I’ve never been there, but have heard Staten Island developed differently. It’s geographically separate from the rest of NYC, but is still within the city limits of NYC. It has more suburban single family type neighborhoods than other parts of the city, which tend to be dominated by high rise apartment buildings and brownstones.
And I understand the types of people who live on Staten Island tend to be more conservative, and/or less crazy liberal in their politics.
Lots of two family homes and townhouses. Lots of government employees (ironically) especially police, fire, building inspectors, train motormen, etc. Lots of well paid tradesmen on the South Shore. Much more Italian descent than Irish, but less European feeling and more like parts of Brooklyn in the 1970s. Growing Hispanic and Eastern European populations. Less solidly Republican than reactionary in the old sense of the terms. Like taking a step back several decades. If you didn’t grow up there, you will be made to feel like an outsider.