The Society for Science & Exploration: To the 5th Borough!

I am here to-day to tell of the mysterious and distant borough, the Island of Staten! On a clear day, the Island can be glimpsed from the southernmost tip of Manhattan, just past Our Lady of Liberty. A ferry scurries across the waters, carrying workers and investors every half-hour. It was on a sunny Sunday afternoon that I took my trusty pedal-cyckle onboard and headed to the oft-neglected fifth Borough.
The ferry let me ashore at the northern tip of the Is. The town, and the docks, are very unassuming (the docks are big & busy, but nothing to write homebound about). I got in the saddle and started pedalling south along the shore, my goal being the famous Verrazzano bridge. As I was leisurely riding along, I observed the surroundings. One thought was topmost in my mind: this is not part of New York! For the feeling is quite pequliar and non-NYC-like: it is more open, buildings are low, it is hillier, etc etc. In fact, it felt like your average lower-middle-class, industrious, almost-ugly American port city. There were houses with picket fences, plenty of petroleum stations, &c, &c.
Soon I got to the Bridge. The gounds right beneath it are old military establishment, part of the bases set up to protect the Harbour of New York. Now it was open to the public. Some old un-used fortifications remain. I rode around and took a few seguerrographs.
After the Olde Fort, I ventured further south, for my map showed a 'South Shore Boardwalk' nearby. Indeed there was a raised boardwalk, starting quite suddenly, and going on about a mile-and-a-half. It was somewhat like the famous one on Coney Is, but without all the weird, queer & gay entertainment. In fact, one could see the well-known 'Parachute Drop' of Coney Island Boardwalk across the straight! Anyway, I enjoyed the surf & sun for a while, amongst the few families there. Then it was time to turn back and return to civilization.
Below are some of the seguerrographs: