You've heard the jokes. If you live in Manhattan or Brooklyn, Staten Island in New York is basically that place where the orange boat goes, or maybe just a bridge you cross on the way to the Jersey Shore. It’s the "forgotten borough." People act like it’s this distant, suburban wasteland filled with nothing but strip malls and traffic.
Honestly? They’re missing out.
Staten Island is weird. It’s complicated. It is the only borough with a Republican lean in a deep-blue city, yet it’s home to some of the most diverse Sri Lankan and Liberian communities in the United States. It has more green space than any other part of the city, but it also dealt with the legacy of the world’s largest landfill for decades. If you actually spend time there, you realize it’s less of a suburb and more of a collection of small towns that happen to be attached to a global superpower.
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The Ferry Is Just the Beginning (But Use It Anyway)
Let’s talk about the boat. The Staten Island Ferry is a literal lifeline. It carries about 25 million passengers a year. Most tourists jump on at Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan, stand on the deck to snap a photo of the Statue of Liberty, and then immediately turn around at St. George to go back.
That is a mistake.
When you get off at the St. George Terminal, you’re standing in one of the most historically dense neighborhoods in the city. Just a short walk away is the St. George Theatre, a massive 1929 movie palace that has hosted everyone from Tony Bennett to Jerry Seinfeld. The architecture around here isn't the glass-and-steel stuff you see in Hudson Yards; it’s Victorian homes and hilly streets that feel more like San Francisco than New York City.
Why the Food Scene Beats Your Local Neighborhood
If you want real food—not the curated, $28-cocktail-kind of food—you go to the North Shore.
Staten Island has the largest Sri Lankan population outside of Sri Lanka itself. Places like Lakruwana on Bay Street aren't just restaurants; they are cultural hubs. You walk in and you're surrounded by intricate wood carvings and the smell of black pork curry. It’s authentic. It’s spicy. It’s affordable.
Then there’s the Italian food.
Everyone argues about pizza in New York. You’ve got the Brooklyn fans and the Manhattan purists. But Staten Island in New York holds the heavyweights. Joe & Pat’s on Victory Boulevard serves a thin-crust pie that is basically paper-thin and perfectly crisp. It’s been a staple since 1960. Then you have Denino’s in Port Richmond. If you don't order the scungilli or a sausage pie, you're doing it wrong. These aren't "concepts" created by restaurant groups. These are family businesses where the grandkids are usually the ones working the ovens now.
The Greenest Borough Isn't Just a Slogan
New York City is loud. It’s concrete. It’s exhausting.
But Staten Island has the Greenbelt. We’re talking 2,800 acres of interconnected public parkland and trail systems. That is three times the size of Central Park. You can hike the White Trail or the Blue Trail and genuinely forget you are in the five boroughs. No sirens. No subway screeching. Just woods.
The Freshkills Transformation
We have to talk about the elephant in the room: Fresh Kills. For over 50 years, it was the city's primary landfill. It was a literal mountain of trash.
Today, it is becoming Freshkills Park. It is one of the most ambitious land reclamation projects in the world. They are turning a landfill into a massive public park that is nearly three times the size of Central Park. It’s already partially open. It’s a bizarre, beautiful landscape of rolling hills (which are actually capped trash mounds) where you can see rare birds and expansive views of the Manhattan skyline. It’s a testament to how cities can actually fix the messes they’ve made.
Historic Richmond Town and the Time Machine Effect
If you head toward the center of the island, you hit Historic Richmond Town. It’s basically a living history museum with buildings dating back to the 1600s. The Voorlezer’s House is there—it’s the oldest known elementary school building in the U.S.
It’s not some cheesy theme park. It’s a preserved village where blacksmiths and tinsmiths actually work. You can walk through the Voorlezer’s House and feel the cramped, cold reality of what life was like for Dutch settlers. It’s a stark contrast to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge towering in the distance, reminding you that the 21st century is just a few miles away.
The Logistics: Getting Around Without a Subway
This is where the "forgotten" part gets real.
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Staten Island is the only borough not connected to the New York City Subway system. Yes, there is the Staten Island Railway (SIR), which runs from the ferry terminal down to Tottenville, but it doesn't go to Manhattan. You can’t take a train over the bridge.
To get around, you need:
- The Express Bus: These are the big, comfortable blue buses (like the SIM series) that take you into Manhattan via the Verrazzano or the Goethals. They’re expensive, but they have padded seats and air conditioning that actually works.
- A Car: Honestly, Staten Island is a car culture. It’s the only place in NYC where you’ll see massive driveways and two-car garages as the norm.
- The NYC Ferry: There’s now a fast ferry from St. George to Battery Park City and Midtown West. It’s a game-changer for commuters who hate the crowded big boats.
The Reality of the "Forgotten" Label
The people who live here—Staten Islanders—have a bit of a chip on their shoulder. Can you blame them?
During the pandemic, or during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, there was a feeling that the city government focused on Manhattan first and the "outer-outer" borough last. Sandy devastated the East Shore, neighborhoods like New Dorp Beach and Midland Beach. The recovery took years. That resilience has forged a very specific kind of local identity. People stay here for generations. You’ll meet families where the great-grandparents moved from Brooklyn in the 60s when the bridge opened, and the grandkids are still living three blocks away.
It’s a small-town vibe in a big-city zip code.
Actionable Steps for Visiting or Living in Staten Island
If you’re planning to explore Staten Island in New York, don't just wing it. It's too big and the transit is too specific for that.
- Timing the Ferry: Avoid the 5:00 PM rush. It’s packed with commuters who just want to get home and aren't interested in your selfies. Take the 10:00 AM or the 8:00 PM boat for a better experience.
- The Pizza Pilgrimage: If you’re a foodie, take the S40 bus from the ferry terminal to Snug Harbor, explore the Chinese Scholar’s Garden, and then Uber to Denino’s for dinner.
- Hiking Strategy: Download the AllTrails app before heading to the Greenbelt. The markers can be confusing if you aren't used to the terrain.
- The North Shore Walk: Walk from the Ferry terminal to the Empire Outlets if you want to shop, but keep going to the National Lighthouse Museum. It’s small, niche, and incredibly cool.
- Check the SIR Schedule: The Staten Island Railway doesn't run as frequently as the subway. If you miss a train at 11:00 PM, you’re waiting a while. Use the MTA TrainTime app.
Staten Island isn't trying to be Brooklyn. It doesn't want to be the next "it" neighborhood with artisanal mayonnaise shops on every corner. It’s a place of parks, deep-rooted immigrant communities, and some of the best Italian food on the planet. It’s a part of New York City that requires a little more effort to understand, but the payoff is a version of the city that feels surprisingly human.
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Take the boat. Stay a while. Eat the pizza. You’ll see exactly what everyone else is missing.
Next Steps for Your Trip:
- Map your route: Use the MYmta app to coordinate between the Ferry and the Staten Island Railway.
- Pick a "Zone": Focus on the North Shore (culture/food) or the South Shore (beaches/history) rather than trying to see the whole island in one day.
- Book Snug Harbor: Check the schedule for the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, as certain gardens within the complex have specific seasonal hours.