New York Guide
Staten Island
Like the rest of New York City, Staten Island was first settled by the Dutch, who defeated the Lenape natives in 1661. Three years later, the island and the rest of the city were in British hands, and in 1783, it saw the last shot of the American Revolution. Roughly triangular, the island is almost 14 miles long and 7.5 miles wide, making it more than twice the size of Manhattan. It was annexed by New York City in 1898 but could be reached only by ferry or a long drive through New Jersey (to which it's physically closer) until 1964, when the Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened, connecting it with Brooklyn. The resulting influx of land-hungry New Yorkers promptly turned the island's rural landscape into a full-fledged suburbia densely packed with tidy, bland middle-class homes.
The majority of tourists take the Staten Island ferry for the views it provides of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, then promptly hop the next boat back to the big city. There are a handful of interesting museums and parks here, though, a few of which are within walking distance of the ferry terminal. For the rest, you'll need to take a bus or the single-line Staten Island Railway (SIR); you can use your MetroCard on both modes of transport. Bus maps are available at the ferry terminals.
For more information on Staten Island events and attractions, or to download free maps, visit www.statenislandarts.org or www.statenislandusa.com.