Staten Island in New York
Staten Island in New York is best known for the Staten Island Ferry. It’s one of New York’s five boroughs, and while it’s still not a tourist hotspot, it has more to offer than just a fun cruise. You can find New York’s only fashion outlet there, as well as a few museums.
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Things to do and see in Staten Island
As a tourist, you’ll probably get to Staten Island because you take the Staten Island Ferry. And when you’re there, there are a few Staten Island attractions that you could visit.
- Staten Island Ferry: Of course, you have to take this ferry to get to Staten Island, and it’s immediately one of the highlights of the borough.
- Empire Outlets: New York’s only outlet centre, only a few metres from the ferry landing.
- Snug Harbor: Showcasing 23 historic buildings and 9 botanical gardens.
- NYC Ferry: A relaxing boat ride from Midtown Manhattan to Staten Island, with nice views along the way.
Staten Island Ferry
You can reach Staten Island with the free Staten Island Ferry. It passes the Statue of Liberty and offers a great view of the skyline of Downtown Manhattan. The ferry runs twice an hour from the tip of Manhattan. It is worth doing this free boat trip once.
Many people choose to board immediately after the crossing for the trip back to Manhattan. However, there are also several things to do near the ferry terminal, so you can catch a later boat back and see some of Staten Island first.
Empire Outlets
Staten Island is home to New York City’s only outlet centre, Empire Outlets. You can now combine a nice boat trip on the bay with an afternoon of shopping. In fact, the Staten Island Ferry dock is right next to Empire Outlets. You can walk straight from the boat into the shops.
And it’s a great place for a snack and drink as well. Empire Outlets houses several establishments, such as Shake Shack and Starbucks.
The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
This impressive suspension bridge is a whopping 4,260 feet (1,298 metres) long and connects Staten Island with Brooklyn. It takes its name from the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, the first European to sail the Hudson.
Anyone who has ever run the New York Marathon will have fond memories of the bridge. The marathon starts on Staten Island, and the first kilometres of the route are over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. The bridge is not open to cyclists or pedestrians for the rest of the year.
Attractions on Staten Island
The ferry and Empire Outlets are Staten Island’s main draws, but for those who really want to get to know the neighbourhood, there are also several attractions to visit. There is a small zoo and some authentic museums.
The Staten Island September 11th Memorial
On the water, near the ferry terminal, is the Staten Island September 11th Memorial. This memorial, called Postcards, was created in 2004 to commemorate the 274 Staten Island residents who were killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks and the 1993 WTC bombing. The centre of the image points towards the site where the Twin Towers used to be.
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is the borough’s main location for culture and entertainment. The centre itself consists of several historic buildings and beautiful botanical gardens, so it’s worth a visit. Entry to all Snug Harbor sites is included with the New York Pass.
Within the grounds of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, you will find the fun and engaging Staten Island Children’s Museum as well as the Staten Island Museum, which focuses on local history and art.
National Lighthouse Museum
You might be surprised to learn that there are several other small museums on Staten Island. For example, you can visit the National Lighthouse Museum for a self-guided tour and enjoy a beautiful view over the bay.
Historic Richmond Town
Another Staten Island museum is Historic Richmond Town, where a historic village is brought to life. There’s also a historical museum dedicated to Staten Island’s diverse history. Expect historic buildings that transport you back to the 1800s. This museum complex is particularly fascinating for those interested in American history.
Staten Island Zoo
The Staten Island Zoo is a small, charming attraction that falls somewhere between a petting zoo and a traditional zoo. While it’s not a large, diverse facility where you could spend an entire day, it makes for a nice stop on the island for animal lovers, especially since admission is included with the New York Pass and Go New York Explorer Pass.
Staten Island hotels
Unlike Manhattan and Brooklyn, there are relatively few hotels on Staten Island. The majority of the accommodations consist of Bed & Breakfasts and Airbnb. For a city trip to New York, Staten Island is not the most convenient place to stay.
The only connection to Manhattan is the ferry, no subways go back and forth. There is one metro line on Staten Island itself, furthermore, there are mainly city buses. If you nevertheless choose to stay on the island, it is in any case advisable to stay near the metro line. This allows you to travel quickly to and from the ferry terminal.
See here for hotels on Staten Island
How do you get to Staten Island?
Obviously, the easiest way to travel from Manhattan to Staten Island is by using the Staten Island Ferry.
However, there’s another option: the St. George Route of the NYC Ferry. This relatively new route connects Midtown Manhattan to Staten Island, offering a convenient alternative to the Staten Island Ferry, which departs from the southern tip of Manhattan.
This service isn’t free, you’ll need tickets for both the outbound and return journeys, costing $4.50 per ride. In return, you’ll enjoy a scenic boat ride on the Hudson River, passing the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty before arriving at Staten Island.
Another option is to take one ferry for the outbound journey and the other for your return trip, allowing you to experience both services.
Transportation on Staten Island
You may also be wondering how to get around Staten Island itself, and unfortunately, public transportation here isn’t very convenient. Unlike the other NYC boroughs, Staten Island does not have a traditional subway system, but you can still use your MetroCard for public transportation in Staten Island.
There’s only a single rail line, Staten Island Railway (SIR), running north to south, from the Staten Island Ferry terminal through all of the island. Any destination outside the line can only be reached by bus.
I therefore recommend using one of the rideshare services, which work well on the island. Uber and Lyft are both widely available. Simply download one of these taxi apps and you’ll be all set.
History of Staten Island
Many Native Americans lived on Staten Island thousands of years ago, well before the Europeans came. The first Western visitor was an Italian, and later in 1609, the Englishman Henry Hudson, commissioned by the Dutch, was sent to explore the island.
The island is named after the Dutch “Staten Generaal” (the collective name for the First and Second Chambers of the Dutch parliament) as a tribute to this institution. It took a while before the settlement was well underway, as there was quite a fight with the natives. In the end, an ‘Old Town’ was founded and the population has since slowly grown to 500,000 people.
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