Staten Islander (inhabitant of Staten Island)
A “Staten Islander” is an inhabitant of the borough of Staten Island. “Staten Islander” has been cited in print since at least 1815, well before Staten Island became a borough of New York City in 1898.
The names of inhabitants of other boroughs include “Bronxite” (the Bronx), “Brooklynite” (Brooklyn) and “Manhattanite” (Manhattan). The borough of Queens does not have a standard name for the people who live there, but both “Queenser” and “Queensite” have been used.
Wikipedia: Adjectivals and demonyms for cities
New York New Yorkers (“Gothamites”/“Knickerbockers”)
• The Bronx Bronxites, Bronxers
• Brooklyn Brooklynites (archaic: “Trolley Dodgers”)
• Manhattan Manhattanites
• Queens Queensites
• Staten Island Staten Islanders
Wikipedia: Staten Island
Staten Island /ˌstætən ˈaɪlənd/ is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay. With a population of 468,730, Staten Island is the least populated of the five boroughs but is the third largest in area at 59 sq mi (153 km2). The Borough of Staten Island is coextensive with Richmond County, the southernmost county in the state of New York. Until 1975, the borough was officially named the Borough of Richmond. Staten Island has been sometimes called “the forgotten borough” by inhabitants who feel neglected by the city government.
Staten Island is overall the most suburban of the five boroughs of New York City. The North Shore — especially the neighborhoods of St. George, Tompkinsville, Clifton, and Stapleton — is the most urban part of the island; it contains the officially designated St. George Historic District and the St. Paul’s Avenue-Stapleton Heights Historic District, which feature large Victorian homes. The South Shore has more suburban-style residential neighborhoods and is home to the two and one-half mile long F.D.R. Boardwalk, the fourth longest in the world. Historically, the central and southern sections of the island were dominated by dairy and poultry farms, almost all of which disappeared in the 20th century. Staten Island used to claim the largest landfill in the world. It was closed in 2001, then shortly afterward temporarily reopened to accept the debris from the September 11th attacks. The landfill is now in the process of being made into what will be New York City’s largest public park.
The borough is accessible to Brooklyn via the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and to New Jersey via the Outerbridge Crossing, Goethals Bridge, and Bayonne Bridge. Staten Island has Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus service and an MTA rapid transit line, the Staten Island Railway, which runs from the ferry terminal at St. George to Tottenville. Staten Island is the only one of the five boroughs of New York City that does not have below-ground rapid transit. The free Staten Island Ferry connects the borough to Manhattan and is a popular tourist attraction, providing views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and lower Manhattan.
6 September 1815, Alexandria (VA) Herald, pg. 2, col. 4:
Thus two vessels were saved during the gale, by the exertions, enterprize, and skill of the Staten Islanders.
15 September 1836, New York (NY) Commercial Advertiser, pg. 2, col. 3:
THE STATEN-ISLANDER.—A new weekly paper with this title has sprung into existence at Chelsea in Richmond county—the only paper printed in that county. It is very neatly printed, and the editorials are spirited and readable. Mr. J. J. Adams is the editor.
OCLC WorldCat record
The Staten Islander.
Publisher: Stapleton, [N.Y.] : Francis L. Hagadorn, Jr., [1847-
Edition/Format: Newspaper : English
OCLC WorldCat record
Deutscher Staten Islander.
Publisher: Stapleton, N.Y. : [s.n., 1864-
Edition/Format: Newspaper : German
OCLC WorldCat record
Staten Island and Staten Islanders
Author: Margaret Louise Lynd; Richmond Borough Association of Women Teachers.
Publisher: New York : Grafton Press, 1909.
Edition/Format: Book : Biography : English
New York (NY) Times
F.Y.I.
By COLIN MOYNIHAN
Published: September 19, 1999
Queenslanders?
Q. There are well-known names for inhabitants of four boroughs: Manhattanites, Brooklynites, Bronxites and Staten Islanders. But what are residents of Queens called?
A. There has never been a popular name to describe those residents, said Dr. Jon Peterson, a professor of history at Queens College who has taught the history of the borough. ‘‘People in Queens think of themselves in terms of their neighborhoods,’’ Dr. Peterson said, noting that when the boroughs were created in 1898, Queens lacked the natural boundaries of Manhattan and Staten Island and the pre-existing identities of Brooklyn and the Bronx. Queens incorporated a group of independent towns, and those separate identities are still reflected in today’s postal zones. To this day, letters must be addressed to Flushing or Astoria, rather than simply to Queens.
“Part of the issue might be awkward phrasing,’’ Dr. Peterson said. ‘‘Something like Queensites or Queensians just doesn’t sound right.’‘
OCLC WorldCat record
A REPORTER AT LARGE - The Children of Freetown - When Staten Islanders met the victims of an African war, they just wanted to help.
Author: George Packer
Publisher: New York : F-R Pub. Corp., 1925-
Edition/Format: Article : English
Publication: The New Yorker. (January 13, 2003): 50
Database: ArticleFirst
City-Data Forum
Infamous92
09-20-2009, 12:02 PM
What Borough Do You Live In?
Are you a Manhattanite, Brooklynite, Staten Islander, Bronxite or a Queens(er/ite?)?