The Staten Island Yankees, One of NYC’s Hidden Gems

It seems like just yesterday New Yorkers were digging their cars out of two feet of snow, but as the spring comes into season as does baseball season. While the big league Bronx Bombers are spending their last few days with their families before spring training most of the Yankees minor leaguers are playing in leagues around the country or even the world trying to earn an extra paycheck, and valuable experience. The most popular of the Yankees minor league affiliates are by far the Staten Island Yankees, to citizens like FrankCamuso, they are the pride of Staten Island.

While a trip to the Bronx can take over 3 hours roundtrip, and cost upward of $100 per ticket, lucky Staten Islanders, like Frank Camuso, can bring their entire families out to watch the young players of the future, for fraction of the cost! The Staten Island Yankees were brought to Staten Island in 1999, and were an instant hit with the local baseball fans, like Frank Camuso and his wife Christine. Besides being cheaper, the games also provide fans of the Yankees the ability to see players of the future. Rather than watching a bunch of spoiled millionaires, fans get to watch young players, hungry to earn a spot on the major league Yankees, the most famous sports organization in the world.

One of the most beloved parts of Staten Island Yankee games is all the family fun to be had at the ballpark. The SI Yankees play at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark, a far cry from Yankee Stadium but a quaint field, with good food, and a number of activities available for families, adults, and kids of all ages. Frank Camuso, a Staten Island Yankees fan since the beginning, has brought his kids to games for the better part of the last decade. From a dunk tank, to t-shirt giveaways, arcade games, and trivia challenges, theres much more to do then watch the game. And the tickets are so well-priced that parents never seem to mind. A fan favorite amongst Staten Island Yankee fans, like Frank Camuso, is also the post game fireworks. For about 10-20 games every season, the SI Yankees, hold a post-game fireworks show for the fans. A spectacular event for kids and adults alike. If you have time, definitely take the time out to watch a Staten Island Yankee game this season.

Staten Island Museum’s Remember the Mastodon Exhibit

When we think of arts & culture in New York City, Staten Island usually isn’t the first place we think of. But the Staten Island Museum, located at 1000 Richmond Terrace in Snug Harbor has done a great job in blending elements from Staten Island’s interesting history, with modern art trends and interests from around the country, and parents like Frank Camuso feel it’s a wonderful place to bring their children. The Staten Island Museum plays host to some of the most unique and interesting exhibits of any museum in New York City.

One of the newest and most interesting exhibits at the Staten Island Museum is the Remember the Mastodon exhibit, a favorite amongst patrons like Frank Camuso and his wife Christine. During the 18^th and 19^th century the fossilized bones of the great elephant-like creature, the Mastodon, were found on Staten Island. During that time, the citizens of Staten Island were shocked at how such large bones could even exist. Of course, today with modern dating technology as well as a knowledge of other historical findings, we know that the 10,000-pound Mastodon called Staten Island as well as the other boroughs of New York City home, anywhere from 11,700 to 2.6 million years ago! The rich history of these creatures, and what their daily lives were like, living on Staten Island, is all told as part of the exhibit. Frank Camuso finds it exhilarating to learn that such tremendous creatures could have lived in the same spot you eat your family dinners at, thousands of years ago. Not much is known about how or why the mastodon disappeared, as it has no real predators in the area, and is also a very close (in looks, and behavior) relative to the modern-day elephants. Scientists often attribute their extinction to hunting, climate change, or virus strains of the time. One of the more interesting points made by the exhibit to Frank Camuso was the fact that in understanding what affected the Mastodon and led to its extinction we can better understand our own futures.

The main points of the Remember the Mastodon exhibit touch on extinction and how fleeting life can really be. From 10,000-pound elephants to smallest flowers and fauna, much of the biodiversity on Staten Island undergoes change after change and the turnover of life is extremely high. The exhibit includes a number of sections and is the perfect place for Staten Islanders like Frank Camuso to bring their families and experience the ancient history of Staten Island.