Forgotten NY St. George Tour

Our favorite NYC website Forgotten NY takes us on a house tour...with a little help from Prodigal Borough blogger Cynthia von Buhler. Click HERE to go to Forgotten NY to read the article.

Postcard From The Rails: Artist Mary Bullock Travels The Staten Island Railroad

Excerpt from The Staten Island Advance by Virginia Sherry, December 18, 2008:

Who would ever think to explore all 22 stops along the Staten Island Railway, and transform the experience into a creative project?

Tompkinsville artist Mary Bullock did.

For weeks earlier this year, she rode the railway line, disembarked at every station, and took thousands of photographs of anything within walking distance that struck her discerning eye.

"It was an overwhelming thing - I had to keep reminding myself that I was in New York City," she said.

The culmination of her work is "Postcards from the Rails: Journey Along a Path Apart," which premiered last Sunday at the SHOW Gallery at 156 Stuyvesant Pl. in St. George. The subtitle is recognition that the railway does not connect to any other line, and traveling it "reveals strong local identities along its length."

Ms. Bullock designed 23 postcards - one for each neighborhood along the railway's stops on the North, East and South shores, from St. George to Tottenville, and a wry card that introduces the project. The 22 neighborhood cards feature color photos on one side, and text on the reverse, filled with facts and personal impressions gathered during the eyes-wide-open journeys.

"It was very revealing - I was amazed that no two stops were alike," she told the Advance. She was also surprised that from the platforms of each station there was "not a chain store in sight," with only one exception.

This project 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 City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Click on the headline to visit postcardsfromtherails.com

Here is a sampling of what she found along her journey:

GRASMERE

This bucolic lakeside scene is just a few minutes’ walk from the Railway Station. Staten Island has a large number of surprisingly “rural” spots. The owners of the houses around this lake, and another one nearby, are members of a long-standing private community.

Also near the Station are various storefronts and a small shopping center.

OLD TOWN

Southeast of the Railway Station, just one block off busy, commercial, Hylan Boulevard is a low beige brick building. It’s Sunday. Under an American flag, multicolored triangles flutter over a courtyard. In the enclosed patio a sign asks, “Please take off shoes.”

Through the doorway is another world, a Sikh Temple. You are greeted by men in turbans and women in brightly colored saris and veils. They invite you to stay for the ceremony, hear musicians play beautiful ragas, and share a meal.

DONGAN HILLS

The area surrounding the Dongan Hills Station boasts two other barber shops/salons in addition to Frank’s, pictured here. The saying goes: You find the good in church, the bad in prison, and the real in the barber shop.

There is also a corner business with two huge plate glass windows but no external signage. If you peer in you see “Lee’s Tavern” in gold letters over the bar mirror. Some say their thin-crust pizza is the best in the Borough.

ELTINGVILLE

DeRosa & Sons Pastosa Ravoli is a Staten Island institution. The store signs on Richmond Avenue may list every version of pasta known to man. Pasta is made fresh on the premises and they offer a gluten-free product line.

Next door is Joyce’s Tavern, an Irish Pub. Though 64 languages are spoken by Staten Island’s burgeoning ethnic population, Italian-Americans and Irish-Americans remain major groups.

Excerpt from The Staten Island Advance by Virginia Sherry, December 18, 2008:

TRIBUTES

Some of the postcards are tributes to the individualistic small businesses that are clustered around the stations: Sudsy's Bagels in Pleasant Plains; DeRosa & Sons Pastosa Ravioli in Eltingville; Sports Heroes and Legends in Great Kills; the Net Cost Russian Market in Oakwood Heights; the Grant City Tavern, and Frank's Barber Shop in Dongan Hills.

Exploring near the New Dorp station, the artist saw New Dorp Lane as an "upscale shopping street with plenty of glitz and glamour: "Staten Island's Rodeo Drive."

Her postcard for Tompkinsville is a montage of storefront signs along Victory Boulevard, the major commercial artery, with its rich mix of Sri Lankan, African, Polish, Caribbean, and Central American businesses. She found the street "arguably Staten Island's most ethnically diverse shopping area."

Ms. Bullock hopes that her project "will encourage pride and preservation," particularly because "the economic downturn has given us a reprieve from development, a chance perhaps to once more rethink our destiny.

"There is a way of life here on Staten Island that is worth preserving - New York City as it used to be, a city of small neighborhoods, before the obscene real estate boom transformed so many thriving communities into high-priced ghettos and the big chains eviscerated local small businesses," she observed.


INSPIRATION

As a North Shore resident, Ms. Bullock rarely traveled on the railway. Her project fell into place last year, when she went by rail to Dongan Hills for a routine test at Staten Island University Hospital.

For her return trip, she decided to walk to the next station in Old Town and get on the train there. As she approached the station, she smelled "a wonderful spicy aroma," and saw a woman in a colorful sari stirring a large pot on the grounds of a one-story beige brick building. The artist asked if she could buy lunch. A man wearing a turban replied: "You can't buy it, but we'll give you lunch."

The artist removed her shoes, entered "another world" and found herself enjoying the hospitality of a Sikh temple. She discovered that the building was formerly an American Legion hall, with the elaborate logo still prominently intact on the spotlessly clean terrazzo floor.

Stumbling across something as interesting as the temple, in such close proximity to the railway station, got Ms. Bullock thinking about "what I would find near other stops."


DETAILS

Mary Bullock was born in Detroit, Michigan, first lived on Staten Island in 1980-81, and returned permanently seven years ago.

"I'm still an outsider," she told the Advance, affording her an advantage in exploring the 22 stations with "fresh eyes." She was attentive to details that others, more familiar with the territory, might easily overlook.

Richmond Valley station, the 19th stop from St. George, "has a house so close to the tracks the resident could lean out a put cream in a rider's morning coffee," she wrote on the back of this postcard. "There is no accommodation for pedestrians on either side, just 'country' roads with stands of native plants growing aside small streams."

Atlantic station, the 21st stop, has a platform so short that "only the last car in both directions will open," she noted.

The Pleasant Plains postcard includes an observation that the railway "is embedded in neighborhood life all along its length. Young people often meet in the last car of a particular train and get off at an agreed-to station."

Other postcards highlight architecture in Tottenville and Prince's Bay; natural vistas in Bay Terrace and Grasmere, and waterfront views in St. George, Stapleton, and Clifton.


WEB SITE TOO

As part of the project, Ms. Bullock also developed a Web site that includes a gallery of additional photos and succinct, informative commentary. For current and former Islanders, it is well worth a visit to enjoy what the artist calls her "outsider's view" of the 22 communities along the railway. The address is: www.postcardsfromtherails.com.

"When people look at the postcards and the Web site, I hope they realize what we have here," she said. "It's a small town feeling, and it's very precious. I hope that we don't lose it."

Ms. Bullock's project was funded in part by a Premier Grant from the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island, with public funding from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.

Ms. Bullock views the postcards and accompanying Web site as a "work in progress." The project "got me addicted, and I've just started to scratch the surface," she said.

Just in time for last-minute holiday gifts, boxed sets of the 23 postcards are $10 each, available at SHOW Gallery 718-524-0855. They can also be ordered over the Internet: log on to www.paypal.com; click on Send Money; and send payment to info@showhownyc.com.

Virginia Sherry is a freelance reporter. She can be reached through the Advance at shores@siadvance.com.

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