Tag: staten island

Categories
Living

NYC Car Insurance Rates Are Some of the Highest in the Nation. Which Borough is Lowest?

New York is an amazing place, but with more than 8.5 million people living in it, it’s also incredibly expensive. The high cost of living is due to several factors, and one of those is auto insurance.

New York City has some of the most expensive auto insurance in the nation, and the reasoning behind this is very simple. In addition to its very high population density, New York City has higher crime rates than a majority of the country, including automobile-related crime. The city also has high levels of traffic and congestion – factors which can increase insurance rates. Additionally, New York City has very strict minimum liability requirements when it comes to auto insurance. While these stringent requirements can protect consumers in the event of an accident, they can also drive up rates. A quick look at the minimum requirements for liability:

  • $10,000 coverage for property damage.
  • $25,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) coverage per person.
  • $25,000 coverage for bodily injuries to one individual.
  • $50,000 coverage for bodily injuries per wreck and bodily injuries per collision.
  • $50,000 coverage per accident for uninsured motorist bodily injury.

Of course, New York isn’t just a city, it’s a city of five boroughs: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx. New York auto insurance rates can vary based on which Borough you live in.

So, here’s a ranking of which Borough has the highest and lowest auto insurance rates.

1. Brooklyn

This might be a bit of a surprise – you may have expected Manhattan (after all, EVERYTHING is more expensive there), but no, it’s actually Brooklyn. The average auto insurance policy in Brooklyn is more than twice as expensive as it is anywhere else in New York. According to numerous studies, auto insurance in Brooklyn can cost you more than $3,500 annually.

2. Queens

Queens is next on the list, with the average auto insurance policy costing drivers roughly $3,000 every year. Queens has a large percentage of driving commuters – roughly half of their residents – and, as we know, more drivers means more accidents, and this means higher auto insurance rates.

3. The Bronx

The average auto insurance policy in the Bronx is about $2,900. As expensive as this is, the good news is that this is still lower than the New York City average of roughly $3,000, making this the first Borough in which the average rates drop below the city-wide average.

4. Manhattan

This one is a bit of a surprise, as Manhattan is usually regarded as the most expensive Borough. However, it came in fourth on the list of most expensive auto insurance rates, with the average policy costing consumers $2,600.

5. Staten Island

Staten Island easily has the lowest auto insurance rates of any of the five Boroughs, with the average driver paying roughly $2,500 per year. This rate is nearly $500 lower than the citywide average, but still significantly higher than the statewide average of about $1,500. A large contributing factor is almost certainly Staten Island’s comparatively low population: It not only has the smallest population of the five Boroughs, but it has the lowest population density.

Where to find the cheapest car insurance carriers

If you are shopping for car insurance rates, don’t go with the first company you see. Shop around and get as many different quotes from as many different companies as possible. Every company will give different rates for different people, and this is particularly dependent on your individual driving record.

The website PennyGeeks examined which car insurance companies had the cheapest rates for New York drivers. Here’s what they found:

  • Liberty Mutual has the best rates for safe drivers.
  • On the other end, High-Risk Drivers could find the cheapest insurance with Allstate.
  • State Farm Insurance had the best rates for teen drivers.
  • Drivers who are willing and able to pay their insurance premiums upfront could find the best rates with Esurance.
  • USAA (United States Automobile Association) had the best rates for Military Drivers.

The same survey examined overall reviews and complaints. Looking at the same five companies, it gave out the following grades:

  • USAA: A
  • Liberty Mutual: A
  • Allstate: B+
  • ESurance: B
  • Nationwide:: B-

In conclusion, auto insurance rates can vary by a variety of factors, but one of those factors is absolutely where you live and keep your car. When purchasing auto insurance, make sure you take the time to determine how you can save the most money, and make sure you shop around for the lowest rates. Doing so help ensures that you will save as much money as possible!

