Tag Archives: East Shore of Staten Island

Staten Island Railway Commuters Furious Over Recent Service

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By: Teresa Roca

Every weekday morning, Dina Amato begins her commute to Manhattan by boarding the St. George-bound train to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. As the express train zips by, it abruptly stops between two stations. Sighing in frustration, Amato checks her watch to see if making the ferry will be a possibility. The conductor makes an announcement in an attempt to keep commuters patient, blaming the 10-minute delay on construction and slippery tracks from leaves. With only a few minutes to spare, the train pulls into the St. George station as Amato runs with a crowd of commuters to the turnstiles. The only way Amato can get onto the free ferry is by paying $2.25 for the train that may have just caused her to miss her connection.

statenisland This is a typical weekday morning for Staten Island residents who are forced to rely on the Staten Island Railway to commute to New York City.

“I have been taking the train for about 10 years now and I don’t ever remember a time when it was so disrupted by leaves falling, that just doesn’t make sense to me,” said Amato. “If that is the case I think they would have to figure out a solution. You can’t just let people sit there on the train without any explanation other than leaves are falling and you’re going to miss your ferry and too bad. I just think they’re in fumble mode right now and they’re using the leaves as an excuse.”

The Staten Island Railway is the only running transit line in the borough, providing full-time local service and part-time express service between St. George and Tottenville. The 22-stop train is free between stations. The only stops Staten Islanders have to pay the $2.25 fee is when exiting the train at St. George to get onto the ferry and at Tompkinsville station, the second to last stop on the train. Because of heavy delays, many islanders feel that paying this fee is unfair.

Since May 21st, 2012, the Grasmere station has been undergoing construction in an effort to upgrade the station. According to mta.info, the track work at this station will be completed by April 2013. Destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy has added to the delays. The storm damaged the signal system, allowing only two of the tracks to operate. Service won’t be fully restored until March 2013.

“I think since the train services aren’t running at 100 percent right now we shouldn’t have to pay,” said St. Francis College undergraduate Anthony Ruggiero.

Some Staten Islanders feel that a waived fee from the other stations makes up for the cancelled express trains and heavy delays during rush hour.

“With any MTA system, even with the subways, there are always delays and problems,” said Cecilia Tribuzio, an undergraduate student at LIM College. “I feel like the train is pretty good for not having to pay at all the stops.”

For years, commuters would get off at the Tomkinsville station and walk six blocks to the Staten Island Ferry to avoid paying the fare. In 2010, MTA added turnstiles to the station to restrict islanders from getting out of paying at St. George.turnstiles

“A lot of people used to get off,” said Pino Ciaccia, a longtime commuter who used to beat this system. “I would say half of the people walking to the ferry were people who lived in the area and the other half would take the five-minute walk to save two dollars.”

John G. Gaul, former vice president and chief officer of the railway, stated in an interview to The New York Times that the added turnstiles at Tomkinsville were “in a large measure, but not totally,” to receive fare from people who tried to beat the system. He projected that they would receive about $661,000 in annual revenue by adding turnstiles at Tompkinsville.

“I think it’s fair because people used to leave Tomkinsville and not have to pay for the train when they got off for the ferry,” said Tribuzio. “The MTA system was losing a lot of money.”

Until 1997, conductors of the Staten Island Railway would collect tickets from passengers as they boarded the train from one of the 22 stops. This was eliminated when the MetroCard was introduced. The Staten Island Railway lost about $3.4 million a year in response to the cut. Silive.com reported that in an effort to increase revenue, MTA plans to restore fare collection at every station.

“I don’t think that makes sense because a lot of students use the train system to get to and from school and a lot of elderly people and local people use it,” said Amato. “I mean, it’s still a city suburb so I think a lot of people use that to get around Staten Island.”

Ciaccia feels that paying $2.25 at Tomkinsville and St. George is bad enough, let alone at every station.

“There is a lot of waste because a lot of the time I see work and the work has not been finished or they fix the stations and you see ten people doing nothing all day long. You never see a complete job. MTA should manage their resources and the money they spend in a better way. The easy way is to raise the fare.”

IMG_0314For residents living on the South Shore of Staten Island, the Staten Island Railway is their only source of transportation to midtown Manhattan. Although they can drive to express bus stops, that would involve more time, money and frustration since parking is limited.

“If you want to run to a Knicks game real quick you have to plan a few hours in advance just to get there early for a game that starts at 7,” said Ruggiero. “You have to leave here at least 3:30 p.m. just to get to the city on time. It’s really a pain living in Staten Island, especially with this train.”

