Fort Wadsworth - Gateway National Recreation Area Staten Island, NY 10305

"We had a very bad experience at Fort Wadsworth. I would give them zero star if possible. We used to combine 22 players from two different United Methodist churches in Brooklyn and come to Fort Wadsworth after church on Sunday to play cricket for two weeks. We always noticed that park police kept an eye on us about what we were doing. On the third Sunday, when we came to Fort, there was a basketball court on Hudson Road right next to where we played cricket. My friend dropped his son there for him to play basketball and all of a sudden lady park ranger came and stopped behind our car. She said this is a “private property” and you can't play basketball here. My friend asked his son to come back in the car and we were leaving. Lady said you can't go like that, since you pulled over on the side of the road, I will go first, then you go. I am not sure which employee manual of National Park Service teaches that rule. She was showing her authority to us, though we followed what she said. First of all, it is not a private property, but it is a property National Park Service and says it is off limits to public rather than private property. She went back to her office and we started playing cricket. The next thing is, within 5 minutes, police came and stopped our play. Police officer said, "You can only play here if you have a permit." Police officer even said that they got a call from Park Ranger complaining about our game. I am not surprise, that same lady went back and called police. Police officer said he understood that you all were playing a sport, but if you guys don’t go, then they would get a phone call again. National Park Service should post a sign on Hudson Rd stating that permits are required for using this ground. There was no clear sign posted for permits. In winter, the same hills are used for sledding in snow week after week, I hope National Park Service is asking for permits at that time. Cc: U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service"

"I enjoyed my visit to Fort Wadsworth. I went on a guided tour with Ranger James. He was very informative about the history of the Fort. We also went inside Battery Weed, which was interesting."

"Great place for a beautiful view of the Verrazano Bridge , New York and Brooklyn. We wales around the park and we’re able to walk about the outside walls of Fort Wadsworth. The visitor center is open Friday thru Monday from 10 am to 4 pm. The Fort itself is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. I would recommend a walking tour to learn and explore the fort."

"One of my favorite parks I like to spend time at the sunset. You can enjoy the view of verazano bridge. The view of Manhattan is also a spectacle after the sunset. There is also an abandoned fort that is restricted to enter."

"TCS New York City marathon start village. Very well organized. Spacious. Coffee bagel, energy drink, gels and water available. No queues at the restrooms. Big screen to watch the race and follow instructions in multiple languages. Lots of super kind volunteers. It’s clean, garbage gets sorted to recycle. Therapy dog station available to ease the nerves. Security is good and there is visible crowd control observance from the tower. Great experience"