St. George, Staten Island: What’s New at the Waterfront This June

Something is genuinely happening at the St. George waterfront — and June 2026 is a good moment to take stock of it. The area around the Staten Island Ferry terminal has been in active transformation for the past couple of years, and this summer several pieces are clicking into place at once: a significant new vision for the Empire Outlets site, continued momentum at the cultural corridor, and an ongoing influx of food, fitness, and hospitality operators testing what the North Shore can support.

Here’s the current picture for anyone tracking what’s new, what’s open, and what’s coming.

Empire Outlets: A New Vision Is Taking Shape

The biggest long-term story at the St. George waterfront is the reimagining of the Empire Outlets site. In November 2025, the NYC Economic Development Corporation, together with Councilmember Kamillah Hanks and Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, unveiled a new vision for two key sites: Empire Outlets itself and the adjacent former New York Wheel parcel. The announcement came with a formal planning process, and 2026 is when that process moves from vision to implementation.

The original Empire Outlets — NYC’s first outlet center — opened in 2019 with significant fanfare but has underperformed relative to expectations. The new vision calls for a more mixed-use, community-oriented approach to the site, taking better advantage of the waterfront setting and the existing ferry traffic. Details are still being finalized, but the direction represents a real rethinking of what the North Shore corridor can be.

The former NY Wheel site — a large parcel that has sat largely vacant since the Wheel project was abandoned — is also part of the plan. Both sites combined represent one of the largest redevelopment opportunities on Staten Island in decades.

What’s Open Right Now Around St. George

While the big-picture redevelopment continues, there’s plenty to see and do in the St. George area today. The Staten Island Museum at 75 Stuyvesant Place remains one of the more underrated cultural institutions in the city — free for Staten Island residents, and currently running rotating exhibitions focused on natural history and local art. Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, a short distance from the ferry, just wrapped its Pride at Snug Harbor programming and has a full summer calendar ahead.

On the food side, the arrival of Piccola Pasta Shop at 3939 Amboy Road earlier this spring — fresh pasta, house sauces, and curated Italian imports from the Piccolino Ristorante family — signals the kind of specialty food retail that often precedes broader neighborhood investment. It’s open Tuesday through Sunday and already drawing regulars from across the island.

The Ferry Terminal Food Scene

The Staten Island Ferry is free, runs 24 hours, and offers one of the best views of Lower Manhattan available from anywhere in the five boroughs — and it drops you directly into the St. George neighborhood. The ferry terminal building itself has improved its food and retail offerings in recent years, making the area around it more useful as a destination rather than just a transit point.

For anyone coming from Manhattan, the ferry + St. George cultural corridor makes for a genuinely worthwhile half-day trip. The combination of the museum, Snug Harbor, and a walk along the waterfront represents a free or very low-cost day out that most Manhattan residents never take advantage of. That’s starting to change as awareness grows.

What You Need to Know

NYCEDC Empire Outlets/NY Wheel reimagining — Planning underway. Watch for public input sessions in coming months. Significant mixed-use redevelopment expected over the next several years.
Piccola Pasta Shop — 3939 Amboy Road. Open Tue-Sun. Fresh pasta, house sauces, Italian pantry goods.
Staten Island Museum — 75 Stuyvesant Place, St. George. Free for SI residents. Strong summer programming.
Snug Harbor Cultural Center — 1000 Richmond Terrace. Full summer calendar. One of NYC’s most underrated outdoor cultural spaces.
Staten Island Ferry — Free, 24 hours, best views of Lower Manhattan available anywhere. Drops you directly in St. George.

St. George is at an inflection point — the redevelopment plans are real, the cultural infrastructure is solid, and the combination of free ferry access and harbor views gives the neighborhood an asset that most NYC neighborhoods would kill for. The next two to three years should determine whether that potential converts into a genuine destination. For now, it’s worth coming to see what’s already here.

For more on Staten Island’s North Shore evolution, see our St. George 2026 waterfront guide and our June community events roundup for what’s happening across the borough this month.