So, you’re standing at the tip of Manhattan or maybe stuck in a Jersey City coffee shop, looking across the water and wondering: how do you get to Staten Island? It’s a funny question because, for a lot of New Yorkers, Staten Island might as well be on the moon. They call it the "Forgotten Borough," but honestly, it’s not that hard to find if you know which bridge or boat to pick. You’ve got options. Some are free. Some are expensive. Some will make you want to pull your hair out in traffic on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
Let’s get the big one out of the way first. Most people think of the boat. The orange one. It’s iconic for a reason.
The Ferry is the Vibe (and it’s Free)
If you are a tourist or just someone who hates paying for things, the Staten Island Ferry is your best friend. It runs 24/7. It costs zero dollars. You basically just walk into the Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan and wait for the doors to open. It’s a 25-minute ride. You get a face-full of harbor breeze and a pretty great view of the Statue of Liberty without paying those ridiculous tour boat prices.
But here is the thing people forget: you have to get off. You can't just stay on the boat and ride it back to Manhattan. The Coast Guard regulations are strict about that. Everyone clears out at the St. George Terminal, and then you just loop back around and get back in line if you’re just doing it for the joyride. If you're actually trying to go somewhere on the island, the St. George terminal is the hub for the buses and the Staten Island Railway (SIR).
What about the "Fast Ferry"?
Don't confuse the big orange boats with the NYC Ferry. The NYC Ferry is a different beast entirely. It’s a commuter service that runs from Battery Park City or Midtown West (Pier 79) down to St. George. It’s faster, sure, and it feels a bit more "executive," but it costs the same as a subway ride ($4.50 as of current pricing tiers). It’s great if you’re coming from the West Side and don't want to trek over to the tip of the island.
How Do You Get to Staten Island by Car?
Driving is where things get complicated. And expensive.
Staten Island is connected to the rest of the world by four bridges. If you’re coming from Brooklyn, you’re taking the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. It’s a massive, double-decker suspension bridge that was the longest in the world when it opened in 1964. It’s beautiful. It’s also a bottleneck. If there is an accident on the Gowanus Expressway, you are going to be sitting there for a while.
Then you have the trio of bridges connecting the island to New Jersey:
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- The Goethals Bridge (connects to Elizabeth, NJ)
- The Outerbridge Crossing (connects to Perth Amboy, NJ)
- The Bayonne Bridge (connects to... you guessed it, Bayonne)
The tolls are a gut punch. If you don't have E-ZPass, you’re paying a premium. Even with it, it’s one of the more expensive commutes in the country. The Port Authority manages the Jersey crossings, while the MTA handles the Verrazzano. If you’re a resident, there are discounts, but for the average visitor, you’re looking at nearly $20 round trip if you aren't careful with your route planning.
The Bus Situation is Actually Pretty Good
Believe it or not, the bus is often the most reliable way to answer the question of how do you get to Staten Island if you're coming from midtown Manhattan. These are the "Express Buses." They have names like the SIM1, SIM3, or SIM33.
They are comfortable. They have padded seats. They use the HOV lanes.
If you catch an SIM bus near Union Square or on 6th Avenue, you can be in the heart of Staten Island in about 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the mood of the traffic gods. It costs more than a standard subway ride—around $7—but it beats the heck out of transferring three times.
From Brooklyn, you have the S53, S79 SBS, and a few others that cross the Verrazzano. The S79 is a Select Bus Service, meaning it makes fewer stops and moves significantly faster. It starts at the 86th St subway station in Bay Ridge (the R train) and drops you right onto Hylan Boulevard, which is basically the main artery of Staten Island’s South Shore.
The Train That Doesn't Connect to Anything
Staten Island has a train. It’s called the Staten Island Railway (SIR).
Here is the catch: it does not go to Manhattan. It does not go to Brooklyn. It only runs from the St. George Ferry Terminal down to Tottenville at the very southern tip of the island.
