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Laura Spagnolo, SRES
Phone (917) 325-1439 Fax (347) 673-8740 RE/MAX Metro 9504 3rd Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11209 Quick Search |
Laura T. Spagnolo, SRESAssociate Broker & Senior Real Estate Specialist
Staten Island, NY Area Guide
Staten Island History
The colony of New York was divided into counties in 1683, and Staten Island, along with several other neighboring islands, were designated as Richmond County. In 1729 the village of Richmond Town was named the county seat near the center of the island. By 1771, Staten Island’s population had grown from a single Dutch settlement to 2,847 residents. Staten Island played a pivotal role in the American Revolutionary War, and in 1777 the Battle of Staten Island occurred between the English and the Canadian and American companies. Although both sides surrendered over 100 troops as prisoners, the battle was left unresolved and the Americans were forced to withdraw. Many British forces remained on Staten Island throughout the war, and in 1783 the British used the island to evacuate New York City on December 5th. After the war most of the remaining Loyalists fled to Canada as their estates were sold off. In 1898, Staten Island became one of the five boroughs of the City of Greater New York, but most of the land still remained undeveloped until the completion of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in 1964 which created a direct road from Staten Island to Brooklyn. Suburban areas expanded rapidly after the bridge was completed, and together with the other three major island bridges, Staten Island attracted tourists and commuters from New Jersey, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Long Island. These new bridges and highways allowed new residents to pour into the island, bolstering the local economy and rapidly expanding residential areas.
Staten Island, NY Attractions & ActivitiesSandy Ground Historical Museum
Staten Island Events
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Staten Island is a borough of New York City that is separated from the rest of New York state by the New York Bay. Although Staten Island is the least populated of the five boroughs with a population of 487,407 residents, it is the third largest in area at 59 square miles. Formerly known as the Borough of Richmond until 1975, Staten Island is the most suburban of the boroughs, but also has a variety of historic sites such as the St. George Historic District and the St. Paul’s Avenue-Stapleton Heights Historic District which feature grandiose Victorian homes. The North Shore is the most urban part of Staten Island consisting of St. George, Tompkinsville, Park Hill, and Stapleton neighborhoods. The Staten Island Ferry connects the island to Manhattan and provides extraordinary views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Lower Manhattan.
During the 16th century, Staten Island was part of the Lenapehoking area that was inhabited by the Lenape Indians. Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to visit the island when he sailed through The Narrows in 1524. Dutch trade was established here in 1609 by Henry Hudson, and he named the island Staaten Eylandt after the Dutch parliament system. Although the Dutch had already settled the nearby area of Manhattan in 1620, Staaten Eylandt remained uncolonized for many decades because each time a settlement was established their efforts failed due to conflicts with the local tribes. Finally, in 1661 the first permanent settlement was created successfully and named Oude Dorp (Dutch for “Old Village”) and was located at present-day Old Town, just south of the Narrows. At the end of the Second Angle-Dutch War in 1667, the Dutch gave the New Netherlands colony to the English in the Treaty of Breda, and the island was given the anglicized name of Staten Island and became an official colony of New York.
Alice Austen House
This festival includes catering by Framboise, an auction, Christmas music by The Choir of St. Mary’s Church, and a cocktail reception afterward. The festival is held at 239 Fingerboard Road, and tickets are $90 per person.
Known as “The Greenest Borough”, Staten Island has over 170 parks and over 12,300 acres of protected park land. The parks provide endless opportunities, including ice skating at Clove Lakes, swimming at South Beach, horseback riding at Clay Pit Ponds State Park, and bird watching at Mount Loretto Nature Preserve. Over a third of the borough’s land mass is covered in forests, passive park land, and traditional parks complete with playgrounds and ball fields.
