Located in a residential section of Staten Island, the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art is home of one of the largest collections of Himalayan artifacts in the United States. 

The museum was created an American woman, Jacques Marchais, in 1947 to share the cultural traditions of Tibet of the Himalayan region.  Built by Marchais, the museum is modeled after a Himalayan mountain monastery.  

The current exhibition, From Staten Island to Shangri-La: The Collecting Life of Jacques Marchais, celebrates the museum’s 60th anniversary by revealing the untold story of Marchais through selections from the museum’s permanent collection of books, photos, and artifacts.   

Location: 338 Lighthouse Ave, Staten Island (map) 718-987-3500

Getting There: Take the Staten Island Ferry from lower Manhattan. From the Staten Island Terminal take the S74 bus and get off at Lighthouse Avenue. Walk up the hill (5–10 minutes) to the Museum. The bus ride takes approximately 30 minutes, and the bus meets every ferry.

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 1-5pm.  Closed Monday, Tuesday.

Cost: Adults $5; Senior and Children $3; 

The weekly “Museum Monday” posts celebrate the over 100 museums that are in New York’s five boroughs.  Check out last week’s Museum Monday post on the New Museum of Contemporary Art.  Museum Monday continues next week with a post on the Museum of Moving Image.

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

1. Rockaway Beach, Queens   Watch the longboarders catch some of New York’s best waves at this surfers delight.  Close to the city, Rockaway Beach Park offers a quick get-away.  Free admission.  A to Broad Channel then S to Rockaway Park-Beach 116th St. 
2. Jones Beach State Park, NY   If you don’t want to wade in the surf of this 6.5 mile beach, try the calmer bay beach or one of the two pools.  Summer concerts in the outdoor amphitheater.  $8/day, LIRR to Freeport then JB62 to Jones Beach.   
3. Long Beach, NY   A few years ago, on my first trip to Long Beach, I exclaimed “I feel like I’m in California!”  Located on the Atlantic Ocean, the town of Long Beach has a great laid back beach vibe and  enough white sand that will make you feel like you’re in Hermosa Beach, California.  $6/day, LIRR to Long Beach 
4. Brighton Beach and Coney Island, Brooklyn   The neighboring communities of multi-ethnic Brighton Beach and all-American Coney Island have a little something for everybody.   Russian and Ukraine eateries line the boardwalk of Brighton Beach while you can get a Nathan’s Hot Dog in Coney Island.  B, Q to Brighton Beach. 
5. Spring Lake, NJ   So quaint, this town deserved its own post earlier in the month.  Located just two hours south of New York on the Jersey shore, this idyllic stretch of white beach is the longest non-commercial Boardwalk in New Jersey.  Private beach, but hotels and B&Bs have passes for guests.  Jersey Transit to Spring Lake.  
6. Atlantic City, NJ   The classic South Jersey getaway, A.C. has undergone a transformation, of sorts.  You can’t help but think of the glorydays of Atlantic City when you walk wooden boardwalk.  Frequent bus departures from Port Authority on Academy Bus Lines and Greyhound Bus Line.
7. Great Kills Park, Staten Island   A great swimming beach, nature trails, fishing, and a marina with a public boat launch comprise this Staten Island recreation getaway.  S78 from Staten Island Ferry Terminal. 
8. Ocean Beach, NY   One of the most happening towns on Fire Island, Ocean Park is one step below the Hamptons.  LIRR to Bayshore then water taxi to Ocean Beach.  
9. Orchard Beach, Bronx   This man-made beach neighbors the forest and marshland of Pelham Bay.  Walk the promenade or catch one of the free concerts that take place throughout the summer.   Bus: Bx12, Bx29, Bx5, Bx52
10. Hampton Main Beach, NY  Located in East Hampton and nestled between other notable beaches, Main Beach has long had the reputation for being the best of the bunch.  Click here for transportation option to the Hamptons.

Photo credit (top to bottom): Rockaway Beach, flickr; surfer at Long Beach, flickr; Spring Lake boardwalk, personal collection; Atlantic City boardwalk, flickr; Main Beach, flickr

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

Nearly every night from mid-June until the end of August, a group of starry-eyed 22 year olds lace up their cleats and take the field as a member of the Staten Island Yankees.  The Staten Island Yankees, or “Baby Bombers” as they are affectionately called, is a minor league baseball team affiliated with the New York Yankees.  Hoping to make it to the big leagues one day, these guys play with all of their heart while still having a great time. 

A night at the ballpark is great for the family.  Between innings the fans are entertained by Huck, Scooter, and Red, the Staten Island Yankees team mascots. The Richmond County Bank Ballpark seats just over 7000 people and is just a short walk from the Staten Island Ferry depot in St. George.  The night games offer a spectacular view of lower Manhattan, and all Sunday home games are at 2pm.  See you at the ballpark! 

