Known as the “forgotten borough of New York City," Staten Island is more popularly known by some more unforgiving names: Staten Italy, Heroin Island and The Dump. With shows promoting the island, like "Jersey Shore," "Mob Wives" and National Geographic's "Drugs Inc.," the island isn't exactly known for its best qualities. In recent weeks, pictures depicting Staten Island as a tropical island have gone viral such as:
And these pictures got me thinking about the good, exciting and beautiful places that the island has to offer, and no I'm not just talking about The Drunken Monkey (a bar owned by the now deceased Big Ang).
The Boardwalk
Running under the Verrazano Bridge, the boardwalk makes for a great place to work out or just stroll with friends. On a gorgeous summer night, nothing is better than catching up with friends while strolling the boardwalk with an ice cream cone. There are fireworks too, nearly every Wednesday night during the official summer season with the Coney Island backdrop, making this a must for all islanders to visit.
High Rock Park
Within the woods surrounding Rockland Avenue, most drive past this park weekly or even daily, but few stop to actually pay a visit. With a walking trail and a huge lake to explore, this destination makes anyone who enters forget that they are actually in part of New York City, and think they're hiking in upstate country land. This great switch-up from the busy city life can make this a relaxing place for all islanders to roam and clear their heads among nature.
Beans and Leaves
Spotted on Forest Avenue, this little café may be small in size, but it has a lot to offer. In addition to almost 50 coffee drinks and tea flavors, they also offer many decadent breakfast meals, like red velvet pancakes or waffles drenched in Nutella and strawberries. Because of its growing popularity, it may be hard to find a little table in this joint, but the wait is definitely worth it for what it delivers.
The Conference House
At the last block of Hylan Boulevard, basically under a bridge connecting the island to New Jersey, this historic landmark is great for strolling during the sunset, making for absolutely amazing sunset photos. Because of its distance far out on the South Shore, many islanders may not travel the distance for this view, but it is worth the sight at least once.
Gateway Park
Located off Hylan Boulevard in Great Kills, this park is a great place to go for a run, walk or even watch the sunset over the harbor. I personally love grabbing a latte and light snack after dinners during the summer and heading over to sit on a bench and watch the sunset over the sailboats. And who said Staten Italy isn't gorgeous too?
These spots on Staten Island beg to be visited and enjoyed by the vast 500,000 islanders who reside on its shores. In addition to these gems, the soon to be construction on the North Shore of the island will soon be a not-so-hidden gem of the island attraction for islanders and any New York City tourists alike, featuring what is supposed to be the world's largest Ferris wheel. While these spots may not be hidden for long, they will always do a beautiful job of distinguishing Staten Island as a suburb in the city.
