Moving from Brooklyn to Staten Island (New York, Greenwich: lawyers, townhomes, neighborhood)
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Yes. Staten Islanders, though represent one of the most affluent boroughs of New York City, are certainly crass and rather obnoxious.
And don't get me started if you're non-white and live on Staten Island. I've lived in major metropolitan areas most of my life. Every borough of New York except for the Bronx. New Haven, CT. Southern California (Westwood, Los Angeles) and Northern California (San Francisco Bay Area). Washington, DC. So far my brief stint living on Staten Island was akin to living in the Deep Bible Belt South, where if you ain't white, you ain't right.
Soon I'll be moving to Chicago. Perhaps it'll be as bad there, but I really just doubt that.
Having said that, however, the borough itself has a bit of a unique charm (if you took away the people). And being a former resident of L.A., it's the only thing in the area that's even remotely like the "urban sprawl" of the City of Angels.
I have lived in LA and moved from Sausalito, CA to the city for a year and I was going to buy a home in Westchester till I discovered SI. Yes, to some point I agree with the "old" SI folks was a culture shock for me. With that said, I did a lot of research of SI and my neighborhood. I am happy to say that my neighbors are transplants from all over the US...I even have a neighbor that moved from San Fran! They bought homes here for the same reasons that I did...large home, with a view of the city, bay, verzzano bridge and the most important reason...the short commute to the city! Also, with city folks moving to Brooklyn and Brooklyn pple moving to SI and SI pple moving to NJ or PA at some point I have high hopes that SI will become more "cosmo"!
During my research the real estate prices on SI has reached it's high ever! With subprime, the prices on SI is still holding. One thing is true...you can't create more space....
Do you know that I am in the city in less than 30 mins on the Ferry? The short commute to the city was one of the biggest reason that I bought a home here on SI rather than Westchester. And how far from everything? Please be more specific.
Living up around the St. George area (I'm assuming that's about where you live if you're close to the ferry) is good for commutes into Downtown. The problem is that ferry is a disaster commute in the morning sometimes. It's too packed for my tastes and just too damn slow.
Tottenville is better for Midtown commutes. The express buses from that end of the island go through Jersey, up to the Lincoln Tunnel, and cross over. Those commutes can be anywhere from 30 minutes to as long as 60-75 minutes. Remember, Richmond County has the country's longest commute time.
If you were going to drive into Manhattan from Tottenville, and didn't want to pay an extra toll through New Jersey, you'd have to either make the trip to the VNB up 440 to 278 or straight down Hylan Boulevard. On weekday mornings either trip might take you somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 minutes (it's about a 20-25 mile trip). Then you've got all of Brooklyn to contend with on the Gowanus Expressway. That's another 30-40 minutes just getting into Lower Manhattan over the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridges.
Tottenville is terrible for a New York commute. Like I said, it's far from everything except New Jersey. It's even far from the rest of Staten Island.
I have lived in LA and moved from Sausalito, CA to the city for a year and I was going to buy a home in Westchester till I discovered SI.
Ah, Sausalito is nice. I've been up there a few times when I lived in the Bay Area. I lived in Mountain View myself for a while then lived in San Francisco proper. That was after my stint in Los Angeles.
Though I grew up here in New York City, and I like it, I absolutely love California.
The north end of the island has gotten a little more cosmopolitan. People priced out of Manhattan and Brooklyn are now beginning to settle in the areas around St. George, Silver Lake, and anything close to the ferry for the "quick" commute. That's cool. My very brief stay on Staten Island was on the South Shore. That's where all the wannabe Italian gangster people live. (The real ones live on Todt Hill, as I'm sure you already know...).
Living up around the St. George area (I'm assuming that's about where you live if you're close to the ferry) is good for commutes into Downtown. The problem is that ferry is a disaster commute in the morning sometimes. It's too packed for my tastes and just too damn slow.
