The Home Issue
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LIFESTYLE LETTER
March 2023 - Home
March 2023 PUBLISHER
Brigitte McLaughlin | Brigitte.McLaughlin@citylifestyle.com EDITOR
Home. There are so many different meanings of that little four letter word. Home is our grounding. Our base. Our launchpad. It’s where we start and end each day. And while home represents something a little different for each of us, the meaning and value it holds is undeniable. Author Wendy Wunder said, “The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back.” As we thought about home - we realized that it’s so much more than the place you return to after a long day. It’s your local barista that knows your drink order the second you walk in, the friendly face you see on your morning commute, the teller at the bank that asks how your family is doing… home is a combination of the people and places that make you feel like you are in a safe and familiar space. Staten Island is my home and I feel so blessed to be able to share stories with you every month about the people and places that make this community whole and make it feel like home. This month we invite you to flip through these pages and hopefully feel encouraged and connected to the people around you. We appreciate you reading Staten Island City Lifestyle and we hope you choose to make us a part of YOUR home by keeping us close by as a décor piece for your coffee table or entryway! We feel proud to create a resource that is valued in our community and strive every month to deliver the value you expect. Thanks for letting us be a part of your home. Happy March!
Valerie Bianculli | Valerie.Bianculli@citylifestyle.com PUBLICATION DIR ECTOR
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Proverbs 3:5-6 Staten Island City Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Staten Island area’s most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Staten Island City Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered
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L I F E ST Y LE LE T T E R
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© 2023 Pandora Jewelry, LLC • All rights reserved © 2023 Pandora Jewelry, LLC • All rights reserved
© 2023 Pandora Jewelry, LLC • All rights reserved
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MARCH 2023
inside the issue The Home Issue
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14
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F E ATU R E D
D E PA RTM E NTS
10 About Our Cover
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Lifestyle Letter
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City Scene
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Open House HO ME + DES I GN
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Maker’s Studio S HO PPI NG
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Trend Setter A RTS + C U LT U R E
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Local’s Choice FI NA NC E + LEGA L SE RV IC E S
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Decor Trends HO ME + DES I GN
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Events
A sneakpeek into some of the work done by PSE Audio Visual
14 Keeping it in the Family with Gerald Peter’s Get to know Peter and Gerald of Gerald Peters
24 Chic Coffee Table Books
Our round-up of the chicest coffee table books to enhance your space
28 Home is Where your Bank is Sitting down with Empire State Bank
O N T H E C OV E R
Photography: PLUG New York PSE Audio Visual showcases one of their beautiful townhouses. Keep an eye out for our April issue to learn more about this innovative company!
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MARCH 2023
city scene
Where neighbors can see and be seen. 1
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1: NBA Player, Chet Holmgren pays a visit to Gerald Peters 2: A very special proposal! With a custom Gerald Peters ring 3: A Chance in Life 2022 Wine & Spirits Dinner with Empire State Bank 4: Empire State Bank receiving the 2022 Staten Island Chamber of Commerce Building Award 5: The Evolve 33 team out to dinner at a local restaurant 6: Happy Hour at Luce! 7: Pasta nights at Luce! With this entree special, Tortelloni alla Noce
Want to be seen in the magazine? Tag your Instagram photos with @StatenIslandCityLifestyle
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C I T Y SC E N E
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About Our Cover ARTICLE BY BRIGITTE MCLAUGHLIN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY PLUG NEW YORK
This month’s cover comes from PSE Audio Visual! PSE Audio Visual is an audio and visual design company based out of Brooklyn, NY serving both the luxury residential home market and commercial clients in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and South Florida. They are best known for their ability to intertwine lifestyle, design and technology — creating smart home and smart office experiences that accent and complement your everyday life and work environment. The PSE team works with some of the industry’s best architects and designers to deliver more than individual technologies — they create fully integrated experiences
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O PE N H OU SE | HOM E + DE S I GN
that are personalized just for you. The clients work with PSE because they know how to take their vision and bring it to life, from design to installation. They leave their clients with a system that works from your smartphone to ensure that you don’t have to fumble between multiple apps and keypads or devices. PSE ensures that your systems stay up and running by offering monitoring services that they manage remotely so that your audio never skips a beat. The townhouse on the cover is just one of the lovely properties that PSE has developed. Next month look out for a deep dive into PSE and its owner Richie Ramm.
