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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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