Staten Island is the most suburban and least visited of New York City's five boroughs, separated from Manhattan by a harbour and from the other boroughs by culture as much as geography. Most visitors only see it from the free Staten Island Ferry, which offers one of the best views of the Statue of Liberty and the Lower Manhattan skyline — and then they ride straight back. But the island itself has a few things worth stopping for.
The Snug Harbor Cultural Center is a handsome collection of Greek Revival buildings that now house galleries, gardens, and a Chinese Scholar's Garden. Fort Wadsworth, at the foot of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, has been guarding the harbour entrance since before American independence. The south shore has genuine ocean beaches and the unexpected sight of a Sri Lankan community with restaurants and temples along Victory Boulevard.
Staten Island is connected to Brooklyn by the Verrazzano Bridge and to Manhattan by the ferry from St. George terminal. The ferry runs every thirty minutes and is free — one of the best deals in New York.