The Only NYC Borough Where You Can Find a 2,800-Acre Forest, Historic Farms, and a Free Harbor Cruise

Staten Island, New York

Staten Island isn’t just that free ferry ride with the Statue of Liberty view. This underrated borough is where you’ll find New York’s last real pizza joints, the city’s biggest green space, and waterfront views that beat Manhattan’s skyline. Here’s what makes Staten Island New York’s most overlooked good time.

Free Ferry Ride Connects Manhattan to Staten Island

The Staten Island Ferry offers one of the best free experiences in New York City, with stunning views of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline.

This bright orange ferry has linked Manhattan to Staten Island since 1817. The ferry runs every 30 minutes during off-peak hours and every 15 minutes during rush hour.

The fleet has eight vessels, each able to carry over 4,000 passengers. The 5.2-mile trip takes 25 minutes.

Over 70,000 passengers use the ferry daily, making it one of NYC’s busiest transit routes. Boats leave from Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan and St. George Terminal on Staten Island 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Former Sailors’ Home Now Houses Cultural Treasures

Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden spreads across 83 acres as both a park and cultural hub.

Just a 10-minute ride on the S40 bus from the ferry terminal, this former retirement home for sailors started in 1801 thanks to shipping heir Robert Richard Randall.

The grounds feature 28 different buildings, including Greek Revival structures built between 1833 and 1880. The concert hall ranks among the oldest in New York City, dating back to the 1890s.

Wander through more than a dozen themed gardens, such as the Tuscan Garden, White Garden, and Healing Garden.

The main outdoor areas are free to enter year-round from dawn until dusk.

Authentic Ming Dynasty Garden Transports Visitors to China

The New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden at Snug Harbor stands as one of just two authentic scholar’s gardens in the United States.

The garden showcases incredible rocks that look like mountains that once sparked ancient Chinese poetry and art, along with eight pavilions, a bamboo forest path, waterfalls, and a pond filled with Koi fish.

Opened in 1999, the garden came to life through 40 Chinese artists and craftspeople who spent a year in China making components and six months on-site putting everything together.

Based on Ming Dynasty designs (1368–1644), all architectural parts were made in Suzhou, China, using traditional methods.

For $5 admission, visitors can see the garden Wednesday through Sunday. The 15-foot rock formation in the central courtyard serves as the most eye-catching feature.

Living Museum Preserves Three Centuries of History

Historic Richmond Town serves as New York’s only historic village restoration, giving visitors a glimpse into Staten Island’s past.

Covering over 100 acres with more than two dozen historic buildings from the 17th to 20th centuries, this museum started in 1939 when the Staten Island Historical Society got the Voorlezer’s House (c. 1695), the oldest surviving elementary school in America.

Walk through the Third County Courthouse, built in 1837, which worked as Staten Island’s government center until 1919. The Guyon-Lake-Tysen House goes back to 1740 and shows Dutch-influenced building styles.

Main Street Coffee operates on-site, serving handcrafted coffee and food in a historic setting. The village often hosts historical social dance demonstrations and tours led by guides dressed in period clothing.

Urban Wilderness Offers Miles of Peaceful Trails

The Staten Island Greenbelt gives nature lovers a vast 2,800-acre network of parks and trails. This large natural area includes forests, wetlands, meadows, and walking paths that let people escape city life without leaving town.

The Greenbelt Nature Center at 700 Rockland Avenue works as the main spot for visitor information and trail maps.

Try the Yellow Trail for an 8-mile moderate hike through the heart of the preserve. The White Trail features a wooden bridge over Richmond Creek with great views of the surrounding watershed.

Moses Mountain, a 260-foot hill made during the abandoned Richmond Parkway construction in the 1960s, gives panoramic views of the area.

This huge green space was saved in the early 1980s when community and conservation groups blocked planned parkway construction.

Victorian Home Showcases Revolutionary Female Photographer

The Alice Austen House Museum keeps alive the legacy of groundbreaking American photographer Alice Austen (1866–1952).

Located at 2 Hylan Boulevard in Rosebank, this Victorian home was Austen’s beloved family house, known as “Clear Comfort.”

The Staten Island Historical Society keeps more than 7,500 original prints and negatives of Austen’s work in their collection.

Austen began taking photos at age 10 in 1876, taught by her uncle Oswald Muller, a ship’s captain, and Peter T. Austen, a chemistry professor.

Her 1896 portfolio “Street Types of New York” captured various working-class jobs throughout Manhattan.

Austen also worked over a decade as the official photographer for the Quarantine Station near her home, documenting health inspections at the Port of New York.

Legendary Pizza Joints Serve Thin-Crust Perfection

Staten Island boasts an exceptional pizza scene with several legendary spots that regularly appear on “best of NYC” lists.

