Found 129 blog entries tagged as staten island.

Hang onto your tree just a little bit longer if you can! The "holidays" are officially over, but there's no rush in taking down your tree just yet.

Wait until sometime between Monday, January 5th and Friday, January 16th. That is the Department of Sanitation's special collection period for discarded Christmas trees. Be sure to remove all tree stands, ornaments, lights, and other decorations, and place the tree curbside. All of the collected trees will be chipped into mulch, which will be distributed to parks, playgrounds, and gardens throughout the city.

For a more hands-on approach to recycling your tree, bring it to the NYC Parks & Recreation Mulchfest! The same concept applies, remove all decorations first, and watch your tree be chipped into…

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Anyone who is reliant on public transportation will tell you, there's always room for improvement when it comes to the MTA. Thankfully, Senator Diane Savino announced this past week that she has secured $350,000 in funding for the installation of digital bus stop signs.

In total, 18 new signs are to be installed on Staten Island's North Shore and some areas of Brooklyn. These signs will feature LED screens displaying in real-time how many stops the next bus has before arriving. There are already two pilot digital signs on the island- one at Hylan Blvd and Reno Ave, the other at Bay Street and Prospect Street, and both signs have been well-received by residents. Exact locations of the new signs are to be decided in the coming months.

The MTA has…

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Staten Island, once known for it's farmland, is returning to it's "roots" with a new agriculture development in Bloomfield on the West Shore.

A vertical farm was planted back in October on the underutilized lands of the West Shore Green Zone on Bloomfield Avenue. The project came to life through a joint effort by the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC) and Living Restoration, a start-up focused on integrating nature into already developed areas. With the help of Nanoponics, a Bloomfield-based company, a special soil blend was developed, containing slow-release nutrients which makes it last longer. A system of delivering water to the plants also needed to be devised, considering there was no usable water at the site.

The short…

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A new video has been released, featuring a virtual tour of the highly anticipated Empire Outlets planned for St. George.


[Video source: empireoutletsnyc.com]

The animated video begins by providing statistics about New York City, including number of residents, tourists, and their shopping habits, while simultaneously taking the viewer on a virtual tour of the Empire Outlets shopping complex design. The video boasts over 100 retail shops are planned, as well as a 190-room boutique hotel offering waterfront dining and "unparalleled" views of the city skyline.

Early stages of construction have begun and the project is expected to be completed in 2016, making it the only outlet mall in New York City. The 630-foot tall New York Wheel will be the…

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A large retail development is in the works to revamp Hylan Plaza, aiming to turn New Dorp into Staten Island's new "downtown hub."


[Graphic source: kimcorealty.com]

Kimco Realty, owner of the Hylan Plaza shopping center, has posted plans for a new, multi-level complex called "The Boulevard." Development will allow for the addition of nine new buildings to the site on Hylan Blvd at Ebbits Street, while only keeping two existing buildings. Since the work is still in the conceptualization phase, a spokesperson for the company was unable to determine when construction would begin. It is not known which of the existing stores in the space will remain there.

Currently, Hylan Plaza is home to about 32 stores. "The Boulevard" will have ground-level…

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A longstanding icon of Staten Island and a resident-favorite bakery, Holtermann's is the borough's oldest family owned and operated business.


[Photo source: silive.com]

Claus Holtermann, a German immigrant and the bakery's founder, began in 1878 by going door-to-door with a basket, selling baked goods from his shop. As business grew, Claus' son, Albert, eventually built a brick storefront by hand in the 1930s. This building still stands and serves as the operation's current headquarters on Arthur Kill Rd in Great Kills.


[Photo source: silive.com]

Albert passed along the reins to his two sons, Albert and Clifford. Albert (Junior) passed away in 2002, but Clifford, 88, and his wife, Ethel, still lend their hands to the business from time to…

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The latest in a series of health initiatives planned by Staten Island Borough President James Oddo calls for students to quit sugary drinks for one month. The "Sodabriety" Challenge has been issued to four area high schools: Staten Island Tech (New Dorp), St. John Villa Academy (Fort Wadsworth), Staten Island Academy (Todt Hill), and Susan Wagner High School (Manor Heights).

Within each school, a Challenge Advisory Council was formed, comprised of ten students and two teachers, designed to promote the campaign and encourage other students to sign up. Participants were asked to fill out surveys before beginning the challenge and once more after they have completed it in 30 days. The incentives offered here are better health and awareness of the negative…

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Fifty years ago, on November 21, 1964, ceremonies were held in Brooklyn for the opening of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Master builder Robert Moses realized his vision of connecting Staten Island to the rest of the boroughs by overseeing the construction of what was then the longest suspension bridge in the world.


[Photo source: silive.com]

Today, in light of the anniversary, a celebration will be held at The Overlook at Fort Wadsworth. Festivities include a 50-gun salute by the New York State Veteran Corps of Artillery, and FDNY Fireboat display in the harbor, and a performance by the acclaimed P.S. 22 Chorus. MTA President James Ferrara, Chairman Thomas F. Pendergast, and other officials will be on hand. Later this evening, a cocktail reception…

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Community safety concerns? Real-time news updates affecting your area? There's an app for that! Borough President James Oddo presented a new, free smartphone app today which he hopes will encourage Islanders to become more engaged with their surroundings.

The new app for smartphones and tablets is called "BP Assist." It will allow residents to report quality-of-life issues, such as potholes, broken street lights and signs, area flooding, andother concerns. The app will also provide news and updates for our area, from street closures, to upcoming events, important borough contact information, the ferry schedule, and more. 

BP Assist is available, free of charge, for Apple and Andriod devices. All submitted issues are sent directly to Borough Hall…

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The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce unveiled a contest for shoppers in an effort to promote local businesses. The message is "shop small," meant to encourage residents to do their buying at area small business rather than big-name retailers. The contest will be running for one day, the Saturday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday, designated as "Small Business Saturday."

Participants can download print a 'passport' from the S.I. Chamber of Commerce website. Each time the holder shops from a participating small business on the island on Saturday the 29th, their passport will be stamped. Many of these businesses will be having special offers and giveaways as incentives. Shopping at eight of these participating locations on this day will gain the shopper…

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