Silver Lake Park

Silver Lake Park is a 209-acre park in the Silver Lake neighborhood of central Staten Island, centered on a former reservoir that has been converted into parkland. The park includes the Silver Lake Golf Course, a public 18-hole course that takes advantage of the rolling terrain surrounding the reservoir.

Originally a natural glacial lake, Silver Lake was drained and rebuilt as a reservoir in 1913, and in 1917 it became the terminal point of New York City's Catskill water supply system, receiving water piped beneath the Narrows from Brooklyn and distributing it across the island. The reservoir served the borough until 1971, when its function moved to underground storage tanks, and the lake was kept as the scenic centerpiece of the surrounding park.

Silver Lake Park features the golf course, walking trails, a playground, and natural areas surrounding the lake. The park's elevated terrain and water features create a varied landscape that supports both active recreation and passive enjoyment of the natural setting.

The Silver Lake neighborhood takes its name from the park and reservoir, and the park serves as the defining amenity of the surrounding residential community. The park's scale and variety of facilities make it one of the most important recreation resources in central Staten Island.

Silver Lake Park demonstrates the potential of decommissioned water infrastructure to serve as the foundation for public parkland, transforming an engineering facility into a green community asset that serves residents with golf, nature, and open space.