When you say Snug Harbor to Staten Islanders — they know what you mean: a treasure of an enclave on the North Shore that used to be a sailor’s retirement home, that is now an Arts and Culture Center.
Snug Harbor contains beautiful brick buildings from the 1800’s in a bucolic setting, with an art gallery, two historic music venues with high ceilings, a Chinese Botanical Garden (where Woody Allen shot scenes from the film “Wonder Wheel” in 2017), and many events for children and adults.
History
Snug Harbor was founded in 1801 after Captain Robert Richard Randall passed away, and his will specified that his Manhattan estate be used to start a marine hospital for “aged, decrepit and worn-out seamen.” The name Sailors Snug Harbor was suggested by Randall himself.
Randall’s estate was located north and east of Washington Square Park in Manhattan. There was a challenge to Randall’s will that took 30 years to settle, and by that time the land — which had started out as extremely rural — was incredibly valuable as NYC was being developed. Snug Harbor’s trustees — opting to maximize profits on the Manhattan property — relocated the proposed site to Staten Island, buying property around the harbor in 1831.
The first Snug Harbor building — Building C — opened in 1833, and there were 37 sailors that took up residence as retirees. Building C was the 1st of 5 Greek-revival style structures built, all facing the water, including a chapel, music hall, and more dormitories. The other 4 buildings were added between 1839-1841 and between 1879-80.
Newhouse Center
The Newhouse Center in Snug Harbor is one of the more famous, traditional Art Centers on Staten Island.
It features a gallery, performances, and many events and activities — some of them free.
Upcoming Snug Harbor Schedule
One thing every Staten Islander should do is regularly check Snug Harbor’s convenient calendar for upcoming events — for example, free self-guided tours of Snug Harbor’s artist studios, or Snug Harbor historical tours. The calendar is here:
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