EXPERIENCING ANOTHER BOROUGH (6/29/2011)

Beautiful summer days are meant for the outdoors.  I decided to hop on the Staten Island Ferry and head to the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, site of a center for contemporary art, a Smithsonian affiliated art museum, a botanical garden, the New York Chinese Scholar's Garden, a children's museum, The Noble Maritime Collection, and several performance spaces. 

Originally built as a retirement home for sailors, the beautiful grounds and handsome buildings have either been restored or are in the process of being restored.  Like Governor's Island, Snug Harbor is a marvelous example of how a wonderful setting can be repurposed.  What impressed me was the beauty of the grounds and buildings and I envisioned how it must have been for sailors of the 19th century who literally risked their lives many, many times during their careers having such a place of serenity, beauty and activity to spend their senior years.  Snug Harbor seems like a perfect name.

Walking up the main walkway, the five neoclassical buildings that one sees impart both nobility and dignity.

                                         The Main Hall and Visitors' Center

                     The Neptune Fountain graces the front grounds of Snug Harbor.

The destination I most wanted to visit was the Chinese Scholar's Garden.  Opened in 1999, the New York Chinese Scholar's Garden is the only authentic Chinese Garden in the United States.  Crafted by Chinese artisans and featuring plants indigenous to China, this place of reflection and contemplation is filled with symbols and meanings that go beyond its surface beauty.   I retraced my steps and approached the Ming Dynasty inspired retreat from many different angles.

I was not prepared for what I experienced next.  After the tranquility and beauty of the Chinese Scholar's Garden, a visit to the World Trade Center Educational Tribute site brought back so many of the horrific impressions felt  on September 11, 2011. The modest but beautiful exterior gives no hint as to the powerful images and displays found inside.  The single powerful artwork on the outside is that of a FDNY fireman carrying the body of a child over a broken surface. 

Experiencing yet another contrast, a very pleasant tribute to the Italians who settled on Staten Island is the  Tuscan Garden that lies at the rear of the grounds.  A barn behind the small garden also conveys the Tuscan theme.

 

For those who think of going to Staten Island merely as a turn-around point from taking the Staten Island Ferry I suggest taking a few extra hours to visit the collection of gems that is Snug Harbor.  Like Governor's Island, it is fascinating as it is but is also a work in progress whose future development should create even more richness to discover.