The 10 Best Neighborhoods in Staten Island for Renters

Interestingly, while Staten Island stands at number three in terms of land area, it’s the least-populated borough in NYC! Thanks to its population, you’ll find a greater number of houses, parks, shopping options, cars, and many other perks associated with suburbs! Even though the borough houses close to 50,000 residents, it exhibits a small-town vibe. It’s a warm, welcoming, and tightly-knit place where people look out for each other.

Staten Island’s biggest selling point is its reasonably-priced rentals, including single-family homes that come with yards and pools. So, you won’t end up missing Manhattan and Brooklyn much, and you’ll get to save money! The borough has a plethora of neighborhoods for you to choose from should moving here feature in your plans. However, logic dictates that we look closely at the top 10 neighborhoods in Staten Island, each of which has something that appeals to you.

Complete guide to the 10 best Staten Island neighborhoods:

1. Great Kills

Great Kills is a neighborhood situated in the southeastern part of Staten Island. The community is diverse and residents have either Italian or Russian roots. Although the name sounds bizarre, ‘kills’ refers to a water body in Dutch, and they’re in abundance in the area. They could include anything from creeks to rivers to streams! The community is ideal for families and has a brilliant school system, some of them renowned throughout all of NYC. Over 50 percent of the houses here belong to families with children. So, this is a great place to find a house for rent in Staten Island, so think about it.

Amboy Road is the heart of all entertainment, where you’ll find cafes, shopping places, and eateries galore. Pizza lovers (read: everyone) will find some of the best pizza places here!

Great Kills is a perfect place for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. Check out the Great Kills Harbor, a marina. Also, explore Great Kills Park, which is spread across 580 acres and has four beaches! It’s a treasured recreational source for residents and visitors alike! In fact, it’s one of the places that make up the Gateway National Recreation Area. The Gateway’s highlights include walking and biking paths, areas for fishing and bird-watching, and the Nichols Marina. Several private marinas also dot the area. Last but not least, Freshkills Park, at the heart of the borough, has been the most extensive park in all of NYC for over 100 years, and is another must-see place!

The one disadvantage of the neighborhood is that you need to keep aside at least a two-hour window if you have to travel to Manhattan for work. Overall, it’s one of the safest neighborhoods in Staten Island.

2. Oakwood Beach

Oakwood Beach is a waterside neighborhood peppered with pleasant shops and a beautiful beach. You’ll find the neighborhood on the east shore of Staten Island. The area exhibits the vibe of an old waterside city you may find in Long Island or Cape Cod. You’ll discover condos, single-family homes, and garden apartments. Explore the rental prices to see if you can afford a rental room in Staten Island here.

Residents of the community are loyal and have lived in the neighborhood for many years. In other words, there’s a sense of community here. In addition, they belong to the middle-income group. Around 34 percent of the workforce here works in executive, professional, and management profiles. The community is great for families and young couples and has an excellent school system.

Data reveals that while 1.4 percent of people here travel to their workplaces on a ferry, about 18 percent of them end up spending more than an hour traveling to work. And we’re referring to only one-way journeys. So, if you choose this neighborhood as your place of residence, consider how much time you’ll need on hand to finish all your household chores and reach work on time.

With a crime rate lower than the national average by 42 percent, it’s a pretty secure neighborhood.

3. Huguenot

Huguenot is located on the southern shore of the borough and is a quiet, residential community. There aren’t too many commercial establishments in the area, so you may not find many places to shop or eat. What it lacks in shopping and dining, it more than makes up with its gorgeous beaches! You’ll find big-budget houses, affordable townhouses, and single-family homes. Modern homes have also found a place here drawing many people from different parts of America.

The lack of businesses in the area has an upside: Less traffic. It’s a pretty sought-after neighborhood, so its vacancy rates hover closer to zero. So, anyone looking to find a decent house here won’t be disappointed!

While you’re there, be sure to drop by the South Shore Golf Course and try your hand at a game! In the end, Huguenot is among the safest Staten Island neighborhoods with crime rates below 76 percent of the national average!

4. Willowbrook

An upscale neighborhood in the heart of the borough, Willowbrook is lined with lovely homes and ample space that can beat any other neighborhood in the city hollow! In addition to safety and space, the area offers tranquility, so residents get to live in a peaceful environment. A perfect place to rent out your property.

Therefore, the community works perfectly for those who wish to stay far away from the city chaos but close enough to pay a visit whenever they feel like it. The CUNY College of Staten Island is situated in the western part of the neighborhood and is the reason why the locale exhibits a small college community vibe.

5. New Dorp

New Dorp is a populated, commercial neighborhood with residents belonging to the Albanian, Polish, and Italian communities, and some from the Arab community as well. Besides commercial and residential properties, there’s the added benefit of a beach for entertainment! Its stunning colonial homes take you back in time. Finding spacious homes might be a problem due to the dense population. Anyone who chooses to live here should find external storage space to dump a chunk of their belongings before they move into a house. If you see yourself living among people of varied communities, you'll have to find a roommate in Staten Island here.

New Dorp Lane is the neighborhood’s entertainment hub, where you’ll discover plenty of shops and eateries. Not only is New Dorp among the best entertainment venues in the borough but the busiest as well!

As far as must-visit places go, head over to New Dorp Park. Then there’s Miller Field, which was earlier an Army facility but is now an area hosting sports events. Last but not least, you have the Gerard P. Dugan Playground that’s great for kids.

