Beauty in the Boroughs:Staten Island
And Vegan Food
July 28, 2019
Do you know that fish fly in Staten Island? That birds have condos by the bay? That you can walk into a tree hallway and share the experience with no one but you and yours? And that it’s getting more vegan food… slowly. Yes, there are a lot of things to see on my neighbor, Staten Island. Here’s what I saw on this final round of Beauty in the Boroughs.
Sure, yeah Snug Harbor in Randall Manor has a bunch of nice things situated right next to each other and it’s a very popular destination. That doesn’t mean it isn’t beautiful. It is. And any day I get to walk into a bunch of trees (or lights, like this or this), is a good day in my book.
Even prettier, maybe, was the glittering walkway filled with sunshine stars.
I didn’t want to leave. You see how bright that sun is?!
We made it to the Chinese Scholar Garden which is the real deal, Ming Dynasty garden style. Every detail was gorgeous. And not a nail in its construction. How cool is that! Mortise and tenon was used as that was traditional in Chinese construction.
It was so peaceful. My friend actually took her pulse as she sat on the table on the balcony insisting that the place’s tranquility had lowered it.
Here I wait to get a picture with nobody in it at the next pavilion.
Koi fish, some tremendous.
Then I became obsessed with this view: the sky in the water and the fish swimming in it. This white one came right out of the cloud.
An easy beautiful stop right across the bridge. But we were going deep in Staten Island, getting the toll’s worth.
A quick drink at Jade Island in New Springville, a tiki bar in a strip mall I first visited a few years back. Timeless tiki bars are one of my favorite things.
Our drinks. Mine’s the pineapple…
The next stop was the abandoned Kreischer Mansion in Charleston. I had stopped by the beautifully ornate Victorian home built in the 1800’s once before in the dark, hoping to use it a backdrop for a night shoot. But I was creeped out by the area in the dark and scared of all the “No Trespassing” signs. The place has had a sorted past but is currently on the market to scare a new set of people. You see, it’s rumored to haunted…
But within this beautiful bright blue sky ain’t nothing nefarious going on. Well–some gal walked right through the broken gate to take pictures of it despite all the warnings of cameras and police, etc. So there was that.
I wished I could go inside. It’s on the market and my friend found all these gorgeous pictures of the interior while she waited in my car at the gate, ready to save me if I made an owl’s call.
I’d like to buy this house. Or at least pretend I want to buy it so I can see the interior.
So nearby we had a food stop. It was a horrible experience. Veggie sushi covered with fish roe and a really irritating dining experience. Nothing more to say about that except we found a really great thrift store across the way where I had a spirited discussion about crafting with the owner. And opening up in September next to her store, a vegan cafe! Love Earth will be Staten Island’s only exclusively vegan eatery I think! I will definitely be back to check it out. (Sorry. This post won’t actually contain any food, just storefront of places I need to return to. 😞)
Ok, here’s the other storefront. Let’s get this over with. Filoncino Bakery in Woods In Arden has a whole vegan section on their sandwich menu now! And they also have vegan desserts in the display case and vegan breakfast sandwiches, which are more difficult to find. But they were closed on Sundays. Because of God maybe? Probably. I’ll be back.
Now that I am done reporting on food I didn’t eat yet, our final stop, Lemon Creek Park in Prince’s Bay. I also wanted to shoot at night here, but we were tired. And it was a mess. Clearly the fishermen who dominate it don’t pack up what they bring in. So it reeks of fish guts and has all sorts of crud in the soft sand. But still—water. I always love water.
It was the bird houses I wanted to photograph against the night sky. So I just did so in the daytime. Or dusk I suppose. The park has a ton of birds and a really cute cat colony. The cats are themselves fishermen. The birdhouses are a delight. They are all named for the families and folks who, I assume, donated them. They were a-buzz with activity as the sun began to fade.
Thank you, 5th borough, for a lovely day of stuff. I’ll restart my list of sites and be back soon. Meantime, I’ll say hi from across the way.
