The Prodigal Borough

Gorgeous Kreischer Mansion Is Up For Grabs

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:45:00 +0000

Here is some exciting news. Issac Yomtovian, owner of our favorite Staten Island Mansion, plans to donate it to a charitable organization. I do hope that The Staten Island Museum takes it. They need more space for their archives.
From The Staten Island advance:

The owner of the Kreischer Mansion has delayed plans to build an active-adult community on the site in Staten Island’s Charleston neighborhood until the market stabilizes, but is accepting proposals to donate the 19th century brick magnate’s home to a charitable organization.

Turning over the landmark hilltop mansion to charity has been part of Ohio-based developer Isaac Yomtovian’s master plan since he purchased the five-acre estate in 1999 for $1.4 million.

He just expected to do it after breaking ground on Kreischerville, an upscale, maintenance-free condominium development for adults 55 and over.

“I am not waiting until the market is 100 percent recovered to begin construction, but I have to see some stabilizing factor,” Yomtovian said. “Either way, I don’t want to delay the donation process any longer.”

The criteria for interested organizations is two-fold: They must be in good standing with the financial wherewithal to maintain the 10-room home, and their mission must be compatible with the Kreischerville project — such as a museum, art gallery, religious organization or a college.

Proposals will be vetted by Jack Stern, Yomtovian’s attorney, and Ronald Victorio, the architect who oversaw the renovation of the mansion. The proposals will then be brought before elected officials and Community Board 3.

The selected organization will have full use of the property until construction on the housing begins. The mansion will also serve as a clubhouse for Kreischerville residents.

The Kreischer Mansion was built in 1885 on Arthur Kill Road by wealthy brick manufacturer Balthasar Kreischer for his son, Charles. It was one of two identical homes overlooking a neighborhood that was then called Kreisherville. The second house, built for his son, Edward, was demolished.

The existing property was landmarked in 1968.

In 1997, the home became the site of a failed Victorian restaurant.

It fell into disrepair until Yomtovian purchased the property with the vision of creating the “Kreischer Senior Corridor” — several private pay senior communities modeled on baby boomer developments built in other states.

Yomtovian won several difficult approvals from the Landmarks Preservation Commission and City Planning to construct his housing project, a four-story, L-shaped building with between 124 and 130 units, an underground heating garage, pool, fitness center and some commercial office space.

More recently, the mansion made headlines as the scene of a grisly murder of a Bonanno crime family associate. The Bonanno hitman found guilty of murder last month was a caretaker hired by Yomtovian.

Despite the difficulties he faced since purchasing the property, Yomtovian is looking forward.

Since word has gotten out that he has decided to go ahead with donating the mansion, he has received several phone inquiries from interested organizations. He said he also contacted the Staten Island Institute for Arts and Sciences — one of the condominium project’s earliest boosters — which has diaries, business records, photographs and family portraits of the Kreischer family.

But Yomtovian wants to make it an open process.

“I feel it’s not fair if we don’t give a chance to every charitable organization who meets the qualifications,” he said.

Brief proposals outlining an organization’s mission, how they intend to use the property, how they will maintain it and how they are compatible with the Kreischerville project can be sent to Jack Stern at 1189 Forest Ave., Staten Island, N.Y., 10310; or Ronald Victorio, 694 Forest Ave., Staten Island, N.Y., 10310.

Howard Avenue Mansion To Become Italian Cultural Center

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:02:00 +0000

Photo by Robin George, The Staten Island Advance
Staten Island needs more people like Gina Biancardi-Rammairone. Ms. Biancardi-Rammairone and her husband, Luciano, purchased the glorious Great Gatsby-like mansion and surrounding land on Howard Avenue and plan to make it into an Italian Cultural Center. In a Staten Island Advance article (click on the headline above to read the full story) Ms. Biancardi-Rammairone states that she frequently drove by the mansion and always admired it. We here at Prodigal Borough can relate to that. Our three Staten Island favorite mansions are Kreischer Mansion, The Pavilion, and this Howard Avenue home. (The Pavilion is still available for sale and would also make a great cultural center or museum).

"We're not going to live here," explained Mrs. Rammairone, who grew up in The Bronx and holds a master's degree in business administration from New York University. "I want to turn it into a not-for-profit. I want it to be a place about Italian history and culture, art and fashion, with classes in cooking and wine tasting. Make it a tourist destination. My life-long passion has been to educate young people about the positive aspects of being Italian. Sometimes there seems to be a disconnect, with people identifying being Italian with 'The Sopranos.' That's a negative stereotype. My dream is a big dream, a grand vision, but I feel the Staten Island community will embrace it."

WE do embrace it. Bring it on.

CITYTropics: Paintings by Mary Bullock

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:27:00 +0000

November 14 - December 19, 2008

Opening Friday, November 14, 6-10pm
Gallery Talk Sunday, November 16, 3-5pm

This exhibition is made possible (in part) by a Premier Grant from the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island, with public funding from the New York State Council on the Arts.

SHOW Gallery Studio and Theater
156 Stuyvesant Place
Staten Island, NY 10301
across from Borough Hall and up the Borough Hall stairs from the Staten Island Ferry

Hours of Operation:
Tues–Sat 11 am–7 pm

718-524-0855

Also on exhibit (see the post below for more information):

HYPERBOLIC CROCHET CORAL REEF

BEYOND: PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BENSON

SEA EARTH SKY at SHOW

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:09:00 +0000

The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef: Sept. 27-Dec. 20, 2008
Coral reefs the world over are dying out at a rate faster than rainforests. In addition to global warming and pollutants, marine life is threatened by a tsunami of plastic that is flooding into our oceans. The handmade reefs on display here are a wooly testimony to the disappearing wonder of actual reefs that now engages women around the globe. The project also celebrates the strange hyperbolic geometry of the ocean realm, which is reflected in the crochet techniques.

This unique work consists of a collossal reef created by hundreds of artists from New York and another by artists from Chicago. The assembled work is continually growing and evolving since it moved to SHOW from the World Financial Center in Manhattan. Each of the hundreds of pieces is a work of beauty in itself created by a different artist. Their placement in this particular reef formation creates a spectacular riot of form and color that can be appreciated in awe from a distance, or approached to reveal more and different forms from a more microscopic view.

SHOW'S windows contain the Chicago Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef, all by Chicago area artists, and the mind-boggling seascape of yarn and plastic inside is the New York Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef, among whose 100+ creators are over 30 Staten Islanders. Unlike the dwindling coral reefs under the seas, the source of our food chain, the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef is constantly growing. In displaying it we hope, as the artists did in creating it, to bring attention to the fact that as with all that strikes us in nature, its physical beauty is a call to its protection.

2008 is the International Year of the Reef.

Created by Margaret Wertheim and Christine Wertheim, with hundreds of contributing artists.
Presented in association with the New York Institute for the Humanities and the Steinhardt School at NYU.

BEYOND: Visions of the Interplanetary Probes by Michael Benson: Sept. 27 – Dec. 20, 2008
Possibly the most expensive pictures ever created, and the most mind-expanding. Michael Benson has taken photographs of planets, their moons and other parts of our solar system shot by robots on spacecraft over an area of 3 billion miles, and created clear and spectacular images of vistas never seen by human eyes. Through complex digital manipulation, and in some cases, creation of mosaics from many smaller images, he shows us the fascinating corners of "space" that people have dreamed of seeing since they could look up. They turn out to be more spectacular than we could have imagined.

Sur Terre: Photos by Herve d'Eglise: Sept. 27 – Nov. 14, 2008
Swiss-born photographer Hervé d’Eglise, who lives in Belgium, has taken photographs of earth formations in Normandie that, in closeup, could be on other planets. "I’ve always loved traveling and finding myself in places that I imagine being the first to discover. Whether it’s a natural cave or an abandoned factory, no one has seen them before me! I shoot my photographs in this spirit." Though the photos are taken in well-travelled area of Europe, the unusual corners found and portrayed by d’Eglise are not discernible as France, or even Earth. Patterns of nature, in all their fascinating complexity and simplicity, are visible here on the land to anyone who will visit Normandie, or explore their backyard, and the resulting photographs look as exotic as if d'Eglise were, as he imagines, the first person ever to see them. The natural patterns under the seas of Earth's surviving coral reefs, are seen by those with the luxury of scuba diving in faraway seas, and are imagined in the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef, and, as seen in Michael Benson’s images made with the help of a robot's eye, in many ways as “exotic” as scapes of other planets and in space.

