The Forgotten Borough

Staten Island and the Subway

By: Kenneth M. Gold

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Paperback | 22 June 2023 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
384 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.4 x 15.6 x 2.0

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What sets Staten Island apart from the rest of New York City? The island's identity has in part been defined in opposition to the city, its physical and cultural differences, and the perception of neglect by city government. It has long been whiter, wealthier, less populated, and more politically conservative. And despite many attempts over the years, Staten Island is not connected by the subway to any of the other four boroughs.

Kenneth M. Gold argues that the lack of a subway connection has deeply shaped Staten Island's history and identity. He chronicles decades of recurrent efforts to build a rail link, using this history to explore the borough's fraught relationship with New York City as a whole. The Forgotten Borough ranges from when Staten Island first contemplated joining the city in the 1890s to the opening of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in 1964, highlighting pivotal moments when the construction of a subway appeared possible. The economics and engineering of tunnel construction, the difficulty of uniting Staten Islanders around a single solution, competition from the other boroughs, and resistance from powerful corporations and public authorities all undermined a rapid transit connection. Gold demonstrates that the failure to establish a rail link during this period caused Staten Island to diverge culturally, demographically, and politically from the other four boroughs. Drawing on extensive archival research, The Forgotten Borough shows how transportation infrastructure and politics shed new light on urban history.

Industry Reviews

With this book, Kenneth M. Gold assures us that the 'Forgotten Borough' will be forgotten no more. He offers an insightful picture of Staten Island before the bridge and brings to light the little-known story of the tunnel that never was. This book enhances and complicates our understanding of twentieth-century New York. -- Jeffrey A. Kroessler, author of Sunnyside Gardens: Planning and Preservation in a Historic Garden Suburb
The Forgotten Borough helps rectify a long disservice to Staten Island by connecting it more firmly to New York City-despite the fact that the subway never did. Gold's book is a worthy contribution to a place that is so close but has seemed so distant from the rest of Gotham. -- Martin V. Melosi, author of Fresh Kills: A History of Consuming and Discarding in New York City
Gold's book is a definitive reference for anyone who studies Staten Island history or who is involved with urban planning in the five boroughs and beyond. It is a masterpiece of exhaustive research that will constantly be consulted now and by future generations. -- Pat Salmon, retired curator of history of the Staten Island Museum and author of The Staten Island Ferry: A History
Gold's carefully researched book offers an unexpected and much-needed interpretation of New York's ever-changing population. Gold reveals the contradictory implications of weaving together the five boroughs of New York City politically while leaving its transportation infrastructure incomplete. This book is a wonderful contribution to the field of urban and New York studies. -- Lori Weintrob, coeditor of Beyond Bystanders: Educational Leadership for a Humane Culture in a Globalizing Reality

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