Denino’s Pizzeria & Tavern, open since 1937 at 524 Richmond Avenue, started serving their now-famous pizza in 1951. Their signature M.O.R. Pie mixes meatballs, onions, and ricotta cheese.

Lee’s Tavern, found at 60 Hancock Street in Dongan Hills, has been a neighborhood fixture since the 1940s and gets praise for its thin, crispy crust and clam pie.

Joe & Pat’s Pizzeria on Victory Boulevard has made their distinctively thin-crusted pies since 1960.

Each of these places still operates from their original locations and continues to use traditional recipes and techniques passed down through generations.

Historic Military Fort Guards Harbor Since 1663

Fort Wadsworth ranks as one of the oldest continuously used military spots in the United States, with a history going back to 1663.

Now part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, the fort lets visitors explore old gun placements and enjoy amazing views of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

Get there via the S51 bus from the Staten Island Ferry, about a 10–15 minute ride.

Battery Weed, built between 1847 and 1862, has impressive stone walls directly facing the harbor entrance.

Fort Tompkins, located above Battery Weed, was built between 1859 and 1876 and includes a dry moat and extensive tunnel system.

The site worked as an active military base until 1994, when it transferred to the National Park Service.

Depression-Era Boardwalk Connects Popular Beaches

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk and Beach runs along Staten Island’s eastern shore, providing beautiful views of the Verrazano Bridge and New York Harbor.

This 2.5-mile boardwalk connects South Beach and Midland Beach, two of Staten Island’s most popular shoreline recreation areas.

Built in 1935 during the Great Depression as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, the boardwalk has become a beloved landmark.

The Fountain of Dolphins at South Beach was designed by sculptor Steven Dickey and added in 1998 as part of the area’s revival.

The Ocean Breeze Fishing Pier extends 835 feet into Lower New York Bay, making it one of the longest recreational piers in the region.

he historic Vanderbilt Catering Hall, built in 1936, is located next to the boardwalk.

Oldest Borough Museum Displays Natural and Cultural History

The Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor shows off the natural and cultural history of the island. Started in 1881, it’s one of the oldest cultural institutions in the borough and the only general interest museum in New York City.

The museum fills two renovated Greek Revival buildings, with Building A opening in 2015 after a $24.4 million renovation.

The natural science gallery holds over 500,000 entomology specimens, including one of the most complete cicada collections in North America.

The museum’s fossil collection has specimens found on Staten Island dating back 400 million years.

The permanent art collection features over 2,000 works by Staten Island artists from the 19th century to today.

Himalayan Architecture Nestles On Lighthouse Hill

The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art brings an unexpected touch of the Himalayas to Staten Island.

Started in 1945, this small but unique museum features authentic Tibetan architectural elements and houses over 1,200 artifacts.

Found at 338 Lighthouse Avenue on Lighthouse Hill, the museum rests 245 feet above sea level, offering wide views of the surroundings.

The fieldstone buildings were made to look like a Himalayan monastery, complete with a meditation garden featuring a lotus pond.

The founder, Jacques Marchais (1887–1948), was an American woman who became one of the earliest collectors of Tibetan art in the United States despite never visiting Tibet.

The collection includes rare thangkas (scroll paintings), ritual objects, and sculptures from the 15th to 20th centuries.

Waterfront Memorial Frames Twin Towers’ Former Site

The Postcards Memorial honors Staten Island residents who died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Located at Bank Street next to the St. George Ferry Terminal, this moving memorial was designed by architect Masayuki Sono and dedicated on September 11, 2004.

The two 30-foot-tall fiberglass structures shaped like postcards hold 274 individual profile silhouettes, each representing a Staten Islander who died in the attacks.

The memorial includes granite from the World Trade Center within its design.

The structures are placed to frame the exact spot where the Twin Towers once stood across the harbor.

The memorial stays open 24 hours a day, lit at night by embedded lighting.

Former Reservoir Transformed Into Recreational Haven

Silver Lake Park provides visitors a peaceful retreat with its scenic lake, walking paths, and recreational facilities.

The 209-acre park was officially established in 1917 when the land transferred from the Department of Water Supply.

The park’s central 18-acre reservoir originally provided drinking water to Staten Island from the 1860s until 1917.

The Silver Lake Golf Course, opened in 1929, is Staten Island’s oldest municipal golf course, featuring 18 holes across 125 acres.

The park has four tennis courts with Har-Tru clay surfaces, rare for public courts in NYC.

Walking the 1.75-mile loop around the lake offers views of Manhattan on clear days. The park also contains over 100 different tree species, including rare dawn redwoods.