Featured photo by Chase Fraser

Categories
Entertainment Featured Movies

Borough Five Pictures Offers A New Love Letter To Staten Island in “Team Marco”

Filmmaker Julio Vincent Giambuto is turning his camera eye on his beloved hometown — Staten Island

Julio Vincent Gambuto is so glad to be home.

Even more precisely, the film writer and director is not only happy to be back in New York, but back making films – or ‘Valentines’ as he delightfully refers to them – that are centered around his home borough of Staten Island.

After living in Los Angeles while he pursued a Masters degree at USC Cinematic Arts, the Emmy winner then worked for E! Entertainment and Nickelodeon, before returning home to begin making the movies he’s been dreaming about and planning for the last few years.

“My stories are about family and the real experience of growing up on Staten Island in the ’90s,”  Gambuto has said. “They’re a Valentine to my family and the people of the South Shore, so the characters have deep heart.”

‘Team Marco’ is his first production for ‘Borough Five Pictures’, and it is a heart-warming story of laughter and love shared through sports, in this case the traditional Italian game of bocce. It tells the story of a young boy who is too attached to his iPad and has his eyes opened by his old-school Italian grandfather.

Gambutto’s Staten Island is rich with stories as beautiful as this view of it’s gateway

The inter-generational friendship and the style of storytelling planned for the movie hark back to the classics ‘Cinema Paradiso’ and De Sica’s ‘Bicycle Thieves’, and whilst Gambuto acknowledges the budget constraints for this initial venture, he’s planning for the film to have a definite look, strongly honed by the talent of his crew. ‘Not to Wes Anderson level’, he laughs, ‘but with a definite sense of style’.

With Andrew Scrivani, the New York Times‘ food photographer, as the film’s producer, Borough Five easily raised over a million dollars in its first round for financing and is quickly moving to double that. But at this very instant, Gambuto is focused on a tasty task; finding the best Italian rainbow cookies in the borough.

Go to these websites for more information about Team Marco and BoroughFivePictures.com

 

Categories
Business NYC Real Estate

Waiting For The New York Wheel To Start Spinning

We all know that New York City is the best city in the world. But do you ever find yourself looking at London or Paris and find that something is missing?

Amazing architecture? Nope, definitely not it. Great restaurants? No, NYC definitely has that too. We’re talking about a Ferris wheel! London has London Eye, and Paris has Roue de Paris.

Yes, we’re aware of the Wonder Wheel in Coney Island. But, if we’re being honest… It’s just so far away from downtown. But this year, we’re finally getting one just a short ferry ride away on State Island!

The New York Wheel is scheduled to open in April of this year and is located in St. George on the New York Harbor. St. George has also been called “New York City’s next waterfront destination.” And while we know there’s no waterfront destination quite like downtown, this is an exciting development.

“The New York Wheel will undoubtedly become a new landmark in New York City, attracting visitors from all over, providing economic growth and a new visibility,” Senator Chuck Schumer has said.

The observation wheel at 630 feet will have stunning waterfront views and especially a breathtaking view of downtown as seen from afar.

Photography: Courtesy of S9 Architecture / Perkins Eastman

Categories
Events Featured

Last Minute Christmas Gift: Staten Island’s Winter Wonderland

Saturday is your last chance to enjoy the exciting Winter Wonderland that is happening on Staten Island, right next to the ferry building in the Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

This immersive holiday experience, open Friday and Saturday, is perfect for getting you into the festive mood if you’re not already. It has fun for everyone, including rides and games, a skating rink, a wonderful light show, stalls selling unique artisanal gifts and an Igloo Bar with great live entertainment nightly.

With delicious food at very reasonable prices and warming drinks of all kinds, it really is an excellent way to spend time with your whole family during this holiday time! And entering and exiting, you get a great view of the New York City skyline in the distance.

Check out the Winter Wonderland website for further details.

