Rosa Updale-- Associate Broker

Staten Island Ferry Terminal MTA Bus Station & Staten Island Railway St. George Station, a mass transit hub that serves more than 65,000 riders each day, includes the St. George Ferry Terminal, MTA Bus Station and MTA/Staten Island Railway Terminal. When renovations are complete, the transformed St. George ferry terminal will feature a glass-topped waiting room, a new outdoor promenade, air conditioning, expanded parking for cars and bicycles, and enhanced shopping and dining options.

Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George Home of the Staten Island Yankees Richmond Terrace at Wall Street • 718-720-9265 • www.siyanks.com Located right next to the Staten Island Ferry terminal, this beautiful 6,500-seat stadium is home to the minor league Staten Island Yankees. Savor the simple pleasures of America’s Past Time and enjoy spectacular views of the Upper Bay and the downtown Manhattan skyline.

The Staten Island September 11 Memorial “Postcards” is the name of Staten Island’s September 11 memorial, designed by artist and architect Masayuki Sono and chosen from 179 entries received from 19 countries. Located on the waterfront esplanade just outside the Richmond County Bank Ballpark, the memorial honors each of the more than 270 Staten Islanders lost on September 11, 2001 with a plaque displaying their name and date of birth and identifying the location of their workplace on September 11. Each plaque includes a memorial silhouette portrait in profile.

National Lighthouse Center and Museum The National Lighthouse Museum on the St. George waterfront–– most recently a U.S. Coast Guard base and before that, the Lighthouse Depot––is now undergoing renovation and is projected to begin limited operations early in 2005. The new museum’s initial attractions will include historic buildings from both periods of the site’s active occupancy as well as exhibits onboard the Nantucket Lightship. The Nantucket 112 was built in 1936 and is the largest lightship still afloat in the United States. The ship will be permanently berthed at Pier One.

Staten Island Borough Hall 10 Richmond Terrace (enter on Stuyvesant Place) 718-816-2000 Look for its distinctive clock tower right across the street from the ferry. Home to several government agencies including the Office of the Borough President. Borough Hall was opened in 1906, shortly after Staten Island became a borough of New York City. Historical murals and classical sculptural reliefs were added to the lobby in the 1930s. Open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

St. George/New Brighton Historic District St. George Civic Association Take a leisurely stroll through this officially designated historic district, which occupies part of one of New York City’s earliest suburban developments, conceived in the late 1830s. The district contains Civil War-era brick row houses , French Second Empire buildings with mansard roofs, modest Craftsman-style houses, as well as a large number of Queen Anne-style buildings of the noted architect Edward Alfred Sargent. Centered around St. Marks Place and Westervelt Avenue, the district includes 78 buildings, most from the late 19th century. Walk north and west along Richmond Terrace to Westervelt Avenue; uphill on Westervelt Avenue two short blocks to St. Marks Place. S42 bus to St. Marks Place and Westervelt Avenue; S40, S44 or S52 bus to Richmond Terrace and Westervelt Avenue.

Gateway National Recreation Area Part of a major, multi-borough National Park Service complex, Gateway offers significant natural areas, recreational facilities, military sites and more. Gateway’s Staten Island sites include: Fort Wadsworth East end of Bay Street • 718-354-4500 When you walk through Fort Wadsworth, one of the oldest military sites in the nation, you’re walking through a large chunk of American history. Strategically located at the entrance to New York Harbor, this fort guarded America’s most important city for almost 200 years. Visitors today can join ranger-led tours to explore Civil War-era gun batteries; walk the self-guided tour; or just enjoy a panoramic view from one of the highest elevations in New York City. S51 bus to Von Briesen Park on weekends; bus stops inside Fort Wadsworth on weekdays.

Miller Field East end of New Dorp Lane • 718-351-6970 If you’ve got an athletic game to play, this is the place to play it. Built after World War I as a landing fi eld for military biplanes, this 187-acre open space for organized athletics also offers a picnic area, children’s playground, and community garden. S76 bus to New Dorp Lane.