Tottenville is better for Midtown commutes. The express buses from that end of the island go through Jersey, up to the Lincoln Tunnel, and cross over. Those commutes can be anywhere from 30 minutes to as long as 60-75 minutes. Remember, Richmond County has the country's longest commute time.
If you were going to drive into Manhattan from Tottenville, and didn't want to pay an extra toll through New Jersey, you'd have to either make the trip to the VNB up 440 to 278 or straight down Hylan Boulevard. On weekday mornings either trip might take you somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 minutes (it's about a 20-25 mile trip). Then you've got all of Brooklyn to contend with on the Gowanus Expressway. That's another 30-40 minutes just getting into Lower Manhattan over the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridges.
Tottenville is terrible for a New York commute. Like I said, it's far from everything except New Jersey. It's even far from the rest of Staten Island.
I moved from CA to just live in nYc and I found that with my two cars, dog and hot summers with no pool was too much for me to handle. I thought about moving to Westchester, but the commute was too much for me. After all I moved from CA because of the city.
I don't know about the Ferry's in the morning since I work out of my house. All I know about public transportation is that the subway in the city can be just as bad so apple...oranges...you know?
My apt was in the financial district and so I was used to downtown. I loved that walk at Seaport to Tribeca...so now I take the Ferry with my dog and any day and I have the same walk. Even though I have two cars I would not have moved here if the Ferry didn't take me to the city in 25mins. To the point, I would not have moved here if the commute was I had to get in my car, take the bus to the city.
I am a little spoiled in that I've lived in cities (Sausalito, CA, Manhatten Beach, CA) that had it all. In New York it is very hard to find what I had in CA, but I love where I live...it's the closest thing that resembles Sausalito , CA...which is funny because I have a neighbor that moved from San Fran as well for the same reason. I really do believe that based on my research that SI will get more and more residants like me. And I am not talking about pple with money that can afford a million dollar homes, but transplants outside of SI. You would not believe it...my block...we all laugh because we are all under going construction (remodeling). Hey, BTW, LOL...I am not Italian, Irish, Russian, Jewish....living on SI...
Ah, Sausalito is nice. I've been up there a few times when I lived in the Bay Area. I lived in Mountain View myself for a while then lived in San Francisco proper. That was after my stint in Los Angeles.
Though I grew up here in New York City, and I like it, I absolutely love California.
The north end of the island has gotten a little more cosmopolitan. People priced out of Manhattan and Brooklyn are now beginning to settle in the areas around St. George, Silver Lake, and anything close to the ferry for the "quick" commute. That's cool. My very brief stay on Staten Island was on the South Shore. That's where all the wannabe Italian gangster people live. (The real ones live on Todt Hill, as I'm sure you already know...).
Welcome! When are you going back to California?
LOL...grew up in CA, I like it, but "love" the city! That's why I moved here!
So you know that Sausalito is right over the Golden Gate Bridge, the homes are big, in the hills with a view and there is a Ferry commute to San Fran! This is what I meant that SI "where I live", not Tottenville for example, was the closest thing to Sausalito.
You know I think about Brooklyn pple moving to South Beach area...I would have not made that move...I would have rather remained in the city or eventually...maybe bought a house in Westchester instead. I didn't move to SI because of the cost...it was for the reasons that I mentioned previously. Listen, all I can say is that I have 3 floors of living space now (couldn't say that about the city space)...and I can't wait to get the pool in my backyard for the "hot and humid" summers here which I am not used too. Annnnnnnnnd...the commute "love it"!!!!!
I do agree...I spoke to many realtors and the old homes near the Ferry are being bought by young professionals and being remodeled...yes, I TRULY believe that it will be one the prominant places to live...it will take sometime though however, but whomever buys there will make some money on the real estate. I know that I am remodeling my home and had it appraised....i already had an increase of $300k from my purchase price...sitting pretty happy with my decision.