Categories
Events Health

Fitness Friday: 5 Running Events This Fall

Running is one of the best workouts your body can get, and there are so many races and marathons that you are given the opportunity to compete in, whether it’s for fun or for competition.

For most races and competitions, training is necessary, and that is why Downtown Magazine put together a list of future races in New York City that you can sign up for and begin prepping for.

Here is what we came up with. Best of luck – and don’t forget, have fun!

NYCRUNS Labor Day 5K & 10K

Photo courtesy of NYCRUNS

Join NYCRUNS to mark the unofficial end of summer as they conclude the season in style at the Labor Day 5K & 10K on Roosevelt Island! It’s a great way to kick off the Fall 2017 Run/Marathon season. Let’s take advantage of the long weekend and sign up for a fun and active Labor Day event here.

Where: Firefighters Field (Roosevelt Island), 405 Main St, New York, NY  10044
When: Monday, September 4, 2017, 5k begins at 8:30 a.m. and the 10k begins at 9:30 a.m.

Blacklight Run – NYC

Photo courtesy of Active

The Blacklight Run™ is none other than the brightest, most fun 5K out there. It is also the target nighttime 5k in the country. This run is simply there for a fun way to exercise and they promise that these three miles will be the best three miles you’ve ever spent with your friends and family, whether you walk, jog or sprint. The fun is contagious — so sign up for this neon sky tour here.

Where: Aviator Sports and Events Center, 3159 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234
When: Saturday, September 16, 2017, starts at 7:30 p.m.

New York City Pizza Run

Photo courtesy of NYC Pizza Run

The 8th Annual NYC Pizza Run is this fall. The Pizza Run is a challenge in which participants aim to complete a 5K run while stopping to eat two slices of pizza at checkpoints throughout the course. A portion of the proceeds from the race will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Register here. I mean, is there any better motivation than pizza and giving back? The answer is no.

Where: Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park, 85 S. Oxford St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
When: Sunday, September 17, 2017, begins at 11:00 a.m.

NYCRUNS Haunted Island 5K & 10K

Photo courtesy of NYCRUNS

Roosevelt Island has been overrun by all manner of scary things, so this year join the madness for the Halloween 5K & 10K with an after party and a Halloween themed post-race spread. Goblins and ghouls of all ages are welcome! Roosevelt Island is fast, flat, and has one-of-a-kind views of Manhattan, Queens, and more. You’re in for a treat! Sign up to join the fun here.

Where: Firefighters Field (Roosevelt Island), 405 Main St, New York, NY 10044
When: Sunday, October 29, 2017, 5k begins at 8:30 a.m. and the 10k begins at 9:30 a.m.

2017 TCS New York City Marathon

Photo courtesy of TCS New York City Marathon

The TCS New York City Marathon course runs through all five of New York City’s boroughs: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan’s iconic Central Park to make an approximately 26.2-mile marathon. It is hosted by New York Road Runners (NYRR) and TCS New York City Marathon. The New York City Marathon has grown from a Central Park race with 55 finishers to the world’s biggest and most popular marathon, with nearly 50,000 finishers in 2015.

Where: Begins at Fort Wadsworth, 15978 Bay St, Staten Island, New York 10305
When: Sunday, November 5, 2017, starting at 9:50 a.m.

If you haven’t gotten a spot in this year’s marathon, don’t worry — the marathon comes around every year, and you can never start training too early. Need advice on how to train for a marathon? Click here.

Categories
Dining

Chef Adam Raksin, Rachid Abdelouahad & Ashley Beudeker on the excellent Manhattan restaurant Metropolis

Metropolis / Photo: Liz Clayman

Metropolis / Photo: Liz Clayman
Metropolis / Photo: Liz Clayman

Located at 31 Union Square West, Metropolis is a beautifully-designed oyster room and cocktail bar with live music and a welcoming atmosphere. Hidden beneath the Blue Water Grill, Metropolis is a BR Guest Hospitality establishment, making it as a sister restaurant to fine establishments like Strip House, Dos Caminos, Blue Fin, and The Atlantic Grill. But unlike many of the other BR Guest restaurants, Metropolis is only open for evening visits, keeping hours between 5:30 PM and 11:30 PM from Tuesday through Saturday each week.