SHOW Gallery Studio and Theater

156 Stuyvesant Place
Staten Island, NY 10301
across from Borough Hall and up the Borough Hall stairs from the Staten Island Ferry

Hours of Operation:
Tues–Sat 11 am–7 pm

718-524-0855

Prodigal House Pick: The Parsonage, $825,000

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:02:00 +0000

This large, stately Arts and Craft style home is located in the heart of the Stapleton Heights Preservation District. The picturesque home was built in 1922 as a church parsonage. This property features thirteen rooms, a third of an acre yard, a separate garage, and a water view. The beautiful, gothic style Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church is across the street from the home.

In 1907, the German Evangelical Lutheran Church called as its pastor the Rev. Dr. Frederic Sutter (1876-1971). Under his leadership, the church's membership grew rapidly and the need for a new building became apparent. In 1909, the church used a recent bequest from Charles Zentgraf, one of the founders of the DeJonge paper works, to purchase additional lots on St. Paul's Avenue. By 1913, work was begun on a new neo-Gothic church and parish house that were designed by the architectural firm of Upjohn & Conable...

The parsonage, designed by architect Henry G. Otto and built in 1922, is located across the street at 332 St. Paul's Avenue. The church was renamed Trinity Lutheran Church in 1928 to distinguish it from other German Lutheran churches on Staten Island and perhaps to acknowledge that an English-speaking generation was making up an increasing part of its membership. At the time it had the largest Protestant congregation on Staten Island. The church's interior was renovated in 1941-42 by the architectural form Cherry & Matz. The church continued to hold German language services until 1975. Reverend Frederic Sutter, who served as the church's pastor from 1907 to 1964, played an instrumental role in bringing Wagner College to Staten Island from Rochester, New York. His son, the Rev. Dr. Carl J. Sutter, succeeded him as pastor in 1964 and was responsible for building the school next door...

Henry G. Otto's finest house of the period, the parsonage of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church at 332 St. Paul's Avenue, was built in 1922. Designed in the Arts & Crafts style, this two-and-one-half-story building is constructed of terra-cotta blocks faced with stucco with brick accents and is capped by a complex slate-covered hipped-and-gabled roof with wide
overhanging bracketed eaves. The asymmetrically composed facades feature a variety of arched and trabeated window openings. Half-timbered gables, wrought-iron balconies on brackets, paneled and louvered wood shutters, copper gutters, leaders, and flashing contribute to the picturesque effect.

Click on the headline to go to the real estate listing. MLS #: 1042836. Contact: Sari Kingsley Real Estate, Ltd. Phone: (718) 667-1800

Hip Staten Island Spots For The Under Seven Set

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 05:08:00 +0000

By Winsome Beatrice Jacobs, Jack Gallo and Jonathan Rice. Illustrations by Uma, Matt, Caitlin, and Jill.

“My Name is Winsome. I am seven years old. I live in the Livingston neighborhood of Staten Island now, which is great because I like gardens and going to Walker Park where they have sliding boards. I am learning to ride my bike around the park, which is a big square. For Halloween we have a big spooky parade and everyone dresses up and goes to the Haunted House. I scream and scream but eat treats at the end. I like living here because it is quiet and pretty. I am an artist like my mom, and we do nature walks to get ideas. I like to sit on my front steps and watch nature. Last year there was a bird nest in the tree and I peeked at it every day. What I want to do is camp out in a tent. My mom might say o.k. I think camp time is the best because I go to Goodhue Center and have fun. I visit the museums and the zoo too. My brother and I also walk to play baseball at Snug Harbor. I may want to be a pop star, so I like to go the St. George Theatre and The Unitarian Church where there are shows and music.” - Winsome Beatrice Jacobs (Dictated to her mom, Diane Matyas)

Walker Park and The Halloween Costume Parade: Delafield Place and Davis Avenue.
Nature Walks: The Staten Island Museum, offers Weekend Ecology Walks at Staten Island Parks. www.statenislandmuseum.org
Goodhue Center: 304 Prospect Avenue, (718) 447-2630, www.childrensaidsociety.org/goodhue
The Staten Island Museum: 75 Stuyvesant Place, (718) 727-1135, www.statenislandmuseum.org
The Staten Island Zoo: 614 Broadway, (718) 442-3100, www.statenislandzoo.org
Snug Harbor Cultural Center: 1000 Richmond Terrace, (718) 448-2500, www.snug-harbor.org
St. George Theater: 35 Hyatt Street, (718) 442-2900, www.stgeorgetheatre.com
The Unitarian Church: 312 Fillmore Street, (718) 447-2204, www.unitarianchurchofstatenisland.org

“My name is Jack Gallo and I am five years old. I live in St. George, Staten Island. Staten Island is fun and I love to go to places in Staten Island. One of my favorite things to do is ride my bike at the bike path at Silver Lake Park on the weekends. My mom rides her bike with me, and we just got a new bike for daddy so he can ride too. I love to go to playgrounds - and my favorite playground is Skyline, except for the monkey bars because they hurt my hands. But soon I'll be tall enough to jump up to them myself. We like to go swimming at Faber Pool because they serve free lunch, and the water is warm. It's right on the harbor too, so you can watch the enormous steamships going back and forth. Snug Harbor is cool to go to because there are tunnels under the trees and you can run around in circles and catch each other in the flower gardens. There is a secret maze and castle that is really fun to get lost in and you can sit on benches and have lunch when you are hot and tired from running.” – Jack Gallo (Dictated to his mom, Martha Gallo)

Silver Lake Park: Forest Avenue and Victory Boulevard
Skyline Playground: Arnold Street & Prospect Ave (Between Harvard Avenue & Clyde Place)
Faber Swimming Pool: 2175 Richmond Terrace, (718) 816-5259
Snug Harbor Cultural Center: 1000 Richmond Terrace, (718) 448-2500, www.snug-harbor.org

“Hi, my name is Jonathan and I live in St. George, Staten Island. I love my neighborhood because I can walk with my mommy to Lt. Lia Playground and play with lots of other toddlers. We can also walk to see the colorful fish tanks in the ferry terminal. In the summer we go to the baseball games at our minor league stadium next door to the ferry. On Saturdays we go to the Children's Museum in Snug Harbor. There I can wear a fireman's hat and sit in the full size fire-truck. The open play area is fun and educational and so are the toddler classes. My mom loves the gardens of Snug Harbor where I can run around the tree peonies and the butterfly garden. We recently started going to the boardwalk along Midland Beach where my mom pushes me in the jogging stroller and I can watch the people fish off of the fishing pier. There are so many parks to visit. In the summer, we are planning to go to Heron Park in Tottenville to learn about nature. In May we are go to the season opening of the Carousel at Willoughbrook Park within The Staten Island Greenbelt. I can't wait to ride one of the 52 hand crafted horses and animals on the carousel. Summer is fun in Staten Island. Hope to see you there!” – Jonathan Rice (Dictated to his mom, Tina Rice)

Lt. Lia Playground: Wall Street, St. Marks Place and Belmont Place
The Staten Island Ferry: 1 Bay Street, (718) 876-8441, www.siferry.com
The Staten Island Yankees Baseball Stadium: 75 Richmond Terrace, (718) 273-0187, www.siyanks.com
The Staten Island Children’s Museum (at Snug Harbor): 1000 Richmond Terrace, (718) 273-2060, statenislandkids.org
The Staten Island Botanical Garden (at Snug Harbor): 1000 Richmond Terrace, (718) 273-8200
South Beach and Midland Beach, Boardwalk and Fishing Pier: Father Capadanno Boulevard and Sand Lane, (718) 816-6804, www.statenislandusa.com/pages/south_midland.html
Blue Heron Park Nature Center: 222 Poillon Avenue, (718) 967-3542, www.preserve2.org
The Carousel at Willoughbrook Park: Eton Place off Richmond Avenue (718) 667-2165, www.sigreenbelt.org/About/Carousel/Aboutcarousel.htm
The Greenbelt Nature Center: 700 Rockland Avenue (at the intersection with Brielle Avenue), (718) 351-3450

