Staten Island

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The Tuscan Gardens are only one of 14 gardens at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden

Overview

The land of Shaolin (according to the Wu Tang Clan, whose borough this is), velour sweatsuits, pasta with gravy (red meat sauce), homes of clapboard and aluminum siding, three cast members of MTV's Jersey Shore, and the starting point of the NYC marathon, Staten Island feels light years away from Manhattan. If not for its namesake ferry, which docks in downtown St George, it might even be mostly forgotten. Unfashionably suburban, it's not without historical and cultural drawcards, and can make a pleasant mini-break within a high-energy tour of New York.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Historic Richmond Town

Staten Island

In the center of Staten Island, this settlement of more than 30 buildings is frozen in amber, part of a 100-acre preservation project maintained by the…
Alice Austen House

Staten Island

The former home of maverick photographer Alice Austen (1866–1952) stands in a serene, shore-side spot, a 2.4-mile bus ride south from the ferry pier. The…
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden

Staten Island

A tranquil sweep of gardens, heritage buildings and gallery spaces provide a tour through Staten Island's history and culture. Highlights include an…
Staten Island Museum

Staten Island

An all-rounder of a museum, catering to dinosaur-hungry school groups as much as tourists looking for historical details on Staten Island. Set inside an…
Lenny's Creations

Staten Island

A one-off among Staten Island's many scrap-metal yards, visionary metalsmith Lenny Prince shapes old car parts into sculptures of Transformers, Chinese…
Sri Lankan Arts & Cultural Museum

Staten Island

Art and artefacts from Sri Lanka are assembled inside the first Sri Lankan museum outside of the country. It was founded by Julia Wijesinghe, daughter of…