Metropolis chef Adam Raksin is a graduate from the Culinary Institute of America, later working at Chicago’s L2O, Per Se, and Gunter Seeger NY. Rachid Abdelouahad, General Manager of Metropolis, grew up in Marrakech, Morocco, and came to the United States for his studies. Prior to working at Metropolis, Rachid worked at Restaurant Daniel under famed chef Daniel Boulud, where he also fine-tuned his skills as a sommelier. Ashley Beudeker is Operations Manager at Metropolis, having previously worked as part of The Fireman Hospitality Group’s management team. Chef Adam, Rachid, and Ashley all spoke to Downtown about Metropolis and why it is a must-go Downtown Manhattan restaurant.

For more information on Metropolis — including its live music schedule, which often includes Katini and Julia Haltigan — visit www.metropolisnewyork.com. Metropolis and its parent company, BR Guest Hospitality, can be followed on Twitter via @BRGHospitality.

What was the first restaurant you ever worked at?

Adam Raksin: The first restaurant I ever worked at was Linwoods in Owings Mills, Maryland. It was one of the more upscale restaurants in the area. I started as a prep cook when I was 14 working there up until I went to Culinary School.

Rachid Abdelouahad: Cal’s on 21st Street, 1991, as a busboy, Garde Manger then a Saute line cook.

Ashley Beudeker: My first quick service restaurant that I ever worked at was Au Bon Pain in LaGuardia Airport when I was 16 years old. This was my first summer job and I was a cashier / sandwich prep doing the 6:00 AM to 3:00 PMshift five days a week. It was an interesting experience!

Adam, what brought you to New York? I know you grew up in Baltimore and had worked at L2O in Chicago…

AR: What brought me to New York is everything. I really think it is the culinary and artistic center of America, if not the world. It has been truly an honor to have achieved the background and resume that I have today.

Rachid, I know you grew up in Marrakech. How did you wind up in New York?

RA: I came to New York to go to college at Wagner College in Staten Island. It was a dream came true at a young age, where I fell in love with hospitality and wine world.

Chef Adam, Ashley & Rachid of Metropolis
Chef Adam, Ashley & Rachid of Metropolis

Is there anything that you miss about living in Morocco?

RA: The culture is so rich and colorful, the food, the art and the landscape.

Adam, you attended the Culinary Institute of America. Where did the decision to go there come from?

AR: The reason I attended the Culinary Institute of America is because of the high caliber that comes with a degree from there and also. My first employer, Linwood Dame, was a graduate from there and really pushed me to go there. Once I went there and saw the campus, it was really a no-brainer.

Ashley, how did you become part of the BR Guest family?

AB: I knew the former General Manager of Dos Caminos Third Avenue, so I reached out to him in May 2015 and he landed me an interview with my current Director of Operations.

Do you have a favorite item on the menu at Metropolis?

AR: My favorite item on the Metropolis menu has to be the “Cheesesteak.” It really went from a fun thing of me creating in the kitchen to a phenomenon with the media.

RA: The Smoked Flavored Oysters and Dover Sole.

AB: Along with the fact that I love to filet it tableside, I am also a big fan of the Dover Sole for two. It’s a perfect item to share and now it comes with delicious market vegetables and quinoa.

Chef Adam Raskin / Photo: Liz Clayman
Chef Adam Raskin / Photo: Liz Clayman

Beyond the food, what is your favorite part of Metropolis?

AR: Other than the food, I would have to say that the favorite part of Metropolis is the atmosphere that the room has with everything going. The music, beverage, and service programs along with the food are really what make the room whole experience.

