Staten Island may be coined as the "forgotten" of the five boroughs.. but to me, this place is my home. Like most young adults from Staten Island, all we did was spend our time complaining about this place and saying we can't wait to leave, but now that I go away to school, I not only value where I came from more, I can confidently say there is no place better than Staten Island.
Here are some things only people raised in Staten Island will understand...
1. Everyone knows EVERYONE
Since the island is so small compared to all the other boroughs, it's very hard to not encounter someone who knows someone who knows someone. Basically, everyone on Staten Island is related, even if it's not by blood. Your cousin can be your actual blood cousin, your mother's best friend's kid, your aunt's ex-boyfriend's son, your next door neighbor that you grew up with, your best friend, or someone you met once but is somehow related to your other cousin. Also, if you're from the Island, just know people talk, word gets around quick, and your own business turn to everyone else's.
2. Your home is most famous for its dump...
While Fresh Kills Landfill used to be an infamous feature of Staten Island, known for its horrible odor and the stigma that came with it, what used to be the world’s largest dump stopped collecting trash in 2001. It has since been transformed to FreshKills Park, adding even more green space to Staten Island.
SEE ALSO: 10 Things You Get Used To Living In A Small Town
3. Everyone In Staten Island Is Actually From Brooklyn
Staten Island is filled with people originally from Brooklyn. After the Verrazano Bridge was built, Brooklynites came to SI in droves for the bigger houses, more space, and lower cost of living. And now that it’s getting even tougher to find affordable housing in Brooklyn, the same thing's happening again.
4. Ralph's is the best Summer/Spring Treat
Known for their wide variety of Italian ices and Cookie Monster ice cream, any Staten Island summer is full of quite a few weekly trips to Ralph's ices. With locations all across the island in different neighborhoods, there is bound to be a Ralph's only five to ten minutes away. Whenever you are feeling a treat during the summer, Ralph's is a definite Islander spot.
5. Getting confused with Long Island
People still don’t know that Staten Island is a borough of New York City and always assume it is Long Island. You get extremely annoyed and tired of people mixing up the two places even though they don’t mean it to be rude.
6. To Staten Islanders, "The City" Will Always Be Manhattan
7. There is only one mall… and it’s called ‘the mall.’
8. You're super excited for the Ferris Wheel to Open
The New York Times has an enthusiastic report on “Destination St. George,” the city’s plan to build the world’s largest Ferris wheel and an outlet mall near the ferry terminal on the forgotten borough of Staten Island.
SEE ALSO: 10 Things Nobody Warned You About In College
9. We have the best Italian Food
Staten Island is pretty well-known for its large population of Italians. We do have many top tier Italian restaurants and pizzerias such as Goodfellas, which won its title as “Best Pizza in the World” in 2012. Other popular Italian restaurants include Nunzio’s, Nonna’s Pizzeria, Royal Crown and Deninos, and Domenicos.
