Staten Island (aka Richmond) is New York City’s adopted child. It joined the city in 1898, as part of the consolidation that also brought Brooklyn and Queens into the family. In 1898 Richmond voters favored consolidation by a much greater margin -78.6% – than other counties, but by the 1990s 65% of Staten Island voters chose to secede from the city. The NY State Assembly blocked secession.
Staten Island is by far the most rural part of New York City. Its population density is less than half that of Queens, the next-least-densely populated borough, and less than one-eighth that of Manhattan. The borough is physically closer to New Jersey than to the rest of the city; three of the island’s four bridges go to the Garden State.
Politics and geography aside, Richmond has plenty of architecture worth exploring. The Discover New York City Landmarks website is a good place to start: It points to scores of sites across the island, including the city’s only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home, William and Catherine Cass House, The Crimson Beech.
- Wikipedia: Staten Island
- Official Website: NY State County (Richmond) page
- Tourism Website: nycgo.com
- Google Map
- Landmark Map
- Related: Old Staten Island
- For Your Bookshelf: AIA Guide to New York City 5th Edition
Many more galleries to come!