Picture credits:
A Bird’s Home by Uma
Creepy House by Matt
Bird Nest House by Caitlin
Yellow House by Jill

NY1 News Reporter Shawna Ryan's NYC Loves...Staten Island Web Vlog Posts

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:47:00 +0000

Shawna Ryan, a NY1 News reporter has a personal web vlog called NYC Loves... and this week she chose Staten Island. She informally reports on the new SHOW gallery and Art By The Ferry in an utterly charming style that would never be allowed on NY1.
Check it out here:

And here is another informal web vlog about Art By The Ferry:

ART BY THE FERRY

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Sun, 25 May 2008 14:38:00 +0000

Tsunami by Lazarus Nazario
The new SHOW gallery sign will be officially illuminated on Friday night, June 13th before Art By The Ferry begins.
Saturday, June 14th, Sunday June15th, and Saturday, June 21st, from 11AM and 6PM

Enjoy art, music and performances against the backdrop of the NYC skyline in 15,000 sq. ft. of indoor exhibition and performance space and outdoors at The Lighthouse Museum Esplanade adjacent to the Ferry and venues from Fishs Eddy to the Staten Island Museum garden.

Over 125 visual artists will show at Fishs Eddy, 120 Stuyvesant Place and SHOW Gallery; three artists in restaurants ("Enoteca," "Cargo Café" and "Besso"); and five artists at the "Everything Goes Café." Over 100 musicians will be playing throughout the Festival in front of various restaurants, on Bay St. and in venues near the Greenmarket and the Staten Island Museum. Spoken word performances will be at the St. George Theater and the St. George library. The Festival will also include: Native American Dance, Drum and Storytelling; break dancers; a puppet workshop; a glass studio tour; African dancers; Ballroom dancers; Day De Dada street performers; hand made crafts and book sale; Greenmarket both Saturdays and nine restaurants. Cultural guides will hand out information on both sides of the Ferry as Bagpipers entice travelers off the Ferry.

SHOW will feature artwork by Lazarus Nazario and Cynthia von Buhler.

Workshops for the arts community will be run by COAHSI at 120 Stuyvesant. Times will be posted on the web site.

Sponsors: Staten Island Cultural Community, Staten Island Council on the Arts and Humanities, Art Lab, St. George Civic Association, Casandra Realty, Gateway Realty, SHOW Gallery.

Click on the headline to visit the Art By The Ferry website.

New Vision For The St. George Waterfront

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:43:00 +0000

From The Staten Island Advance:

Wednesday, April 23, 2008
By PHIL HELSEL
ADVANCE STAFF WRITER

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A sweeping new vision for the St. George waterfront that includes four 18-story apartment towers and townhouses where a parking lot now sits was unveiled at a high-powered economic development meeting in Sea View last night.

It will be years before the concept for the residential plan, dubbed the St. George Waterfront project, and a retail counterpart eyed for another nearby, approaches reality -- if ever.

Still, there was plenty of enthusiasm at the Staten Island Economic Development Corp.'s "pre-conference" held last night at the Joan and Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center in Sea View.

"It's like driving toward a mountain; it doesn't seem to get any closer but if you keep driving toward it you'll get there," said R. Randy Lee, SIEDC chairman.

Last night was the first public showing of a development plan for the parking lots straddling the Richmond County Bank Ballpark, which a consultant called typical of the massive investment needed to jump-start the whole area.

On the parking lot to the west of the ballpark, urban planner Tom Jost envisions four 18-story apartment towers lining Richmond Terrace, followed by 12-, 8- and 6-story towers and townhouses, and ending with a redeveloped waterfront park, all above an underground parking garage.

Where the parking lot between the ballpark and the Ferry now lies, the concept calls for a pedestrian-centered shopping and retail area, anchored by an IMAX theater, an urban grocery store like a Whole Foods Market, and restaurants with a waterfront promenade.

"At this point we're still in development; you need to have a plan to show to the city and to get developers interested," said Jost, director of urban planning for the consulting group ARUP. "These two sites are the best economic development sites on Staten Island."

Yesterday was what organizers called "a teaser," and more details on the St. George concept and other development projects are expected to be unveiled at the development corporation's 10th annual SI Conference 2008, slated for the Hilton Garden Inn, Bloomfield, on Tuesday.

The SIEDC also threw its full support behind other business and retail projects already under way all over the Island.

They include:

The Waterfront Commons, a 1.3 million-square-foot, open-air retail and entertainment center to be built on the Tottenville waterfront directly south of the Outerbridge Crossing. Permits are still pending but the developer hopes to have it finished by 2010.

Prodigal House Pick: $1,700,000

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:45:00 +0000

Our favorite St. George, Staten Island waterfront mansion is for sale. It would make a glorious art gallery, museum, restaurant, catering hall, bed and breakfast, charter school, or a really incredible home. The views are to die for and you are practically across the street from the ferry terminal. We had heard that this place was being offered for much less so we suppose they will look at all reasonable offers. This building is landmarked so thankfully it is protected from the wrecking ball and greedy investors who wish to build a high-rise in its place. It has a large parking lot which would be great for any of the businesses listed above.
CONTACT: Robert Defalco Realty (click on the headline above to go to their website), MLS #: 1044007, Giacomo Montuori, 718-987-7900 X121, or cell 347-247-5785.

Downtown Drive-In Movies

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:06:00 +0000

For the past four years, the Downtown Staten Island Council (DSIC) has hosted its annual community event The Downtown Drive-In Movies. Beginning May 2, 2008, and running for four consecutive weekends, the "Downtown Drive-In Movies" will be held in the parking lot of the Richmond County Bank Ballpark, and will feature a selection of nine of the most popular movies in American cinematic history.

The intent of the Downtown Staten Island Drive-In Movies is to create an event the whole family can enjoy, while simultaneously exposing islanders and off-islanders to the downtown Staten Island area. Ticket prices are kept at a modest amount of $25 per car to encourage families and couples to spend a night out without worrying about the affordability. In 2007, The Downtown Drive-In Movies was a huge success, drawing over 7,500 attendees.

National Grid, (formerly known as KeySpan Energy Services) and NYS Senator Diane Savino are the event's title sponsors. Councilman Domenic Recchia, Assemblyman Matt Titone, Bay Harbor Motors and Muss Development are also major participating sponsors for the event.

"While our event is primarily seen as entertainment, The Downtown Drive-In Movies seeks to change the perceptions of our district and highlight our community's uniqueness" explains DSIC's executive director, Kamillah Hanks. "It gives our local businesses an opportunity to benefit from the high volume of people that come down to the area to attend our event. The younger generation are used to the multiplex, digital sound and stadium seating, but you still get the folks who love drive-in experience!" Hanks said.

For more information, visit the Downtown Staten Island Council website by clicking on the headline above.

2008 DRIVE-IN MOVIE PROGRAM
May 2: E.T. The Extra Terrestrial 8:30 pm
May 3: Transformers 8:30 pm
May 9: Shrek the Third 8:30 pm
May 10: Titanic 8:30 pm
May 16: Grease 8:30 pm
May 17:* Young Frankenstein 8:30 pm/Rocky Horror Picture Show - 12:00 am
May 23: Wizard of Oz 8:30 pm
May 24: Dreamgirls 8:30 pm
*Double Feature

Fee: $25 per car

Downtown Staten Island Urban Design Plan Released

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:55:00 +0000

I was able to take a sneak peek at this exciting plan before it was released. It is great to see all my friends and neighbors working to make the North Shore a better place to live and work. Tevah Platts's article from The Staten Island Advance explains the details of the plan below. She writes "creative suggestions such as a kayaking boathouse (next to Joseph Lyons Park, Tompkinsville), a bike-sharing program and an outdoor ice-skating rink (near the St. George ballpark) are scattered throughout the proposal like hidden candy." Let's find the candy!

