Editorial Team
If you’re not too familiar with New York City, it’s made of five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and last but … yep, last, Staten Island.
Many residents of the first four boroughs consider Staten Island an abomination to the rest of NYC, and basically, a heaping pile of garbage.
While these people might be using that description figuratively, they aren’t that far off: Staten Island was, until the turn of the 21st century, home to the world’s largest landfill: Fresh Kills.
The 2,200 acre landfill operated from 1948 to 2001, receiving 26,000 tons of residential waste per day during its peak in 1986.
Construction of Freshkills Park began in 2008, and on Sunday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced its partial opening (though it isn’t expected to be complete until 2036).
“I vowed before taking office that under an Adams administration, Staten Island would no longer be the forgotten borough – and with today’s opening of the first section of Freshkills Park, we continue to deliver on that promise by providing Staten Islanders with another place to exercise, breathe fresh air, and be outside,” said Mayor Adams.
Whatever, it’s still Staten Island.
Related links you may find helpful:
- Reddit: Why does Staten Island get a bad reputation?
- Quora: Why do New Yorkers not like Staten Island?
- Amazon: Staten Island Sucks T-Shirt
