NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Looking for a top travel destination?

Well look no further than – Staten Island?

That’s right, the borough is checking in at 14th on a new list of best spots to visit – making the “forgotten borough” forgotten no more!

After luxury travel publication “Wonderlust” named it a top international destination, writing “you take Manhattan, I’ll take Staten Island.”

“Far too often we hear about negative things, this is a very positive thing for our borough, for the people that live here, they can be proud,” Staten Island assemblyman Michael Reilly said.

Some locals were surprised to hear this and the feeling wasn’t unanimous.

“Do you agree that this is a travel destination?” CBS2 asked on local resident.

“No I don’t,” they replied.

But overall most people say though their home is often overlooked, Staten Island has a lot of culture, art, and fun to offer.

“I think Staten Island has a lot of beautiful sites, great stores, restaurants, the best food, best pizza,” business owner Jeremy Pappalardo said.

“I like the neighborhoods, some are nice. Then we have museums and the outlets they just built here so that’s nice,” resident Taniqua Quashia added.

The Empire Outlets offer visitors a shopping experience on the water and right next door, you can hop aboard the famous Staten Island Ferry for free for beautiful views of the Manhattan skyline and Statue of Liberty.

“Staten Island is the unexpected borough,” Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden CEO Aileen Fuchs said. “It’s unparalleled what it has to offer. It’s considered the borough of parks but I would argue on the North Shore it’s the borough of culture.”

Culture, history, and nature can be found at every turn when visiting Snug Harbor cultural center and botanical garden – a tourist hotspot flooded with gardens, landmarks, the arts, and much more.

“There are so many things that we have that people outside of Staten Island need to know about. So this is a great opportunity for us to share that,” assemblyman Reilly added.

If you’re in the mood for baseball, you can watch the New York Yankees’ minor league team play ball at their stadium in the borough too.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the leopards, alligators, and fish at the Staten Island Zoo.

Original Story: https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/08/28/staten-island-top-travel-spot/