A new beginning for the North Shore
The Staten Island Advance
Sunday April 06, 2008, 7:21 PM

A new plan for the redevelopment of Staten Island's North Shore focuses on an energized arts scene, tall condo buildings, architectural restorations and an unbroken retail corridor along the waterfront.

This latest proposal from the Downtown Staten Island Council is the brainchild of St. George architect Pablo Vengoechea, a team of urban planners and a six-member local advisory committee.
It suggests concentrating revitalization efforts within four areas anchored by Bay Street and Richmond Terrace along the shoreline, close to existing rail stations in St. George, Tompkinsville, Stapleton and Clifton.

The 64-page Downtown Staten Island Urban Design Plan outlines an ambitious vision for a roughly 2-mile stretch of the North Shore.

The plan includes opportunities for housing, retail and arts spaces; new parks and civic plazas; transportation improvements, including a downtown trolley; new and widened streets with improved signage; incentives for restoring old buildings and fostering local arts and culture; high-rises clustered to maintain waterfront access and area views; environmentally friendly building requirements, and aesthetic suggestions that could brighten some the area's uglier corners.

"I think this is a really great beginning toward taking ownership of our neighborhood," said Kamillah Hanks, executive director of the Downtown Council. "We have to get people excited about what the downtown area could be."

Other proposals, old and new, have already charted the area's untapped potential; the Urban Design Plan represents just one vision of the area's future. But Ms. Hanks contends this proposal is significant and unique in its comprehensive detail, its vision of neighborhood continuity, and usefulness as a resource to developers and neighborhood stakeholders she believes should have first say in their own city's future.

While rumors that the North Shore is poised for renewal are decades old, the winds of change have been blowing harder as of late -- and from so many directions, they can be difficult to assess. Along with projects planned, completed or under way-- including the proposed development of the Stapleton home port, new initiatives are afoot, including a not-yet-public rezoning plan for St. George and Tompkinsville in the works at City Planning; a forthcoming waterfront study by the American Institute of Architects and the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, and capital projects from the Staten Island Economic Development Corp. (SIEDC) to be introduced at its SI Conference on April 22.

Thus far, this Urban Design Plan is one of the more thorough visions put forward.

As Downtown Council chairman Michael Behar said at the members-only unveiling of the plan at the Staaten, West Brighton, project leaders seized on the opportunity to create a cohesive, ambitious blueprint they hope will "leave a legacy for our children."

Members of the Council ratified the plan and its definition of North Shore flaws that stand to be rectified.

"Much more work needs to be done," according to the proposal. "Tourists still do not leave the ferry terminal nor can they easily find local attractions; the area still has too many sectors that are neglected and deteriorated; the SIR stations are unattractive and unsafe; the existing zoning is inadequate to the task of contributing the to rebirth of the area; ... the pedestrian experience is marred by unappealing streetscapes and public places, and cultural activity needs to be made a center piece of this revival."

Creative suggestions such as a kayaking boathouse (next to Joseph Lyons Park, Tompkinsville), a bike-sharing program and an outdoor ice-skating rink (near the St. George ballpark) are scattered throughout the proposal like hidden candy.

More likely to prove contentious are designs for buildings of unprecedented height on Staten Island -- mixed-use structures on which neighbors could pin hopes for improved retail along with fears of blocked views, crowded schools or insufficient parking.

In each district, the planners aimed to strike a balance between preserving historic character while fostering density to achieve the critical mass needed to stimulate local economies.

"Skyscrapers and a bustling metropolis won't be created overnight," said Dan Marotta, real estate attorney and chair of the design plan advisory committee, "but the area is ready to pop."

In addition to Marotta, five members of the plan's advisory committee contributed ideas and opinions about how the coming "pop" could happen. They were James Prendamano of Casandra Properties; architect Kevin Rice; entrepreneur Kevin Barry, and artist-slash-community-leaders Theo Dorian and Cynthia Mailman.

The proposal's designation of each neighborhood as a cultural or arts district underlines what could be an auspicious marriage of real estate interests with the North Shore's art scene. As the designers point out, linking community development to nourishing artists and cultural institutions has been fruitful in revitalizing other urban centers, including Baltimore, Providence, Pittsburgh and Tucson.

In addition to providing housing and work spaces for artists, the Urban Plan calls for the installation of a Staten Island Museum of Contemporary Art (SIMOCA) in St. George, a new High School of Art and Design and a multimedia center for the arts in an area of Clifton they would dub the Alice Austen Cultural District.

Not included in the proposal are zoning specifics and funding sources, but the authors sought to put forward a vision that might be used and elaborated by policy makers in the future.

In conjunction with the plan, the Council will launch an Adopt-a-Town-Center initiative next year that will seek support from civic and business leaders to bring action to the proposal's big ideas. Plans to enact a streetscape improvement initiative are already under way, said Marotta, and the Council is seeking political partnerships to begin improvements at and around the Ferry.

"Once you've shown the pubic that there is something coming, and you've shown developers the reasoning behind it, it's going to be a tremendous catalyst," said Marotta.

---- Tevah Platt

Long Live The Ferry's Fish Tanks...and Fish

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:19:00 +0000

I love the new fish tanks at the ferry. I can see why people are missing their boats (see the article below). The fish are mesmerizing. The "Lookdown Fish" appear to be staring at you. They are my favorite fish in the tank. There has been some complaining about the money spent but if you watch the normally grumpy and hurried people stop, stare and smile you will realize that they are worth every penny. They are making people happy. I have posted a few of my cell phone pictures here.- CvB

From The Staten Island Advance
Sunday March 16, 2008, 8:49 PM
Tales from Staten Island's premiere fish tanks by Maura Yates

Two complaints have been filed so far against the two saltwater fish tanks installed last month in the St. George Ferry Terminal.

But though some have derided Borough President James Molinaro's $750,000 capital expenditure as a "boondoggle," the latest remarks weren't what you might think.

Instead, two ferry riders expressed their annoyance that they missed their ride because they were too busy admiring the fish and didn't hear the announcements the boat was boarding.

And, Molinaro said, fish aficionados will be getting even more distractions when four computers are installed at the tanks to aid in species identification. The units are expected to be up and running by the end of April.

But while countless kids, and some adults, have pressed their faces up to the glass looking for "Nemo," other more morose tank observers have launched a "death watch," to document the unfortunate ends for the aquarium inhabitants.

The first victim, a silver and alienlike Lookdown Fish, was spotted just moments after the ceremonial unveiling late last month. The fish's body, largely obscured by a piece of plastic coral, had already provided lunch for its tankmates.

As many as three others have since gone belly up, amounting to a one percent loss among the total population of 400 fish divided between the two tanks.

A number that low for tanks that large with water chemistry that delicate is "unheard of," said Brett Raymer of Acrylic Tank Manufacturing, the Las Vegas-based company that custom-designed the terminal aquariums.

And there have been false alarms, Molinaro said.

"One fish lays on its side and looks like he's dead, but he's not really dead."

Twice when tank maintenance crews went over with a net, the fish got a second wind, he said.

And for those who worry that such an up-close view of death might traumatize children, don't forget, as any kid who has seen "The Lion King" can tell you, it's all about the circle of life.

"Even people die," Molinaro said. "What can you do?"

"You're going to have casualties," Raymer said. "The key is having as few as possible."

To keep the fish healthy, they are placed in quarantine tanks in the state-of-the-art pump room built below the terminal floor. Once the fish appear to have no signs of illness and are eating vigorously, they are gradually introduced into the tanks in the waiting room.

Fish can die from old age, of course, but stress and poor water condition are also factors that can cause an untimely demise. To prevent fish loss, ATM employees are on duty at the terminal every day to monitor the health of the fish, and ensure the different species are eating, but are not overfed.

And since each fish was caught in the seas of the Caribbean, instead of hatched in a tank "you can never really tell how old the fish is." But, Raymer said, he's seen young fish live as long as 10 years, while the average life expectancy of an aquarium fish is usually between two and five.