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ARTICLE BY BRIGITTE MCLAUGHLIN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE GLORIA
Keeping it in the Family with Gerald Peter’s SI CITY LIFESTYLE: TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW YOU GOT INVOLVED IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS. GERALD’ S BACKGROUND: I went to St. Joseph By the Sea High School & Mount Saint Vincent College in Riverdale, New York where I went for Business Management and Accounting. After college I worked with the gentlemen I interned with at American Mortgage Consultants and was doing accounting with them and had no intention of going into my Father’s family business because I felt I wanted to go out and make a name for myself. When the job at American Mortgage Consultants ended, my boss was leaving and going to another company but before I could go work for him there, there was a 6 month layover and during that period I started to work for my father and saw the business through different eyes than when I was in high school working for him full time. We went through Christmas time and
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so on and I saw the potential on how we could grow the family business and the foundation was already built here and I saw how we could really tenfold the business, which we take really seriously because my father started this business from nothing. Ever since that point I never left and the business is a big part of my life now and I am very happy with my decision. PETER’S BACKGROUND: I went to St. Joseph by the Sea High school as well and went to college At Fairleigh Dickenson in Madison, New Jersey. In college I majored in business management with a concentration in entrepreneurship and once I left college I did not want to work for my father but he was looking to open another jewelry store under a different name in Tom’s River, New Jersey and he asked me if I would be interested in running that store. I wound up taking that opportunity in 2013 and when we opened Pandora up in 2013 – I was able to run my own business and be far enough away from family where I felt it was 100% mine, which was a really unique experience for me. I
eventually came back to Staten Island to work for my father and I have been here ever since.
SI CITY LIFESTYLE: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE GERALD PETERS IN YOUR OWN WORDS? PETER: Gerald Peter’s is a luxury jewelry store but still gives the same family feel that you would receive in a Mom & Pop jewelry store. What we did here was create a luxury high end jewelry store with high quality jewelry, including our own Gerald Peter’s brand and well-known brands but we still always give that family vibe and that feeling when any customer comes into the store. GERALD: Gerald Peters is a unique business model; there are not many jewelers around the tri-state area that you can count on one hand who have the same business plan as us. Now we talk about luxury and quality and that applies for all price points because you can have a quality item from $200-$500 dollars. What we were able to do is help our clients purchase quality jewelry for any CONTINUED > MAR CH 2 0 2 3 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/STAT E N I S L A N D
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occasion – we do not just focus on one product, we focus on multiple. We are able to provide you with your baby’s first gift, Mother’s Day gifts, Valentine’s Day presents, engagement rings and wedding bands and then we have watches that retail from $300 dollars all the way up to Rolex which could retail for tens of thousands of dollars.
SI CITY LIFESTYLE: WHAT ARE YOUR ROLES IN THE BUSINESS AND WHAT IS IT LIKE WORKING WITH YOUR FAMILY? PETER: In terms of roles, Gerald would be responsible mostly for sales and I am responsible more for operations. When you work in a small business you wear multiple hats that can often overlap so there are plenty of things Gerald does operationally and there’s plenty of things I do on the sales floor as well. We all have different strengths and we try to work with those strengths on who’s good at what and every day we are learning new things and coming up with different responsibilities. GERALD: From my experience most family businesses have issues with figuring out who is responsible for what and I think we do a great job here, even with the things we overlap with, I have no problem asking Peter for his help when I need it. Every year we also always visit our 1,3 and 5 year plan so we always have the same vision, goals and we carry that down to our staff. We all know the end goal, we can have different ways of getting there but as long as we get there and everyone has the same intentions, it helps all of us.
