The Forgotten Borough

Recently, we watched a lot of music videos and read several essays that discuss the various aspects of life in New York, mainly Manhattan or Brooklyn. I found it interesting that, so far, no New York writer has mentioned the different ethnic communities of Staten Island that blend together and support each other in times of difficulty as much as any other borough. Like any borough, Staten Island is broken up into its ethnic communities. I have lived in Staten Island for 13 years and have always noticed the range of cultures that I can witness just by walking outside. Hispanics, Mexicans, Indians, Middle Easterners, Russians, Ukrainians, and African Americans have presided in my neighborhood for as long as I can remember. After Hurricane Sandy, many communities banded together to help one another with any task they can find, whether it was throwing out damaged furniture or mopping up the dirt. Staten Island was the hardest-hit borough, at least in terms of human lives, that didn’t receive much attention at the beginning. But while the Red Cross and FEMA were nowhere to be found, I watched as strangers left their destroyed homes to help someone more in need. Groups of teenagers walked around, offering their services to anyone who needed them. People started their own donation groups, with hundreds of neighbors and Staten Island natives offering any resource they can. Even after the Army and Red Cross arrived, there was a sense of safety and dependency on the new friendships developed between neighbors, no matter the ethnicity. It was this spirit of generosity and assistance that made me proud to be a native to this great city.

While the news usually portrays only the crimes that go on in Staten Island, the city offers much more than violence and doesn’t have a crime rate higher than any other borough. True, Staten Island is more of a nature getaway than an entertainment hotspot, but for those who enjoy beauty, nature, and relaxation, there is no better place to be. Staten Island offers a zoo, botanical gardens, beaches, and several parks that hold something you can’t find in any other borough. While Manhattan is a metropolis of skyscrapers and heavily crowded streets, Staten Island is the serene environment that reminds you of the beautiful, peaceful forests of New Jersey or upstate New York.  While Manhattan is the “city that never sleeps” and the dreams of all the tourists and Brooklyn might be the soul of New York, I believe that Staten Island is New York’s well-kept, best secret.