Well having grown up in New York City and being all over the place and back more than a few times, I can say that Staten Island's issue is with the stigma that still hangs over the island. Otherwise you'd be right. The island's a great suburb of New York City and really should be the perfect place for someone who wants to live within a stone's throw of Manhattan, but wants space. Sausalito is a lot like that too. Space, close to San Francisco, and a suburb.
The difference is that Sausalito was pretty hoity-toity, from what I remember. Staten Island is not. It's known for its landfill. It's known for the Italian mobsters. It's known for its relative seclusion from New York City and cultural ineptitudes, rendering its people to be labeled "weirdos" by other New Yorkers. There's an air of racism that pervades the South Shore of the island that probably doesn't exist as much up by where you are. The Bay Area was an incredibly tolerant area though with extremely liberal politics. Staten Island is intolerant of most things and people and extremely conservative.
Either way, I don't live on Staten Island anymore. I don't think I would ever go back. If after Chicago I decide to come back to New York, I think I'll probably head out onto Long Island or Westchester. Maybe Connecticut? Or it may be back out West again.
I gotta admit there is something strange about Staten Island that I cannot pinpoint. I apologize if I am generalizing and offending anyone, but this is something I have noticed. This is mostly concerned with the middle class post VZ natives and ex Brooklynites. It seems like despite repping Italian, Irish, Russian, etc roots all these people have let the suburbs/American dream of cars/houses/boats get to their head.
My point of comparison is the Bronxites who move to Westchester and the Queens/Brooklynites who move to LI. Granted these places have their bad apples too. However, these groups seem to be in higher priced houses, more diverse forms of business. All I see in SI is everybody scooping up these gaudy, cheap looking overpriced junky townhouses or glorified fedders style houses on the south shore. Ill be doing 15mph over the speed limit and get passed on a double solid line by some maniac 17 year old in a cadillac. The younger generation is very SI centric and tend to think they can live off the Staten Island economy, which aside from many basic civil service jobs, is an absolute joke. If I had to guess, Staten Island probably has more people living in credit card debt than anywhere else in the metro.
I gotta admit there is something strange about Staten Island that I cannot pinpoint. I apologize if I am generalizing and offending anyone, but this is something I have noticed. This is mostly concerned with the middle class post VZ natives and ex Brooklynites. It seems like despite repping Italian, Irish, Russian, etc roots all these people have let the suburbs/American dream of cars/houses/boats get to their head.
My point of comparison is the Bronxites who move to Westchester and the Queens/Brooklynites who move to LI. Granted these places have their bad apples too. However, these groups seem to be in higher priced houses, more diverse forms of business. All I see in SI is everybody scooping up these gaudy, cheap looking overpriced junky townhouses or glorified fedders style houses on the south shore. Ill be doing 15mph over the speed limit and get passed on a double solid line by some maniac 17 year old in a cadillac. The younger generation is very SI centric and tend to think they can live off the Staten Island economy, which aside from many basic civil service jobs, is an absolute joke. If I had to guess, Staten Island probably has more people living in credit card debt than anywhere else in the metro.
No offense taken. I would agree with there. The culture here is very different. I can't place it. It is a shame these track houses that they have here. But you know I don't really socialize with the folks more inland. I live in my nieghborhood and run to the city! I hate South Shore! The pple there would drive me nuts!
Well having grown up in New York City and being all over the place and back more than a few times, I can say that Staten Island's issue is with the stigma that still hangs over the island. Otherwise you'd be right. The island's a great suburb of New York City and really should be the perfect place for someone who wants to live within a stone's throw of Manhattan, but wants space. Sausalito is a lot like that too. Space, close to San Francisco, and a suburb.
