Staten Island · Richmond County
Midland Beach
Beach / Waterfront
- Location
- Father Capodanno Boulevard & Midland Avenue, Midland Beach
- Size
- 10.00 acres
- Hours
- Beach: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (lifeguards); area open 24 hours
- Type
- Beach / Waterfront
Midland Beach is a 10-acre public beach along the FDR Boardwalk on the eastern shore of Staten Island. The beach provides free ocean access along Lower New York Bay in a neighborhood that was severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
The Midland Beach community experienced devastating storm surge flooding during Sandy, with water levels reaching the second stories of some homes. The recovery process has included the reconstruction of the boardwalk, home elevations, and coastal resilience infrastructure.
The beach features sand, waterfront access, a rebuilt section of the FDR Boardwalk, and seasonal lifeguard service. The beach provides a neighborhood swimming and sunbathing destination that is less crowded than the larger South Beach to the north.
Midland Beach is a working-class residential neighborhood whose identity is defined by its proximity to the ocean. The beach and boardwalk serve as the community's front porch, a gathering place where neighbors walk, jog, and watch the sunset over the bay.
Midland Beach embodies the resilience of Staten Island's shoreline communities: rebuilt after catastrophic storm damage, the beach and its neighborhood continue to face the ocean with the determination that has always characterized life along this coast.