[Show all top banners]

natyavaruval

More by natyavaruval
What people are reading
Subscribers
Subscribers
[Total Subscribers 1]

Grace_S
:: Subscribe
Back to: Kurakani General Refresh page to view new replies
 here,..no need to lock the door..
[VIEWED 981 TIMES]
SAVE! for ease of future access.
Posted on 04-04-08 6:25 PM     Reply [Subscribe]
Login in to Rate this Post:     0       ?    
 

Small town living in the Big Apple

State Side

Staten Island residents are contented to live in Big Apple’s slow lane.

IF NEW York City is like one big party, then Staten Island is the wallflower overshadowed by its more captivating neighbours. It’s easy to ignore the quiet little island, one of the five boroughs that make up Gotham.

Manhattan has all the hype, hip hop lives in the Bronx, Brooklyn is booming, Harlem has character and Queens, with its diverse population, is a mini United Nations.

“This place is more like a suburb,” said David Kim, an investment consultant who has been staying in Staten Island for the past 20 years.

It has about 465,000 residents or just about 6% of the total city population. This is a far cry from Brooklyn, the most crowded borough with 2.5 million people.

Kim, however, loves the place just the way it is. “I grew up here. It has a community feel to it. My neighbours are mostly Italians and Jews. Everybody knows each other because all of us have lived here for so long,” he said of Heartland Village, his neighbourhood.

“I rarely lock the door of my house. I probably should, but this is such a close-knit community. Your neighbours would tell you whenever they notice that something is out of place.”

Incidentally, Staten Island has the highest increase in Asian population among the five boroughs in the last few years.

According to reports, the number of Asians in New York has gone up by about 300,000 since 2000. Staten Island recorded the biggest increase at 35%, compared with Manhattan's 20%.

“Most of the houses here have a lawn and a backyard. Asians are attracted to this kind of housing layout. There is their big and extended family to think about,” said Tan Tatt Foo, a Malaysian artist who has found “home sweet home” in Staten Island since 2003.

He is fond of the place as it reminds him of Penang.

“The ferry ride, the serene environment; they are all reminiscent of my childhood.”

Some things in New York, incredibly, still come free; the 25-minute ferry ride to Staten Island from Manhattan is one of them.

It used to cost 50 cents until then mayor Rudy Giuliani abolished the fare in 1997. An estimated 65,000 people ride the ferry each day.

Motorists will take the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge that links the island to Brooklyn, paying toll that range from US$1.25 to US$4.50.

Discounts are given to Staten Island residents.

Therein lies the distinct disadvantage of Staten Island, where it is almost compulsory to have a car.

“The place is spread out,” Kim explained. Sure, the bus and the railway system are available but they do not cover most places.

The subway, so ubiquitous in the rest of the city, does not run here.

Thus, Kim spends 90 minutes on the bus to get to his office in Wall Street, Manhattan. He seldom uses the railway, as there is no station near his home.

“Traffic can be a problem. Most people seem to own about two or three cars,” he said.

As Tan put it, there is a driving culture here.

Staten Island also has the dubious honour of being the site for the Fresh Kills landfill, once New York’s main trash can, so to speak. It is now closed and plans are afoot to turn it into a world-class park.

But, at the end of the day, Kim finds Staten Island a great place to live in.

“It is not as busy as Manhattan, and more affordable. This is a good place to raise a family,” he said.

As always, housing prices are a good indicator.

A survey found the average cost of a single-family home in Staten Island had doubled to US$425,000 between 2000 and 2006.

“High-rise condos are coming up as well.”

Kim noted that Brooklynites would visit Staten Island to escape the hustle and bustle of their borough, while New Jersey residents would shop here occasionally.

As for Tan, he prefers to see the glass as half-full when it comes to Staten Island’s non-subway facility.

“It keeps the urban growth to a minimum,” he said.

“We are still not affected by the real estate boom. My wife and I love our current living space, which was built at the turn of the century. It is perfect for an artist.”

Staten Island, to him, is New York City with the feel of a small town.

 

 

 

acknowledge; http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=stateside&file=/2008/3/29/columnists/stateside/20737262&sec=State%20Side


 


Please Log in! to be able to reply! If you don't have a login, please register here.

YOU CAN ALSO



IN ORDER TO POST!




Within last 365 days
Recommended Popular Threads Controvertial Threads
श्राद्द
TPS Re-registration
सेक्सी कविता - पार्ट २
What are your first memories of when Nepal Television Began?
पाप न साप घोप्टो पारि थाप !!
पुलिसनी संग - आज शनिवार - अन्तिम भाग
निगुरो थाहा छ ??
ChatSansar.com Naya Nepal Chat
Lets play Antakshari...........
What Happened to Dual Citizenship Bill
Basnet or Basnyat ??
Sajha has turned into MAGATs nest
NRN card pros and cons?
is Rato Bangala school cheating?
मेरो अम्रिका यात्रा -२
Do nepalese really need TPS?
कता जादै छ नेपाली समाज ??
susta manasthiti lai ke bhanchan english ma?
कृष्ण नै अन्तिम सत्य
Nas and The Bokas: Coming to a Night Club near you
Nas and The Bokas: Coming to a Night Club near you
राजदरबार हत्या काण्ड बारे....
Mr. Dipak Gyawali-ji Talk is Cheap. US sends $ 200 million to Nepal every year.
Harvard Nepali Students Association Blame Israel for hamas terrorist attacks
TPS Update : Jajarkot earthquake
is Rato Bangala school cheating?
NOTE: The opinions here represent the opinions of the individual posters, and not of Sajha.com. It is not possible for sajha.com to monitor all the postings, since sajha.com merely seeks to provide a cyber location for discussing ideas and concerns related to Nepal and the Nepalis. Please send an email to admin@sajha.com using a valid email address if you want any posting to be considered for deletion. Your request will be handled on a one to one basis. Sajha.com is a service please don't abuse it. - Thanks.

Sajha.com Privacy Policy

Like us in Facebook!

↑ Back to Top
free counters