Opinion: Staten Island future bright, but identity won't change

Staten Island is different from the rest of the city.

That’s not a controversial statement; it is simply a fact. Staten Island is greener than the rest of the city, has higher rates of homeownership, is less urban, is less dense and drives more out of necessity. Politically, we also have a healthy and vibrant two-party system, which does not exist anywhere else in the city.

And yet, while we are remarkably dissimilar to the rest of New York City, we are remarkably similar to America as a whole. Look no further than the numbers provided by the U.S. Census Bureau; the similarities between Staten Island and the rest of America are striking. For example, nationwide homeownership rates are 64.9 percent – in Staten Island, 68.6 percent. Across the country, 28.8 percent of Americans have bachelor’s degrees, on par with 29.7 percent in Staten Island. In almost all categories, Staten Island is in lockstep with the rest of America.

Staten Island experiences life differently than residents of the other four boroughs. The reality is that much of the borough is, and wants to remain, a bedroom community. Those Staten Islanders want to own their own home, complete with a backyard and grass to mow. They love the experience of living the suburban life. At the same time, we are cognizant that we are a part of the greatest metropolis in the world and we expect our fair share of city resources to flow to us. We want smooth roads, good schools and safe communities. Too many times we have been shortchanged, resulting in a not-at-all unjustified chip on our shoulders.

While we want to maintain the character of those neighborhoods that serve as bedroom communities, we are on the verge of seeing unprecedented changes to our borough. It seems as if the rest of the world has discovered Staten Island, and billions of dollars of investment are flowing in. Parts of our North Shore are on the cusp of becoming the hottest and hippest waterfront communities in the city. The New York Wheel, Empire Outlets, Lighthouse Point, and URL – the Core Four, as I have coined them – were the drivers that have led to a true renaissance, and are the heart of the new interest in Staten Island.

I’m happy to say that renewed economic development is not limited to one particular area. We are excited by the possibility of Brooklyn Brewery relocating much of its operation to our West Shore, and look forward to Broadway Stages opening on our South Shore.

But even with these economic development investments, we intend to retain our uniqueness.

We will not experience growth in the same way as ascendant areas in other boroughs. We are not Williamsburg and we will never be. Instead, we are forging our own path that will lead to greater prosperity, more local jobs, more amenities for residents and tourists, and, if done right, a better quality of life for all.

For far too long Staten Islanders have, in many ways, been our own worst enemies. We have allowed cartoonish characters on reality TV to define our borough for the rest of the world, and we have engaged in a kind of self-flagellation that hurts our ability to grow and prosper.

Those old, simplistic and inaccurate characterizations don’t represent the true Staten Island, the borough I love and have called home for my entire life. We are a diverse community, much more diverse than off-islanders would care to believe. When tragedy strikes we pull together and take care of our own. One need only think back to those dark days in the immediate aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, days before the rest of the world realized the extent of the disaster we experienced. During those days, we witnessed neighbors helping neighbors in the most remarkable ways – without any hesitation. That is Staten Island.

I am excited about what the future holds. My team and I recognize that we have a short time in the positions we are blessed to be in. We want to maximize every day we get to serve Staten Islanders in our current capacity and leave our community better than it was when we arrived. We are putting into motion many projects that, due to the nature of our political system, will outlive us and come into fruition long after we are out of office. And we do it without hesitation or concern for who might ultimately get the credit.

Staten Island is on the rise, and it is an exciting time to be a part of it.

James Oddo is the borough president of Staten Island.