Welcome to Staten Island – one of the five famous boroughs in New York City. The Big Apple is a place that attracts millions of people every year. Whether they are visiting our beautiful city or relocating to it, people are always in awe of NYC’s landmarks and vibes. However, we here at Dumbo NYC know The City That Never Sleeps is also an expensive place, and not a lot of people can afford to live in Manhattan. But that’s okay – you have other and cheaper alternatives. For people who are looking to save some money, moving to Staten Island is the logical next step.
But beware – as much as it’s good to move to Staten Island, it can also be less than ideal. Moving to one of the largest yet least populated NYC boroughs may be a dream come true but can also turn out to be just a pit stop on your way to finding that perfect borough for your lifestyle. To help with your decision, we’ve prepared some pros and cons of moving to Staten Island.
Pros of moving to Staten Island
Let’s start off on a positive note, shall we? Each NYC borough has some nice sides to it and all of them give you various benefits and different vibes – it just depends whether those benefits relate to you or not. Luckily, with five boroughs and too many neighborhoods to count, you’ll definitely find the right fit. There are a lot of good things to be gained by living in Staten Island, and we are about to deal with the three most important ones. Who knows, they might be enough to urge you to hire cross country movers NYC and move to this borough with their help.
Life in Staten Island can be great – it all depends on what you expect from it.
1. Staten Island is cheaper than the other boroughs in NYC
It’s a fact that the housing prices in Brooklyn or Manhattan can’t be compared with the ones in Staten Island. You would be able to find cheaper housing in Staten Island and get a decent-sized home for it. After all, being able to afford a large home in Manhattan is next to impossible – it’s reserved for the rich and lucky ones. If you’re tired of living in a tiny place with extremely high rent, trust us, you’re not alone – but you probably knew that already. So, if money is a problem, then moving to Staten Island should solve that issue right away. Besides, it will be easy to get a home renovation permit and fix the things you don’t like in your home. This way, you would get to live in your dream home for a price that you can afford. It’s a win-win situation.
2. Staten Island is an area that’s been getting a lot of investments
Thus, it’s constantly under construction. Currently, the plans for a new and giant Ferris Wheel are giving everyone a lot of hope because, if built, the area would become a tourist attraction (investors are reportedly looking to revive the project). The Staten Island area also has great shopping malls, with the Staten Island Mall currently leading the way. What the residents love the most about this NYC borough is that it has many great restaurants, and the cuisine is excellent. What more could a person want, right? Well, according to families who inhabit the area, there’s nothing they’d say is missing.
If you thought that shopping in Staten Island is dull, think again.
3. Staten Island is a great place for family life
If you want to have a big family and you don’t want to raise your kids in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, then moving to Staten Island will be the right move for you! The residents here love that the area is calm and it has great schools. Besides, with the housing prices being lower than in the rest of the city, you would be able to buy a bigger home for less money. Being so “green”, this borough allows you to spend so much time with your kids playing in the park and enjoying the outdoors. You’ll also find it so much easier to get to amenities once you move here. Sounds perfect, right? Then get an estimate of your moving costs, find the right home, and move right away. There is no time to be wasted.
4. Staten Island gives you outdoor spaces
Considering that Staten Island’s nickname is Borough of Parks, it doesn’t come as a surprise that it has so many outdoor spaces, including about 170 parks, such as High Rock, Greenbelt, Clove Lakes, etc. The greenest borough in New York City has about 59% of green spaces. Compare this to the Manhattan being only about 28% green, and you may choose to move faster than you thought you would. If you enjoy an active lifestyle or just love spending time outdoors, then moving here could be the best decision because you’ll have plenty of options that support your love for nature.
The cons of moving to Staten Island
All right, now for some bad stuff. We can’t lie and say that life in Staten Island is ideal. But there is no such thing. It’s just about learning to live with some things you don’t like, if they aren’t dealbreakers for you, of course. While outdoor spaces, better living standards, and easy access to everyday amenities are certainly something to look forward to when moving to Staten Island, there will also be some things you may not be so thrilled about. These are some of the cons of living in Staten Island.
1. There is no rich nightlife here
Considering how rich the NYC club scene is, Staten Island may feel like a whole different state. For people enjoying the rich nightlife, other boroughs will have much more to offer compared to the Borough of Parks. If you are a young person who is not looking to settle down at the moment, Staten Island may not be the right place for you. There might be some good places to get a job here and there could be even better places to spend a relaxing day. But you shouldn’t expect any crazy nightlife here. For some people, that’s a huge minus. For others, it’s just a smaller inconvenience. For the rest, this is actually one of the reasons they choose to move to Staten Island.
2. The commute can sometimes be a nightmare
What happens if you find a job or already have one in the heart of the city but you decide to relocate to Staten Island? You will be in for one hell of a commute! The good news is that a lot of transportation options are free, and if you live near the ferry it will be relatively easy to get to Manhattan. But that still means you’ll have to go through a boat ride every day, no matter the season. For some people, that is much more than what they bargained for. On the other hand, a ferry ride can actually be enjoyable and something to look forward to in case you don’t have to do it every day for work.
The ferry from Staten Island to Manhattan means that you’ll get to enjoy that fabulous skyline and awesome city views from the river, so you may eventually change your perspective.
The Staten Island ferry will make it easier for you to get places.
3. There isn’t a lot of diversity
As much as 78% of Staten Islanders are of Italian, Hispanic, and even Greek ethnicity with only 12% of African-Americans and 8% of Asians. That means that there isn’t a lot of diversity, which could pose a problem for people who belong to minorities. Although, people here are very welcoming and we don’t predict any major issues happening. Whether relocating to Staten Island will be the right move for you or not depends on how you think you would feel living in a place such as this. If you’re drawn to extremely diverse surroundings and you’re looking to get that kind of vibe, you may want to consider moving to Queens or another borough that’s known for its diverse population.
What’s your verdict?
So, do you think you would fit in after moving to Staten Island? We think there is very little chance you would regret making this decision. Then again, if any of the cons present a dealbreaker for you, meaning you couldn’t imagine living in a place that isn’t diverse, where the commute is long, or the nightlife almost non-existent, then relocating to Staten Island is not for you. Just carefully weigh the pros and cons and we believe you will make the right decision! Hopefully, this text will help you make up your mind and start preparing for your move. In the meantime, why not check out top-rated movers NYC? Dumbo Moving and Storage may be just the right fit – contact us to chat about your relocation and receive a free moving quote.
