Staten Island

There’s only one way to arrive at this borough and that’s on the iconic bright orange Staten Island Ferry, which offers fantastic views of the Statue of Liberty as it sails past.

Staten Island is a peaceful area away from the busy city mainland of New York. Here visitors will find all things from NYC’s history, with museums and historic homes dedicated to preserving the past. That’s not to say that Staten Island is lost in time, in fact the borough is changing rapidly. The entire waterfront is under development and in the coming year there are plans to build a string of hotels, restaurants and outlet malls as well as the globe’s largest observation wheel. These additions are set to modernise traditional Staten Island.

One place already providing 21^st century fun is 5050 Skatepark, the only indoor facility where would-be pro skateboarders can practise their moves and check out the competition in the Stapleton neighbourhood. 5050 Skatepark’s Angelica says the area has a lot to offer tourists. “Stapleton is a hub for arts and culture, with many small restaurants, café shops, and bars and an artist gallery,” she explains. If your youngsters are new to alternative sports, the team at 5050 Skatepark offer one-on-one lessons to get them ruling the ramps in no time.

More fun awaits kids at Staten Island Children’s Museum, where creativity and curiosity are nurtured to help children learn about the world around them through a range of interactive activities. The fun and games include a green living room, where your child will discover how Earth-friendly low carbon wind energy works, or dress the part and become a firefighter learning to use all the right gear. The museum is housed in the island’s Snug Harbour Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, a unique venue converted from the first home for retired sailors in the US into a buzzing regional arts centre. Combining creativity with a horticultural mission and a heaving calendar of upcoming events, the attraction has plenty to see and do for those visiting the borough.

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