No longer New York’s “forgotten borough”. Since Hurricane Sandy, Staten Island has been in the headlines, and this absorbing, readable guide explores the Island’s past and present, its monuments, its open spaces, its maritime heritage and its memorable—often eccentric—characters, from Vanderbilts to vagrants to seventeen-year locusts.

Carol V. Wright is the author of Blue Guide New York and a contributor to The Encyclopedia of New York City. She has also published on women’s health and cookery and her work has appeared in The New York Times and a variety of periodicals. She was born on Staten Island.