When a fish goes belly-up, the workers wait until nighttime, when the waiting room empties, to scoop the body out with a net, so as to avoid creating a spectacle and upsetting children. "You're not just going to bust out a ladder and get that fish out as the ferry's coming in," Raymer said.

Saltwater fish are particularly difficult to breed in captivity, requiring replacements to be caught in the wild. There is room to store back-up fish in the pump room to replace the stock as fish die off.

The Artists Are Coming: NBC News Interviews Staten Island Artists

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:11:00 +0000

Theo Dorian and I (Cynthia von Buhler) were interviewed by NBC's Gabe Pressman about being artists on Staten Island and how more artists are finding out that Staten Island is a unique place to live and work. Theo, a photographer, came awhile back, and I am a painter/sculptor who arrived more recently. In this short clip Theo and I talk about SHOW, an art space near the ferry terminal that we are opening soon. A couple of my paintings will be featured in the clip. Gallery 6 and Staten Island painter Jenny Tango were also featured and interviewed. This clip focused on the artists who were the first to come and have been here for a long time and how they paved the way for the new crop of younger artists and galleries.

The clip aired on the March 18th 11PM news, Channel 4 (Tri-state area: NY, CT, NJ). It will also appear on some digital affiliates.

Other recent press about artists coming to Staten Island can be found in the following posts on this site. You can find them using the "Search Prodigal Borough" box to the right:

Bohemia by the Bay: New York Times Feature
Hipsters on Staten Island: A New York Times video feature
Staten Island Seeks Artists: NY1 News
House call, Animal Kingdom: Time Out New York
A Quest for a Castle, New York Times slideshow feature
Looking for a House and a Turret, The New York Times

The Ferry Goes Green

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:05:00 +0000

I'm really happy to hear of this news (see The Daily News article below). I like to sit at the back of the ferry and the diesel occasionally bothers me. I have also been informed that the Staten island ferry terminal fish tanks are now up and running. I'll try to get a photograph for Prodigal Borough soon. --CvB

Staten Island ferries to use clean fuel
BY FRANK LOMBARDI
DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU
Monday, February 18th 2008, 4:00 AM

Even the orange boats of the Staten Island ferry are going "green."

And just to make sure they do, the City Council has passed a bill mandating that the city-run ferries - which make some 33,000 trips yearly between Staten Island and Manhattan - switch to less-polluting, ultralow-sulfur diesel fuel by July 1.
The bill, which is expected to be signed into law soon by Mayor Bloomberg, also requires the Staten Island ferry to make other environmentally friendly upgrades in coming years.

Total costs of the required improvements have been estimated at $15.4 million, of which $3.8million would come out of the city treasury. The rest is to be funded by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as part of its obligation to do environmental mitigation work.

Also, because ultralow-sulfur diesel fuel is more costly than regular marine diesel, officials estimate the cleaner fuel will add $249,400 more a year to the ferries' fuel costs.

The greening of the Staten Island ferry is long overdue, according to Councilman Alan Gerson, a Democrat whose lower Manhattan district includes the Whitehall Ferry Terminal, where the ferries dock before their 5.2-mile trip to the St. George Terminal on Staten Island.

"The Staten Island ferry has been one of our city's worst polluters," Gerson said Wednesday before the Council voted 50-0 for the bill.

"With this bill, gone will be the odors, and more importantly gone will be the poisons which got into our lungs, both while we're on the ferry and when we're on land," Gerson added.

The bill, which does not apply to private ferry services, also requires the Staten Island ferry to meet other current and future federal anti-pollution standards for marine vessels - either by installing diesel oxidation catalysts on ferry exhausts, making engine upgrades or buying new boats - which can cost upward of $40 million each. A deadline schedule is in the bill.
Staten Island ferry officials said they were already well underway in making such upgrades. They said none of their current eight boats are in immediate danger of having to be mothballed because of the mandates.

That includes the John F. Kennedy, the granddaddy of the Staten Island ferry fleet, which went into service in 1965. But any ferry older than 30 years will have to be scrapped if it doesn't meet tougher federal standards by 2011.

The Kennedy began using ultralow-sulfur diesel in mid-2007, and the remaining boats are expected to be in compliance by the July 1 deadline.

The Staten Island Commute

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:19:00 +0000

The New York Times has a new column for the month of January called New Stops. It features New York City commutes and is written by Billie Cohen. To read the one on about the ferry commute go HERE. Prodigal Borough also featured two of our own personal Staten Island to Manhattan commutes with pictures and time stamps. To see the Staten Island to West Village commute go HERE. To see the Staten Island to Times Square commute go HERE.

Staten Island Wonderland

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:16:00 +0000

Photograph courtesy of Forgotten NY
Forgotten NY features fantastic tours of little-known New York City neighborhoods. Our friend Kevin Walsh, at Forgotten NY, has another Staten Island post up on his site. This time he is featuring Hamilton Park. Click "HERE" for the article and pictures.

Did you know that we found Staten Island through his site? I had never been to Staten Island before I read about it on Forgotten NY about three years ago. We almost bought a building we saw on his site, in Vinegar Hill, but the foundation was badly eaten by termites. So, we methodically visited every Forgotten NY neighborhood before deciding that St. George was the one for us.

The Prodigal Borough was almost named The Forgotten Borough (if you type in www.forgottenborough.com you arrive at our site) but we decided that the name was too similar to Kevin's site name. But you never know, we might still use it someday or maybe we should share it and make a page that features all of Kevin's Staten Island Forgotten NY tours. Get busy Kevin! Kevin grew up on Staten Island. Buy Kevin's book, Forgotten NY "HERE. "

Please Move To Tompkinsville: Another North Shore Neighborhood in the Press

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:01:00 +0000

At the Everything Goes Bookstore and Cafe, in Tompkinsville, the performers Christoph and Trish sing their song "Please Move To Tompkinsville"
Excerpt from The New York Times
By Carole Braden
Published: December 9, 2007
For the full article and pictures click on the headline above.

During the morning rush, commuters from the rest of Staten Island, bound for offices in Manhattan and elsewhere, exit the Staten Island Railway at Tompkinsville, a stop before the ferry terminal in St. George, and head out to the street in droves.

It takes a local resident like James Boivin to know that these people aren’t alighting here out of any particular wish to visit the neighborhood, but to duck Staten Island’s sole bank of MetroCard turnstiles at the ferry stop. “They avoid the fare by getting off at Tompkinsville,” said Mr. Boivin, “and walking the rest of the way to the ferry terminal.”

Deirdre Parker, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, explained that because a majority of Staten Island Railway riders are commuters to Manhattan and beyond, the authority had decided against the expense of installing turnstiles anywhere else along the line. Thus Tompkinsville, which is wedged between the better-established North Shore neighborhoods of St. George and Stapleton, has become the hop-off point for fare dodgers who get on at points south.

Mr. Boivin, a community activist who works as a freelance garden designer and real estate broker, has lived in the area for more than 20 years. He moved into his current home in Tompkinsville in 1999 after a stint in Europe, and runs a bed-and-breakfast out of his two-floor rental in a 1910 brownstone on Montgomery Avenue, for which he originally paid $500 a month (he would not reveal his current rent). He described the area as one of the most “robust, diverse” ones in the city, pointing to the mix in the local school playgrounds as proof. (School data cite a student population speaking 37 languages.)

Census figures from 2000 show a general neighborhood population of about 4,300, roughly 60 percent nonwhite, though more recent estimates suggest the numbers have climbed. Boroughwide, the overall population has jumped 7 percent since 2000, while the minority population has increased 25 percent.

The accurate figure for Tompkinsville, of course, depends on pinning down exact neighborhood boundaries, which proves an elusive task. The heart of the community, about a quarter-mile square and surrounding a vest-pocket triangle called Tompkinsville Park, is not at issue. It spans from New York Harbor on the east to St. Paul’s Avenue on the west, from Victory Boulevard to the north to Grant Street on the south.