SI CITY LIFESTYLE: WHEN WE SAT DOWN FOR OUR FIRST INTERVIEW YOU MENTIONED THE FOUR CORE VALUES FOR GERALD PETER’S. DO YOU WANT TO ELABORATE ON THOSE? PETER: Our 4 Core Values are 1. Reputation Over Profit, 2. The Gerald Peters Experience, 3. Honesty and Integrity and 4. Teamwork. It’s never about the dollar amount. When it comes to buying jewelry, it can be an intimidating process. For us it is about the experience that the customer has from the moment they enter our boutique. These 4 core values keep all of our staff in line with the same vision for what we want our customers’ experience to look like. CONTINUED >
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“Our 4 Core Values are 1. Reputation Over Profit, 2. The Gerald Peters Experience, 3. Honesty and Integrity and 4. Teamwork. It’s never about the dollar amount.”
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STATEN ISLAND CITY LIFESTYLE: WHAT CATEGORY OF JEWELRY WOULD YOU SAY IS MOST SPECIAL? PETER: Probably engagement rings, majority of engagement rings we sell are custom made to fit both what the consumer wants and their budget – we offer a true one on one experience to determine what the customer likes and what the customer is looking for. Most of the time the person buying the engagement ring isn’t the person who is going to be wearing the ring, so we do a lot of research to determine what they would want. The second part is we try to get them in a budget that is comfortable for them, so we work with any budget and any request that people have; the biggest thing we value is that they leave happy and receive the results they expect. GERALD: I feel especially bridal can be the most intimidating purchase; most of the time it is the customer’s first time purchasing such a large investment piece
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in terms of jewelry. We do a good job of tailoring the experience based on the client’s needs. We will never cut corners because someone has a smaller budget. You will always get the same amount of quality from us. We hand pick loose diamonds and provide you with an end product to be proud of.
SI CITY LIFESTYLE: HOW DID THE TRANSITION HAPPEN FROM YOUR FATHER RUNNING THE BUSINESS TO THE TWO OF YOU? GERALD: It was definitely a slow but steady process over the past ten years, before Peter and myself came on board he never had anyone he had to answer to or go against his wishes. The fortunate thing for us and what we consider the most important thing is that he is able to take time away from the business now and enjoy his semi-retirement by traveling and doing
things he wants to do because his entire life he worked 365 days a year, 24/7 and now that Peter and I chopped up the responsibilities, it allows him to have peace of mind and to sit back and relax. PETER: What Gerald and I have done well is I think keeping the core values and foundation my father built and added to it and have not taken away from it. The clients that come in are always happy to see this is a family business and they are not upset to see that my father is slowing down because he is not retired yet but he is definitely slowing down and he is happy that his sons are in the business and that they know for the next generation and for the years to come, they have someone to come to. Another thing we always pride ourselves on is that one of the owners is always here, so whether it is myself, Gerald, or my father they have the
access to talk to us and that is something you cannot get at a big name jewelry store.
SI CITY LIFESTYLE: HOW DID YOU BUILD THE CONNECTIONS TO YOUR HIGH-END CLIENTELE SUCH AS AARON JUDGE AND LEBRON JAMES? GERALD: In the past 12-18 months we have serviced some high-profile clients; sports athletes and so on, such as Aaron Judge and LeBron James, and back in October we made a sale of a watch that was given to Drake for his birthday and there are a bunch of others we touched upon but I think it gives our family credibility because these A-List or B-List celebrities can purchase from anyone in the world but at the end of the day they trust us with their purchase. I believe this will help us grow our business and brand. One of our dreams is for our brand to be a nationwide jeweler. CONTINUED >
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“What Gerald and I have done well is I think keeping the core values and foundation my father built and added to it and have not taken away from it.” 20
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ARTICLE BY VALERIE BIANCULLI
CHIC COFFEE TABLE BOOKS Our round-up of the chicest coffee table books to enhance your space I don’t know about you but nothing appeals to me more than an intriguing set of coffee table books when I am invited to someone’s home. I am always curious to see someone’s book collection and coffee table books are a way of discreetly getting a sneak peek into the interests of your host. They are not only beautiful objects of art but also a visual representation of the owners’ interests as well as a topic for conversation. Coffee Table books have become a way to personalize your home and also make a statement. Whether you are interested in high end fashion photography, have an appreciation for architecture, a jet-setter at heart or a culinary aficionado we have compiled a list of some of the chicest coffee table books around. Take a peek into Architectural Digest’s Century of Style where editors have gone on a deep dive into the archives to feature the beautiful spaces of dozens of celebrities such as Truman Capote, Barack and Michelle Obama, Michael Kors etc. Are you dreaming of an Italian summer? Pick up Carlos Souza’s Amalfi Coast book with magical images of lemon blossoms, bougainvillea, mountains and Mediterranean sea. Want to make your home feel as chic and members-only as Soho House? Pick up Eat Drink Nap and perfect the art of entertaining. Curate your own individual assortment and place them on your coffee table for the ultimate personal statement and a chic final touch in your home. If you are enjoying this issue feel free to add this month’s Staten Island City Lifestyle to your collection and place us on your coffee table this month!
