What we love in New York City: A collection of videos and places we find most interesting in the city that never sleeps. New York City is iconic and with the our world played out in video daily. From the awe inspiring to the humorous, we take a hard look at each and give you best on what this town is all about. 

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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On the whole, US homeowners still routinely prefer detached homes. 82%, in fact, according to the US Census Bureau in 2015. Just 5.5% of US homeowners live in townhomes. But this is another story in metropolitan areas like New York.

Semi-attached homes, which refer to a dwelling that shares a common wall with another, are extremely popular in Staten Island and the outer New York City boroughs in general. This type of home, ideal for small urban and suburban land plots, has a rich and varied history of helping to meet housing demand in densely populated areas throughout the world.

 

A Brief History of Semi-Attached Homes

To accommodate growing populations and save on construction costs, semi-attached homes popped up all over Staten Island post…

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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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In an age of disappearing staples like Toys R Us, it's wonderful to see longstanding businesses thriving. In an earlier post we touched on how to survive the Retail Apocolypse, which it appears Toys R Us has fallen victim to. If these large chains are toppled in such a fashion, what can small businesses do to avoid the same fate?

Be it ice cream parlors, sweet shops, or even records stores, certain businesses still thrive the old-school way. Having that nostalgic charm can set a business apart from most others who are keeping with modern trends. People enjoy that friendly warmth of vintage shops that remind them of simpler times.

In New York City we constantly see new businesses pop up and wonder how long they will last. It's not uncommon to…

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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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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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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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The Asbury Methodist Church is one of the many landmarks located on Staten Island. It was named after Francis Asbury, an Englishman who came to America in 1771. Francis Asbury was born in 1745 and had begun his profession as a Methodist preacher by the age of twenty-one. He had volunteered to come to America when John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, had asked his ministers for volunteers to travel to the Thirteen Colonies in 1771. Francis Asbury was a circuit rider, which means that he did not have one specific church at which he preached. Instead, he had travelled around the thirteen colonies, preaching to all those who wanted to listen.

During the American Revolutionary War, most of the Methodist preachers had left America. Francis Asbury, on the…

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Von Briesen Park, also known as Arthur Von Briesen Park, is located on the northeastern shore of Staten Island. The park is bordered by Bay Street and North Road. Von Briesen Park extends outward from Bay Street into The Navon_briesen_park_bridge_400rrows. This park contains about ten acres of park-land and about two acres of water. Von Briesen Park was named after Arthur Von Briesen (1843 – 1920). This park used to hold Arthur Von Briesen's estate before he passed away. He bought this property in 1901 as a summer home, which he named "Gernda", a German term for "wishing to be there".

Arthur Von Briesen was a German immigrant who came to the United States in 1858. He studied law up until the start of the Civil War when he enlisted in the First New York Volunteers. In the war he…

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fdr_boardwalk_south_beach_2_640During the nineteenth century, much of Staten Island was used as a summer resort for its neighboring boroughs.  This was especially so closer to the shore, where people had access to the beach.  By the beginning of the twentieth century, in 1906, an amusement park opened on the eastern shore of Staten Island.  The Happyland Amusement Park, located in South Beach, was a widely anticipated attraction-so much so that at the time of its opening, thirty-thousand people traveled to Staten Island for its grand opening.

In 1912, a carousel was constructed at Happyland Amusement Park. The carousel became the most popular attraction of the park.  However, it was not the only feature enjoyed by the amusement park's visitors.  Happyland Amusement Park also had such…

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