It’s once you wander farther that the debates begin about this area named for an early 19th-century state governor, Daniel D. Tompkins. Many residents declare it larger, stretching it north to Benziger Avenue and beyond (an area that others consider part of St. George), or south to surround Clinton and Baltic Streets (more often claimed by Stapleton). Many also maintain that Tompkinsville encompasses Ward Hill, a grander area bound by St. Paul’s and Cebra Avenues and Victory Boulevard.

“You can’t be wrong” when it comes to boundaries on Staten Island, said Thomas W. Matteo, the borough historian — leaving unstated the obvious corollary that you can’t be right either.

One border that nobody argues about is the one that the harbor’s edge enforces — the area that stands to bring in more house hunters someday, residents and real estate brokers say. One condominium building and two midrise co-ops, both former warehouses, overlook the water from Bay Street Landing, a dead end at the northern tip of this neighborhood’s largely undeveloped waterfront (or the southern tip of St. George’s). This area is to be part of the St. George Esplanade in coming years.

Developers like Leib Puretz, who owns 130 Bay Street Landing, are angling to get in on the action with residential properties, near the water and farther inland.

Zoning rules don’t allow new construction exceeding five or six stories, said Joseph Carroll, the district manager of Community Board 1, but he acknowledged that the zoning could change. “Most people agree that there is a need for height here,” Mr. Carroll said. Upward construction would greatly increase the housing opportunities in the area, and its cachet. Or so local brokers hope.

What You’ll Find

Tompkinsville is a grab bag, offering everything from Victorians, colonials and Federal-style structures to 21st-century conversions. There are town houses, co-ops, condos, rentals and, for would-be landlords, multiunit buildings.

On Tompkins Circle and Ward Avenue, on the Ward Hill edge, houses are more luxurious; on St. Paul’s Avenue, they are slightly more modest, though often with water views.

“There isn’t a house here that you couldn’t make into a wonder,” said Norma Sue Wolfe, a sales associate for Gateway Arms Realty. Streets including Swan, Grant and Van Duzer are an odd mix: original clapboard facades and aging brick buildings, side by side with vinyl-clad homes and other surprises.

Closer to the bustle of Victory Boulevard are a number of lavishly redone buildings. Because Staten Island over all is “just not a sexy place,” said Kevin Barry, who owns 15 buildings in the borough, he is doing his bit toward changing that, with sleek rentals marketed to younger buyers priced out of Manhattan and Brooklyn. He describes his three-story 11-unit building at Victory Boulevard and St. Marks Place as having a “young dorm feel.”

Beyond the foot of Victory Boulevard, near the waterfront, stand the condos, co-ops and town houses of Bay Street Landing. It was the views that brought Linda Daller here. A 28-year resident of Suffolk County on Long Island, Ms. Daller spent eight years on South Shore Staten Island before finding and closing on a 910-square-foot unit at 10 Bay Street Landing. “I thought about Manhattan for a while,” she said, “but it’s 10 times the price.”

What You’ll Pay

There are deals, but many of them need updating. Still, those in sticker shock from other areas will find this one refreshingly affordable.

For one thing, the borough has not proved as slump-proof as Manhattan. “Prices in this area are down at least 13 percent from last year,” said Adele Sammarco, a spokeswoman for the Staten Island Board of Realtors.

According to the board, the median price in Tompkinsville this year was $442,500. At the moment inventory is not huge, judging from a Multiple Listing Service search that yielded 31 properties. These ranged in price from $239,900, for a 1910 two-family colonial with 1,700 square feet of living space, to $999,000, for a 4,500-square-foot Ward Hill five-bedroom with harbor views. A 1930 single-family attached home with an Art Deco facade, listed at $335,000, has an accepted offer. Dimas Lespier of Exit Realty Solutions recently sold a three-bedroom, three-bath town house on Margo Loop for $360,000.

New construction includes a condo, The Pointe, at Victory Boulevard and Bay Street. The broker, Casandra Properties, says the 57-unit complex is half sold.

Rentals seem strong. George Christo, a developer, hopes to get as much as $2,500 for the 800-square-foot penthouse of his as-yet-unnamed new building, and $2,200 for the units below it.

Nick Purpura, who moved from SoHo two months ago to a two-bedroom in a former firehouse at Hannah and Van Duzer Streets, said he pays “Manhattan rent,” but gets “way more space.”

What to Do

The Every Thing Goes Book Cafe and Neighborhood Stage, on Bay Street, draws a varied crowd with organic espresso, local cider, art exhibitions and music nights. But Tompkinsville has yet to nurture the upscale restaurants and bars found nearby in both St. George and Stapleton. Still, its restaurants offer Mexican, Dominican, Honduran, Jamaican and Sri Lankan food. Residents tend to wish aloud for a grocery like Whole Foods, but for now they make do with bodegas, as well as a Western Beef supermarket nearby.

The George Cromwell Recreation Center at Pier No. 6 offers sports from boxing to basketball, and the Joseph H. Lyons Pool is a summer wonderland. (Adult membership is a total of $75 a year for both facilities.)

The Commute

Commuters favor the 25-minute free ride on the Staten Island Ferry to Battery Park. The walk to the terminal takes about 10 minutes.

Everything Goes Bookstore and Cafe in Tompkinsville is currently displaying paintings by Mary Bullock.

Christmas on the Ferry

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 04:01:00 +0000

New York Times writers, Ken Belson and Nate Schweber, took a ride on the ferry on Christmas day and interviewed a few people for the December 26, 2007 issue. Click on the headline above to read the full article.

Verrazano Vineyard? The Only Vineyard in New York City is Underway

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 06:36:00 +0000

The God and Goddess of Wine by Cynthia von Buhler.
While I have my ear to the ground on Staten Island this bit of news actually came to me from my Italian gallery partner, Stefania Carrozzini, at our ("Carrozzini von Buhler Gallery "in Manhattan). I was telling her how much she would love it here and how so many people speak Italian when she said "Si, I know all about it. I read about it in the New York Times the other day. They are making wine there."

What?!

So, I dug around online and found the article. Here it is:

A Toast to Tuscany, With a Staten Island Red
By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO
Published: November 13, 2007, The New York Times

"CRESPINA, Italy, Nov. 7 — The visit to this picturesque corner of Tuscany probably will not spawn a best-selling sequel with a title like “Under the Staten Island Sun.” But in the not-too-distant future, Staten Island will bring a little bit of Tuscany to New York, in the form of a vineyard being developed at the Staten Island Botanical Garden.

A group of businessmen from the borough spent a few days this month rambling through lush vineyards, Renaissance villas and an Etruscan tomb, seeking the essence of the Tuscan experience to transplant back home. They hope the vineyard, which they said would be the first large-scale venture of its kind in the city, will entice more visitors to the oft-forgotten borough.

“We were looking for something to draw tourists off the ferry and see what Staten Island has to offer,” said Henry Arlin Salmon, a Staten Island real estate appraiser and one of the members of the Tuscan Gardens Vineyard Founders Group, which is behind the planned winery.

The Tuscan angle seemed natural, considering that nearly 38 percent of Staten Island residents are of Italian ancestry, according to the 2000 Census, more than any other county in the United States, said Joseph J. LiBassi, a promoter of the vineyard project and a member of the botanical garden’s board. “The vineyard encapsulates what Italians brought to Staten Island: agriculture, wine, culture.”

Of course, he added, the vineyard should appeal to non-Italians, too. “There are a lot of wine aficionados,” he said.

Work on the vineyard should start in the spring on about two acres of botanical garden land next to the Tuscan Villa and the Tuscan Garden exhibitions under construction. (The Tuscan Garden is based on the Villa Gamberaia, at Settignano, near Florence.)

Experts in viticulture and enology at Cornell University are helping determine which Italian grape varieties will have the best chance of thriving on Staten Island, “which can get pretty damp,” Mr. Salmon said. Because it is illegal to import vine cuttings into the United States, the plants will most likely come from vineyards in upstate New York or, perhaps, California.