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T R E N D SE T T E R | A RTS + CULTURE
1.) Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style
4.) Amalfi Coast
2.) Tom Ford
3.) Peter Lindbergh. On Fashion Photography
5.) Eat Drink Nap: Bringing the House Home
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Home is Where your Bank is Sitting down with Empire State Bank to learn more about their personalized touch making them Staten Island’s bank of choice ARTICLE BY VALERIE BIANCULLI | PHOTOGRAPHY BY PLUG NEW YORK
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LOCA L’S CH OICE | FIN ANCE + LE GAL S E RVI CE S
This month’s issue is all about home, and home is so much more than your physical house. It’s also your community and the places and people that give you that instant feeling of comfort. This is exactly the experience that Empire State Bank provides. So many Staten Islanders love to entrust Empire State with all of their financial affairs and call this their home bank. Read on to see why!
STATEN ISLAND CITY LIFESTYLE: What sets you apart from other banks?
EMPIRE STATE BANK: We are dedicated to building lifelong relationships. We are able to provide premier service and personalized financial solutions as opposed to some other banks that don’t have that human touch. At Empire State, you will always be greeted and have a physical person there to assist you with anything you need. Our tagline is “We Take Your Business Personally.” We provide an individual personalized service. I think it’s because of this that our customers are very loyal. They are happy with their service and receive a 1 on 1 customer experience.
STATEN ISLAND CITY LIFESTYLE: I know how passionate you are about community. Do you want to elaborate on that and talk a little about why community is so important for you? EMPIRE STATE BANK: We are a community bank. We focus on the needs of local families and businesses because we love to see the community vibrant and growing. We support the communities where we live and work because community is all about the people. If you are supporting the people that make up the
community and helping them grow it benefits everyone collectively. Our corporate headquarters is located right here in Staten Island, this is not only our home but it is the home of the bank as well.
STATEN ISLAND CITY LIFESTYLE: In our previous interview with your CEO, Phil Guarnieri. He mentioned how 2020 was a very impactful year for the bank. Anything that stuck out to you in particular during that time? EMPIRE STATE BANK: A lot of people were looking for PPP loans during that time. A lot of customers were being turned down by their banks because they weren’t getting the assistance they needed. They had questions about their applications and just wanted a human person to interact with in order to get the answers they needed. We turned into that place for them. Everyone was fighting for survival and we were able to save businesses that really needed the help while bringing in new clients that are now extremely loyal to us. It ended up being the silver lining in a difficult time. STATEN ISLAND CITY LIFESTYLE: Why do you think you are able to provide support for these small businesses that bigger banks can’t? EMPIRE STATE BANK: A lot of these small businesses and start-ups have a really difficult time getting loans from larger banks. Here we know the marketplace, our business reps are local, they are very invested and this is something that a lot of the larger banks skip over. We really work with them to achieve their goals and add a more personalized experience. I think we do a really great job of catering to that whereas in a larger bank they feel that they are being looked over.
“We are able to provide premier service and personalized financial solutions as opposed to some other banks that don’t have that human touch.”