When asked how the MTA could improve transportation for South Shore Staten Islanders, Amato insisted that MTA focus on other alternatives.

“I really don’t understand why South Shore Staten Islanders can’t get straight to midtown Manhattan without relying on the train system. I think they should put a ferry down on the South Shore. Utilizing Tottenville would be great since there is a port capability right there. It can make multiple stops up the island and go right downtown.”

 

Staten Islanders respond to delays and the possible addition of turnstiles at every station.

Staten Islanders Unite in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy

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By: Teresa Roca

Canned vegetables, bleach, jars of baby food, bottled water and hygiene products consume the inside of small, white tents. Outside, labeled duct tape separates garbage bags of pillows, used clothing, towels and blankets. Clusters of people stop by these tents, rummaging through the donated necessities, similar to the ones that once filled their homes.

The organization of these relief zones is a contrast from the surrounding area. Wood, shrubbery and unsalvageable belongings litter foundations where homes once stood; red tags reading “unsafe” and “fully destroyed” hang from front doors; people wearing masks walk in and out of homes, carrying bags of garbage and sheetrock.

Without the Hurricane Sandy relief zones organized by local groups and businesses, the residents of the New Dorp section of Staten Island would have nothing.

“If this place wasn’t here, if these people weren’t getting the help they needed, who knows what would have happened to them,” said Celia Iervasi, a main coordinator of Ariana’s Grand relief center. “We’re talking life and death. They would be dead.”

Ariana’s Grand, a local catering hall, is one of the many businesses damaged by Hurricane Sandy. With Ariana’s flooded basement, and electricity and heat returning just last weekend, owner Frank DiMattina knew what his new role would be in the devastated community.

“He could have just said ‘I’m done. My business is closed,’ lock the door and go about his business,” said Sean Cusick, another coordinator of the center. “But he is a community-minded guy. He is always looking to help out.”

Iervasi and Cusick have been accepting, distributing, and organizing items ever since DiMattina set up his tent in response to the hurricane. Receiving over 100 volunteers every weekend, Ariana’s has been a safe haven for New Dorp residents seeking hot meals served inside the hall and donated supplies in the tent outside.

“We are organizing demolition crews, manpower, to go out into the houses and actually demo the interior of the homes for the people that have been affected,” said Cusick. “This way, they don’t have to hire a contractor and spend the money.”

A couple of blocks down the road, another tent is set up. Hallowed Sons, a motorcycle group out of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, are the organizers.

“The Hallowed Sons had a family member here that lost their home,” said Donna Graziano, the main coordinator. “They came here to take furniture out of the house. Then we came with a barbeque and it just exploded from there.”

Like Ariana’s, Hallowed Sons offers food, accepts and distributes donations, and sends crews to clean out houses. On site 24 hours a day, Hallowed Sons receives volunteers from all over the country. They are currently accepting donations to keep their soup kitchen and food line running for those affected by Sandy.

In front of their tent a sign reads, “#OccupySandyRelief. #WeGotThis.”

This sign represents the unification of volunteers and residents in the community. These relief zones have sprung up in the ravished parts of Staten Island in response to the government’s lack of support. The Red Cross and FEMA didn’t come to Staten Island until November 2nd. In these four days after Hurricane Sandy, Staten Island residents were pleading for food, clothing, gasoline and help. As one of the hardest hit areas, Staten Islanders believe the Red Cross and FEMA didn’t come soon enough.

“You’re talking about 14 feet of water in someone’s home. Nothing is salvageable,” said Cusick. “Without this organization, they wouldn’t have gotten the help they needed because they weren’t getting help from the outside until recently when President Obama came. The government wasn’t doing anything for these people.”

Angelo Chiarello is one of the many residents in the New Dorp area whose home was damaged by the hurricane. After deciding to evacuate last minute with his family, he came home to what he describes as a “war zone.” Eleven feet of water flooded Chiarello’s basement, destroying thousands of dollars of toys, tools, collectibles and personal items. His family had no power for two weeks.

“If it wasn’t for the community helping us out, it would have been a lot worse,” said Chiarello. “The Red Cross came like five days later, Fema like a week later, so we really had no help except for each other. The tents were good to have there because people could get hot food and other stuff.”

When asked about the government’s response to the hurricane Chiarello replied, “Horrible. I got to go make a phone call to complain, I will be right back.”

The altruism of the community in wake of Hurricane Sandy hasn’t gone unnoticed. Volunteers and residents have become a family.

