What are the best things to do in Staten Island?

Top local picks include the free Staten Island Ferry, the 2,800 acre Greenbelt with 35 plus miles of trails, Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, Historic Richmond Town, the FDR Boardwalk and South Beach, Conference House Park, the Staten Island Zoo, the FerryHawks ballpark, Empire Outlets, Clove Lakes Park, and the Italian food scene.

Is the Staten Island Ferry really free?

Yes. The Staten Island Ferry is completely free, runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and takes about 25 minutes between St. George and Lower Manhattan, with skyline and Statue of Liberty views the whole way.

Is there hiking in Staten Island?

Yes. The Staten Island Greenbelt holds the largest forest preserve in New York City, roughly 2,800 acres, with more than 35 miles of marked hiking trails through real woods, plus parks like Clove Lakes and Great Kills.

Is Staten Island good for families?

Very much so. Between the parks, the beaches, the zoo, the ballpark, the museums, and strong schools, there is a lot for families, and you can do most of it close to home without a long drive or a fortune.

What is Staten Island known for?

Space and community inside New York City: single family homes with yards, the free ferry, a huge amount of parkland and hiking, a deep Italian American food and pizza culture, and neighborhoods where people still know their block.

Bridge and Boro · Real Broker

Things to Do in Staten Island: 15 Local Favorites

Updated September 2026

There is a lot more here than people give us credit for. These are the real local favorites, the spots I take my own family and send people to when they move in.

The free Staten Island Ferry

One of the best free things in all of New York City. It runs 24 hours a day, costs nothing, and gives you 25 minutes across the harbor with the Lower Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty right there. Tourists pay for a worse view.

The Staten Island Greenbelt and the parks

Roughly 2,800 acres of protected forest with more than 35 miles of hiking trails, right in the middle of the borough. Add Clove Lakes Park, Great Kills Park on the water, and Conference House Park at the southern tip of the whole state, and you understand why they call this the greenest borough.

Snug Harbor and Historic Richmond Town

Snug Harbor Cultural Center is a sprawling campus of historic buildings, 14 botanical gardens, and two museums. Historic Richmond Town is a restored living history village with buildings going back to the 1600s and 1700s. Real culture and real history, both here.

The waterfront: ballpark, outlets, and the boardwalk

Catch a Staten Island FerryHawks game at the St. George ballpark with the Manhattan skyline behind the outfield, shop Empire Outlets steps from the ferry, and walk the FDR Boardwalk along the East Shore, one of the longest in the country.

The food, and yes the pizza

Staten Island has one of the strongest Italian American food cultures anywhere, and the pizza is taken seriously. Everybody here has their spot and defends it, and building your own list is part of living here.

One perfect Staten Island day for almost nothing

Ride the free ferry over, shop the outlets, catch a ballgame, eat overlooking the water, and ferry back at night with the city lit up. That whole day is right here on the North Shore, and most of it costs very little.

Did this make you think about actually living here?

Tell me your budget and what you are after, and I will give you the honest read on neighborhoods, numbers, and next steps. Call or text 917-905-2541.