Staten Island

Why go

The North Shore’s St. George and Stapleton neighborhoods suit an urban and architectural focus, while the East Shore boardwalk offers a different waterfront experience. Conference House Park lies at the island’s southern tip. These are alternatives across the borough, so the useful decision is which landscape deserves the journey beyond the ferry terminal.

What to look for

• St. George and Stapleton include historic districts with large Victorian houses.
• The F.D.R. Boardwalk follows the East Shore.
• Conference House Park occupies the island’s southern tip.

The full story

The borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and Kill Van Kull and from the rest of New York by New York Bay. That island geography helps explain why a visit feels different from a continuous Manhattan neighborhood walk. Its shores developed distinct characters: the North Shore became more urban, the South Shore more suburban, and the West Shore more industrial. Staten Island was officially called the Borough of Richmond until 1975, a name retained by Richmond County. Seventeenth-century Dutch and French Huguenot settlement forms part of its longer history, followed by major changes in later residential development. The ferry provides harbor views toward the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Lower Manhattan, but those views are only one experience. Reaching the terminal and exploring the borough are separate planning choices.

Useful to know

• Choose a shore, neighborhood or park before planning onward travel from St. George.
• Check the ferry and connecting transport for the selected destination and return journey.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.