What to do and eat in Stapleton, Staten Island

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• Tappen Park. Like any city park, a few minutes on a bench will give you great insight into the local character. But there’s history here, too: Edgewater Village Hall, a former village hall built in 1889, lies within the park. It’s a prime example of Romanesque Revival architecture. ” data-id=”113193467″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/13623_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13193467″/>

• New Lakruwana, at 668 Bay St., has traditional Sri Lankan decor (ornately carved wooden walls, Buddhist art) and was even given a nod by The New York Times. The darling of the menu is the clay pot, in which a host of dishes are cooked. Be sure to try a hopper (Sri Lanka’s answer to a crepe), which comes with a variety of fillings. ” data-id=”113193390″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/13627_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13193390″/>

• St. Paul’s Avenue-Stapleton Heights Historic District for a look back in time. Catch glimpses of colorful mansions that will make you forget you’re still in New York City. ” data-id=”113193272″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20160_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13193272″/>

• Craft House, where beer is the name of the game. The extensive drinks list has options from far and wide (and in any size pour). Come summer, the backyard provides a perfect respite. (Pictured: the maple-sriracha-glazed chicken and waffles.)” data-id=”113193157″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20162_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13193157″/>

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• The Hop Shoppe, a no-frills gastropub that keeps locals returning. At 372 Van Duzer St., The Hop Shoppe has classics, like a negroni, and more inventive libations, like the Fig Smoke (mezcal, Chartreuse, and jalapeño). Should you get hungry, try the arancini (it’s Staten Island, after all) or the chorizo-stuffed empanadas. And if you’re up for a game of skeeball, they’ve got you covered. ” data-id=”113193275″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20164_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13193275″/>

The forgotten borough is finally having a moment. Only a short ferry ride from lower Manhattan, Staten Island has long maintained a strange air of exoticism. But the time is now to explore.

Stapleton is a small neighborhood on Staten Island’s North Shore, just a five-minute train ride from the St. George Ferry Terminal. Once the economic center of the borough (until the opening of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in 1964), Stapleton is packed with history. Victorian mansions line the streets, and sights like Edgewater Village Hall recall days past. The neighborhood has played home to Cornelius Vanderbilt and the Wu-Tang Clan, among others. Today, a renaissance is underway thanks to an influx of artists and young professionals.

Start your day early and explore waterfront views, vibrant immigrant communities and lots of street art. Here’s how.