"The news said that Staten Island is the 'Forgotten Borough' how can you forget over a half of million families. Shaolin Wu-Tang Worldwide..." - Tweet by RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan
Locals may lament their home being referred to as "the forgotten borough," since the other four eat up a lot of attention, but Staten Island is definitely one of the "Fearsome Fivesome" of the great New York City. The island ranks as the third-largest borough in square mileage, but the smallest in population -- which is kind of mind-boggling, since it's home to about half a million people. But what's a borough, anyway? Basically, it's a city and a county at the same time. Several states have them but New York's version grew from a combination of the city and county governmental structures that were in place in the latter part of the 19th century. Staten Island lies in the southwest part of the city and is nearly surrounded by New Jersey, except for its northeast corner, which is linked to Brooklyn via the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Staten Island is also close to Newark Liberty International Airport and sits at the mouth of the Hudson River as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. With water views and legendary dining and entertainment options readily accessible, you may wonder why haven't started your search for apartments in Staten Island yet.
Though the borough joined New York City as part of the consolidation of the area in 1898, the name has only been officially "Staten Island" since 1975