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5 Hot Trends
ARTICLE BY HALEY WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY BY J.A. STENGER PHOTOGRAPHY
in Kitchen Design A peek at what’s ahead: bold cabinet colors, statement hardware and swaths of stone.
When designing your dream kitchen, it’s important to balance timeless features with elements that reflect your personality and design aesthetic. You may not plan to remodel your kitchen each year (does anyone do that?), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t creative ways to keep your space feeling modern and fresh. We spoke with interior designer Brooke Cover about the trends in kitchen design she’s seeing this year, touching on everything from cabinet colors and lighting to tile and countertop combos she’s loving.
TA K I N G T H E C O U N T E R M AT E R I A L U P THE BACKSPLASH Although the iconic subway tile backsplash is timeless in its own right, Brooke says she is seeing a big shift toward marble slab backsplashes — which add drama and depth to the kitchen. Not only is it easier to clean than tile, but a marble backsplash and countertop also sets the tone for the entire space and makes a big statement.
HIDDEN STORAGE, VISIBLE APPLIANCES
Brooke’s Pro Tip:
Gone are the days of it being a given to hide the fridge behind custom cabinets. Many brands of appliances are so beautiful and sleek these days, homeowners want to see them rather than hide them behind a cabinet facade. Small appliances, however, are another story. Custom cabinets and “appliance garages” aren’t going away anytime soon. Form and function make them a desirable addition to any kitchen.
I suggest viewing countertop slabs in person vs. a small sample piece because each slab has unique movement and colors. They are all so beautiful and works of art. Taking a trip to the warehouse will really help a client to understand the different types available and see the difference in the look of the material.
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D E C OR T R E N D S | HOM E + DE S I GN
SCAN QR CODE FOR BROOKE’S FAV O R I T E C O U N T E R T O P S T H I S Y E A R .
WA R M I N G U P THE WHITE We doubt the classic white kitchen will ever completely go out of style, but trends show people are going away from the white kitchen and gray cabinets. They’re opting for white mixed with warmer wood tones, dark greens and blues. Some homeowners are mixing vintage in with the new and modern through butcher block islands or other unique cabinetry choices. Black is making a bold comeback in some kitchens, while others usher in warmth through painted islands or other darker contrast tiles in the bar area. You don’t have to leave behind the timelessness when you warm up your space if you opt for equally timeless black and wood-stained accents. If you want a quick refresh, consider adding pops of wood through cutting boards or other decor accents on countertops or open shelves.
BOLD H A R D WA R E Mixed metals and sizes are having a moment in kitchens across America. Brooke says not to shy away from a variety of sizes of pulls and handles, depending on the drawer and door size. For instance, you may see a mixture of longer pulls on larger drawers and square knobs on smaller glassware cabinets - and that’s more than just ok - that’s recommended. As the heart of the home, kitchens shouldn’t feel sterile and hyper-coordinated - they should feel inviting and tailored to the space. Since no two kitchens will be exactly alike, feel free to boldly mix the hardware sizes and styles to the needs of your kitchen.
C O N T R A S T, C O N T R A S T, CONTRAST! From painted and stained islands to dark lower cabinetry with bright white uppers and mixed lighting fixtures, contrast is the name of the game this year. You’ll see this juxtaposition between clean white and darker colors or even this year’s favorite - greens and blues - all over newly designed kitchens. You’re not breaking any rules by coordinating sculptural pendants over the kitchen island with more vintage-inspired gooseneck sconces over the standalone bar or a chandelier over the eat-in kitchen. MAR CH 2 0 2 3 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/STAT E N I S L A N D
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MARCH 2023
events A curated selection of the most intriguing upcoming events in our area. ONGOING THR OUGHOUT TH E MONTH OF MAR CH
Ice Skating in New York
NE W YO R K, NY Don't miss out on your last opportunity to go ice skating in New York before Spring hits! Rinks will start to close down early to mid March. Take your pick from Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park or Central Park. ONGOING THR OUGHOUT TH E MONTH OF MAR CH
New York Rangers Ice Hockey
MA DI S O N S Q UA R E GA RD E N Attending an ice hockey game is an experience you don’t want to miss out on! Stop at Madison Square Garden and attend a New York Rangers game during March for a special treat.