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If you’re taking the ferry over, the train is right there. It’s actually a pretty scenic ride once you get past the industrial bits. It feels like a mix between a subway and a commuter rail. Most of it is above ground. If you’re trying to get to the beach at Staten Island, or maybe visit the historic Richmond Town, the train is your best bet once you land on the island. It’s free to ride except at the St. George and Tompkinsville stations—that’s where you have to tap your OMNY or MetroCard.
Navigating the "West Shore" vs. "South Shore"
When people ask how do you get to Staten Island, they usually have a specific destination in mind, even if they don't know it yet. The island is huge. It’s twice the size of Manhattan but with a fraction of the population.
If you are going to the Staten Island Mall, you’re probably driving or taking an express bus to the center of the island. If you’re going to Snug Harbor Cultural Center—which is a hidden gem with incredible botanical gardens—you’re taking the ferry and then a short bus ride (the S40).
Don't just wing it.
Why the Verrazzano is a Love-Hate Relationship
The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is the only way to get to Staten Island from the rest of New York City by car without going through New Jersey. Because of that, it carries the weight of the entire city's logistics on its shoulders. Truckers use it to bypass Manhattan. Families use it to get to the Jersey Shore.
If you’re driving, check an app like Waze or Google Maps before you hit the approach. If the bridge is "red," consider taking the tunnel into Manhattan and then the ferry, or just accept your fate. On a clear day, though? The view from the top deck is arguably the best view of the New York skyline you can get from a car. You see the Verrazzano in movies all the time for a reason—it looks like the future, or at least what 1960s engineers thought the future would look like.
Common Misconceptions and Mistakes
First off, there is no subway. People look at the NYC subway map and see lines ending at the edge of Brooklyn and assume there’s a tunnel. There isn't. There was supposed to be one—they actually started digging it in the 1920s near Owl’s Head Park in Bay Ridge—but the money ran out and the project was scrapped. You can still see the spot where it was supposed to go, but no trains are coming.
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Secondly, don't assume bikes can just roll across the bridges.
You cannot bike across the Verrazzano. You can’t walk across it either, unless you’re running the New York City Marathon. However, the Goethals and the Bayonne bridges do have pedestrian and bike paths. The Bayonne Bridge path is actually quite spectacular since they raised the roadway a few years ago to let bigger ships pass underneath. It’s a steep climb, but the view of the industrial North Shore is surprisingly cool in a "gritty urban" way.
Tactical Advice for Your Trip
How do you get to Staten Island without losing your mind? Follow these steps based on where you are starting:
- From Lower Manhattan: Take the Staten Island Ferry. It’s the easiest, cheapest, and most pleasant experience. It runs every 15 minutes during rush hour and every 30 minutes at night.
- From Midtown: Look for the SIM Express buses. They are worth the extra few dollars for the comfort and direct route.
- From Brooklyn: Use the S79 SBS bus from Bay Ridge or drive across the Verrazzano. If you drive, make sure your E-ZPass is loaded.
- From New Jersey: Use the Goethals if you’re coming from the Turnpike. Use the Outerbridge if you’re coming from the Garden State Parkway.
One last thing: Staten Island is surprisingly hilly. It has the highest point on the Atlantic seaboard south of Maine (Todt Hill). If you think you're going to just "walk around" the borough once you get there, you're wrong. It’s a driving borough. Once you get off the ferry or the bus, you’ll probably want an Uber or a Lyft to get deep into the residential neighborhoods.
The North Shore is walkable around the St. George area, where the new Empire Outlets are and the ballpark where the Staten Island FerryHawks play. Beyond that, you need wheels. Whether those wheels are a bus, a train, or a car, just make sure you have a plan before you cross the water. It’s easy to get onto the island; the real trick is knowing where you're going once the bridge ends.
To make the most of your trip, download the MTA’s TrainTime app or use OMNY for all your fares. If you're driving, always check the Port Authority’s bridge alerts for construction on the Goethals or Outerbridge, as weekend work is frequent and can turn a 10-minute crossing into an hour-long ordeal. For the best experience, aim to arrive at the ferry terminal at sunset; the ride across the harbor as the Manhattan skyline lights up is a quintessential New York experience that doesn't cost a dime.