A Guide To Staten Islands Little Sri Lanka

Made up of areas like Koreatown and Little Athens, New York City is a world unto itself. Over the past decade, this world has grown to include a record-setting, tourist guidebook-topping enclave known to locals as Little Sri Lanka. To the world’s largest Sri Lankan population outside of Sri Lanka, however, the neighborhood is simply called home.

Not only do the approximately 5,000 Sri Lankan people living on Staten Island constitute the largest community of Sri Lankans outside of the South Asian country, but they also account for over one-third of New York City’s entire Sri Lankan population. The neighborhoods of Tompkinsville and St. George, collectively known as Little Sri Lanka, burst with island authenticity, from the grocery stores stocking Sri Lankan products to the numerous eateries lining Victory Boulevard and its adjacent streets. The latter is what put Little Sri Lanka on the radar of The New York Times, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, and others.

Considering recent Sri Lankan history, it makes sense why immigrants have gravitated to the oft-forgotten New York City borough. The decades-long civil war between Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic groups, along with its following financial crisis, prompted people to flee in droves in the 1980s. At this time, Staten Island, with its affordable housing and suburban atmosphere complete with grassy front lawns and clapboard structures, embodied just the domestic stability that so many Sri Lankans had been missing. Completing this utopic scene was the community which greeted new residents—a community that has only grown in recent decades.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.