“Staten Island helped Staten Island. That’s what helped us. There was no one else,” said Chiarello. “People from the tents were driving around asking, ‘you want a case of water? You want food?’ Coming around with sandwiches and cleaning stuff, it helped big.”

After weeks of volunteering and aiding Hurricane Sandy victims, the relief areas aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“They don’t want us to leave, honestly, they don’t want us to go,” said Graziano. “That is why I am still here. I will stay as long as they need me.”

As Iervasi told Cusick that they had to get back to work, he paused for a moment, and with a smile he said, “When I was reading the papers, the people that live here said that we are doing the work of God.”

 

Find out how community groups are rising to the occasion to help Hurricane Sandy victims.

Extra Credit: Here is New York

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By: Teresa Roca

Because of Hurricane Sandy, I couldn’t help but think about E.B. White’s This is New York. There are a lot of reasons why this book relates to New York City today. White explains how every facility is inadequate such as the overcrowded hospitals, schools and playgrounds etc. But then he goes on to say that the city makes up for these hazards and deficiencies by supplying citizens with a sense of belonging to something unique. That is exactly the reason why New York is the way it is today. Despite the claustrophobic subway stations and unimproved highways and bridges, New Yorkers can’t help but absorb and love New York City despite all of its flaws.

This is shown today through Hurricane Sandy. According to White, “The city, for the first time in its long history, is destructible. A single flight of planes no bigger than a wedge of geese can quickly end this island fantasy, burn the towers, crumble the bridges, turn the underground passages into lethal chambers, cremate the millions.” This is untrue. When the terrorist attacks occurred on September 11th, 2001, New York did not destruct or crumble. Despite the lives lost, this helped unite the city. The same happened with Hurricane Sandy. I have never seen more unity in a community than this past week. In Staten Island, islanders from all parts of the area opened their warm homes to people without power, gave neighbors generators and the little bit of gas they had left, donated clothes, cleaning supplies, food and other necessities, and visited the destroyed homes to help clean and salvage goods. Because of everything New York City and the boroughs have done for the residents in regards to giving people something unique and mighty, we gave and continue to give back by not allowing these destructible events destroy the city, but letting it become even stronger. It is nice to know that New York was and still is loved by its residents despite its flaws. Although this book may be dated at times, the message will never be.

Longevity and Tradition Help Keep a Family-Run Tavern in Business

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By: Teresa Roca

The aroma of pizza and sound of friendly voices welcomes Staten Island residents into an old brick building every night. As they walk through the crowded room, jersey-wearing strangers toast each other with beers in response to the sports game, long-time friends reminisce on their past, and families of all ages strive to create new memories.

This is a typical night at Lee’s Tavern, a pub that has been in business since 1940.

“My husband lived two blocks down and he always came here,” said Catherine Palemine, owner of Lee’s Tavern. “The original owner, Leroy Moresco, wanted to get out of the business and his family wasn’t interested, my husband was.”

After years of working for Moresco, Diego Palemine became owner of Lee’s Tavern in 1969. His wife and their son Diego Palemine took over the tavern after his untimely death in 1986.

By keeping the traditions that strengthened Lee’s Tavern as a business, the Palemine family adds their own touches to continue the longevity and reputation of this tavern that has been a second home to local residents for over 70 years.

“We try to add a few things when we can,” said Diego Palemine. “We were the first place that anyone could remember having satellite television so guests could watch different games. We added more beer taps and a few more toppings to our pizza.”

Despite these changes, the family makes sure to hold onto the old-fashioned appearance and family-based core of the tavern that made this establishment a favorite among locals.

“We just came up with buffalo calamari. We take the same products we already have and put a different twist on it so you are not necessarily ordering something new,” said Diego Palemine. “I think one of the best compliments I get is when somebody comes in and says, ‘I haven’t been here in 30 years and it still looks the same.’”

One long-standing tradition the Palemine family continues to offer is their well-known thin crust pizza. The family prides themselves on the quality, and reasonable prices of $10 for a large pie and $5.75 for a small pie.

“People are looking to save their money and get the most out of their dollar,” said Diego Palemine. “They come here where they can feed a family of four for $30 or $40.”

Although the struggling economy has actually helped the business because islanders opt for the tavern’s low prices, the increase of water, electricity and food products has caused Lee’s Tavern to increase their prices when necessary.

“It’s getting tougher as prices are going higher,” said Diego Palemine. “We use about 600 to 700 pounds of flour to make dough and 700 to 800 pounds of cheese a week. When you add those up by the year, it’s a big number. “But we try to hold onto our prices for as long as we can,” added Catherine Palemine.

