Prodigy Real Estate - SI NY Real Estate Blog - Staten Island Historic Districts

What’s Up With Empire Outlets? Here’s The Latest Word.

Pictured: RealEstateSINY.com aerial drone shot of Empire Outlets under construction, June 2018.)

New York City’s debut outlet center will reportedly open in mid-April, according to the Staten Island Advance.

Travis Noyes, Empire Outlets’ Senior Vice President of Marketing, revealed to the Advance that the six building, 1.1 million square foot shopping center located on the St. George waterfront will open in phases beginning with a ribbon cutting April 17. The following day will have a grand opening with a portion of retail shops ready for business.

The remainder of stores are slated to open between April and August. Anchor retailer Nordstrom has been confirmed to open on July 4. Other major brands include H&M and Nike Factory Outlet.

The…

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Top 10 Events That Changed Staten Island Forever [Facebook LIVE]

Staten Island was once a very different place than it is today. So many of the things we take for granted about our way of life were not always this way. In this live video segment, we tackle the Top Ten events that changed Staten Island forever.

Correspondent Hannah Jay and Broker/Co-Owner Anthony Licciardello run the gamut through more than three centuries taking us into the modern day. Who were the first European settlers on Staten Island? How much did Staten Island cost to purchase from the Lenape tribe? And, how did people get to the island before the first bridge was built in 1928? What was the main event that changed the infrastructure, demographics, and culture of Staten Island in such a short time?

But many of these events are…

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Mount Manresa, St. John's Villa, And More- The Fate Of Staten Island's Cultural Institutions [LIVE VIDEO]

Over the years, a lot has changed in Staten Island. Many historical properties have fallen into disrepair, struggled to maintain landmark status, or been sold off to developers for their valuable land.

Perhaps the most high profile and most controversial of these over the past few years was Mount Manresa, the Catholic retreat and natural gem filled with some of the oldest trees in New York City. Environmentalists and Catholics alike rallied to save this property and have it landmarked by the City of New York LPC.

When the almighty dollar won out and the property was sold to The Savo Brothers, many in the community were angered to lose this natural beauty. Borough president James Oddo was so peeved that he took revenge and named the streets in the…

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Hidden Gems in Staten Island! The Best Neighborhoods You Overlook- Plus How To Reduce Property Taxes [LIVE VIDEO]

What are Staten Island's best kept secrets? We're here to let you in on them! On Staten Island's North, Mid-Island, and South Shore sections, Anthony Licciardello and Hannah Jay identify some of the most beautiful yet mysterious locations in Staten Island.

These neighborhoods are home to luxury Staten Island homes and are each charming in their own unique way. Yet, since they lie off the beaten path, these streets offer luxury homes for a great value. This is an depth discussion about the history, home styles, transportation, unique views and amenities each of these neighborhoods has to offer.

PLUS- a discussion about property taxes that may just save you lots of money! There are lots of ways to reduce the property taxes you pay each year, whether…

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The Tysen-Neville Housein Staten Island designated as a New York City Landmark on November 15, 1967.

When you think of sailors on Staten Island, your immediate thought is most likely to be of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, on Staten Island’s North Shore—and rightly so.  For those unaware, this recreational facility was built in the early 1830s as a home for retired sailors.  While it did, in fact, attract many sailors to our borough, sailors had been coming to Staten Island’s shores for years prior to the opening of the institution—or so we have been led to think.  The North Shore of Staten Island seemed to be a prime location for sailors and those who were retired from the service.

The Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden sits in an area often referred to as Randall Manor.  It sits right on the shore, with an…

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A historic look at Dorothy Valentine Smith House in Sunset Hill, Staten Island

On Staten Island’s North Shore, you can find the neighborhood of Sunset Hill.  This is a nice area that doesn’t have too much of the hustle and bustle of the city life.  In this neighborhood, aside from the nice parks you can find, there are a few New York City Landmarks.  One of these landmarks is the Dorothy Valentine Smith House.

The Dorothy Valentine Smith House is located at 1213 Clove Road, on a nice plot of land that actually holds two landmarks—the other one being the John King Vanderbilt House.  The Dorothy Valentine Smith House wasn’t built until sometime between 1893 and 1895 by John Frederick Smith, the father of Dorothy Valentine Smith.

Prior to the home’s existence, this area had been used as farmland during the eighteenth century, much…

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Located in Richmodtown Staten Island You'll find the landmark Boehm-Frost House.

In the neighborhood of Richmondtown, you can find a nice, quiet area that pulls you back in time.  This would be Historic Richmond Town, an area that has preserved Staten Island’s past for its present and future residents.  Today, Historic Richmond Town is operated by both the Staten Island Historical Society and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.  It has many historically-significant homes, stores, shops, ad objects from the past.  Of these historically-significant buildings, some of them had been originally built here, while others had been moved here to preserve them.  A good amount of these homes are New York City Landmarks, as well. 

Before 1898, which is when the City of New York came about, Cocclestown—or what is today known as…

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The Landmark Basket Maker’s House in Richmondtown, Staten Island.

Historic Richmond Town was the first area on Staten Island to be used for a civic and county government center, being that it is right in the middle of Staten Island. It had its own courthouse, clerk’s office, stores, churches, hotel, residences, and more. Once Staten Island became a part of the City of New York in 1898, it’s civic and county center had moved to the North Shore of the borough, in St. George, to be closer to Manhattan. The courthouse, clerk’s office, and other county offices had been moved to St. George, since it was no longer a county-run government and it turned into a city-run government.

Historic Richmondtown is the place to go see Staten Island’s past come alive. Being dually operated by the Staten Island Historical Society and the…

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The history behind Edgewater Village Hall in Stapleton.

Before the City of New York was formed in 1898, Staten Island had been comprised of five townships: Northfield, Southfield, Westfield, Castleton, and Middletown.  By 1866, however, some areas of Staten Island became their own incorporated villages, one of which was Edgewater.  These new incorporated villages were no longer a part of the townships and had created their own local governments.  The village of Edgewater was comprised of today’s Tompkinsville, Stapleton, and Clifton neighborhoods.

With Edgewater being an incorporated village, it needed a village hall.  In 1867, a small plot of land was purchased to be used as a public space.  This is where the Edgewater Village Hall had been constructed.  By 1889, the Edgewater Village Hall finally opened. …

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Landmark: The Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House in Old Town, Staten Island

If you’d like to see the oldest building still standing on Staten Island, you won’t find it in Historic Richmondtown. It’s actually further north, in the Mid-Island section of Staten Island. Just below Todt Hill, in the Dongan Hills community, you will find the Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House, standing at 1476 Richmond Road. This building, which had served as a home for many generations, is one of the oldest buildings in New York, having been built in the early 1660s.

The first section of the home was erected by Pierre Billiou, whose name has been made known on Staten Island not only because of this house, but also because he was among the first permanent settlers on Staten Island. Pierre Billiou left his Amsterdam hometown with his wife in May of 1661…

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