It was summer of 2020 and the entire city was on the move. Pandemic deals were aplenty and after four years of living with roommates, I was finally ready to get my own NYC apartment. Had I looked harder, I could have landed a decent place in the city or Brooklyn but none would have been as nice or cool as the building I found in Staten Island. I’ll spare you all the details of my modern (in comparison to pre-war and post war NYC buildings) building but I’ll say this apartment has a dishwasher, washing machine/ dryer and door security. These are 3 things that are normally impossible to find for an affordable price which leads me to the first thing.
It’s cheaper and quieter than any other borough. Because you have to make the hike to Staten Island via ferry, most young professionals don’t want to make the trip. As a result, it’s significantly more affordable to live. You also have to factor in the large demographic of blue collar workers, lack of cool or trendy bars, restaurants, events and the overwhelming fact that’s there’s just not much to do on the island.
Living on the waterfront and having to be on the water frequently is the best form of self care. In a city that’s essentially a concrete jungle, spending time on the water will certainly soften the hardness of the city. I jokingly tell people that the Staten Island ferry is my own personal yacht. There’s nothing more relaxing than having 22 minutes of slowly floating about while looking off into the distance. While onboard, there are the obvious sites to see…The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Governors Island, New Jersey, oh yeah and the city.
photo by Amon Focus
This last one is sad but for an introvert like myself, it’s totally perfect. No one is coming to see you. In three years, I’ve had 5 NYC friends come visit me. I get it, depending on where you live, getting on the subway, then a ferry then another train is probably not how you want to spend 90 minutes. But the friends that did come, we always had good food, drinks, laughs and sometimes photo sessions.
I don’t regret one moment of moving to Staten Island. It gave me a uniquely different NYC experience that I truly cherish. This was my pandemic home. The next chapter of my life will be back in Brooklyn.
p.s. Majority of real New Yorkers and Staten Islanders will say “It’s on Staten Island, not in Staten Island”.