Eat New York: A Book by Amy Zavatto

St. George, Staten Island author Amy Zavatto has a new book out. Here is a review by Josh Ozersky from The Feedbag, A Gastronmic Gazette. Click on the title above to go to The Feedbag website.

I always liked the idea of The Hedonist’s Guides, which tend to me more discerning than most guidebooks, and in addition have the added benefit of fitting into your pocket. But I have all new respect for the series now that I’ve been perusing the Eat New York edition, which just came out. Amy Zavatto did this edition, and it’s frisky and well-informed. But the best part is that it draws heavily on an advisory team of chefs, food writers, and various high-profile feinshmeckers, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Anthony Bourdain, Jay McInerney, Daniel Boulud, Wylie Dufresne, and yours truly. If you’re a hardcore New York eater (and as a reader of The Feedbag we take for granted that you are) few of the places profiled here will come as a surprise to you. But it’s a nice stocking stuffer for trans-Hudsons friends and relatives, and useful for the pockets and glove compartments of those of us who like books better than Blackberries. Besides, there is a pleasure in perusing these pages, planning future meals and recollecting past ones.

Gorgeous Kreischer Mansion Is Up For Grabs

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

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

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

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

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

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