Eventually, the idea is to make red wine — and someday maybe white — from the 2,000 vines that organizers of the vineyard figure will be planted at the botanical garden. It will be years, however, before anyone can get a tasting of Staten Island red.

As for potential names for the winery? Mr. LiBassi proposed “Crespina Staten Wine.”

R. Randy Lee, a real estate developer and the chairman of the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation, suggested “Vespucci” or “Verrazano.”

The wine is also expected to incorporate the kind of heritage grape varieties that would have been known in colonial times.

“After all, George Washington wasn’t importing wines from Tuscany,” Mr. Lee said. “I’m not sure how it will taste, but we want to reproduce it.”

The interest in heritage grape varieties is one reason the Staten Island delegation came to this part of Tuscany, to meet with Piergiorgio Castellani, a winemaker trying to save indigenous local grape varieties from extinction.

Mr. Castellani plans to travel to Staten Island in February to provide technical assistance on the vineyard. The borough, he said, “is not the best microclimate in the world; it’s close to a large city, there’s pollution. So they have to find a compromise solution that will mix resistant, adaptable vines with the right Tuscan varieties.”

Mr. Castellani, who escorted the Staten Island group to the University of Pisa to meet with viticulture experts, added: “The principal aim of the project is didactic. We’ve given them a broad basis of knowledge so they can go forward.”

Once the vineyard is up and running, visitors will be able to follow winemaking from the vine to the bottle.

“It’s basically chemistry; you mash grapes, and there’s a chemical reaction,” Mr. Salmon said. “Let’s face it, wine is exciting.”

The visit from the Staten Island delegation caused a major buzz in this small town roughly 21 miles south of Pisa that is known for its hoot owls. Officials in Crespina were thrilled when Staten Island officials accepted their invitation to be a sister city. “For a town of 4,000, it was like entering a skyscraper,” said Thomas D’Addona, Crespina’s mayor.

In addition to a small parade down the town’s main street (serenaded by the Walking Sharks Street Band) and a crossbow demonstration, the town’s celebrations included a photo session with Giancarlo Giannini, an Italian movie star who has a home in the area.

A previous sister city partnership with the French town of Penchard some time ago was kept alive for a few years and then passed into oblivion, local officials said. But the vineyard at the botanical garden, everyone involved agreed, will be one tangible link across the ocean.

“If they want us for the grape harvest, we’ll be ready to go with our boots and tools,” Mr. D’Addona said.

The Circular World Of The Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:38:00 +0000

Bloggers read news items or other blog posts and then post about it on their own blog. Here is an example of how ciruclar this can be: I posted about an article on Staten Island that was in The New York Times. (See Bohemia by the Bay a couple of posts down.) Then The New York Times quoted from my post. Now I am posting again about their article. Confused yet? You can read what they have to say "HERE. "

A Brand New South Ferry Subway Station in 2008

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:17:00 +0000

Thanks to a Prodigal Borough blog post from Cid for alerting us to this fantastic news.

Excerpted from The Lower Manhattan Info Web Page:

A ride on the 1 train down to the end of the line is a one-of-a-kind New York subway experience. To exit the train at the South Ferry station, riders must be in the first five cars of the train, where they wait for retractable floor grates to close the gap between the doors and the sharply curved platform before heading up the stairs to use the station’s single exit.

This old-fashioned experience is about to become obsolete, as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority spends $450 million of the Federal Transit Administration’s post-9/11 funds to usher the original 1905 South Ferry station into the 21st century.

In August 2008, the South Ferry subway station -- now a small, curved platform -- will become a brighter, ADA-accessible terminal. The new station will accommodate 10-car trains and have multiple station entrances, including escalators and elevators.

Work on the revamped station began in late 2004, just as the finishing touches were being put on the neighboring Whitehall Ferry Terminal. The single greatest improvement of the new station is its new platform -- a standard, 10-car platform that’s as straight as an arrow and ADA-accessible. It will connect to the R and W trains at the Whitehall subway station and lead to three separate street exits: one near Whitehall, one at State Street, and one at the edge of Battery Park.

The first phase of construction is taking place in Peter Minuit Plaza, directly in front of the ferry terminal. The plaza is above the current subway station’s loop tracks (which enable the train to turn around), and there the MTA’s work crews are excavating the 50-foot-wide tunnel that will house the new station’s tracks.

In summer 2005, work began under the northeast section of Battery Park, where new tunnels are being opened and tracks laid. As part of the MTA’s commitment to the New York City Parks Department, trees and other foliage aboveground will be preserved and replanted at the end of the project -- along with other improvements the Parks Department had planned for Battery Park.

Throughout the project, the MTA is committed to keeping noise to a minimum, using dedicated truck routes, and running equipment with ultra-low-sulfur fuel. Ensuring access to area businesses and to the ferry terminal are also top priorities.

When South Ferry is completed in 2008, residents, commuters, and visitors will have a clean, new subway station and an open, pedestrian-friendly Peter Minuit Plaza that leads to the Staten Island Ferry, Battery Park, and the diverse Lower Manhattan community.

History in the Making at South Ferry

In the single most historically rich area of New York, it is no surprise that artifacts dating back to the early 18th century might crop up at construction sites. But no one was expecting four pre-revolutionary-era stone walls to stand, literally, in the way of South Ferry subway station progress.

Discovered by Metropolitan Transportation Authority crews during excavation for the $400 million terminal, the walls were revealed in sections along State Street at Battery Park. The first, uncovered in November 2005 near Battery Place, set off a flurry of archaeological activity by the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), both eager to determine the wall's original function and construction date.

But before city and state officials could even really dig into analyzing the wall, another was found, then another, then another, along with thousands of smaller artifacts such as fragments of ceramic dishes, bottle glass, bones, and an intact 1744 British coin. It became clear that one crew's historical goldmine is another's construction excavation dilemma.

"We were expecting to find artifacts [at the site]. That's why we had archaeologists supervising the excavation," says Mysore Nagaraja, P.E., president of MTA Capital Construction. Planners went so far as to create a map overlay of the archaeological "hotspots" in the construction area, which proved to be spot-on. But of the walls themselves -- while significant to the history of Manhattan and the nation -- he says, "They are very much in the way."

Four Walls as One Fortification

The four walls, though unearthed in sections as far apart as 500 feet, appear to have been part of the same pre-Revolutionary War battery wall. Dating from the mid-1700s, SHPO archaeologists concluded that they represent "one of the oldest standing manmade structures in the United States, part of the first military fortifications during the colonial years by the British," according to a report by the MTA.

Click on the post headline for more information.

Just Announced: New Stapleton Branch of The New York Public Library

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:29:00 +0000

Council Member Michael E. McMahon Unveils Renovation Plans for Stapleton Branch of The New York Public Library

A State-of-the-art renovation will double the library’s size, add more than two dozen new computers, 11 laptop stations, wireless access, new areas for adults, teens and children and self-checkout stations

At a press conference today, Council Member Michael E. McMahon and officials from The New York Public Library announced a dramatic renovation and expansion of the library’s Stapleton Branch, located at 132 Canal St. The building will undergo a technology facelift, receiving 11 laptop plug-in stations, convenient self-checkout stations and free wireless Internet access. Public space will more than double, and a light, airy new building will be added to the historic structure, retaining its character and providing neighborhood residents a sleek, modern new library.

“I am delighted that I could help secure funding for the renovation and expansion of the Stapleton Branch Library,” said Council Member McMahon. “This project will provide the community with a beautiful new state-of-the-art library with access to countless resources – all free of charge.”

The renovation, designed by Andrew Berman Architect, will provide new areas for adults, teens and children, as well as a community room. The adjoining new building will feature 13-foot ceilings, attractive wood floors and a glass curtain wall to create light and space. Adult and teen reading areas will include cozy chairs for reading, and the children’s area will feature interactive educational games. The project is to include a new HVAC system and new electrical wiring.

"We are exceedingly thankful to Council Member McMahon, who provided over $5 million toward this project," said Mary Frances Cooper, Deputy Director for Public Services at The New York Public Library. We are also grateful to Mayor Bloomberg and Borough President Molinaro for making this significant contribution to the neighborhood a reality,” “The renovated Stapleton Branch Library will become a well of information and enrichment for the entire community.”