Located in the Dongan Hills area of Staten Island, Lee’s Tavern is surrounded by reputable bars and pizzerias. Although many of these businesses rely on word of mouth and their well-established reputation to stay successful, they still need to compete for newcomers.

Nunzio’s Pizzeria and Restaurant is located a few blocks from Lee’s Tavern. Open since 1942, they believe that they have the best pizza on the island, as many islanders compliment them on their bread-like dough and distinguishable tomato sauce.

“A lot of people come in and try to compare us to Lee’s Tavern. They always tell us that our pizza is better,” said Nunzio’s worker Nick Goldstein. “We have been around for 60 years, that reputation helps us out a lot. We have people come from all over that say they come here just for our pizza.”

Like Nunzio’s, Lee’s Tavern does not offer specials to customers on meals and drinks, compensating with their low prices and generous portions. The tavern also refuses to advertise in papers, through social media, or with a sign outside the building.

“We really haven’t had to do much to be honest with you,” said Diego Palemine. “Great grandparents came, grandparents came, and parents came, now the kids and grandchildren come. It’s a generation place. It is all word of mouth. Not having a sign outside just adds to the allure of people finding it and wanting to find it.”

With an increasing amount of bars closing in the area, they must distinguish themselves from one another in order to ensure business.

“Lee’s is known for pizza and we are known for having the best hamburgers,” said Mike Pace, a waiter at the Grant City Tavern. “We also offer certain specials on drinks and we have mixed drinks.” These are deals and specialties Lee’s Tavern does not offer.

In the last 15 years, the Palemine family has witnessed a major turnover in the neighborhood, as Hispanic minorities are moving in and locals are moving out. Thankfully, the Cheers-like atmosphere they have worked hard to build and maintain allows their bar to feel as if the neighborhood never changed.

“Customers now are coming from farther than they were,” said Diego Palemine. “A few years ago, they were coming from a five-block radius, now you have people coming from the other side of the island, or places like Jersey or Brooklyn.”

Diego and Catherine Palemine hope to make some changes to the tavern that will increase business such as adding more televisions, installing Wi-Fi connection and extending the kitchen. Until then, the Palentine family continues to build the reputation that was established for them by Moresco and the late Diego Palemine.

“Even though it’s a tavern, we have all age groups in here,” said Catherine Palemine. “This bar is family oriented and we try to keep it that way.”

Step inside Lee’s Tavern and find out why this is the East Shore of Staten Island’s go-to spot for locals.

Joe Gould’s Secret

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By: Teresa Roca

Joseph Mitchell’s “Joe Gould’s Secret” is a classic in disguise. Through Mitchell’s writing, he is able to capture the emotions of each character, allowing the reader to understand the actions of Gould and Mitchell.

When I began reading this novel, I did not find bohemian Joe Gould to be a likeable character. I found him to be selfish and felt that he was using his oral history as a way to trick his friends and acquaintances into donating money to the “Joe Gould fund.” His constant drinking and lies about what he would use the money for strengthened my negative thoughts about Gould. An example would be, “I’m supposed to go to the clinic at the Eye and Ear Infirmary, at Second Avenue and Thirteenth Street, and pick up a prescription for some eye trouble I’ve been having, and if it’s one kind of prescription it won’t cost anything but if it’s another kind it may cost around two dollars, and I’ve just discovered that I don’t have any money with me, and it’s getting late, and I wonder if you’d ask your receptionist to lend me two dollars” (Mitchell 55). We later find out that Gould never went to the clinic and used the money for something else. As the novel continued, I began to feel sympathy and understand why Gould acted the way he did. By learning of Gould’s past, and how he would rewrite the death of his father and other prominent events in his life over and over again, I discovered that Gould is a character suffering from pain and regret of his past. This humanizes Gould, turning him into a more likeable character, as readers are now able to relate to him.

Throughout the novel, Mitchell’s ability to feel sympathy for Gould makes him an admirable character. By paying for Gould many times, forwarding his mail, and checking on him, this shows the genuine character Mitchell is. Mitchell is not a character that carries the stereotype journalists unfortunately carry of using their subjects for stories. That fact that Mitchell did not continue to badger Gould about the oral history not existing, and that he kept Gould’s secret even after his death shows the remarkable journalist Mitchell is. It is also interesting to see how much the neighborhood cared for Gould after his death, especially when friends dedicated their time searching for the oral history. One man made a community come together as a whole. This makes me believe that maybe this was Gould’s secret all along.

This novel is relatable, smart, informative, and draws emotion. I am glad that I had the opportunity to read it.