Location:  Richmond County Bank Ballpark, 75 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island (map) 718-720-9265

Getting There:  4, 5 to Bowling Green; R, W to Whitehall Station; 1 or 9 to South Ferry

Brooklyn also hosts their very own Short-A team, the Brooklyn Cyclones, that often play against the Staten Island Yankees.  For more information on the Brooklyn Cyclones, check out their website.

Photo credit (top to bottom): flickr, flickr, flickr

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

New York’s Fleet Week begins today with parade of ships and continues until Wednesday, May 28th with a full calendar of events. 

This is your chance to tour one of the majestic ships that will be docked in New York.  Complimentary tours on US and Canadian ships will be available on most days at the Lower Manhattan piers and on Staten Island.  There will also be Marine Corps helicopter raid demonstrations and Navy band performances. 

For a more information, a full list of events, including visitation of ships, check out the Fleet Week 2008 schedule of events. 

Photo credit: flickr

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

But who needs a groundhog that lives in Pennsylvania?  New Yorkers have their own groundhog, Staten Island Chuck.  Staten Island Chuck, real name Chuck G. Hogg, is the Staten Island Zoo’s resident groundhog and, because he did not see his shadow this morning, predicted that spring is just around the corner. 

Of course, this is only Chuck’s second year on the job, but he is the seventh descendant of the original Staten Island Chuck whose accuracy rate was an astounding 85%.  I personally think Chuck might be onto something, especially considering that New York City just finished January with no significant amount of snowfall…  the last time that happened was 75 years ago.      

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

B.Y.O.B. and watch the fireworks without the crowds:  If you want to stay on land, Astoria Park (map) in Queens will have great views of the Central Park and Brooklyn fireworks.  Or, skip the crowds at Battery Park and go to Rockefeller Park (map) for views of the New Jersey and Liberty Island action. 

Start your resolutions early:  Instead of racking up a bar bill an ingesting empty calories, start 2008 off the right way.  The New Year’s Eve Midnight Run in Manhattan takes you on a 4 mile course through Central Park.  Pre-funk with a DJ and dancing at 10pm, costume parade and contest at 11pm, fireworks and race begin at midnight.

Time’s Up, New York City’s Direct Action Environmental Organization, is hosting their 10th annual New Year’s Party Ride.  Grab your bike and head to Washington Square Park where fellow riders will meet under the arch at 10:30pm or meet up with the party at one of the other feeder points.  The ride ends with a party and fireworks at Belvedere Castle in Central Park. 

Find inner peace:  Searching for a silent night?  The Jivamukti Yoga Center (map) will have all practice rooms open for meditation from 9pm until midnight.  The silence will be broken at midnight with vegan chai, chanting, and music from Lokah.  Free  

Hang with Ryan Seacrest and be one of a million in Times Square:  If you absolutely must go to Times Square to watch the ball drop… be prepared!  The Times Square are will be closed to auto traffic and entry and exit access points for pedestrians will be very limited.  Arrive early in the afternoon to secure a spot in the viewing area.  Check out the Times Square Alliance site for all of the information.  Pro: You might catch a glimpse of my favorite CNN personality, Anderson Cooper!  Con: There are no public restrooms.

The New York City Traveler wishes you all a very safe and happy New Year!

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

See how Manhattan glimmers in the early morning sun and Lady Liberty’s torch is a beacon in the night sky.  Some of the best views of Manhattan can be seen from the waters of New York Harbor.  Luckily you don’t need one of those mega-yachts docked at North Cove Marina to cruise the harbor. 

Guidebooks recommend taking a sightseeing tour and most visitors to New York choose Circle Line Tours Downtown.  Circle Line offers a selection of tours, the most popular being the cruise of New York’s Liberty Harbor.  The tour on the newly renovated Miss New York lasts sixty minutes and costs $15.  There are very few sailings during the winter months; daily sailings begin mid-March with five sailings per day and continue through the summer with up to seven sailings per day.  

But I recommend you mingle with some of the 60,000 New Yorkers that make the daily commute from Staten Island to Manhattan by taking a cruise on the Staten Island Ferry. 

The Staten Island Ferry may just be the best bargain in all of Manhattan.  The 25-minute ride from Manhattan’s Battery to St. George, Staten Island is free and provides spectacular views of the south end of Manhattan and Statue of Liberty.  The ferry operates 24-hours a day, every 15 minutes during peak time and every 30-minutes during non-peak times.  Added bonus: the ferry sells some of the cheapest beer I have ever purchased in Manhattan.

Manhattan Pier Location: Staten Island Ferry-South Ferry Pier, Whitehall Street (at State Street) map 

Subway: R/W to Whitewall Street-South Ferry or 1 to South Ferry

Cost:  Free

Staten Island Ferry photo from personal collection

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Post from: The New York City Traveler