Great Kills Park Hylan Boulevard & Buffalo Street • 718-987-6790 Pack your swimsuit and picnic basket and head straight for this delightful shorefront preserve. Swim at the lifeguard-attended beach. Watch the small craft setting sail from the marina. Then explore the park’s walking, jogging and nature trails. And be sure to visit the nature study area, with its great coastal bird-watching opportunities. S78 bus to Hylan Boulevard entrance.

Clove Lakes Park 1150 Clove Road • 718-390-8000 Come and enjoy the steadily changing vistas of this 110-acre greenspace in the Clove Valley, with its four ponds, deep wooded ravines, lakeshore paths, open fields and jogging trails. You can also navigate the lake by rowboat or canoe, then relax at the Lake Café, a moderately priced restaurant on site. S61 or S62 bus to Victory Boulevard entrance; S48 bus to Clove Road/Forest Avenue entrance.

Midland Beach Father Capodanno Boulevard • 718-390-8000 Once a major East Coast seaside resort, Midland Beach has a smalltown family feel these days. It’s a fi ne place to swim and sunbathe that also offers a fishing pier, children’s playground, and handball and shuffleboard courts. S51 bus to site.

South Beach Boardwalk Father Capodanno Boulevard • 718-987-0709 Overlooked by the nearly 2-mile-long FDR Boardwalk, South Beach is another former resort that, over the years, has become a year- ‘round community. This beachfront park has a children’s playground, bocce courts, a roller hockey rink, ballfields and picnic areas. S51 bus to site.

Silver Lake Park and Golf Course 915 Victory Boulevard • 718-390-8000 Only a 10-minute bus ride from the ferry, this beautiful, 107-acre park of rolling hills surrounding Silver Lake features a golf course, tennis courts, ballfields and other recreational opportunities. S48, S61 or S62 bus to Victory Boulevard/Forest Avenue entrance.

Wolfe’s Pond Park and Beach Hylan Boulevard and Cornelia Avenue • 718-984-8266 This beachfront park is a great place for sunbathing and picnicking. It’s a particular favorite of fresh and salt-water fishing enthusiasts, too. S78 bus to Cornelia Avenue.

South Shore Golf Course 200 Huguenot Avenue • 718-984-0101, 718-984-0108 This beautiful, 18-hole public golf course is equipped with a driving range and features an on-site restaurant and lounge for post-game relaxation. S74 bus to Arthur Kill Road and Huguenot Avenue

Alice Austen House Museum and Park 2 Hylan Boulevard • 718-816-4506 www.aliceausten.org A 15-minute bus ride is all it takes to reach the former home of noted photographer Alice Austen–a charming 18th-century cottage on a bluff overlooking the Narrows, surrounded by gardens, with truly breathtaking views of New York Harbor and Manhattan. The museum displays include period rooms and an exhibition of Austen’s photographs, which document the daily lives of upper-middle-class Staten Islanders of the late 19th and early 20th century. The adjacent waterfront park includes benches for harbor viewing as well as a large, informal lawn for picnicking. S51 bus to Hylan Boulevard. Walk one block east on Hylan to the waterfront; Alice Austen House on right.

The CSI Center for the Arts College of Staten Island • 2800 Victory Boulevard • 718-982-ARTS www.csi.cuny.edu/arts This arts center, located on one of the City University’s most beautiful campuses, includes five theaters under one roof, with over 750 music, dance and theater performances per year, featuring Tony-, Grammy- and Emmy Award-winning performances. S62 bus to gate.

Conference House 7455 Hylan Boulevard • 718-984-6046 • www.theconferencehouse.org On a slight rise looking out onto Raritan Bay, this 1680 stone building is now the centerpiece of a public waterfront park, a site that recalls Staten Island’s rural past as well as its place in American history. In 1776, Conference House was the location chosen for a meeting between representatives of the Continental Congress—including John Adams and Benjamin Franklin—and the commander of the British forces. S78 bus to Craig Avenue. Walk one block south to Satterlee, to site.

