Monday Links

You pay all this money to live in Park Slope and you have to be subjected to noise coming from inbound and outbound flights at the airport.

I'm very tempted to move to a suburban area in Staten Island. Maybe I won't have to wake up at 3 in the morning because my baby is frightened by the noise and won't stop crying.

There is an advertisment on here for 2 family houses going for as low as $699,000 at Opal Ridge in Staten Island. Those prices are ridiculous because you will never find something that cheap in Park Slope.

What do you real estate gurus think?

http://www.opal-ridge.com/unit.asp?propertyid=4

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 9:16 AM

Yeah, the Verrazano, low-level mobsters and Fresh Kills are where it's at.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 9:24 AM

"What do you real estate gurus think?"

We think you should cut your prices (CUT, not trim) instead of desperately infiltrating blogs to cut advertising costs. Staten Island? Where's that?

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 9:26 AM

What do we real estate gurus think?

1. Staten Island , for many reasons, is a cesspool.

2. We don't appreciate your spamming ads on Brownstoner.

3. Staten Island? Are you kidding?

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 9:28 AM

What do I think?

I think the location, even for SI, is awful. I think the layouts are nice for the price. I think your website sucks. I think advertising SI real estate with a " Top 10 reasons to leave Brooklyn" is just stupid. I think Staten Island is a great place to live if you MUST own a car, are a Republican or don't care that you are basically living in the suburbs.

And I think Staten Island is Hell, or at least purgatory.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 9:36 AM

#1 - if you are building houses from scratch why make them so ugly? Like some third-worlder's dream of "fancy".

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 9:43 AM

how come we can't comment on the Flea posts anymore?

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 9:47 AM

"low-level mobsters"

L(but not out loud). Nice.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 9:54 AM

Yes, Opal Ridge person, why did you make these places so heinously ugly? You honestly think someone in the market for a brownstone would consider these pieces of crap? Every architectural cliche put together in one house!

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 10:01 AM

9.47 - because of the things idiots like you write perhaps?

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 10:03 AM

Staten Island-

where all original thoughts go to die

the worst place i could ever imagine living in nyc

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 10:59 AM

I'm a native New Yorker (45 years) and I'm proud to say that I've never set foot in Staten Island.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 11:18 AM

I use to live in Staten Island and moved to Carroll Gardens with my girlfriend. I love living here because it's convieniently closer to NYC and it has a thriving arts scene, but trust me don't knock on Staten Island until you've been there. If you go to the north shore by the ferry you will find there is a big music scene, nice restaurants and it's just a quick ferry ride away from NYC.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 11:35 AM

I use to live in Staten Island and moved to Carroll Gardens with my girlfriend. I love living here because it's conveniently closer to NYC and it has a thriving arts scene, but trust me don't knock on Staten Island until you've been there. If you go to the north shore by the ferry you will find there is a big music scene, nice restaurants and it's just a quick ferry ride away from NYC.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 11:38 AM

11:38

" Big music scene"- Please elaborate
" Nice restaurants"- Name 5 on the whole island

Quick ferry ride; I'll give you that.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 11:46 AM

Why is everyone dumping on SI? I grew up there and found it wonderful--plenty of room for us to run, lots of good parks and things for kids to do. The City was easily accessible to teenagers via the ferry.

Staten Island, even prior to the completion of the VN Bridge, was filled with refugees from Brooklyn. My Dad was one. He wanted his kids to grow up in a less constricted environment and I can't say he was wrong. The borough reflects the white demographic of Brooklyn (but oddly, few Jews who seemed to prefer LI) which is the origin of so many of its residents and resulted in a multitude of terrific Italian restaurants and delis as well as houseproud homeowners (OK some go everboard with a twisted sense of what "luxury" is), more than there are in Flushing where I live now.

Yeah there are mafia types who prefer to live there, (one was right down the block from me) but OTOH they kept the area safe from petty crime.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 11:47 AM

staten island is filled with trash.

take that how you choose to.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 12:13 PM

11:46

MUSIC SCENE
- HAPPY ANARCHY is an amazing band from Staten Island that just Headlined and packed out the trendy Mercury Lounge in NYC last week and is also playing Union Hall in Park Slope August 2nd where a lot of the haters on here probably reside. www.myspace.com/happyanarchy

- The Budos band, which is signed to your very own Brooklyn based label, Daptone Records. They also headlined SI's very own successful rock festival in June, ROCK THE HARBOR, with supporting acts such as HAPPY ANARCHY, THE WAHOO SKIFFLE CRAZIES, JULIUS C, PARAGRAPH, THE RABBITS, THE HEAVENLY TENANTS, THE DELAY, etc. I could go on forever.

