The New York Knicks are Staten Strong!
Still love how one Staten Island hotel stuck it to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the New York Road Runners Association, who were demanding that rooms occupied by storm refugees be vacated and turned over to New York City Marathon runners who had reservations at the hotels. Fortunately, the mayor and the Road Runners dropped their myopic plan to go ahead with the marathon just a week after the storm, despite the city’s suffering.
Never thought I’d see our President walking down a Staten Island street.
We will overcome, Staten Island
Having internet back means one thing, and one thing only: time for this nerd to do some blogging! For those who have been may out of the loop, my apartment in South Beach and everything inside was completely destroyed last week due to Superstorm Sandy. If you’re expecting me to get sentimental about it, well, grieving (if you want to even call it that) is a process, and my hope is in much more than mere “stuff” (granted, some of it was personal).
I don’t really get people being discontent with [only] making it out alive, trusting more in material possessions when this is a chance to be free from them. Seriously, it’s almost a blessing in disguise. There is even beauty in everyday, blue-collar workers coming together to serve one another’s needs in the neighborhoods they probably lived in all their lives, akin to the few weeks after 9/11.
When all is said and done, I have never been more proud to be a Staten Islander for more than 20 years. Just like Wolf Blitzer, Ann Curry, and Anderson Cooper have previously reported, Staten Island being the fifth and forgotten borough is not a clever joke or cutesy catchphrase. It’s a harsh reality filled with occasional neglect and much isolation. Maybe this is God’s way of raising awareness about our borough and the respect we have constantly fought for from the rest of New York City.
Staten Island Strong.
A running collection of what our haunted house victims are saying:
“Thank you for allowing me to pay some people to scare this kid to the point of he couldn’t even take a piss without shaking looking to see what’s coming out the mirror …. good times thanks again will deff bring back some more next season.”
“Had a great time tonight. Scared the crap out of my daughter. Better then last year”
“Charlie B and NYC ARts Cypher have by far pulled off the best haunted house in NY!! My son and nephew both chickened out 2 minutes in! Had to go the rest of the way with E… If you don’t come out to this spot you are missing out!!!! Scary as HELL!”
“Seriously one of the best I’ve been to and I’ve been to a lot of haunted houses. Loved it.”
“Thx for breaking my kneecaps — all for a good cause.”
“That thing was kickass. Highly scary and I am going to tell everyone I know to go.”
“I love it! It was awesome … U guys did a great job!”
“Totally better than last year! We go to a lot of haunted houses and this was pretty good!”
“I’m still shaking … my heart’s racing … It really was terrifying!”
“Just want to say what a good job those guys and gals did at the haunted! It’s a must do before Halloween! It will make you jump every noise you hear and the characters are awesome!”
“My bro and I agreed it was better than last year.”
“It was so much better and my friends loved it too! U guys did an amazing job!!!!”
“Yo the spot is official..i told everybody I kno….its a good look..priceless experience.”
There’s still 8 days left to have your quote here! Don’t miss it.
Why a haunted house?
The haunted house industry is multi-million dollar. Halloween is the second highest-grossing commercial holiday behind Christmas. I can’t think of a more exciting way to raise money for a great cause around this time of the year and getting to have fun serving in the process. Surely, Halloween may have an uneasy history with people like myself a part of the Church, but it is important to distinguish the different aspects of the holiday and know what to reject vs. redeem.
Why in Stapleton?
Stapleton is one of the older waterfront neighborhoods of Staten Island, built in the 1830s on land once owned by the Vanderbilt family. It was a long-time commercial center of the island, but has struggled to revive after several decades of neglect following the building in 1964 of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which shifted the commercial development of the island to its interior.
Plus, when you hear families from the area saying such things as, “no one has ever done anything like this for us before,” it puts it all into perspective.
Why with the NycArtsCypher?
This local non-profit caters to troubled youth through arts and entertainment, teaching them the fundamentals of everyday life using dance, song, design, and an affinity for the urban context. All proceeds will benefit the organization and the kids involved with their programs.
Remember, all proceeds of the “Return of the Haunted 2” haunted house on Staten Island will go to such community efforts as the NycArtsCypher’s Anti Bullying initiative (http://thecyphercares.org)
*DATES AND HOURS OF OPERATION*
Thursday October 18th 7pm-11pm
Friday October 19th 7pm-11pm
Saturday October 20th 7pm-11pm
Sunday October 21st 5pm-9pm
Thursday October 25th 7pm-11pm
Friday October 26th 7pm-11pm
Saturday October 27th 7pm-11pm
Sunday October 28th 5pm-9pm
Monday October 29th 7pm-11pm
Tuesday October 30th 7pm-11pm
12 Broad St., Staten Island, NY 10314. For More Info: http://facebook.com/nycartscypher
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