Monday, December 1, 2008

Neighborhood Spotlight - Grasmere


Mary DiBiase Blaich for The New York Times

Just by looking at the picture above, it feels as if you are looking at a serene setting in Pennsylvania or something. What you're actually seeing is one of New York City's unhidden gems, called Brady's Pond, located in Grasmere on the North Shore of Staten Island. When I was a little rug rat, I use to come here with my family sporting my cool little floaties as I swam around the fresh water pond. Grasmere is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Staten Island, which I'm going to breakdown for you right now. One of the most frustrating things about living in Staten Island is the commute to Manhattan. Unlike the rest of the boroughs and even some parts of New Jersey, Westchester and Long Island who all have their own public train stations/subways that run to Manhattan, Staten Island's only means of transportation into Manhattan are via express bus, ferry or car. I love living on Staten Island, but this is one of my biggest pet peeves about living here. Fortunately if you live in this area you're very close to the Verrazano Bridge that goes to Brooklyn and it's only a 10 minute ride on the Staten Island Railway to St. George, which is the closest stop to the ferry.

According to the NY Times, Grasmere's convenience has helped it endure the economic slowdown, and housing in this area is considered very stable. Although Grasmere's average home prices fell to $437,500 in the first half of 2008, compared to an average price of $505,800 in the first half of 2007, average days on the market remained relatively consistent. The neighborhood has always been one of the most prestigious communities on Staten Island, with the zone around Brady's Pond being particularly affluent. Houses in this area can go for more than $1 million.

How many of you guys actually new about this lovely pond on SI???

Living In Grasmere, Staten Island - Bucolic and Bustling, All at Once [NY Times]

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