New York City / Staten Island, New York

There’s lots to love about Staten Island; the Greenbelt, the amazing pizza, the four bridges (especially the Verrazano-Narrows) but the coolest part about the island has to be the ferry. First off, it’s free. Also, there’s beer, wine, and cocktails. Perhaps most important though are the views. It’s easy to forget the glory of living in NYC but the views from the ferry and the experience of getting places by water are truly one of a kind and a constant reminder of the beauty of the city.

Downsides? Despite early promises the NYC subway system never made it to Staten Island. This means traffic is stacked first thing in the morning until into your night. The density of housing combined with heavy traffic and a culture that rewards expressions of attitude means you’re going to find some serious vibes out on the roads of Staten Island. Our advice? Keep moving and make decisions quickly.

Staten Island is the least populated of the boroughs but also bigger than most. This means there’s room for homes, yards, and suburban amenities like shopping malls, parks, and kids' ball fields. Most people who live here have a lifestyle much like their counterparts in suburbia. For those looking for a suburban version of liberal Brooklyn though know that it’s more conservative here and so if that’s how your politics run then the island will work well. If on the other hand, you’re looking for progressive NYC then you likely won’t find it here.

If you want to check out what happens on the island throughout the year check out the calendar of events:

Staten Island has 88 schools, including 55 elementary schools, 13 middle schools, 15 high schools, and 5 alternative schools, all within the New York City Geographic District #31. The District receives an "A" on niche.com.. Plenty of schools in the district receive A's but you'll also find some C's so keep an eye out for performance at the individual school and neighborhood level.

One of the standout schools at the high school level includes Staten Island Technical High School, which is ranked 5th among all public high schools across the five boroughs and receives an "A+" on niche.com.

At the elementary school level there are plenty of A-level schools including; Naples Street Elementary, P.S. 8 Shirlee Solomon, and P.S. 50 Frank Hankinson, all of which are ranked in the top 100 elementary schools in New York.