For NYC on 9/11, Sailors' Snug Harbor

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Friday, September 11. 2015

For NYC on 9/11, Sailors' Snug Harbor

Construction began on 200 harbor acres on Staten Island, NYC, in 1833. It was a charitable retirement home for seamen, naval and otherwise.

Now on 83 acres with some imperfectly-maintained gardens, the place has little use. It would make a fine campus. We had dinner with friends last night who love to explore the more obscure corners of NYC. They found the place to be fascinating, but Staten Island itself not so much.

Posted by Bird Dog in History, Our Essays, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 06:46 | Comments (5) | Trackbacks (0)

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Yes, much of Staten Island is really ugly. overbuilt with tacky 70s attached houses, inner city blight in some sections, swamps, and not enough parks. There are some pretty spots, however.

#1 peter on 2015-09-11 06:58 (Reply)

I would turn the sailor's home into the world's most retro tech hub / startup incubator.

#2 Craig on 2015-09-11 07:37 (Reply)

The botanical gardens at Snug Harbor are very small and compact, but quite well planned and maintained; in my opinion, better than Brooklyn Botanical Gardens or Bronx, which are spread out too much.
If you get the chance, also visit Clove Lakes Park, it has a stream with waterfalls, & remains of mill ponds. Lovely mile long walk in the woods from Victory Blvd down to Forest Ave, not usually crowded.
Egrets, herons, red-winged blackbirds, bats, snapping turtles.

Unfortunately, Staten Island is otherwise a blight on the east coast of the US. Glad I moved to Brooklyn.

#3 steve on 2015-09-11 08:37 (Reply)

The location was used as the site of "Seven Oaks College" in Whit Stillman's "Damsels in Distress."

#4 John on 2015-09-12 16:57 (Reply)

Very interesting read, thank you.

#5 La on 2015-09-13 21:12 (Reply)

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Friday, September 11. 2015

For NYC on 9/11, Sailors' Snug Harbor