Those who live here but work in Manhattan can use the ferry to reach the office. The locale scores high on the walkability scale, so if you like walking, you can reach many places in and around the area on foot!

Finally, New Dorp is among the most secure communities in the borough.

6. St. George

St. George is a neighborhood teeming with people and has a massive urban feel compared to other parts of Staten Island. The locale is renowned for its traditional Victorian homes and 19th-century brownstones, but you’ll also find a larger number of high-end apartments and condos compared to the rest of the borough. So, this appears to be a perfect place for you to live with a perfect roommate. St. George serves as an ideal home for young couples and professionals.

The locale has lots of entertainment options for residents to choose from including bars, restaurants, and art galleries, so you won’t have to travel very far to look for them! St. George is known for being the point of arrival and departure of the Staten Island Ferry that takes passengers to Manhattan.

This is one place where residents and visitors have lots to see. Some visitor hotspots include the Staten Island Yankees’ baseball stadium and Empire Outlets, a mall sprawled across 350,000 square feet! If you’re interested in the performing arts, St. George Theater is your place. While touring places, you’re bound to feel hungry. You’ll find many eateries serving delectable Italian food in the neighborhood.

Some notable cultural places to visit include Borough Hall, The Postcards 9/11 Memorial, the National Lighthouse Museum, and Galerie St. George.

In the end, St. George is a walkable neighborhood.

7. Todt Hill

Todt Hill is an upscale neighborhood with massive gated houses, swimming pools, and streets dotted with trees. Cleanliness is another one of its highlights. The locale is warm and friendly and the ambiance is calm and peaceful, making it an excellent place to live. Perched on the highest hill in the city, you get to experience some stunning vistas of NYC. Rental prices are pretty high, so check them out before renting a house or room on Staten Island here.

Residents are very particular about privacy. To that end, big homes are separated from one another with fences and trees. Also, you’ll not find any sidewalks in the area. Retirees and families live in the locale. Todt Hill houses the only private country club in NYC, the Richmond County Country Club with tennis courts, two clubhouses, a golf course, and an aquatic facility!

In summary, Todt Hill is among the safest neighborhoods in Staten Island.

8. West Brighton

A tranquil neighborhood that is perfect for families and provides entertainment opportunities aplenty, West Brighton is highly populated. The majority of houses here were built in the 1950s. Besides these, you’ll also find newly constructed houses coming up and adding to the appeal of the place. Rents are pretty reasonable in the neighborhood, so you should explore the area to find a room to live with a roommate here. Residents comprise numerous young families.

Italian eateries galore, some of the most lip-smacking pizzas in the city can be found in the locale, so if you’re a pizza lover (who isn’t?), you’ll have a ball here! West Brighton also goes by “the Borough of Parks” because of its many parks and green spaces. Should you be looking for more places to visit, explore Silver Lake, the Staten Island Zoo, and Cloves Lake Park, which has huge sports fields for those who love walking, biking, or anything outdoorsy. The Snug Harbor Cultural Center houses the Chinese Scholar’s Garden, a beautiful garden created by a team of artists from Suzhou, a city in China.

If you need to travel to Manhattan, you can always take the ferry. Thanks to the low crime rate, the area is a pretty safe one, something common with most Staten Island neighborhoods!

9. New Springville

New Springville is an excellent neighborhood for young families and students with attractions such as the Latourette City Park, the local mall, and the CUNY College in the vicinity. They’re located in the borough’s center with parks, a golf course, wildlife refuges, and green spaces all around!

Shopaholics can find access to some of the best shopping places here. In addition, there are plenty of hiking trails and a nature center for outdoor enthusiasts! If you’re not into shopping, you can find plenty of adventurous activities to participate in. Everything you need for a comfortable life is close by. The best part about the place is the feeling you get of being away from the city while you’re very much at its heart!

Before you leave the area, visit Decker Farm. Its highlights include a corn maze, tons of hayrides, and arts and crafts.

10. Woodrow

A peaceful, residential community with a suburban vibe, Woodrow is situated on the South Shore of Staten Island. The houses in this area were built in the late 20th century i.e., between 1970 to 1999. So, while they aren’t ancient, they’ve been around for a while. The homes here might be accompanied by extra land, so that’s a selling point of the neighborhood. Contemporary townhomes, construction homes, and independent one and two-family Center Hall Colonials also find a presence here. So, you have a range of housing options to choose from, depending on your budget.

The community is diverse and inclusive, housing numerous residents with Italian and Eastern European roots and many who speak Urdu. The other perks of the area include sports fields, dog parks, and walking paths that residents can take full advantage of. While we’re on the topic of perks, you’ll be happy to know that there are tons of shops and restaurants here too, so you have more entertainment options at your disposal!

The only downside of the place is its location, which makes it challenging for residents to travel to and from work. Overall, Woodrow is a very safe neighborhood.

Conclusion

So, how do you feel about making Staten Island your new home? Charged up, we hope! The biggest draw of the borough includes reasonable rents and more space that help residents save money and live well. At the same time, let’s not forget the parks, green spaces, and sense of togetherness and belonging that it exhibits. These equally contribute toward making the place a habitable one! So, find the time to check out the best neighborhoods in Staten Island that fit your requirements based on the information here and your research. The experiences you gather in person will tell you what you need to know about where you belong!