STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — If the other four boroughs could talk, what do you think they’d say about Staten Island?
Apparently, not too much, according to a viral video by New York City social media influencer MylesAnew.
In the comedic skit, MylesAnew portrays each of New York City’s five boroughs, offering exaggerated takes on Staten Island while standing in front of scenes associated with each borough, before ending at the Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan, where the Staten Island Ferry departs.
The New York City-based social media influencer and content creator has built a following on TikTok through a mix of news-focused videos, comedy skits and commentary on life in the city. Posting under the handle @mylesanew, the 21-year-old frequently shares his takes on current events and pop culture with thousands of followers.
The lighthearted video plays on long-running stereotypes about Staten Island’s relationship with the rest of New York City, from its ferry-dependent connection to Manhattan to the feeling among some residents that the borough is often overlooked, misunderstood by its neighbors across the harbor, or completely forgotten.
‘They have that boat downtown’
As Manhattan, he struggles to identify Staten Island beyond its famous orange ferryboats.
“Staten Island? Oh, they have that boat downtown,” Manhattan says. “Yeah. That’s like the best way to see the Statue of Liberty.”
‘That’s my cousin’
Brooklyn characterizes Staten Island as a distant relative.
“That’s my cousin, but like four times removed on my father’s side,” Brooklyn says. “My southern family only talks to their northern family, but like only every other Sunday.”
‘Are they good?’
Queens, meanwhile, expresses concern rather than criticism.
“Wait. Why are we talking about them? Did something happen? Are they good?” Queens asks before briefly considering a visit. “On second thought, I don’t feel like going on a boat, but tell them I said ‘hi.’”
The Bronx appears the least familiar with the city’s southernmost borough.
“I do not know who that is’
“I do not know who that is,” Bronx says. “The only island I know is City Island.”
When Staten Island’s connection to the Wu-Tang Clan is mentioned, however, the Bronx immediately recognizes the reference.
“Oh, you said Wu-Tang? They valid, bro. That’s all you had to say.”
‘Nobody came’
The video culminates with Staten Island delivering a disgusted response to the other boroughs:
“Oh, so y’all think it’s cool to just come up here and start talking about me as if I don’t exist?” Staten Island says. “I told all y’all to meet me on that ferry. Nobody came.”
Comments
The video’s comment section quickly filled with Staten Islanders and other New Yorkers weighing in on whether MylesAnew’s portrayal was accurate.
One Bronx resident wrote, “damn. I live in the Bronx and I go to see my friends there whenever money comes in,” while another viewer said the video’s reference to the Wu-Tang Clan resonated, noting that many Bronx residents refer to Staten Island by the group’s nickname for the borough, “Shaolin.”
Others echoed the video’s central joke that Staten Island often remains a mystery even to longtime New Yorkers.
One commenter wrote, “My whole life in NYC I’ve never met anyone who lives there,” a remark that received dozens of likes from fellow users.
Staten Islanders, meanwhile, appeared eager to defend their borough.
One user quipped, “They hate us coz they wish they could be us,” while another objected to Manhattan’s fixation on the Staten Island Ferry, writing simply: “we not just the Ferry.”