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Rosa Updale-- Associate Broker

FIRST ZERO ENERGY SCHOOL ON STATEN ISLAND

New York’s First Zero Energy School on Staten Island

P.S. 62, a Net Zero Energy Elementary School on Staten Island

via N.Y. Observer

A 70,000 square foot building, which is set to open in September 2015, with 444 school seats, will be located in the Rossville section of Southern Staten Island, and it will house kindergarten through fifth grade.

It will be a two-story building with a library, a cafeteria, a gymnasium that doubles as an auditorium, and music, science, and art suites. Not many green details about the project are currently known, except that it will produce as much energy as it uses, and it will serve as a lab to learn about sustainability and energy efficiency.

The 3.5 acre area where the school will be built is currently an unmolested plot of land covered in trees, and locals are lamenting the loss of the wooded area, as well as the changes the school will bring to the community. They’re concerned about traffic congestion on the neighborhood’s narrow roads, parking for teachers and staff, and child safety issues since the area currently has no sidewalks. The Department of Education has controlled the piece of land since 1942, but up until now they’ve had no need to develop it.

A WEE BIT O'HISTORY

...courtesy of Kathleen Furore

St. Patrick was born in southwest England around AD 389, which means this patron saint of Ireland wasn't even Irish!

When he was 15, Irish raiders kidnapped Patrick and took him to Ireland. He escaped and returned to Britain, where he dreamed an angel told him to become a missionary. He became a priest, and in 432 the Pope sent him to Ireland, where he converted the country to Christianity, according to Ruth Moran, manager of publicity & communications for Tourism Ireland (www.tourismirelandinfo.com).

Historians believe Patrick died on March 17, sometime between 460 and 490. After he became a National apostle in 688, Churches were told to honor his memory on March 17th.

The Irish identification with the shamrock even began with St. Patrick. Legend has it, he used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to a pagan king.

The earliest big St. Patrick's Day parades were in New York City and in Boston in the late 1700's.---little suprise, given the large number of families with Irish roots in those cities. Today, St. Patrick's Day festivities happen worldwide (even in Japan)!

Get some great "IRISH" information. Visit my website for more Staten Island information!

28 SANTA MONICA LANE, STATEN ISLAND, NY

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EXPLORE STATEN ISLAND

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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