The renovation and expansion of the Stapleton Branch Library is generously funded by the City of New York: Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor; Christine C. Quinn, City Council Speaker; James P. Molinaro, Staten Island Borough President, and Michael E. McMahon, City Council Member.

About the Stapleton Branch
The Stapleton Branch of The New York Public Library, which opened in 1907, is located on Canal Street, near the center of Stapleton Village and adjacent to Tappen Park and the Old Village Hall. The graceful, single story, brick and limestone building was constructed with funds provided by Andrew Carnegie. It was designed by Carrere and Hastings. Today the Stapleton Branch continues to be a center of community life. The branch serves its diverse neighborhood by presenting programs for all ages, providing access to computer technology and lending books, magazines and other media to inform, educate, and entertain. Programs include a book discussion group, picture book hours, preschool programs and arts & crafts programs for teens.

About The New York Public Library
The New York Public Library was created in 1895 with the consolidation of the private libraries of John Jacob Astor and James Lenox with the Samuel Jones Tilden Trust. The Library provides free and open access to its physical and electronic collections and information, as well as to its services. It comprises four research centers – The Humanities and Social Sciences Library; The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts; the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; and the Science, Industry and Business Library – and 87 Branch Libraries in Manhattan, Staten Island, and the Bronx. Research and circulating collections combined total more than 50 million items. In addition, each year the Library presents thousands of exhibitions and public programs, which include classes in technology, literacy, and English as a second language. The New York Public Library serves over 15 million patrons who come through its doors annually and another 21 million users internationally, who access collections and services through its website, www.nypl.org. Click the headline to viist the NYPL website.

Note from CVB: Hmmm... new library, beautiful houses, great coffee shops, and restaurants. Last time I looked this gorgeous house in Stapleton was for sale along with another pretty white Victorian across the street:

Channel 13 to give an “Island Tour” in early December

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:19:00 +0000

By TEVAH PLATT
ADVANCE STAFF WRITER

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The history and culture of Staten Island — from Dutch settlement to Denino’s pizza — will be the subject of an hour-long Thirteen/WNET documentary to air during the station’s pledge drive in early December. Co-hosts David Hartman and historian Barry Lewis reunited for “A Walk Through Staten Island,” the latest in an acclaimed PBS series that has featured 10 other walking tours of various sections of New York and New Jersey over the past decade.

“This has been a wonderful immersion in Staten Island culture,” said Hartman, who is also well known as the first and longtime co-host of ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “It’s been a real education.”

Hartman and Lewis disembark to explore Borough Hall and the Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George; the Conference House in Tottenville; the Greenbelt; the Alice Austen House, Sandy Ground and the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum; the Sea View Hospital Historic District; the Seguine Mansion; the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art; Historic Richmond Town; the 9/11 “Postcards” Memorial; Fort Wadsworth, and Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Livingston.

“It will change a lot of perceptions,” said Cesar J. Claro, executive director of the Richmond County Savings Foundation, which recently approved a $50,000 grant that made the documentary possible. He referred to both newcomers and residents of Staten Island: “I would bet that more than half of Staten Islanders haven’t visited all of the borough’s cultural institutions,” he said.

For the documentary makers, it was a crash course in all things Staten Island, and they came away with astute observations about the borough’s — you know — Staten Islandness.

Hartman noted the difficulty of getting around on Staten Island by public transportation, and the abundance of good Italian food. He also noticed the degree to which Islanders coalesced around the tragedy of Sept. 11 — a remarkable thing, he said, for a town of a half-million people.

“Maybe the fact that it’s the most remote borough allowed it to develop at its own speed, in its own way,” he said at Snug Harbor yesterday. “And so it has a different feel from the other boroughs.”

Hartman also sensed a pride in independence among Staten Islanders.

“Staten Island has a multiple personality,” observed producer James Nicoloro. “It’s got a city feel and a country feel. … In a funny sort of way, it’s New York City but it’s not New York City.”

It’s also a borough with great stories: From the oystermen and strawberry farmers of Sandy Ground, the country’s oldest free black settlement, to the doctors who found a cure for tuberculosis at Sea View, the grounds of the former Farm Colony and once the largest tuberculosis hospital in the world.

“I came into this thing as an outsider and I was impressed with what I found,” said Nicoloro.

Bohemia By The Bay: The New York Times Features Staten Island

noreply@blogger.com (CvB) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:59:00 +0000

Cara Buckley from the New York Times first contacted me about this feature a few months ago. Supposedly she had heard my interview on NY1 or maybe she had heard Sara Valentine's interview on NPR. Either way, she got in touch with me first and she wanted to come to Staten Island and find out if it was becoming "hip". I introduced her to most of the people I know on Staten Island including Christoph and Trish who were just about perfect for this piece because of their witty songs about the island. Michelle Monteleone, from The Times, also came to the island and I gave her a little tour and interview. In her video, Adam Ferretti, makes a good point. Staten Island attracts "more actual artists" and not hipsters who desire to to be seen as cool. Many people were interviewed and things were left out due to space constraints. My main feelings about Staten Island were not included. This is how I feel: I live here because I want to, not because I have to. Staten Island's North Shore offers trees, gardens, unique people, diversity, large beautiful homes, safety, fog horns, water, marinas, really good Italian food, and it is IN New York City. Sure, it is cheaper than Manhattan but most places are. We looked everywhere (Ditmas Park, DUMBO, Vinegar Hill, City Island, Jersey City, Jersey City Heights, Kensington, Manhattan, The Bronx, Westchester, Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn Heights, Crown Heights, and so many more places) and we chose Staten Island because of this unique combination of all the things we wanted. Also, I'm so sick of ferry bashing. The ferry is the best thing about my day. It is so beautiful and relaxing to take a boat into the city. I can use my computer. I can stare at the water. I never get sick of it. And it is exotic to take a boat to work. I would take 22 minutes on the ferry over 22 minutes on the F or L trains in Brooklyn any day! Please! Let the hipsters stay where they are but bring on the real artists.

"Hipsters On Staten Island" video from The New York Times. Yours truly is featured in this but I'm NOT a hipster, sorry!

"Bohemia By The Bay" a feature article from The New York Times

And speaking of hipsters here is a YouTube video you MUST watch. The Hipster Olympics in Williamsburg:

Thank you to all of you came out to meet and talk to Cara and Michelle: Kamillah Hanks, Diane Matyas, Michelle Budenz, The Fort Hill Circle clan, Rispoli (who fed us delicous Italian ices), Leidy's, Everything Goes Cafe, The Downtown Staten Island Council (who didn't know that Cara was there at their party), The St. George Theater, Cargo, Sara Valentine, Gregor Scheer, Ann Marie and Wilder Selzer, Russell Farhang, the attic guys at The Staten Island Museum who gave us tours, and those of you who met Cara at Leidys. And thank you to Cara and Michelle for finding out more about us.

Please read the article and watch the video and post your thoughts on it below. Many people wrote to me (via e-mail and my "MySpace page" ) but it would be good to let others hear what you have to say as well.

Photographs from Cynthia von Buhler and Russell Farhang's party at their home to celebrate the closing of Show & Tell at The Staten Island Museum. Click on the pictures to enlarge them.
The Times sent a photographer to my recent Staten Island Museum closing party at our house but they only printed one photo (without a credit, it was of The Hungry March Band) so here are some photos, by Paul Weiner, from the party. It attracted a ton of people from Manhattan and also from Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Boston, New Jersey, and the island. And people of all different ages arrived, not just twenty-something hipsters (although there were plenty of those in attendance). So, things are a-changing here. Thanks to: The Hungry March Band for leading a parade from the museum up to our house, Christoph and Trish (and Russell) for entertaining us with songs about Staten Island, Al Gori and his fabulous merry-go-round (a big hit with children and adults), Miwa (our lovely bartender), Dalia (who helped me clean up and prepare the house for a Latina magazine photoshoot that happened the next day at 8AM), and all of you who took the ferry over (and loved the ride).