Staten Island gets a bad rap. What'd they do wrong? There's actually stuff to do there. Who knows where the disdain for the fifth wheel borough actually came from, but we know their prospects are looking pretty good. 

Their getting a giant wheel that might even be more lucrative than the Empire State Building Observatory. 

Guess what, New Yorkers? Staten Island will soon be getting a swanky new food market as BFC Partners, the developers of the Empire Outlets, have chosen the Gansevoort Market creative team to launch the project. 

The food court, which is set on the second-floor of the Empire Outlets, will be called MRKTPL, surrounded by 100 designer outlets and a 190-room hotel. 

MRKTPL will be 15,000 square feet, including an outdoor space in the new outlets located near the St. George ferry terminal. 

The Gansevoort creative team, responsible for Gansevoort Market, will tap local and international purveyors to include in the marketplace. 

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The outlet's retail space is already 50% leased with shops including Nordstrom Rack, Ghirardelli Chocolate, and H&M. 

MRKTPL will open in 2017, and that's just one more reason to get excited about the oft-ignored borough. 

Check out 7 Must-Do Events to Cross Off Your Staten Island Holiday Bucket List. 

[via NYPost] [Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]