Staten Island

Understand

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.

Orientation

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.

Staten Island has four main highways: the Staten Island Expressway (I-278), the West Shore Expressway (NY-440), the Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway (also NY-440), and the Korean War Veterans Parkway (unofficially known as the Richmond Parkway). The Staten Island Expressway runs east-west, from the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to the Goethals Bridge. The West Shore expressway runs south from the Staten Island Expressway in the northwest portion of the island to the Outerbridge Crossing in Tottenville. The Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway runs north from just east of the SIE's junction with the West Shore to the Bayonne Bridge. The Korean War Veterans Expressway branches off from the West Shore Expressway just north of the Outerbridge and runs northeast all the way to Eltingville.

Compared to the neatly-organized grid of Manhattan, the layout of Staten Island's streets may seem like a child's drawings. On the contrary, most streets run in a simple pattern. The biggest streets run east-west (parallel to the northern shore), north-south (parallel to the western shore), and northeast-southwest (parallel to the eastern and southern shores). This creates the effect of a triangle. If you know the main roads that form each side of the triangle, you won't get lost.

Get in

By ferry

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. The 25-minute ferry ride is also sometimes a faster trip from Lower Manhattan to Staten Island than a corresponding trip by car or bus. The ferry allows bicycles on the lower decks, where there are usually bike racks.

The St. George Ferry Terminal is also a terminal for the Staten Island Railway and many of Staten Island's local buses.

By car

Staten Island can be reached by bridge from Brooklyn and New Jersey.

• Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connects Brooklyn with Staten Island, but you will incur a high toll of $11.52 with a New York E-Z Pass or $17.00 for out-of-state E-Z Pass users and non-E-Z Pass users (westbound to Staten Island only; no toll eastbound).
• Bayonne Bridge connects Bayonne, New Jersey with northern Staten Island.
• Goethals Bridge connects Elizabeth, New Jersey to mid-western Staten Island.
• Outerbridge Crossing connects Perth Amboy, New Jersey and Tottenville, Staten Island.

These last 3 bridges have a $15.00 ($10.50 on Off-Peak times and $12.50 on Peak-times for E-ZPass issued by New York or New Jersey) toll payable only when entering Staten Island, not leaving it. The carpool toll is $6.25 with 3 or more people in a car, payable only with E-Z Pass. The Bayonne Bridge and Verrazano-Narrows Bridge use an All-Electronic Tolling System, meaning that no cash payments are allowed, and without E-Z Pass, your toll will be paid via Tolls-By-Mail.

By bus

Express bus

A moderately priced option is to take an express bus from Manhattan to Staten Island. The express buses are especially handy when you are traveling to places on the South Shore, which is the furthest section of Staten Island from the ferry, and has fewer local routes running than the more densely populated North Shore. The $7.00 fare is payable via OMNY.

Most express buses run solely on weekdays and go by the acronym SIM (for Staten Island to Manhattan). For lower Manhattan, the SIM2 is popular, whereas SIM10 serves midtown.

The wait times for an express bus are about 4–10 minutes during rush hours, 15–30 minutes other times. The Staten Island bus map (service descriptions) covers the routes on the island.

Local bus

• There is also the option of taking the S53, S79, or S93 buses from the 86th Street subway station of the R train in Brooklyn. These bus routes cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge into Staten Island. The $3.00 fare is payable via OMNY.

* The S53 serves the North Shore and goes through Port Richmond and West New Brighton * The S79 serves the Mid-Island region and the South Shore. It goes along Hylan Boulevard and Richmond Avenue to get to the Staten Island Mall. * The S93 runs rush hours only and goes to the College of Staten Island, serving the neighborhoods near the Staten Island Expressway and Victory Boulevard.

• From Bayonne, you can take the S89 Limited bus during rush hours from the 34th Street Hudson-Bergen Light Rail station. This bus runs down Richmond Avenue and serves sections of the North Shore, Mid-Island, and South Shore.

Get around

By rail

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.