SERVICES DENTAL IMPLANTS VENEERS ROOT CANAL THERAPY SAME DAY CROWNS INVISALIGN
Address
Phone
142 Annadale Rd. Staten Island, NY 10312
(718) 948-1600
dentiststatenisland.com 32
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MAR CH 2ND, 9 TH, 16TH, 23 R D AND 3 0 TH
Pavilion on the Terrace presents COMEDY THURSDAYS in MARCH
PAV I L I O N O N T H E T E R R AC E Hosted by the king of "Grown Folks Comedy", Freddie Ricks, with an early Open Mic and a fresh weekly line up of comics who have been featured on DefJam, Comedy Central, HBO & Showtime. Also enjoy our incredible Happy Hour specials, all night delicious Food Menu and eclectic crowd! CONTINUED >
SERVICES Air Conditioning | Heating Indoor Air Quality | Plumbing Oil Delivery | Water Heaters Serving Staten Island, New York since 1930
To Schedule Service, Please Call 929-262-5076 PROUDLY SERVING STATEN ISLAND SINCE 2006
PERCIBALLI CONTAINER SERVICE INC. 718-351-3373 / 718-720-7220 22 Van Street Staten Island, NY 10310 perciballiindustries.com C&D Transfer Station Open to the Public!
Rolloff Service | Packer Service | Mini Container Service | Compactor Service
STATEN ISLAND CITY LIFESTYLE™ Good news happening right in your neighborhood.
Inspiration for your best local life.
Exclusive giveaways.
STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR COMMUNITY FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM
Hidden gem alert!
Local content by local creators.
SCAN TO CONNECT
MAR CH 2 0 2 3 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/STAT E N I S L A N D
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EVENTS CONTINUED
MAR CH 2ND
Top Chefs Crush Cancer
At Angel Touch Medi Spa our goal is to have you leaving happy & confident Services:
Botox/ Dysport | Dermal Fillers
Skin Rejuvenation | Body Contouring Acne Treatments/Acne Scars
Laser Hair Removal | Skin Tightening And More
To book your appointment please call, text or DM us @myrna.angeltouchmedispa
VIOLETTE'S CELLAR | 5:30 PM Staten Island's All-Star Chefs Collaborate In The Fight Against Cancer!!! 5-Course Wine Paired Dinner. Cocktail Hour with Passed Hors d'Oeuvres. Call Today To Reserve Your Seat: 728-650-5050 MAR CH 24 TH
Billy Joel & Elton John Tribute Band
MA X' S E S -CA | 8 :0 0 P M Show starts at 8:00 PM After your ticket purchase please make your reservation at Max's Esca with the total number in your party. You can call 718-980-5006. MAR CH 25TH
Maffeo Foundation Casino Night 2023
HILTON GARDEN INN NEW YORK/STATEN ISLAND | 7:30 PM Elegant Buffet Dinner • Open Bar • Collectibles & Memorabilia Silent Auction • Gaming Tables: Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Let it Rider, Money Wheel and Pocketbook BINGO with a Dash of Cash! 50/50 Big Bucks Raffle • With every ticket purchase, receive $50 in gaming chips!
Wagdy Girgis, MD PC & Myrna Girgis, Pharm D. 718.310.8834
V @myrna.angeltouchmedispa 5405 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10312 34
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Want to be featured?
Get in touch by heading over to our landing page to connect: CityLifestyle.com/StatenIsland
antina STERIA
A Taste of Italy Osteria Santina celebrates big, harmonious Italian flavors sure to delight and satisfy your palate.
Open
TUESDAY - SUNDAY LUNCH | DINNER | CATERING | EVENTS
Call for Reservations (718) 448-6100 | OSTERIASANTINA .COM 502 JEWETT AVE. · STATEN ISLAND, NY 10302
SCAN ME
2655 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10314 (718) 477-4000 geraldpetersinc.com