Secret Places of Staten Island: A Visitor's Guide to Scenic and Historic Treasures of Staten Island

Rating:
Summary: The Great Dump Rebuttal
Review: I've lived on Staten Island for 12 years, but not until I'd been given Mr. Kershner's book had I any idea of the extent to which the island remains pristine and marvelous. I regularly photocopy his wonderful hand drawn maps to take my kids (and the neighbors'!) and wildlife adventures that less informed people travel hundreds of miles to experience.

This book is a fabulous mix of nuts and bolts trail-finding, anecdotal history, and flora and fauna appreciation guide. I've had the book for 4 years and haven't made it to every "secret spot" yet, but whenever the kids start staring at the TV too much, I grab this book, the kids, and head out for another urban adventure. It never disappoints. Ironically, I hope it doesn't get too popular, because I love being alone in all those Staten Island woodlands! It's the first thing I show to people who think we've got nothing but a dump, a mall, and an expressway.

Rating:
Summary: The Great Dump Rebuttal
Review: I've lived on Staten Island for 12 years, but not until I'd been given Mr. Kershner's book had I any idea of the extent to which the island remains pristine and marvelous. I regularly photocopy his wonderful hand drawn maps to take my kids (and the neighbors'!) and wildlife adventures that less informed people travel hundreds of miles to experience.

This book is a fabulous mix of nuts and bolts trail-finding, anecdotal history, and flora and fauna appreciation guide. I've had the book for 4 years and haven't made it to every "secret spot" yet, but whenever the kids start staring at the TV too much, I grab this book, the kids, and head out for another urban adventure. It never disappoints. Ironically, I hope it doesn't get too popular, because I love being alone in all those Staten Island woodlands! It's the first thing I show to people who think we've got nothing but a dump, a mall, and an expressway.

Rating:
Summary: Forgotten in the Forgotten Borough
Review: Jaded by the social stigmatism of the "forgotten borough" I arrived to Staten Island as a reluctant new resident. This book was presented to me as a welcome gift. I have enjoyed every bit of it. It not only opened my eyes - a Manhattan transplant - but the eyes of native Staten Islanders with whom I have shared many stories. We use this book as a "secret adventure guide book" and take the children in our life on hikes as well as the out-of-towners who think the only thing Staten Island has is the world's largest landfill. This handy book is written with wit, whimsy and factual information. The directives are clear. Just get there before the developers knock down the tress and build more attached houses.

Rating:
Summary: Forgotten in the Forgotten Borough
Review: Jaded by the social stigmatism of the "forgotten borough" I arrived to Staten Island as a reluctant new resident. This book was presented to me as a welcome gift. I have enjoyed every bit of it. It not only opened my eyes - a Manhattan transplant - but the eyes of native Staten Islanders with whom I have shared many stories. We use this book as a "secret adventure guide book" and take the children in our life on hikes as well as the out-of-towners who think the only thing Staten Island has is the world's largest landfill. This handy book is written with wit, whimsy and factual information. The directives are clear. Just get there before the developers knock down the tress and build more attached houses.

Rating:
Summary: More than just a road between Brooklyn and Jersey
Review: Staten Island has a bad rap--mostly because of the landfill and the horrors of the West Shore Expressway. Thanks to the efforts of people like Bruce Kershner, Richmond County is getting some the recognition it deserves. "Secret Places of Staten Island: A Visitor's Guide to Scenic and Historic Treasures of Staten Island" is filled with maps and suggested visiting spots of the beautifully preserved natural and historic areas of New York's largest borough. And what maps! They are clear and informative. What the book also makes clear is that Staten Island is the absolute antithesis to Manhattan. With the exception of Central Park, Manhattan has no concern for nature. (Even Central Park is artificial! It looks nothing like the Manhattan that was there pre-1700.) For New Yorkers, the book makes it obvious that you don't have to travel miles away to visit pristine forest! And you don't have to go to Boston or Colonial Williamsburg to see some of the oldest structures in America. It's all here on Staten Island.

Rating:
Summary: Nature in New York City
Review: This book reviews a series of nature trails in New York's "forgotten borough" -Staten Island. It details sights that even lifelong natives may have missed and scenes that no one would imagine could be in the nation's largest city. If you intend to take these trails, buy and go soon- already one of the sights detailed (St. Elisabeth's in Mount Lorretto) is gone.

Rating:
Summary: Nature in New York City
Review: This book reviews a series of nature trails in New York's "forgotten borough" -Staten Island. It details sights that even lifelong natives may have missed and scenes that no one would imagine could be in the nation's largest city. If you intend to take these trails, buy and go soon- already one of the sights detailed (St. Elisabeth's in Mount Lorretto) is gone.