We invite you to discover an exciting borough-wide project involving cultural and historical institutions throughout New York City.  The year 2011 will mark the 350th anniversary of the founding of Staten Island, when Peter Stuyvesant, the Director General of New Amsterdam, granted a petition authorizing land grants to Dutch, French and Belgian families. From that moment on, Staten Island was linked to peoples, products and ideas throughout the world, generating a dynamic community.  Three hundred fifty years later, our borough is a thriving community comprised of diverse waves of immigrants, from Irish, German and Afro-Caribbean to Sri Lankan, Korean and Liberian, part of a global economic and cultural community.

SI 350 envisions this anniversary as an opportunity to educate the public of all ages and backgrounds and to enhance ongoing efforts of diverse organizations to showcase the Island and its rich economic, cultural and political legacy, both on Staten Island and to the world at large. 

Among the highlights of the legacy we are building:

We thank Borough President James P. Molinaro for his support of this project, notably agreeing to serve as honorary co-chair and launching the 350th Anniversary at an opening reception at Borough Hall on January 25, 2010.  We also thank the staff at Borough Hall who have worked hard to create a great program to strengthen our community.

Please join us in this endeavor!