Garibaldi-Meucci Museum 420 Tompkins Avenue • 718-442-1608 • www.garibaldimeuccimuseum.org This National Landmark is connected to the history of the modern state of Italy and the history of communications technology. Once the home and laboratory of Antonio Meucci, the true inventor of the telephone, the building also served as a refuge for Giuseppe Garibaldi. Garibaldi is noted for his political work in South America and for his championing of the cause of a unified Italian state. S52 or S78 bus to Chestnut Avenue.

Historic Richmondtown 441 Clarke Avenue • 718-351-1611 • www.historicrichmondtown.org When you enter this historic village, you’re entering the past of the original seat of (Richmond) county government. That past comes to life in this 100-acre living history museum through authentically furnished interiors, formal exhibits and demonstrations of original residents’ daily activities. S74 bus to St. Patrick’s Place.

Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art 338 Lighthouse Avenue • 718-987-3500 • www.tibetanmusuem.com Are we on Staten Island, or in Tibet? In the lush, sequestered garden of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, high atop Lighthouse Hill, it’s easy to mistake one for the other. The hilltop garden is as much an attraction as the museum’s renowned collections of sculpture, painting, ritual objects and musical instruments from Tibet and other Asian civilizations. S74 bus to Lighthouse Avenue. Walk up Lighthouse Hill to the site.

Sandy Ground Historical Society 1538 Woodrow Road • 718-317-5796 Sandy Ground is America’s oldest continuously inhabited settlement of free blacks. The Society’s museum and library are dedicated to researching, preserving and informing visitors about this historically important Staten Island community. Call for hours of operation. S74 bus to Woodrow and Bloomingdale Roads.

Snug Harbor Cultural Center 1000 Richmond Terrace • 718-448-2500 • www.snug-harbor.org S40 bus to entrance on Richmond Terrace. The remarkable number of cultural institutions within this 83-acre site–many in the Greek Revival buildings of this former seamen’s home–makes it truly a center for the arts on Staten Island. This must-see destination includes: The Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art Housed primarily in Snug Harbor’s 19th-century Main Hall, provides a forum for regionally and nationally significant contemporary art. Exhibitions feature a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, mixed-media installations, performance art, photography, and crafts. The Music Hall The second oldest concert hall in New York City, presents programs of music, dance and theater. Veterans Memorial Hall Restored 19th-century chapel now used for recitals, readings and meetings. Also at Snug Harbor: The Art Lab, Noble Maritime Collection, Staten Island Children’s Museum, New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden and the Staten Island Botanical Garden

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Take a trip down memory lane and discover STATEN ISLAND in days gone by.

"SECRET STATEN ISLAND" is full of significant events in Staten Island history, it's landmarks, famous people who lived here, it's unique buildings it's neighborhoods, and more.

If your interested in buying or selling a home on Staten Island, give me a call.

I can be reached at Appleseed Homes (718)966-4000

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Did you know that I.S.34 is the only intermediate school on Staten Island whose building at 528 Academy Avenue was once another school? For 36 years, our building was Tottenville High School which in 1972 moved to its new site in Huguenot.

Tottenville High School was erected in 1935 and 1936 during the era known as The Great Depression and is the sister school of the old New Dorp High School, (now Staten Island Tech.) The mayor of New York City at the time was the legendary, Fiorello LaGuardia who was well known for his reading of the funny papers to children on the radio.

After years of campaigning for a high school on Staten Island's south shore, the cornerstone of the new school was laid in the spring of 1935. The cost of the school was $1,000,000 and it featured a spacious auditorium, large, airy classrooms, and separate gyms for both boys and girls. A motorcade traveled from the Staten Island Ferry to Tottenville carrying Mayor LaGuardia and other dignitaries to the ceremony.

The school's construction progressed rapidly and in the fall of 1936, although the work was not yet finished, the first classes filed into the beautiful modern edifice. Tottenville High School's first commencement from this building took place in January 1937.

