Joseph Manna Park, Staten Island

Joseph Manna Park is a war memorial inside a small curvy triangle less than an acre in size, by the Staten Island Expressway and near the Old Place Creek tidal wetlands at the island's northwest shore. It's named for Seaman First Class Radioman Joseph Manna (1924-1942), an immigrant from the Naples area who died on the Navy destroyer USS Duncan during the Battle of Cape Esperance near Guadalcanal. He grew up in this neighborhood, which is appropriately named Mariner's Harbor.

The little park is well maintained, as a war memorial should be.

Also honored here are two other Navy men, Frank Busso (1921-1942), who died at the Battle of Midway, and Constantine Busso (1919-1945), killed during an attack on the USS Ticonderoga. Their memorials are marked by anchors.

Plaques elsewhere in the park honor other Staten Island war dead and "the men and women of the Port of New York and New Jersey who served during World War II." (Thanks to the Parks Department website for this information.)

The park is also home to one heckuva handsome tree. (At least I think it's in this park – it was a heckuva long day, too.)

All photos © Critical Lens Media

Old Place Creek, Staten Island

With hundreds of miles of coastline, New York City has plenty of water-fronting parks. But how many of those can you visit only by boat? We found one this summer. To reach Old Place Creek – really the 70-acre Old Place Creek Tidal Wetlands Area – you have to drive to the northwest corner of Staten Island, find your way to the south-going lane of Gulf Avenue, dawdle past the National Grid headquarters, and then find a tiny dirt parking lot.

A short path leads to a small viewing platform where you can look out over the creek that winds through the wetlands.

Before we reached the platform we startled a huge stag that bounded across the path and disappeared into the impenetrable woods – the first and only time I've ever seen a male deer in NYC. Sadly, it was much too fast to get a photo.

Anyway, unless you have a boat, this is all there is to see here. Had you a kayak or canoe, you'd drag it to the rough launch and explore the wetlands. According to the map, you could follow the creek, twist your way for two miles, and end up in Arthur Kill, the narrow strait that separates Staten Island from New Jersey, looking up at the Goethals Bridge.

We don't have a boat.

Not to worry, though. This was only the first stop on a daylong Staten Island excursion. More posts will follow.

All photos © Critical Lens Media