Staten Island’s week is built around three things: the Community Board 2 full meeting on Tuesday, Snug Harbor’s spring plant sale, and a handful of Earth Week opportunities that pair well with a walk in the Greenbelt. For a borough that is often described as quiet, the calendar this week is full enough to fill a weekend.
Here is the practical rundown.
Community Board 2 Full Meeting — Tuesday, April 21
Staten Island Community Board 2 holds its Full Board Meeting on Tuesday, April 21, at 7 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn Fountain Room, 1100 South Avenue. CB2 covers the Mid-Island including Travis, Bulls Head, New Springville, Willowbrook, Bloomfield, and Chelsea. If you live in any of those neighborhoods and have not been to a full board meeting before, this is the easiest one to walk into — open to the public, no registration required, and covered by the New York State Open Meetings Law.
Community Board 1 generally meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., and Community Board 3 on the fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m. — check their websites for specific April dates.
Snug Harbor Spring Plant Sale — Pre-Orders Open Through April 29
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is taking pre-orders for dozens of annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, and houseplants through April 29, with the in-person sale happening May 1 through 3. For anyone who gardens or wants to start, Snug Harbor’s sale is the best-quality, best-priced plant event on the Island and the in-person weekend tends to sell out fast on the more popular varieties. Pre-ordering is how you actually get what you want.
Earth Week at Snug Harbor and Beyond
Snug Harbor itself is a culture park — 83 acres in New Brighton where arts, nature, education, and history all share the same grounds. Earth Week is a good excuse to walk the Botanical Garden and see the White Garden, the Rose Garden, and the Chinese Scholar’s Garden — one of only two authentic Chinese gardens in the United States. Admission to the grounds is free.
Other Staten Island Options This Week
Beyond Snug Harbor, Staten Island’s Earth Week is less event-driven and more open-ended — the Greenbelt trails, Clove Lakes Park, and the Staten Island Bluebelt system are all best experienced this time of year before summer heat settles in. The Staten Island Ferry itself, free and running every 30 minutes, is a reasonable Earth Week activity in its own right if you want to skip a drive into Manhattan.
Looking Ahead
Snug Harbor’s calendar continues to fill in: the 2nd Annual Boricua Culture Fest is set for June 7 and the Staten Island Pride Festival for May 30. If you are building your late-spring social calendar this week, those two are worth penciling in.
What You Need to Know
- Staten Island CB2 — Tuesday April 21, 7 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn Fountain Room, 1100 South Ave.
- Snug Harbor plant sale pre-orders — through April 29, in-person sale May 1 through 3
- Snug Harbor grounds and botanical gardens — free admission, open year-round
- Greenbelt, Clove Lakes, Bluebelt — low-commitment Earth Week walks
- Upcoming Snug Harbor events — Pride Festival May 30, Boricua Culture Fest June 7
Where to Start
If you have a Tuesday evening free, CB2 is the easiest way to understand what is being proposed for the Mid-Island this spring. If you are a gardener, get your Snug Harbor pre-order in before April 29 — you will kick yourself if you wait for the in-person weekend and the variety you wanted is gone.
For residents building a broader picture of what is changing on the Island, our St. George waterfront development coverage is a good companion read, and this week’s Staten Island community calendar has more local programming for the week.
Staten Island rewards people who show up in person — to board meetings, to plant sales, to the Greenbelt at 9 a.m. on a Saturday. This is a week made for that.
