May 16, 2020
With such a hefty toll to cross into Staten Island, I like to make ‘er pay up–justify the antenna money grab with an enriching stop even if the Island is not my final destination. Such was the case when my friend and I embarked upon a road trip to several Read more…
April 19, 2020
Though it has become a source of disturbance and confusion, my want to uncover the abandoned lands that hold lost asylum patients has compelled me to trudge into thorny thickets now thrice. (Sorry, watching a Jane Austen movie). I was a bit uneasy this visit, having caught sight of several Read more…
March 29, 2020
Some photos from my recon mission to check the status of the old Wrigley Gum Factory (for sale!) which still sits mostly purposeless on Staten Island’s north shore. At the time of my visit, park goers sat in nearby Buono Beach, part of Alice Austen Park, contemplating life in solitude. Read more…
It’s always the staff quarters that are so much more accessible than other abandoned hospital parts. Sure they don’t promise the kind of eerie details so attractive to an urban explorer, but I enjoy the homeyness, the underpainting of comfort and safety as time and neglect peel the paint from Read more…
Every time I return to Staten Island Farm Colony’s remains it’s more brightly colored than the last. Because everyone is quarantining and it’s raining, I hoped I could have it all to myself–and I did. Though there was a shiny new fence securing my usual entrance off the Greenbelt Recreation Read more…
March 28, 2020
I had a list of decaying sites to hit on Staten Island, which is steadily becoming one of my favorite places to explore. It’s really close but feels so far away; it’s car friendly; and I pretty much never have to encounter anyone while there. Sure, that’s a skewed view Read more…
January 21, 2020
Staten Island’s vegan offerings keep me coming back. And now vegan donuts?! Yes, vegan donuts. But first another kickbutt Golden Milk latte at New Dorp’s Sips + Maker. This may be my favorite Golden Milk latte in New York City! And they seem to always have housemade vegan sweet treats Read more…
January 20, 2020
With water-repellant pants and some tall rubber boots, I return to the marshes off Arthur Kill in Rossville to see more of the rusting marine refuse. I first explored the distant ships in 2018, but was ill-equipped to venture near them. With a cold, partially frozen ground and said uniform, Read more…
Back in Staten Island? Well, my list of places to see and things to eat grew quickly. Very, very quickly. With a full day of exploration, it’d take three different posts to house the highlights. Starting with the abandoned parts of the active Bayley Seton Hospital in Stapleton. The campus Read more…
December 23, 2019
With my friend in town from Los Angeles, I forced her to go see the Rockefeller Center tree with me. Because it has been many years since I have seen the tree! And Christmas time in New York City, like many have stated, is a magical time. I buy into Read more…
December 18, 2019
In the oldest cemetery on Staten Island I found another reason to enjoy graving… intricately carved death heads and winged soul effigies, the topic of this angel-ish hunt in the 5 boroughs. Typical of gravestones from the 1600 and 1700’s, these decorative features were the earliest form of funerary art Read more…
December 15, 2019
As a blogger, I am excited about uncovering vegan options in sneaky places. “Sneaky” as in places where you would least expect it. So vegan options in the East Village? Yeah, yeah. But vegan options in Staten Island? How amazing! To follow is yet another report on vegan treasures on Read more…
In my series of exploring the abandoned Farm Colonies of Long Island, a trip to Staten Island’s New York City Farm Colony. Abandoned since 1975, the scattered buildings have decayed gloriously as developers decide the future use of the land. Easily accessible and with parking at the active Greenbelt Recreation Read more…
November 30, 2019
With an errand on Staten Island, I made an entire itinerary revolving around vegan food! First, a new all-vegan lounge and cafe in Concord section, TRI Lounge & Cafe that is. This new vegan spot has its sights set on being a thriving art space for the community, as well Read more…
October 14, 2019
A big and warm welcome to Staten Island’s first vegan cafe, Love Earth! I’m so glad I stumbled upon their space under construction this past summer. Now that they are up and running and I, oddly, had plans in the Charleston section of Staten Island, I just had to give Read more…
October 13, 2019
As soon as my friend started describing his new seasonal side gig, terrorizing people at an old Victorian mansion on Staten Island, I knew he was referring to the Kreischer House. And I knew I’d now get to go inside the beautiful home I spied this summer. Dead By Dawn, Read more…
September 2, 2019
The end of summer is a heartbreaker for teachers. So I squeezed in some commiseration with a couple of my favorite teachers in Brooklyn and Staten Island. We ate, drank and mourned the end of our total freedom. Williamsburg’s Modern Love has these mozzarella sticks that are mind blowing, just Read more…
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 Read more…
February 22, 2019
A few confused turns into the heart of an automotive industrial complex in Travis and you will find a winery, Staten Island Winery. A lively passion project for proprietor Bob Rando, the space is a unique place to stumble upon. Punctual teachers with an itinerary, we set up at the Read more…
January 6, 2019
I caught New York City’s first Lantern Festival on its very last evening at Snug Harbor on Staten Island. Sure, it was crowded and sure, it was muddy, but also… sure, it was pretty darn beautiful and well worth the crowds and mud. My favorite area was the ocean… and Read more…
December 30, 2018
🔔 Every Time A Bell Rings… A New York City angel gets stalked by me. But after a thorough exploration of Moravian Cemetery a few weeks back, Staten Island doesn’t have that many angels left. But it does have disorganized and disheveled cemeteries that are also photogenic, like Silver Mount Read more…
December 2, 2018
I’m now totally convinced there is no bad weather for cemetery photography. Today’s grey and mist was perfect to explore Moravian Cemetery, Staten Island’s oldest “active” cemetery. Dating back to 1740, some of the weathered headstones are well-worn, broken, and strewn about. But there are plenty of winged ladies. Ladies Read more…
October 13, 2018
My partner in special ed combat and ultra-rare fellow INFJ is a Staten Islander. So today she was my expert guide, uncovering the best of all the things on the island I like–abandoned stuff, scenic beauty, and vegan options. First, we split a quick lunch at Dosa Garden in Tompkinsville. I was Read more…
August 17, 2018
I can count the number of times I’ve been to Staten Island on one hand–exactly! But hey, how often would you want to visit what was once the world’s largest garbage dump? The tremendous Fresh Kills landfill was only closed in 2001, not that long ago. Now add to that Read more…
February 18, 2016
Finally! Some Staten Island reporting! Staten Island is a borough of New York City, but besides the familiar MTA bus signage and towering NYCDOE public schools, the Island is an island unto itself. The hilly land contains a city-suburb hybrid mix of residential spans and all the needed industries of a Read more…
