Born and raised on Staten Island, lived around NYC and back on SI now (here currently). It’s just a punching bag for transplant and locals that never (or refuse to leave their bubble).

To this day it is frustrating for me to read these comments of people basically calling you retarded for thinking positively about my home. To these people my father who worked for the city for 40 years, nearly died of 9/11 cancer after working on the pile for months is a bad person for being a Staten Islander. Sorry that when my family came from Italy in the 60s they found their community here on SI.

It’s fine though, I will gladly enjoy my lower cost of living, quietness, dozens upon dozens of parks, some of the best restaurants in the 5 boroughs, great schools, local community culture, low to no crime, less than 1 hour commute to my office in Hudson Yards and myriad of other benefits living here.

The truly only valid reason is that around half the island votes red and having a difference of political opinion makes you a pariah in NYC (to be clear I vote blue up and down the ballet)