The difference is that Sausalito was pretty hoity-toity, from what I remember. Staten Island is not. It's known for its landfill. It's known for the Italian mobsters. It's known for its relative seclusion from New York City and cultural ineptitudes, rendering its people to be labeled "weirdos" by other New Yorkers. There's an air of racism that pervades the South Shore of the island that probably doesn't exist as much up by where you are. The Bay Area was an incredibly tolerant area though with extremely liberal politics. Staten Island is intolerant of most things and people and extremely conservative.
Either way, I don't live on Staten Island anymore. I don't think I would ever go back. If after Chicago I decide to come back to New York, I think I'll probably head out onto Long Island or Westchester. Maybe Connecticut? Or it may be back out West again.
Yes, Sausalito is upscale of multi-millionaires...with many celebraties, business leaders that own homes in Marin County and yep comparted to Sausalito it doesn't even become to compare in terms of culture here on SI.
LOL, well I am originally from CA...fruits n nuts!!! j/k so I guess I fit in! Yes, raciscm is here...I am Asian and I have had some of the wierdest comments I have ever heard! But, it does have the "perfect" suburb to the city. When I was doing my research of SI...I was told about the landfill / mobsters. Well, the landfill is covered and most of the mobsters days are gone (hey they would be living in my neighborhood if they were still here)...U know I graduated from "liberal and very outspoken" college, CAL. I am used to controversy and taking chances...don't mind being the first in a frontline of things.
It will take sometime and not all of SI...but change will come and it will come from outsiders like me. I know a "hot" spot to invest when I see one. Of course it will take time, but change is already happening. Many SI folks (blue collar) just can't afford to live here anymore. Other than the townhomes and condos...including residential prices in the inland areas are too high for them....they are moving to NJ and PA....YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BTW, I am not portraying all plle of SI in a negative way There are some truly nice and well educated pple here!
South Shore!! Yuck!! Most New Yorkers only knows about South Shore, but not the other areas of SI...e.g. Todt Hill, Grymes Hill, Lighthouse Hill...Park Hill yet very rough is slowly being bought out by younger educated folks and renovating them. Beautiful homes there that need work.
I have just seen so many neighborhoods around the US that were undesirable areas and because of it's location they turned around and became the "hot" spots to live. You just have to be willing to go through the change...someone has to do it...
No offense taken. I would agree with there. The culture here is very different. I can't place it. It is a shame these track houses that they have here. But you know I don't really socialize with the folks more inland. I live in my nieghborhood and run to the city! I hate South Shore! The pple there would drive me nuts!
My comments weren't directed at you anyway lol. It seems like SIers lose all the values of growing up in Brooklyn and become the east coast/brunette version of Orange County, yet they work nothing jobs. I wouldnt say wannabe gangsters, as that is probably a part of the blood, and was partially a good thing back in the day. But I would say wannabe elite/wealthy. Aside from Todt Hill/Grymes Hill and a few other small pockets of Manhattan professionals, the majority are essentially a joke. The equivalents in Westchester and LI are now Wall St execs, doctors, lawyers, ...if SI Tommy's construction is building a row of townhomes, Vinny's construction in Westchester is building hospitals, office buildings, hedge fund offices, etc. And these were the same exact people back in the BX/BK glory days.
The reason I make these points is many SI kids seem to have a disregard for the real world, despite the "IM FROM NY THE CENTER OF EARTH" card they toss everywhere. If they knew what was going on theyd be working harder to save up to buy a house. Yet the mentality is "why should I get an education or work really hard when I can pass up college or drop out of hs and live in my parents basement till Im 35?" Times are changing and if these kids are such raw hardcore IM FROM BROOKLYN I CAN HANDLE ANYTHING types they would not only be keeping up, they would be ahead of the curve. They go from growing up fast in the teens by living in NY to basically gettin played by kids from Kansas and Ohio...ha. They are pretty much an embarrassment to those who stay behind in Bensonhurst and keep it real or the people who really have it tough in Bed Stuy/Brownsville/ENY
Then again I must not be making stuff up because it seems like MTV picks shows about SI people like they are the circus animals of the Northeast USA.
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