With most real estate, it is said that the three most important points to consider are location, location, location. Staten Island is a great location.
And in some ways, that can very well be true in terms of the neighborhood in which you grow up. This is especially so around major urban areas and some suburbs, as often it seems that various neighborhoods have developed “reputations” that end up reflecting on everyone who lives there whether warranted or not individually.
Staten Island is actually not an exception to the rule, though the island as a whole may have had a reputation over the years. Staten Island real estate is spread out into various neighborhoods that are in their own ways diverse in cultural and socioeconomic ways, much like virtually any other major metropolitan area, yet it is considered a suburb of New York City.
There are neighborhoods that are primarily of one race or ethnicity, neighborhoods that are for the wealthy, those that are for the poor or lower-middle-class, and often these divisions aren’t just by streets – they are also social divides. Recently, a U.S. Army officer who grew up on Staten Island wrote a piece about the racial and socioeconomic realities he faced while growing up on the Island, and he painted a picture of division, segregation and inharmony that colored his life and developed the challenges he had to overcome.
When you are a child, you aren’t really one to think about where you live in a certain city. You are just grateful to have a roof over your head, some friends who like you and a family that loves you. But if you are a grown-up and perhaps want to raise kids in a good neighborhood, then looking for real estate is about location – and not just where the cheapest homes or best value homes are located. The neighborhood has to be taken into consideration, at least if you care about your own “reputation.”
It is unfortunate that an enclave of houses – structures made of wood, drywall, concrete – can have a “reputation,” but in m many places it is the reality unless there are actions taken to change the culture in a neighborhood. If you are in the market for Staten Island real estate, it would be sound to get some professional advice from an expert in Staten Island real estate who can help you not only find houses in your budget, but can also advise you on the best neighborhoods in which to buy.
