About Staten Island
Staten Island is considered to be one of the five boroughs of New York City. Situated in the southwestern portion of The Big Apple, Staten Island remains apart from New Jersey by the Arthur Killand and Kill Van Kull sounds and from New York state by New York Bay. The borough that has the smallest population of the five, Staten Island has the largest landmass.
Staten Island takes pride of place as one of the first 12 counties in the state of New York. In 1898, the borough became one with the larger metropolitan area known as New York City. The city was originally called the Borough of Richmond. However, in 1975, it was renamed the Borough of Staten Island.
Staten Island is such a picturesque and iconic place, it’s easy to see why it’s often selected as the perfect place in which to do some filming. Looking for the ideal Staten Island filming locale? You’re sure to have lots of options from which to choose here.
Filming Options in Staten Island
When it comes to the ideal Staten Island filming locale, you’ll face a tough decision narrowing it down to just one spot. Once you’ve made your choice, hire some of the borough’s top set designers and supply vendors to help you get the space ready for the cameras to roll.
- Furniture Rentals
To obtain all of the furniture you need for your Staten Island filming locale, it’s a great idea to rent some pieces from a furniture rental company. Staten Island has many businesses that stock a wide selection of furniture, décor, and art pieces in a variety of styles available for rent, lease, or purchase. Offering affordable prices and delivery right to your door, what could be simpler?
- Hair and Makeup
Having the hair and makeup services on-site at your Staten Island filming locale is a must-have. Keep your cast looking camera ready at all times by partnering with some of the borough’s top beauty professionals to work on the cast at your film set.
- Coffee Service
Coffee keeps your cast and crew feeling energized and ready to deliver their best performances. With so many coffee caterers to choose from, you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to great companies to deliver a steady flow of joe at your filming locale.
Filming Companies in Staten Island
Finding the perfect filming locale in Staten Island is half the battle. Now that that project’s out of the way, all that remains to do is get the space outfitted so filming can begin. That’s where the help of some of Staten Island’s top professionals can really make a big difference for you.
- The Beauty Suite New York
The Beauty Suite New York is a Staten Island-based salon with more than 25 years of experience providing its top-tier hair styling and makeup artistry to its valued clients. With experience doing hair and makeup for film, video, print ads, and other mediums, your cast is sure to look their very best with The Beauty Suite New York on the job.
- Cake Chef’s Piece-a-Cake
Piece-a-Cake Bakery is so renowned that it has become a Staten Island institution. In business since 2012, the bakery expanded its operations in 2016 to include a shop dedicated primarily to handmade cookies called The Cookie Jar. Offering in-store service for sweet treats and hot beverages, Cake Chef’s Piece-a-Cake also does mobile catering, providing everything from dessert buffets to mid-morning snacks.
- CORT Furniture Rental
CORT Furniture Rental is a national chain with a location directly in the heart of Staten Island. With more than 45 years of experience providing furniture pieces for events of all sizes and styles, the team of professionals at CORT Furniture Rental can help you find anything your heart desires for your filming locale. With affordable prices and rent, lease, and purchase options available to you, renting the furniture you need has never been easier.
Pros and Cons of Filming in Staten Island
Staten Island is a beautiful spot with much to commend it as a great place for filming a movie, TV show, documentary, or commercial. Still, there are positives and negatives to selecting this borough as the spot for your film set.
Advantages
- Ferry service
Taking the ferry to Staten Island is truly an invigorating experience. Free of charge to travelers, the Staten Island ferry has an on-site bar and canteen.
- Incredible pizza
Staten Island is well-renowned for its incredible New York-style pizza pies. Be sure to grab a slice at Lee’s Tavern when visiting this borough; you’ll be glad you did.
- Beautiful waterways
Often referred to as “kills,” the common Dutch term for creek, there are many stunning waterways in Staten Island, offering many places to swim and to fish.
Disadvantages
- Lots of deer
It’s not just the Staten Island residents that love the natural space and forest found here. There is a large concentration of deer in the area, meaning travel on roads after dark can be dangerous, particularly during hunting season.
- Heavy traffic
As a borough of NYC, it’s not surprising that the traffic is bad even in Staten Island. It is particularly bad during the pre-work commute and school drop-offs and pick-ups.
- Frequent tolls
One thing native Staten Islanders complain about more than the traffic is the tolls. Unfortunately, you’re required to pay them whether you live here or visit though there is somewhat of a price break for locals.
Famous Locations in Staten Island
- Chinese Scholar’s Garden
Found at a place known as Snug Harbor is the Chinese Scholar’s Garden. A tranquil oasis in a hidden away section of Staten Island, the Chinese Scholar’s Garden was inspired by the gardens that were popular during the Ming Dynasty in the 15th century.
- National Lighthouse Museum
Just a short walk from the ferry station is the National Lighthouse Museum. Here, you can enjoy a vast collection of lighthouses numbering more than 180 in total. This great museum also features the history of the lighthouses and those who took care of them.
- Staten Island Zoo
The Staten Island Zoo has been nicknamed the “biggest little zoo.” One of its most popular attractions is its Serpentarium, a facility that houses a big collection of reptiles including many rattlesnakes. There are more than 800 animal species on display at this beloved local zoo.
