You can see the bridge from my house, towering over the rest of the townhouses. I like to say that I’m technically from both Brooklyn and the city (live right next to the bridge, and went to school right next to the ferry). However, as I spend more time away from my home in Staten Island, I find that its influences help to make it what it is. I live in the Arrochar neighborhood, which is deeply ingrained in the culture of Brooklyn, yet also feels distinctly its own.
This culture could not be possible without public transportation. Though I can drive, I find that navigating the North Shore of Staten Island is much more convenient on the bus. Parallel parking on the hilly streets of St. George at 8 am before school is not a smart idea when the S51 could just as easily take me there. Getting to Brooklyn is even easier. All it takes is a ride on the S53 for 5 minutes and I am in Bay Ridge, with easy access to the R train. If I want to splurge on a 30-minute ride into Manhattan, I could easily take any SIM bus route, as they all go right behind my house. This dynamic has helped me to distance myself from the lack of diversity in Staten Island.
Picture of St. George (credit NY Times)
However, I do find that there are certain areas that are charming. Ft. Wadsworth is one example of this. Having a national park be a part of my daily commute, my runs, and memories with friends and family- while still being in New York City is something that I miss about my home. I really do see so much potential in St. George. The lack of industry in Staten Island is both relieving and also frustrating. The affordable, yet accessible housing compared with my old home in Brooklyn made Staten Island an amenable place for my parents, who were looking to settle down after moving from Ahmedabad, which is another big city in India.
Picture of Ft. Wadsworth and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (taken by me)
Diversity on Staten Island is hard to find, but going to a public school that isn’t Staten Island Tech helped me to experience this in a way that most on the Island have not. There is a large Gujarati Christian population in my neighborhood, which is the community that my family would consider us to be a part of. This demographic is also interacting with the large Russian population, from which I have been able to learn a lot. The influx of minority populations into Staten Island is only helping the culture of the Island to grow to be more tolerant.
The roles that classism also plays in the perception of Staten Island play a large role in how it has been perceived. This perception has also negatively affected the built environment. Staten Island is not all “Jersey Shore.” However, I cannot lie and say that some of the stereotypes are not real. As soon as Hylan Boulevard curves, you immediately feel that you are in a less diverse, less urban, and definitely more Republican environment.
This has also helped me to learn as well. I have been able to see both liberal and conservative points of view, and how the built environment influences how people interact. This has made Staten Island to be a very tense political battleground, which makes it impossible for change to be made immediately. The comments of the Staten Island Advance on Instagram prove this to be the case, with it being a microcosm of what the culture is like.
Not all of the South Shore is fundamentally “bad,” but I find that the people and the culture of the North Shore have so much going for it. Every time I have been back to visit, I have noticed a new coffee shop, a new gym, a new store, etc. This has made me hopeful for how Staten Island will only continue to grow. There are also talks about adding new public transit options on Staten Island, such as extending the Hudson Bergen Light Rail and adding Bus Rapid Transit across the North Shore. These opportunities will only help Staten Island to grow and to gain a culture of its own.
As I spend time away from Staten Island, I find that it has given me an extremely unique perspective on what an urban environment should look like. I have been able to see both perspectives of the big city and an insular suburb. The vast changes in how people live and work on Staten Island are jarring at times, and I honestly can not wait to say that Staten Island is a part of my past, but for now, I will continue to vouch for how lowkey my home borough is.
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