The opening of the Sailor's Snug Harbor kicked off Staten Island in the 1830s. This decade was developmental for the Island and paved way for the establishments we know today.

July 1837 - Richmond Co. Mirror is published.

Numerous other newspaper companies existed on the Island before the Advance; the first newspaper was the Richmond County Mirror in 1837. The paper covered topics in Manhattan and Staten Island. The founder was Francis L. Hagadorn, who was a son of a New York newspaper editor and an active General in the state militia.

Its slogan was: "a weekly paper printed on Staten Island, devoted to science, literature & news."

New Brighton housed the original offices until 1839, when it was decided to move to Stapleton. The last issue was…

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Like White Playground, Von Briesen Park is located in Shore Acres near Fort Wadsworth. The park is on the property of Arthur Von Briesen, a German immigrant who later served in the Civil War. 

Von Briesen purchased this land in 1901; he named it “Gernda”, translating to “wishing to be there” in German. The property was originally an orchard and greenhouse and Von Briesen maintained it during his residency.

Facilities  
Dog-friendly park  

Von Briesen passed away in 1920 but his property wasn't donated to the Parks Department until 1949.  It was then that the home was demolished by the Parks Comissioner.  The park wasn't open to the public until 1949, no recreational facilities were added, City of New York Parks &…

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Last year, the Island was struck by Hurricane Sandy; unfortunately many of our friends and families lost their homes and belongings. CYO hosted the "Christmas Toy Drive" for those affected and Tom Crimmins Realty, with many of our friends, helped support. This year makes no difference. 

On behalf of the Director of Catholic Charities of Staten Island, Joe Panepinto, his assistant Michael spoke about this year's drive.

The drive produced over 500 toys and were distributed mainly to the community. Majority of the toys were given to an afterschool program, Physical Fitness and Wellness Program, and children in Port Richmond.

"People are especially generous this time of year," said Michael. "We counted a lot of our donations from Continental…

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The holiday season is at our door and some times it is hard to close a deal on a home. Timing the market is never easy, because it is a constant change. Comparing the market statistics from last year to now on the Island, the market is increasing.

Real Estate Sales

From 147 homes sold in 2012 to the 163 homes in 2013, there is an increase of almost 11%.

This past November we had 279 sales at an average sale price of a little over $424,000. November's monthly volume was over $118,371,000. 

This chart shows our increase from last year's number of 191 sales. There has been a 1.46% positive change.

Dollar Volume

November 2011-2012 November 2012-13
$63,999,850 $72,111,572 
Difference  % Change
$8,111,722 12.67%

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Date Time Place Event Description Contact & Fee  Info

Fri., Dec 20, 2013

9:00 am - 5:00 pm

SIABC, 73 Wave Street I-Land Exhibition View self portraits that reflect Staten Island. There is also a Holiday Pop-Up Market.  

Fri & Sat., Dec 20-21, 2013

11:00 am - 4:00 pm

Tottenville Historical Society, 229 Main Street Holiday Festival of Trees  Christmas trees individually decorated to reflect the Old World traditions and the Hanukkah Festival of Lights. Gift Shop will be open.

 

718.887.9125

Sat., Dec 21, 2013

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Casa Belvedere, 79 Howard Avenue Italian Christmas Cooking Classes Learn how to make Italian holiday classics for…

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Walker Park, initially known as Livingston Park, holds a distinguished place in the history of New York cricket and tennis. Founded in 1872, it was the grounds for the Cricket and Baseball Club.  

Tennis was introduced to North America by Mary Outerbridge when she came back from a vacation in Bermuda.

The first national tennis tournament for the Davis Cup was played at this park.  In 1885, the club was moved from in St. George to its current location on Delafield Place between Davis and Bard Avenue.

Staten Island Academy bought the grounds in 1925, and the City bought the property five years later for $110,000.  

The name was changed in 1934 to honor Lieutenant Randolph Walker Jr., who died in World War I. The Staten Island Cricket Club still…

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Before Snug Harbor became a popular Island attraction for plays and art opening, its original intention (and location) was the opposite. Known as Sailors Snug Harbor, was built in 1801 as a home for retired sailors as per Captain Robert Richard Randall's will request.

His will stated the wish for "his Manhattan estate be used to start a marine hospital for 'aged, decrepit and worn-out seamen.'"

Snug Harbor was moved from Manhattan to Staten Island when Randall's relatives wanted to maximize land profits. As a result, Snug Harbor was relocated to Staten Island in 1831.

Sailor's Snug Harbor opened in 1833, with an initial 37 residents and over time expanded in population and buildings, including chapels and music halls.

In the 1960s a few of the…

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Taking care of your roof is an important part of home maintenance and you don’t want to suffer a leak or any other problem during the cold months.

Here are some tips that every homeowner should know:

Check Out Your Gutters

Your gutters are an important part of your roof, because they allow water to flow away from the roof surface before it causes rot and damage. During the winter, your gutters will be more likely to get clogged with fallen leaves, snow and ice and can get blocked if they are not cleared out.

Get yourself a ladder and a friend to hold it for you and clean any leaves, debris and dirt from the gutters.Flush the gutters outwith a hose afterward to ensure they are clean. If your gutters have become damaged or leaky, you can use…

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Date Time Place Event Description Contact & Fee  Info

Fri, Dec. 13, 2013

10:00 am

- 7:00 pm

 The PATH Family Center, 1779 Richmond Ave.

Holiday Boutique Fundraiser

 Take pictures with Santa, supervised kids playroom while you shop. Vendors still welcome.

 Free Admission

718.494.4120

Fri, Dec. 13, 2013

11:00 am 

- 2:00 pm

 

 

 Eden II Adult Services, 94 Wright Ave.                          

10th Annual Holiday Craft Fair

 Join Eden II for lunch, baked goods, knick knacks and other holiday goodies!

                              718.442.1741

Fri, Dec. 13, 2013

7:00 pm

 - 9:00 pm

 Salem…

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In 1817, a year after his election, Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins developed the first motorized ferry for the Richmond Turnpike Company, as a part of his created Tompkinsville. He financed the Turnpike Company himself. Tompkins first intensions was to create a highway across Staten Island. Before the motorized ferry, there were originally "two-masted sailingboats."

John De Forest was the first captain of this new motorized ferry, name the Nautilus, named after the Nautilus Hall. De Forest was the brother-in-law of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt bought the company in 1838 but sold it to his brother Jacob in the early 1860's when the American Civil War began.

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