During the spring of 1972, events moved very quickly in anticipation of the departure of the high school and the opening of the new intermediate school.

Dr. Anthony J. Polomene, who was appointed principal of I.S.34, moved quickly in selecting his staff. They went right to work that spring and summer to prepare the building for its fall opening. The fruits of their labor were realized in September, 1972 when I.S.34 opened its doors to three hundred and forty-nine, 6^th and 7^th graders.

In the first school newsletter, Dr. Polomene indicated that I.S.s34's beginnings were auspicious. He credited his hard working staff, the great kids, their parents, and the supportive Tottenville community. He stated the school's prognosis was for an excellent future. From the outset, a common thread pervaded the "old building"- that I.S.34 was something special and that it would evolve into the finest Intermediate school on Staten Island.

Many loving hands transformed the building into a home away from home, a safe haven, a place where children would be ensured of an educational environment, where they would have fun, where they would learn to be charitable, and where they would create a lifetime of wonderful memories. 1972-1973 was an extremely busy year. Traditions such as the school colors (blue and white) and a mascot (the eagle) were chosen. The school newspaper was designed the "Totten Crier", a name which would last until 2006 when it was renamed the "Totten Times." "The Eagle" was the name given to our schools' magazine.

The yearbook was named the "Southern Light" because of the fact that Totten is the southernmost school in New York State. In its first edition in 1974, Dr. Polomene's message to the graduates included references to the "Southern Light." Alluding to the graduates, he said "... Young people, for us, your teacher, you are the Southern Light." He continued, "Be disciples of what you have created... resolve to become beacons of your Southern Light."

From the outset, the "Southern Light" has always been a labor of love on the part of the students and staff members including in its production. From 1974 to 1998, twenty-five volumes were printed in our Graphic Arts Shop under the direction of Mr. Sam Votta.

That first year featured concerts, a five fits festival, a student play "Annie, Get Your Gun", and a staff play "Holiday in Spring." This staff play was written and produced by members of the Totten Community. It was an example of the team work that 37 years later still exists at I.S.34.

Our first science fair, fashion show, and Earth Day were also held in the spring of 1973. The first Earth Day in the United States was held in 1970. 20,000,000 Americans turned out to raise public awareness of the environment and to protest again pollution. Our students spent the day cleaning the community and its beaches.

On January 8, 1973, the Community School Board-31 convened an open meeting. On their agenda was a resolution to name I.S.34R. The names considered were Paul Zindel, Alan Blair, South Richmond, and Totten Intermediate School.

The name chosen was Totten, in recognition of the family which traced its beginnings on the South Shore of Staten Island to colonial times. The Tottens were influential in creating the community which bears its name. They were farmers, fishermen, and merchants. They also were involved in maritime trades, such as shipbuilding, ship repair, and sail making. The Tottens were also responsible for the establishment of the Methodist Church on Staten Island. The played a major role in establishing the lucrative oyster industry in Tottenville.

Totten I.S.34 was officially dedicated on Tuesday evening, April 12, 1974. This historic evening was sponsored by our PTA under the direction of its president, Marie Donoghue. The evening was broken into two parts- "Expo 34-Totten on Display" was the first part followed by entertainment by our band, chorus, drama class, and cheerleaders. As part of our 25^th Anniversary celebration in 1997, we recreated the "Expo" idea, calling it "Expo 97- Totten on Display" in honor of the original production. Thursday evening, June 20, 1974, witnesses Totten's first graduation. A total of 148 graduates received their diplomas from School Board 31 member, Michael J. Petrides. The salutatory address was given by Nancy D. DeTeresa and the Valedictorian that evening was Cynthia Olsen. These girls also received the first general excellence award and 24 graduates received the first Totten Honor Keys. This graduation and the one to follow were the only two conducted in our school auditorium.

Totten's first full-term class graduated in 1975. On Friday evening, June 20, 1975, 283 graduates received their diplomas from principal, Anthony J. Polomene. The graduates sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" and the "Grand March" from Aida served as the recessional music. Forty graduates were awarded the Totten Honor Key.

