New York · United States
Staten Island travel guide
Staten Island is a city in New York, United States, home to about 496,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- EWR13 km · Newark Liberty International Airport
- Currency
- USDUnited States dollar
- Time zone
- America/New York
- Language
- Carolinian, Chamorro, Hawaiian
About
About Staten Island
Staten Island ( STAT-ən) is the southernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull and from the rest of New York by New York Bay.
Staten Island is a borough of about 500,000 people. While that's not even half of the population of any of the other boroughs, it's still respectable for a U.S. city, comparable to Omaha or Tucson. Staten Island is in New York Harbor, and is the southernmost point in New York State. Staten Island is New York City's only borough that lacks a predominant numbered street grid -- you can not depend on the numbers of the streets to tell you where you are.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Staten Island
See
As the official "Borough of Parks", Staten Island has a large collection of parks. They range from modest playgrounds to immense expanses of raw nature. All parks operated by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation are open 6AM–1AM, but the Greenbelt is operated by the Greenbelt Conservancy and Gateway is operated by the National Park Service. Parks affiliated with schools are the only exception. These are open from dawn to dusk, and it is generally considered good etiquette to stay out of the park if schoolchildren are playing in it.
- Amundsen Circle
- Blue Heron Park
- Clawson Playground
- Freshkills Park
- Fort Wadsworth
- Miller Field
- Great Kills Park
- The Greenbelt
- Lemon Creek Park
- Mount Loretto Unique Area
- South Beach & Boardwalk
- Von Briesen Park
Do
- Staten Island FerryHawks
- Staten Island Zoo
- The New York Public Library
- Atrium Stadium Theaters
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Staten Island to stay in
Staten Island has numerous neighborhoods, each with a distinct feel and different attractions. These neighborhoods can be grouped into three regions: North Shore, Mid-Island, and South Shore. The North Shore includes the area north of the Staten Island Expressway. The South Shore generally includes the area south of the Fresh Kills. The Mid-Island takes up the area in between. The North Shore is full of older neighborhoods, which were fully developed long before the rest of Staten Island. Thanks to this, many examples of old architecture can be found here.
Staten Island is the closest borough to New Jersey's Newark International Airport. This results in lower taxi fares and shorter travel times as opposed to Manhattan (the taxi fare is $45 to any point in Staten Island plus up to $10 in tolls). You may want to consider sleeping in a hotel here for this reason.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Staten Island
Staten Island has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; July is the wettest, with about 124 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Staten Island: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), about 13 km from the city centre in a straight line; Teterboro Airport (TEB, 32 km) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK, 32 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Staten Island can be reached by passenger ferry from Manhattan. The ferry is the most visually pleasing option for arriving on the island, as it passes by Liberty Island and offers stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and New York Harbor. The ferry is free and operates 24 hours a day out of Battery Park in Manhattan and St. George Terminal in Staten Island; even during the early morning hours, it never runs less than once every half hour at the half hour. You can see a current schedule on this page.
Getting around
The subway doesn't go to Staten Island. The Staten Island Railway is a hybrid of a railroad and a subway line. Fares are the same as a subway ride ($2.90), and it runs 24 hours, at intervals from 15 minutes during weekday rush hours to hourly overnight, synchronized to the ferry schedule. Fares are collected only at St. George Ferry Terminal and Tompkinsville, and include a free transfer to or from the buses or subway in Manhattan. During rush hours, express service is provided and the locals terminate at Great Kills. Bus routes cover the island pretty thoroughly.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
EWR · Newark Liberty International Airport
TEB · Teterboro Airport
JFK · John F. Kennedy International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Staten Island
Eat
While the vast majority of Staten Island eateries are Italian, there are some gems of other types of ethnic cuisine in the St. George and Tompkinsville neighborhoods. Mostly within a mile of each other on Victory Blvd (and in walking distance from the ferry terminal), the authentic and inexpensive restaurants serve up flavorful South Asian cuisine well worth the trip.
Drink
St. George has a few bars located south of the ferry terminal. Make a left when you leave the boat. Look for a cozy bar at Beso at 70 Bay Street where you can try a jalapeño margarita.
Stay safe
When discussing crime in Staten Island, it first must be established that Staten Island is not a crime-ridden mob haven, as it is portrayed in movies and reality TV. Staten Island is no more dangerous than any of the other boroughs of New York City. However, it does have some crime. The northern and southern portions of Staten Island are pretty different in the amount and type of crime found there. The North Shore has a somewhat elevated crime rate compared to the rest of the island. It is home to large low-income housing projects. They attract a lot of petty crime and some more serious crimes. Be careful when walking alone at night.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Staten Island: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Staten Island?
Staten Island has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; July is the wettest, with about 124 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Staten Island?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), about 13 km from the city centre in a straight line; Teterboro Airport (TEB, 32 km) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK, 32 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Staten Island?
United States dollar (USD).
Nearby
Destinations near Staten Island
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.