I haven't been to Staten Island either, so I wouldn't speculate about who goes where. (I personally don't know any people who drive their children at the children's wishes. But that may be just me.)
You've never heard of a perent dropping a child off at a mall or at a friend's house on the child's request?
SD
The ratio of Catholic churches to square miles on Staten Island is less than 1:3, and even less than that if you exclude the uninhabited Fresh Kills Landfill - the largest landfill in North America.
There are at least 40 places to attend Sunday Mass on SI. Probably more than 50 if you include retreat houses, convents and college chapels.