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I am thinking that since New York City is having so much demand for housing and commercial properties to support those housing, do you think that one day Staten Island which is mostly suburban housing could one day be completely rezoned to become like Manhattan (with skyscrapers and all) in order to meet the demand? There are so many people moving into New York City per year and it just never seems to stop so I think one day Staten Island will be transformed into a second Manhattan.
I personally think it could take a while, but the changes would be too destructive. Even if it takes 50 years of constant demand, I think having so much demand and a rush to fulfill it would be bad and is very unhealthy. Staten Island would then become a sea of modern glass and steel highrises after they flattened vast swaths of all the other boroughs first to meet demand for people to live here as they build more skyscrapers. If real estate developers ran NYC I bet they would do that so that they could topple down thousands of single family homes in Staten Island in a rush to make the biggest profit as fast as possible by building 300 meter tall luxury condos and the like once they ran out of space in the other 4 boroughs.
Do you ever see that maybe 25 to 100 years down the road if demand for living in New York never stops and mayors or the city government give in to demand that one day Staten Island will be redone over and turned into another Manhattan filled with skyscrapers?
Would you like it if they changed the zoning of Staten Island to be like Manhattan and gradually change it to R10 and other things like that?
I am thinking that since New York City is having so much demand for housing and commercial properties to support those housing, do you think that one day Staten Island which is mostly suburban housing could one day be completely rezoned to become like Manhattan (with skyscrapers and all) in order to meet the demand? There are so many people moving into New York City per year and it just never seems to stop so I think one day Staten Island will be transformed into a second Manhattan.
I personally think it could take a while, but the changes would be too destructive. Even if it takes 50 years of constant demand, I think having so much demand and a rush to fulfill it would be bad and is very unhealthy. Staten Island would then become a sea of modern glass and steel highrises after they flattened vast swaths of all the other boroughs first to meet demand for people to live here as they build more skyscrapers. If real estate developers ran NYC I bet they would do that so that they could topple down thousands of single family homes in Staten Island in a rush to make the biggest profit as fast as possible by building 300 meter tall luxury condos and the like once they ran out of space in the other 4 boroughs.
Do you ever see that maybe 25 to 100 years down the road if demand for living in New York never stops and mayors or the city government give in to demand that one day Staten Island will be redone over and turned into another Manhattan filled with skyscrapers?
Would you like it if they changed the zoning of Staten Island to be like Manhattan and gradually change it to R10 and other things like that?
I doubt that they would put a significant number of skyscrapers in Staten Island. I think Brooklyn only has 1 skyscraper and the rest of the boroughs have none.
I think the thing that would prevent a significant number of high-rises from being constructed is the fact that we are so isolated. The only link to Manhattan we have is the ferry, and although we have express buses and some buses to Brooklyn, no developer is going to find that it is worth their time to build here unless a subway is built connecting us to Manhattan.
Even then, I think there would be limits as to how far out the developers would go. I don't think you would see any real development in, say Tottenville, even though they have the SIR to Manhattan. They are simply too far. The North Shore I can see being redeveloped assuming that they get the North Shore Rail Line up and running.
As far as upzoning goes, I wouldn't mind seeing a couple of 10 story buildings spread out across different neighborhoods (we already have some, but to a lesser extent), but I think it would spoil the suburban character of the borough if every single neighborhood were filled with high-rises (like I said, the development will follow the public transportation, the way development followed the subway, and in some areas, it just won't be worth building tall buildings on them because they are too far from Manhattan)
I doubt it. What draws people to the city is the diversity, transportation, jobs and schools. Staten Island, while it does have diversity, can't really compare to that of the city. Hell, I know people who live there that haven't left that Island for years. Transportation - I don't really need to explain that. A bridge into Brooklyn that cost mad money, one train and an already crowded ferry.
If Staten Island did turn into the city, you would have to uproot A LOT of people and houses and totally redo the transportation system. It would probably be the last borough though, the Bronx probably has a better chance that Staten Island.
Besides, I like SI just the way it is, accents and all.
...I think one day Staten Island will be transformed into a second Manhattan.
Why everyone seems to think that some part of NYC is going to become the "next" Manhattan is beyond my comprehension. And in any case, Staten Island will have to get on line behind Brooklyn, The Bronx, and Queens--even assuming a direct subway line between that borough and Manhattan is ever built.
No. In addition to what other posters have stated, much of Staten Island is protected wetlands now. Even so, much of this land is unsuitable for large buildings.
I doubt that they would put a significant number of skyscrapers in Staten Island. I think Brooklyn only has 1 skyscraper and the rest of the boroughs have none.
Since 9/11 it has been clear that the only chance for any adjunct Manhattan is Hudson County, NJ. Already the Jersey City shorline, 10 minutes from Wall Street has far more skyscrapers than Staten Island could ever dream of having. There is also the added appeal of no NYC personal income tax.
There's no getting around the tortuous commute from Staten Island and in the dozens of boom periods where Manhattan "expands" there has been no expansion into Staten Island.
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