Staten Island, New York was originally called Richmond Borough. It is one of the five Boroughs that comprise New York City. Staten Island is located across the Verrazano- Narrows Bridge from Brooklyn. Many of its 481,613 residents take the Staten Island Ferry daily to Lower Manhattan for work.
Staten Island is a mostly residential Borough and some of its neighborhoods are multi-use, combining apartments or condominiums with shops in the same building. Typical of old New York City construction are the multi-family homes that are found in all the boroughs. On Staten Island, there are many two and four family homes. Staten Island is considered the most suburban of the Boroughs. When the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was completed, a development boom took place nearby. Real estate is in demand and thanks to many renovation projects, young families are moving across the bridge to Staten Island. Schools were renovated or new schools were built to accommodate the influx of new residents. The local business directory grows daily as new shops open and new entertainment venues are launched.
The Gateway National Recreation Area is divided into units and the Staten Island unit holds the Great Kills Park, Miller Field, Fort Wadsworth, Hoffman Island and Swinburne Island. There are a number of museums on the Island, including the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum and the Staten Island Botanical Gardens. The St, George Theatre was renovated and is now a cultural arts center. Historic Richmond Town is a living history and museum of New York’s Colonial days. When residents want to find out what is going on in their area, they click on to the New York yellow pages online. The site keeps up with Staten Island’s rapid new development.