Snug Harbor
Yesterday, after a few days of trying to do that relaxing thing that people seem to be fond of, I wanted an adventure. I like to call them adventures, but really it's just me walking around places by myself and taking a million photos.
Staten Island was the last of the five boroughs that I hadn't been to, so I finally decided to make the trip. My main destination was the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, which was so wonderful that it deserves its own post. I took the Staten Island Ferry (more on that tomorrow) and then hopped on the S-40 bus to Snug Harbor. I was kind of dreading figuring out the bus situation and had even considered walking, but trust me, you want to take the bus. It leaves out of terminal D (in the St. George Ferry Terminal), and while you may have to wait a little bit, it's only a short ride to Snug Harbor.
In 1801, Snug Harbor was created as the first home for retired sailors in the United States, was converted to a cultural center in the '70s and the botanical gardens were added in 2008. It's a wonderful place for a meandering day trip, and even though it was a Sunday there were hardly any other people there. I love discovering new, interesting places in the city, and it's even better when it feels as if I have them all to myself. I spend most of my time in New York defending my small amount of personal space from 8 million people that want to invade it, that sometimes it's nice (and even necessary) to have fields and gardens and lawns to roam, (mostly) undisturbed.
Snug Harbor has a lot to see, but it's not unmanageably huge — I walked the entire grounds in a few hours, making many stops along the way. Make sure to grab a map at the Main Hall, and there are signs along the paths so it's fairly easy to find your way. The Chinese Scholar's Garden is the only attraction that costs money — $5 for adults, $4 for students — and the entrance is a bit tricky to find. I actually walked right into it without having to show anyone my ticket, so I suppose I didn't have to pay at all, but I figured that $4 was a small price to pay for such a beautiful day.
My favorite part was definitely the Allée, a walkway lined with arching European hornbeams — it seriously felt like a dream. I walked through it a few times, not only feeling far away from New York, but feeling as if I was in a different world entirely.
There is a rose garden, a row of cute cottages, beautiful fountains, and even a secret' garden that is only accessible by successfully navigating a tiny hedge maze. The path was a little unsteady, and the garden wasn't exactly bountiful, but it was a great, shady place to rest. I know a lot of my friends dread doing things solo, but I actually crave solitude and I think I even thrive off of it. It's a nice change of pace to be in complete control of your day, not relying on anyone else has a freeing aspect to it that has always appealed to me.
The Music Hall is one of the oldest concert halls in the City (second only to Carnegie Hall) and the Harbor Lights Theater Company is currently putting on a production of Oliver! until July 28th.
I also checked out the Noble Maritime Collection (because I'm eighty years old), a donation-based museum filled with nautically-themed treasures. The museum itself is in a gorgeous building, and occupies three floors. It was a great place to cool off, and had some pretty impressive artwork, model ships and relics from Snug Harbor's days as a retirement community (side note: is there anything creepier than a wicker wheelchair??).
The whole institution feels a tad rundown and neglected, but it feels as if it may be more from a lack of funding than a lack of interest. I love a bit of character and crumble to my buildings, though, so in my opinion it only adds to the charm of the whole place.
I will definitely be back, especially in the fall and spring — I bet the grounds are absolutely breathtaking when the leaves start to change. Snug Harbor felt like another slightly secret, hidden gem well within city limits, and it's only a 25 min ferry —and 10 min bus — ride away.
