Most people think of Staten Island and think of a big dump surrounded by boring suburban housing with tacky mailboxes and overly manicured lawns...and by most people I mean me. In fact, Staten Island is a very geographically diverse landscape with as long a history as any of the 5 boroughs.
One of the oldest buildings in SI and NYC is Fort Wadsworth sitting in the shadow of the Verrazano bridge. Built in 1663 as a military blockhouse by the British, the fort has changed hands between a Federal military instillation, a city maritime center and a coast guard outpost. It guards the bridge and the narrows as a sister fort to Fort Hamilton across in Bay Ridge.
I have never been very fond of military tourist attractions, but there is something about these old forts that i find interesting. It makes me feel like I'm staring at some old ruins, like an Aztec village or something like that. Of course it is not all that dramatic, but looking at the crumbling building from the overlook while having a great view of the bridge and all of the Manhattan skyline makes for a nice bike ride stopping point.
The SI waterfront makes for a nice ride all together. While riding from the Staten Island Ferry 2 days ago (without incident i might add) there were a few nice viewing spots along the water, before I got to the Fort. There is the Cromwell Recreation Center, Alice Austen House and Gateway National Park. The park opens into a very long beach boardwalk along the south shore of the island...perhaps I will be able to make my way that way again.
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