Most visitors to New York never see Staten Island except from the deck of the free ferry, which is a pity, because its interior holds something unexpected: a ridge of steep, wooded hills running through the middle of the island. Emerson Hill is one of them, a quiet residential enclave of winding lanes and large old houses among the trees, next to Grymes Hill, where Wagner College stands. The ridge is made of serpentinite, a greenish rock rare on the East Coast, and further south it rises to Todt Hill, the highest natural point on the Atlantic seaboard south of Maine.
The hills were a retreat for wealthy New Yorkers in the nineteenth century, and the area still has a slightly secluded, suburban feel, with some grand houses and fine views over the harbour, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and, on clear days, the skyline of Manhattan. Further down the hill, the Snug Harbor Cultural Center occupies a former home for retired sailors, a row of Greek Revival buildings with gardens, and it is a pleasant place to wander if you have time.
As a starting point for rides to the Shawangunk Ridge and the Poconos, Staten Island has one great advantage: it is directly connected to New Jersey by bridges, so you can escape the city without crossing Manhattan. The Goethals Bridge and the Outerbridge Crossing lead west into New Jersey, and from there the roads head north-west towards the Delaware Water Gap and north to the Gunks, the long white cliffs of quartzite conglomerate above the Hudson Valley, famous among rock climbers, where Minnewaska State Park has lakes, waterfalls and forests.
The bridges to New Jersey are tolled, charged electronically when entering Staten Island, and traffic on the main roads can be heavy, especially at rush hour. The local streets on Emerson Hill are steep and narrow, with tight bends. Down on the main roads below the hill you will find fuel and delis, and Staten Island's Italian-American bakeries and pizza places are excellent.