By bus

Bus routes cover the island pretty thoroughly. There are two types of buses:

• The local buses run routes all over Staten Island and are distinguished by the S before the route number (ex. S55, S78). They have uncomfortable plastic seats and cost $2.50. During rush hours, some buses run Limited and stop at major cross streets and transfer points. For example, the S62 starts at Jewett Avenue, making all stops east, while the S92 makes all stops west of Jewett Avenue that the S62 normally makes, while stopping only at major streets like Clove Road east of Jewett Avenue. Limited route numbers are always in the 80s and 90s, and the numbers of the local and limited routes usually correspond (S62/S92, S46/S96).

Many local buses terminate at the St. George Ferry Terminal. These can be grouped according to their service area: * North Shore: S40 series (S40, S42, S44, S46, S48) * East Shore: S50s series (S51, S52) * Victory Boulevard: S60s series (S61, S62, S66) * South Shore: S70s series (S74, S76, S78) * Limited routes: S80s and S90s series (S81, S84, S86, S90, S91, S92, S94, S96, S98)

However, other routes on Staten Island that do not depart from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal do not necessarily follow the same rule. These are the S53, S54, S55, S56, S57, S59, S79, S89, and S93.

• The express buses are distinguished by the X in the coded display on the front of the bus (ex. X1, X17). These buses run from Staten Island to Manhattan, have more comfortable cloth seats, and cost $6.

Most bus routes on the island meet up at the St. George Ferry Terminal. Other major transfer points include Port Richmond, with some buses terminating at Richmond Terrace at Port Richmond Avenue; the Staten Island Mall; and the Eltingville Transit Center on the South Shore.

Fares can be paid with OMNY. Buses run close to schedule, but service on Staten Island is sparse outside of rush hours, and even during peak hours, the most frequent headway is 10 minutes. Because of this, it helps to be prepared: either pick up a schedule for routes that you'll plan to take, check the Guide-A-Ride boxes at bus stops for exact times or use the MTA's BusTime system to track buses.

A Staten Island bus map is available on this page.

A word of caution: Staten Island buses are usually reasonably reliable on weekdays, but do not count on the schedule or MTA route advice timings to be accurate on Sundays, and consider making alternate arrangements if your schedule is not completely open for the day.

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.

Once you get below the Staten Island Expressway, however, the situation changes. The South Shore has a relatively low crime rate. Residents often joke about it, saying that the local burglars are nice enough to wait until your car is unlocked to rob it.

Travelers to the South Shore with seasonal allergies may be better advised to worry about high pollen counts during the spring. There are dozens of trees on most South Shore streets (so many you may not believe you're still in New York City). If you have severe allergies, consider addressing the problem before coming to Staten Island in April or May.

In addition to pollen, trees also bring pesky critters. Please take necessary precautions if you have severe allergies or a strong aversion to any of the following:

• Squirrels
• Birds and (perhaps more importantly) their droppings
• Ants
• Bumblebees
• Woodpeckers, owls, or other common large birds

Go next

Let's be honest: the majority of travellers don't travel great distances to go to Staten Island (good for you if you do, but you're in the minority). While the island is a hidden gem, many of the main tourist attractions are around it, and you will want to check them out.

The first order of business is to make sure you've gone completely through New York City. Each of the four other boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx) have their own attractions and features you'll want to see.

If you're done in New York, Staten Island is a great launching pad for a trip in New Jersey. Some places to go are:

• Nearby towns – If you just want to relax after the hustle and bustle of New York City, you can visit Bayonne to the north, Elizabeth to the northwest, Linden to the west, or Perth Amboy to the southwest.
• Jackson – Further south than Perth Amboy, Jackson is home to one main attraction: Six Flags Great Adventure. This amusement park is the biggest theme park in the Northeastern United States. It is also home to a safari park and a water park (Hurricane Harbor). Its biggest attraction, however, is Kingda Ka, which is the world's tallest roller coaster at 456 feet above the earth.
• Sandy Hook – This narrow strip of land of the coast of New Jersey is home to the Sandy Hook Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area.
• The Jersey Shore – The ultimate destination for summer fun in the Mid-Atlantic is right near New York City.
• Atlantic City – The gambling capital of the Eastern U.S. is also home to a popular beach & boardwalk.
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – If need be, you can always skip New Jersey and go straight on to the City of Brotherly Love.