In 1980, Dr. Polomene ended his tenure as principal of I.S.34 to become a supervising principal. In the so called, "Year of the Principal," Dr. Polomene was temporarily replaced by Vincent Gattulo, until the appointment of Mr. John A. Russo was made official. Upon Mr. Russo's retirement in 1990, he was temporarily replaced by Stanley Katzman, until the appointment a few months later of Frank P. Moschella. In 1998, upon Mr. Moschella's retirement, Mr. Jeff Preston became principal. Mr. Preston has been the longest serving principal in I.S.34 history.

Our first two assistant principals were Anthony Palladino and Antoinette DeGaetano. These two very interesting people were followed by ten more assistant principals; Mr. John Boyle being the senior assistant principal at the present time.

Over the years, much of our school's history can be found in the additions of the Totten Crier. The Crier first appeared in April 1973. The paper was named in a school-wide contest and the winner was sixth grader, Teri Maklari, and the faculty advisor, Mr. Arnold Kravetz.

The Totten Crier introduced us to our staff over the years and it covered stories about activities such as Eagle Day, Culture Day, Big Guy's Night, school sports, eighth grade activities, to the choice of friends.

Little Known Interesting Facts About Totten:

Did you know that, Totten- I.S.34 has been in this building longer than Tottenville High School was?

Did you know that when I.S.75 opened in 1986, the plan was to close Totten completely? Principal John Russo, the PTA, and the Tottenville community fought against this plan and won. Did you know that our building will be 75 years old in 2010? The entire auditorium, seats and all were renovated, but the original chandeliers remain. We have been so fortunate to keep these beautiful antiques intact for 75 years.

Did you know that Mr. Mark Cananizzaro, Totten alumnus, class of 1978, was an assistant principal at I.S.34? He is presently the principal of I.S.75.

Do you know that the I.S.34 faculty is made up of nine Totten alumni? They are Anne Verderber (1977), Margaret Kay, (Corrigan) (1978), Anton Updale (1980), Chris Rusciano (1985), Jennifer Barret (Johnson) (1987), Helen Fuscaldo (1991), Tara Wagner (1995), Marie Christina Perremuto (1996), and Daniel D'Eusanio (1997).

Do you know that our first Eagle Day was held on April 19, 1974? Mrs. Ann Coppotelli was our first eighth grade advisor. Our first Big Guy's Night took place April 30, 1975. Big Guy's Night was designed to get the fathers more involved in the activities of our school.

Do you know that our "snack shack" was named by Ricky Davi, beating out the other suggested names such as "Polomene's Palace?" The snack shack was a school institution from 1978 to 2008. Mrs. Jeannette Springstead ran the snack shack for almost 30 years.

Do you know that our graduation in 1975 only had 5 special awards, whereas our graduation in 2008 had 23 awards?

Do you know that Mr. John Boyle claims that the faculty has never lost a student- faculty basketball? A member of the student team in 1989, Eddie Joyce, claims that his team beat the faculty. Unfortunately, this cannot be confirmed.

In 2001, after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, the Totten community, mobilized to assist those who were directly affected by the tragic events of that day. Thousands of dollars were raised for the American Red Cross and other organizations. Cards, poems, and supplies were provided as well. Our yearbook was dedicated to the brave souls who were taken that day and our annual Eagle Day shirt was a reminder of how great it is to be in America.

This history is dedicated to more than 12,000 children who passed through the doors of Totten and the Totten staff members who played such a significant role in modeling them.

This information was provided by Phillip Verticchio.

IS 34 is one of the intermediate schools on the South Shore that feeds from P.S. #3, where some Prince's Bay children attend.

Read about Prince's Bay history, Bloomingdale Park and Lemon Creek.

If your looking to sell your home or interested in buying a home in this area, give me a call at Appleseed Homes (718)966-4000 or visit my website. I have lived in this wonderful neighborhood for 40 years and will share my knowledge with you.