It looks my favorite former taxicab narrator is coming to the Prodigal Borough -- or at least, coming to a mobile device near you. As a joint effort, four of our own civic organizations -- The Council on the Arts & Humanities of Staten Island (COAHSI), the Staten Island Museum of the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences, the Downtown Staten Island Council and the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce -- got togther and raised $45,000 to produce the tours, which lead listeners from Ellis Island to St. George and beyond.
My personal favorite tour is "Stop 11: An Introduction to St. George, the Heart of Staten Island" which talks about the elegant and glorious past of our lovely part of town. It seems that not much has changed since the early days of the island -- nearly 100 years ago -- when Erastus Wiman saw its great potential as a place to live. "For the mechanic and the working man," he said, "property is too expensive. Staten Island's wide areas afford the best hope." Sounds tru to us. Sorvino concurs. Noting that Staten Island is the only borough whose population has never stopped growing, he reasons that "New Yorkers are drawn to an island where most of the homes still have backyards." True indeed.
The tour is free until June 1st, and can be reached by calling: 718-297-8687 (718-297-TOUR). After June 1, the cost will be $5.95 for the entire program.
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