Walk on the Staten Island’s North Shore reveals mysterious staircase in this very familiar spot

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - I was on the North Shore of Staten Island last week, doing an assignment for the Advance.

I found myself in a spot that I’ve passed countless times in my life. But this time I noticed that a door there had a hole cut in its wire mesh gate.

Gated door with a hole in the metal mesh. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)

So I had to stop and have a look. I have had a lot of luck getting cool photos of odd or unexpected spots with my iPhone.

Hole in grate that revealed the mysterious staircase. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)

And I did see something that looked a little spooky and cool.

A peek down mysterious staircase on North Shore. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)

It looked like the staircase had become a random storage area of some kind, including ladders and some traffic cones.

Lightbulb burns in mysterious staircase on North Shore. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)

One bare bulb cast a little glow on the area.

I zoomed in on my iPhone to get a closer look. I wondered if that was a door at the bottom of the staircase.

Closer look at mysterious staircase in St. George. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)

You might have passed the area countless times yourself. Anybody recognize it?

Here's another look at that doorway:

The door that leads to the mysterious staircase. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)

And here's a picture of a very heavily trafficked stairway that's right near that door:

Staircase near the mysterious staircase on the North Shore. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)

Recognize the area yet?

Here's a big clue:

Area that leads to mysterious staircase that I found on the North Shore. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)

The doorway I peeked through is there at the lower left.

You probably know where this is by now. But just in case:

Staten Island Borough Hall in St. George. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)

The staircase is on the west side of the Borough Hall building on Stuyvesant Place in St. George.

I passed that doorway many, many times while working in the building for the Advance from 2001 to 2014.

And I passed it at least twice a day on on my way back and forth to the Staten Island Ferry when I lived on Central Avenue in St. George from 1988 to 1991.

I’ve passed it many more times in recent years.

But I’d never caught sight of that staircase until the other day.

You never know what you’re going to stumble upon sometimes. You have to keep your eyes open.

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