RA: The service style and what we do in the dinning room with all the tableside service we offer.

AB: The music and my amazing staff members. We are privileged to be the only spot in our area who does live music like we do. We have a nice selection of super-talented trios and vocalists and they really make the room come alive. I have a very small team of captains, front waiters and back waiters. We all work very closely together and every day I come to work they make me proud to be their leader.

What is a typical day like for a chef? Are you always in the kitchen? Are you ever doing the shopping, working in an office, or taking meetings?

AR: A typical day for me combines all of these things. I always go to the Union Square Market across the street to find wonderful produce for that night’s menu and specials. My day often has one or two meetings in there, usually with Rachid, our GM, about the week and next week.

Rachid, what is a typical day for you like as General Manager? Are you in the kitchen much?

RA: I do my rounds frequently to visit the kitchen, check on the chef’s needs, look at all dishes and communicate all the reservations needs. I have two restaurants to run, my day is always super busy, from meeting with the team, wine reps, interviews, administrative work, weekly and daily financial reports to attending every staff pre-shift at both properties.

Ashley, how do Metropolis and Blue Water Grill compare to one another?

AB: They don’t compare. Blue Water is amazing in its own right as it has been a beloved spot in Union Square for 20 years. Metropolis is its own being.

Metropolis pepper vodka cured salmon, mustard deviled egg

What’s coming up for Metropolis in the coming months? Any specials? New menu items? Seasonal events?

AR: We have a lot of fun events coming up for Metropolis, obviously the holidays, but we are always doing special events for our guests as well. I always try to curate specials on a nightly basis whether being an oyster, caviar, or ribeye for two.

RA: Well, it’s Q4, where special events bookings, holiday parties, menu change and exciting action plans for 2017.

Is there an accomplishment you’re most proud of within your career?

AR: I think one of the accomplishments that I am most proud of in my career are my Per Se years. Having been there for four years and seeing the high turnover rate that they have in those kind of restaurants is truly amazing.

RA: Being a part of the opening team at Restaurant Daniel, being a speaker at the James Beard House Scotch Dinner for Strip House with Chef Michael Vignola, and learning about wines around the world, doing harvest in vineyards in California, Portugal, France and Italy.

AB: What I’m most proud of within my career — so far — is my ability to connect with people. Anyone can be taught systems, how to create a spreadsheet, and all of the administrative work that comes with this position. What I feel that I have and try to practice and perfect every day is something that cannot be taught.

Metropolis / Photo: Liz Clayman
Metropolis / Photo: Liz Clayman

When not busy with Metropolis, how do you like to spend your free time?

AR: In my minimal free time (laughs), I like to spend time with my friends and family going out to restaurants and cheering for the Yankees or Giants.

RA: When I am in the building, I am busy catering to the other needs of the operation. When I am off, I am my kids’ slave.

AB: I love to read and spend time with my six-year old puggle named Barkley. Reading a book takes me to a place where I am relaxed and spending time with my dog brings me a joy that I cannot explain.

Aside from Metropolis, what is your favorite restaurant in New York?

AR: My favorite restaurant in New York is the NoMad. It has everything you could ever want — class, great service, amazing food…

RA: Gramercy Tavern.

AB: Metropolis is my only favorite, of course!

Finally, any last words for the kids?

AR: Follow your heart and have passion for your work. Have standards, don’t give into anything or anyone to compromise them.

RA: Follow you passion, set goals, advance yourselves — win every day!

AB: We have to love the kids. I would say: Be kind to animals, be kind to one another, and always know your rights…And my specific words to any young GIRL reading this is a quote taken from my favorite author Sheryl Sandberg from her brilliant book Lean In: “We hold ourselves back in ways both big and small, by lacking self-confidence, by not raising our hands, and by pulling back when we should be leaning in.” So to conclude, I say lean in! Sit at the table, speak up for what you believe in and lean in every day until you get it done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGgUtQmTLdM