Close to Home Getaways
By Rowena (Rena) Daly Andrews

While Brooklyn is bustling with babies and loads of activities for families; it is also refreshing to take a break from the familiar scene and explore other close-to-home venues.

One of our favorite spots is Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden in Staten Island. This Center calls itself “New York’s most unexpected and extraordinary destinations.” This tagline truly depicts this stunning oasis of 83 acres which was built more than a hundred years ago as a “haven for the aged, decrepit and worn out sailors.”

It began to struggle in the 1950s and closed its doors to the sailors. The city stepped in to protect the buildings and declare them New York City landmarks and list them on the National Register of Historic Places.

The sailors are long gone and have been replaced by artists and community groups that use the campus for concerts, art exhibits and art classes. The sprawling compound includes manicured gardens, paths, ponds and open fields. It is simply beautiful for strolling or great for a rollicking game of tag with your kids. 

I find the energy of Snug Harbor to be captivating and mysterious – particularly if you love old New York and its history. It is also refreshing to visit somewhere with your children that is both interesting for the adults and entertaining for the kids.

When visiting Snug Harbor you should try to visit the Children’s Museum.  Here kids can play with a huge chest board with pieces as big as my toddler, marvel at hanging sculptures, climb on a real fire truck, explore the nature exhibits, play with trains in the activity room, hide in a big wooden boat and splash in the outdoor water exhibit.

After you immerse yourself in all things kid-related, take a break and visit one of the art galleries located in the grand Greek revival and beaux arts buildings.  After you have satiated yourself with art, visit Neptunes, Snug Harbor’s new restaurant where kids and adults can enjoy a good meal and drinks.

In an effort to help people explore these less-beaten paths, the City recently partnered with Gray Line Buses to offer a tour of Staten Island. (New York Times wrote about this trolley tour on 7/31/08).  The buses leave everyday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in Manhattan. For $15 you can take a detour off the beaten path to visit Staten Island, the borough of parks.  Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is just one of the destinations. Other stops on the tour include: the 9/11 Memorial, The Staten Island Zoo, Mandolin Bros, and Fort Wadsworth.

I know many people just say “fo-get-about-it” in terms of getting to the “outer” boroughs, but it give it a try …it is a lot of fun, less crowded and peaceful.

Snug Harbor
1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island
718.448.2500         
www.snug-harbor.org

Staten Island Botanical Gardens
The Staten Island Botanical Garden is an amazing garden with a specimen landscape collection for gardening enthusiasts. Among the gardens are: The New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden (shown above); The White Garden, inspired by Vita Sackville-West’s famous garden at Sissinghurst; and Connie Gretz’s Secret Garden,complete with a castle, a maze and walled secret garden.
www.sibg.org

The Noble Maritime Collection
The Noble Maritime Collection is a museum dedicated to preserving and interpreting art and maritime history symbolized by Sailors’ Snug Harbor and captured in the art and writings of John A. Noble (1913-83).
www.noblemaritime.org

The Staten Island Children’s Museum
The Staten Island Children’s Museum is a place to exercise minds, bodies and imaginations with hands-on exhibits, family workshops, performances, after school programs and parent-child classes.
www.statenislandkids.org

The Staten Island Museum
The Staten Island Museum is New York City’s oldest and one of the most diverse cultural institutions. The museum offers great exhibitions, programs, and collections that focus on art, science, and history.
www.statenislandmuseum.org

Art Lab
Art Lab is a school of fine and applied art, founded in 1975 by a group of professional artists who wanted to give Staten Island a home where quality art instruction, exhibitions and events could take place. Today, Art Lab continues this tradition in providing exceptional art opportunities to Staten Island and the greater metropolitan community.
www.artlab.info

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