- Staten Island based label HIGHLARK RECORDS.
WWW.HIGHLARK.COM

RESTAURANTS
-DoSi
-Angelina's
-Fushimi
-DaNoi
-South Fin

* All within a close drvining distance from OPAL RIDGE.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 12:31 PM

What part of the slope are these planes flying over??? I've lived in the south slope for the past 9 years and I have never seen nor have I heard a low flying plane. Am I just lucky? Oblivious? The only thing rattling my windows is hideous music coming from cars that go by at night.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 12:36 PM

Cool picture.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 1:05 PM

i expected this kind of juvenile bourough bashing on brooklyn vegan when a staten island event was posted. my advice here is the same, grow up. if you've been to si and don't like it, fine. i don't really care. if you haven't been, you're just showing your ignorance by talking about mobsters and landfills. i wouldn't live anywhere else in the city. i like my car. i don't like republicans, nor do i like democrats. toe the party line, regurgitate arguments that you heard on fox news or cnn, and keep letting other people think for you. my thoughts and ideas are as original and valid as yours and they have very little to do with where i live.

at the end of the day, your shit stinks just as bad as mine. you live in brooklyn, i live in si. brooklyn always fires the first shot in these borough wars...why is that? why can't we be freinds? stay in brooklyn and keep on double parking. i'll take my driveway anyday.

much love, brooklyn, to those of you that want it.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 1:25 PM

Relax, 1:25. It's ok man...

serious question: why is there no subway line (maybe like a spur off the R train) connecting brooklyn to staten island via the Verrazano Narrows bridge?

if you don't have a car, going to SI is like, fugghed it.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 2:13 PM

maybe brooklyn feels guilty but won't admit it since it's largely responsible for staten island?

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 2:21 PM

did you know it's still 1997 in SI?

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 2:27 PM

"Nice! Much better than those minority-owned hovels in Bed-Stuy (irony intended)."

It just so happened that whites wanting more space had the capacity to opt for someplace other than the Brooklyn in which they grew up, unlike blacks who for whatever reason, racism etc. could not. SI's advantage was its proximity to the old neighborhood, (even before the VN Br there was the Brooklyn-SI Ferry...anyone else remember that?). SI wound up primarily Italian (we were Irish)and exhibited an admirable pride in home ownership this group tends to have (although I could do without the combination shrines to the Blessed Virgin and birdbaths.) Each to his own taste.

That's all I meant..no putdown of Bed Stuy.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 2:32 PM

The bridge was explicitly designed to make a subway connection impossible. To preserve the purity of the suburban experience or something like that. Much the same reason that there is no proper mass transit access to LAG

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 2:35 PM

i do see an almost constant line of low flying planes go over PS every day from my place in cobble hill. Over here in CH we used to have those aweful traffic helecopters idling over the BQE at 6am every other day. Thank god that has seemed to have stopped, fingers crossed.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 3:00 PM

I recall from the time there was some talk of extending the R over the VN Br but it was ultmately nixed. Why I don't recall. You may be right it was to deny access to poorer wouldbe Staten islanders. About the lack of easy public access to LaG AP it prob has more to do with keeping the taxi owners happy.

Newer light rail projects undertaken in other cities usually don't go to the airport for the same reason.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 3:10 PM

the staten island mall is carpeted.

need i say more??

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 4:07 PM

Are you serious...Have you ever stepped foot inside the Staten Island Mall because it is definitely not carpeted!!!

Plus, everyone from Brooklyn goes to the SI Mall, since all you have is crappy Kings Plaza.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 4:42 PM

As someone who was born and raised in brownstone Brooklyn, I can honestly say that I have NEVER stepped foot into the Staten Island mall. By way of expectation, it is the same reason that in the post 9/11 world of wanting to shop in Century 21 I went to the store on 86th Street. For the first time, I understood why Manhatanites sneer at the bridge and tunnel crowd. Clearly, I'm not the demographic. All those people in Staten Island, once called the commercial strip along 86th street, the avenue.

Enough said!

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 6:58 PM

Guest 6:58 pm

Who named you the King or Queen of England? Why do you think that you, Brownstone Brooklyn and Manhanttanites so much better than people living on Staten Island or in Bay Ridge or who shop at Century 21?

Do you think that your s**t doesn't stink the same way as anyone elses? Get off your self-righteous high horse.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 9:08 PM

Moving to SI can be a great idea. Tax abatement is back and your Real Estate taxes can be as low as $75.00 a month. That's a big savings which means you can buy a bigger house within a reasonable budget. I'm thinking about moving there for the great schools and open space as well.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 9:26 PM

My boyfriend, who grew up on Staten Island, refers to it as Satan Island. 'nuff said.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 9:38 PM

Moving to SI can be a great idea. Tax abatement is back and your Real Estate taxes can be as low as $75.00 a month. That's a big savings which means you can buy a bigger house within a reasonable budget. I'm thinking about moving there for the great schools and open space as well.

Posted by: guest at July 7, 2008 10:01 PM

Wu-Tang Clan is the best thing out of SI.

NUFF SAID

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 12:17 AM

As a life long Brooklynite, I can assure you that "everybody from Brooklyn" does not shop in the Staten Island Mall. While I don't frequent King Plaza either, the only reason I even end up in Staten Island is to get to the malls in Jersey, which are 100x better than any thing in Staten Island. I don't even do that often because I can now afford more than T-shirts, spandex stretch pants and skippy sneakers.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 3:47 AM

Beautiful picture.

Posted by: guest at July 8, 2008 12:21 PM

People who live on Staten Island think Devry Institute is a form of higher education.

Posted by: guest at July 11, 2008 1:41 PM