Fresh Kills". New York City Department of City Planning. 2009. http://nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/fkl/fkl3.shtml. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  17. ^ "Ferries & Busses". New York City Department of Transportaion. http://nyc.gov/html/dot/html/ferrybus/statfery.shtml#trip. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  18. ^ Board of Estimate of City of New York v. Morris, 489 U.S. 688 , 87-1022 (Supreme Court of the United States March 22, 1989).
  19. ^ "About the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce". August 1, 2008. http://www.sichamber.com/reginfo.html. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  20. ^ a b "Richmond County, New York - ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates: 2005–2007". U.S. Census. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-context=adp&-qr_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_DP3YR5&-ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_&-tree_id=3307&-redoLog=true&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=05000US36085&-format=&-_lang=en. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
  21. ^ "Ancestry Map of Italian Communities". Epodunk.com. http://www.epodunk.com/ancestry/Italian.html. Retrieved August 18, 2008.
  22. ^ "For Island Coptics, a momentous occasion". Free Copts. October 20, 2009. http://freecopts.net/english/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=454&Itemid=1. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  23. ^ Hipsters on Staten Island - Video Library - The New York Times
  24. ^ "Artists Hope To Revitalize St. George, Stapleton Areas". April 28, 2007. http://ny1.com/1-all-boroughs-news-content/top_stories/?SecID=1000&ArID=69203. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  25. ^ Lee, Donna (November 7, 2008). "Sandy Ground - For Descendants of Black Settlers on Staten Island, a Dream Realized". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/09/nyregion/thecity/09sand.html?fta=y. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  26. ^ Hartman, David; Lewis, Barry (2007). "A Walk Around Staten Island". Public Broadcasting Service station WNET. http://www.thirteen.org/statenisland/. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  27. ^ Morris, Ira K. (1900). Morris's memorial history of Staten Island. 2. Staten Island, NY: Memorial Pub. Co.. p. 483. http://books.google.com/?id=m-kTAAAAYAAJ&dq=Morris's+memorial+history+of+Staten+Island,+New+York&printsec=frontcover&q=. Retrieved October 20, 2009. "The Staten Island Cricket and Base Ball Club, had its grounds for many years at Camp Washington, or what may now be the ferry terminal. It was incorporated in 1866."
  28. ^ "History". The Staten Island Cricket Club. May 25, 2009. http://statenislandcc.org/history.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2008.

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Cops take Fourth of July Staten Island fireworks crackdown into ...
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Cops take Fourth of July Staten Island fireworks crackdown into ...

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Tue Jul 6 01:58:47 2010
'Staten Island' Answers
Anyone know whatbus to take from staten island ferry to get to staen island mall?
Q. I live in manhattan and looking to go to the staten island mall
Asked by jane - Sun Sep 9 15:08:46 2007 - - 1 Answers - 1 Comments

A. try you may want to check :)
Answered by Chris - Sun Sep 9 15:22:48 2007

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Wed Jul 28 21:58:58 2010
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