From a window in Brooklyn, you can see a very beautiful bridge: Verrazano Narrows Bridge. You can just admire it because it’s a beautiful landscape at different times of the day, but ask the question: where exactly does this bridge lead…
There are five districts in New York City: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Staten Island is the third largest and fifth-most populous district. Staten Island has an area of 58 square miles and a population of over 472,000. Staten Island is indeed surrounded by water on all sides and has a stable but still not the most developed link within the millionaire to the rest of the city.
This rather “detached” situation, combined with its large area and sizeable population, makes Staten Island quite an autonomous city within New York City. Staten Island residents themselves, especially those who have lived there for generations, call their area “Forgotten Borough” – meaning that they do not feel enough attention from the city council, feel an uncertain attitude towards themselves in other areas.
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But the interesting thing is that the population of the island is growing slowly but steadily, and more and more New Yorkers are moving to Staten Island, and you can easily understand them. First, the transportation situation is gradually improving, which means that commuting to another borough or even the neighboring state of New Jersey will not be a big problem. Second, the island will be comfortable for almost anyone: for families and people who prefer a quiet way of life, a quiet suburb with nice houses occupying quite a large part of Staten Island; people who love an active social life will find places here, events and cultural events of the same level and quality as Manhattan.
The Staten Island Borough is conventionally divided into four parts, which are quite different in atmosphere and lifestyle.
There are many sights on the island, as Staten Island has a long and interesting history. Plus, it’s an island with an incredibly diverse ethnic population, so you can imagine how much each people has brought to the culture of Staten Island.
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A list of what I think are the most interesting sights on Staten Island.
Fort Wadsworth is one of the earliest military formations in the United States. This fortress has protected the entrance to New York Harbor for centuries. Any ship wishing to enter New York Harbor without warning was caught in the crossfire between Fort Wadsworth on one side of the Strait and Fort Hamilton (Brooklyn) on the other. The fortress lost its military function only in 1994. Now, this is an open-air museum, where you will be told and shown how soldiers from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries lived and lived. Plus, the fortress has an incredible view of New York Harbor.
The fortress is open to visitors from dawn to dusk, year-round, with free entrance. Address: Staten Island, 210 New York Avenue.
The Theatre of St George is a magnificent historical building that will soon celebrate its centenary. Built-in a classical style with huge stairs and chandeliers, the auditorium accommodates almost 2,000 guests. Every weekend, significant cultural events take place, not only for Staten Island residents but for all of New York, often featuring foreign troupes.
Address: 35 Hyatt Street.
The Staten Island Zoo is, of course, smaller than the Central Park Zoo, much less the Bronx Zoo. However, the Staten Island Zoo’s reptile collection is considered one of the best in the world. The zoo is particularly pleasant to children because there is an interesting zoo where they are taught how to take care of different animals, what they need, and how to feed them.
Address: Barett Park, 614 Broadway.
The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum is dedicated to two well-known Italians: Antonio Meucci, an inventor who, according to documents in the museum, invented the phone before Alexander Bell, and Giuseppe Garibaldi, a revolutionary who lived on the island for a time.
Address: 420 Tompkins Avenue, Rosebank.
The Jaka Marshe Tibetan Art Center is the largest collection of Tibetan art and the attributes of the life of a Buddhist temple in the western hemisphere. There are musical instruments, clothes, and religious cults, decorations, various images. Educational seminars and festivals are held periodically to taste Tibetan cuisine.
Jacques Marché, by the way, is a fictional character. It’s actually a woman named Jacqueline Kleber, the founder of the Tibetan center, who took on a male name to run a business in the 1950s for American women.
Address: 338 Lighthouse Avenue. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 13.00 to 17.00. Very convenient to get from the ferry dock: bus S74.
The Richmond Town Reenactment is an amazing place for history lovers. Several dozen buildings: schools, shops, administrative offices. Employees and volunteers wear historical costumes, which gives the impression that you really are in the 18th century. It is a permanent venue for art fairs, handicrafts, exhibitions, and seminars, as well as for real-life-scenario festivals – the Staten Island Historical Society, in general, is trying hard to interest New Yorkers and tourists in the history of the city and the area, and generally early American history.
Address: 441 Clark Avenue. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 13.00 to 17.00, guided tours are held from September to June from Wednesday to Friday at 14.30 and on Saturday/Sunday at 14.00 and 15.30. For the rest of the day, you can check yourself. From the ferry dock, you can take the S74 bus, stop at Richmond Road.
The Staten Isle Institute of Science and Arts Museum offers interesting exhibitions on natural history and the fine arts.
Address: 75 Stuyvesant Place, open Monday to Saturday from 09.00 to 17.00 and Sunday from 13.00 to 17.00.
Staten Island has established itself as a historical part of the city, and the island has gradually become a center of antiques. Near the ferry terminal, there is a whole area of antique shops where you can buy furniture, household goods, and the interior of the past centuries, not only American but also European. Among the island’s antique stores, the largest in the Edgewater Hall Antiques Center.
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