Staten Island · Richmond County
South Beach
Beach / Boardwalk
- Location
- Father Capodanno Boulevard from Fort Wadsworth to Sand Lane, South Beach
- Size
- 15.00 acres
- Hours
- Beach: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (lifeguards); Boardwalk open 24 hours
- Type
- Beach / Boardwalk
South Beach is a 15-acre public beach along Father Capodanno Boulevard on the northeastern shore of Staten Island, at the northern end of the FDR Boardwalk. The beach provides ocean access near the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge with views across Lower New York Bay to Brooklyn and Coney Island.
South Beach was one of Staten Island's most popular seaside resorts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, attracting visitors from across the city to its bathing pavilions, amusement rides, and waterfront hotels. The resort era faded with the automobile age but the beach's public access endured.
The beach connects to the FDR Boardwalk, which extends 2.5 miles south along the eastern shore. The boardwalk, rebuilt after Hurricane Sandy, serves as a continuous promenade connecting the beach communities of the eastern shore.
South Beach's proximity to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and the Staten Island Expressway makes it the most accessible beach on the island for visitors arriving by car from Brooklyn and beyond. The beach draws families from across the island and the metropolitan area during summer months.
South Beach provides the quintessential Staten Island beach experience: free ocean access on a sandy shore, with views of the bridge, the bay, and the distant skyline, all within the boundaries of New York City.