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Tags: Google Maps / Maps / → All Tags

Google Maps Hates Staten Island, Sends Drivers to Schenectady Instead

Wait till the Wu Tang Clan hears about this one. A software glitch on Google Maps is confusing a neighborhood in Staten Island with the upstate town of Schenectady, sending Great Kills-bound drivers on a three-hour, 170-mile odyssey in the wrong direction. As the Daily News points out, the 10308 zip code is coming up in searches as Schenectady, and those looking for directions to the Shaolin hamlet will instead find themselves rolling up the New York State Thruway if they're not paying attention. Staten Island Councilman Councilman Vince Ignizio doesn't think Google is dissing his borough like so many others have before, but he hopes the glitch is fixed nonetheless. After all, Staten Island needs all the visitors it can get.

[Photo: Daily News]

Related Stories:
· Software Glitch Sends Staten Island Google Maps Users on a Major Detour [New York Daily News]
· Google Maps Coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: Mid-90's Travel / Music Travel / Islands / → All Tags

Tourism Lagging, Staten Island Refuses To Hype Wu-Tang Connection

Hating on New York's oft-overlooked fifth borough is a bit of a cliche, but you can't argue with the facts: An information kiosk at Manhattan's Whitehall Ferry Terminal about arts and culture on the island has been shuttered due to lack of interest.

Not surprisingly, most of the questions asked of staffers--whose ostensible mission was to encourage culture vultures to visit SI--were simply about the free Staten Island Ferry or about visits to the Statue of Liberty, located on a different island in New York Harbor.

And so the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island will close the kiosk, replacing its part-time staff of six with an informational video playing on a loop. Of course, if they really wanted to drum up interest in the island's cultural offerings, they'd be flogging Wu-Tang tourism 24/7.

Related Stories:
· Ferry Terminal Culture Kiosk Kaput [Staten Island Advance]
· Airport Photo Shoot: Staten Island Travel for J-Lo [Jaunted]

[Photo: Bob Jagendorf]

Tags: Celeb Travel / Jennifer Lopez / Marc Anthony / Commencement Travel / → All Tags

Airport Photo Shoot: Post-Commencement Travel for J-Lo

Jennifer Lopez presided this week over a graduation ceremony of a different sort: Students at PS 37 loved to rock out to J-Lo's hit "Let's Get Loud," so their teachers taught them the lyrics and all the dance moves from the video. After they wrote to J-Lo asking for an autograph, they got a visit from the Bronx-born singer herself, who spoke to students at their 4th-grade graduation.

Potential benefit to visiting an elementary school? No need to prepare a long speech: Those attention spans are too short! And she probably didn't have to wear any silly robes, although given that Lopez gave birth to twins very recently, she may have craved the camouflage.

After her appearance at PS 37, she and those twins, along with husband Marc Anthony, hopped a private plane to Belgium for a little family time.

Related Stories:
· J-Lo Visits Elementary School Graduation [AP, via Yahoo]
· Maternity Travel: J-Lo Waits For Baby [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: 7Confessions]

Tags: Groundhog Day / Thrillist / Zoos / → All Tags

Our Groundhog is bigger than your Groundhog

The kids at Thrillist let us know that the real deal in Groundhog predictions can't be found in Pennsylvania, but ironically, can be found at the Staten Island Zoo.

Out on Staten Island it appears Charles G. Hogg, aka Staten Island Chuck, is the real Nostradamus of the rodent world:

Born Charles G. Hogg, Chuck has been kicking Punxsutawney Phil's ass since 1981* -- in a profession where accuracy is everything, he's right 90% of the time (Phil languishes at about 30%).

Besides their groundhog, Pennsylvania is New York's bitch -- and given Phil's statistical inferiority, it's fair to say Pennsylvania's got nothing, period. Except the Steelers.

The Staten Island Zoo opens its gates tomorrow at 7:00AM, and after the ceremony you can have breakfast with Chuck for $10 per person. No word on if Chuck will guess your weight and age at breakfast, stay tuned.

Related Stories:
·   Ground Hog Day [Thrillist]