By Matthew Perfetto

For anyone that live on Staten Island, there seems to be this shared impression that this the New York borough as underrated. Many people don’t actually know what the island has to offer. Luckily, that’s what I’m here for. I’m going to be shining a light on the bright spots of Staten Island based on my experience living here for 23 years. Despite the fact that the island has a reputation as “The Forgotten Borough”, there are many beautiful sights, and I am going to be combining my love for the island with my love for photography and offering you a perspective of Staten Island through the lens of my camera.

Today we’re starting with South Beach, a place that I have a personal connection with since I grew up and still live in the neighborhood. One thing that always stuck out to me about the beach is this really cool dolphin statue, which was repaired and reopened in 2022 after taking damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In the summer, they turn on the fountain so that’s when the charm of the statue really shines.

The beach is always a great place to go and kill some time. For those that don’t know, South Beach is located on Father Cappodano Boulevard and Sand Lane, basically right off the Verrazzano bridge. During the summer, there’s a bike rental stand that opens where you can rent bikes for one or more people and take a leisurely bike ride down the boardwalk and enjoy the ocean breeze alone or with a friend. There’s also a playground (that technically is closed although you can still access it), basketball courts, handball courts, and a skate park. Of course, it’s a beach so you can go on the sand near the ocean if you wish.

If you’re hungry in the summer months, the Boardwalk Grill is here to quench your thirst and fill your stomach. They have typical boardwalk fare such as pretzels, hot dogs, and more. It’s definitely not the best hot dog or pretzel you’ll ever have but if you’re really hungry it can hit the spot. The common thing mentioned so far has been how everything is sort of only open during the summer which is true. I came here in the middle of March so while you can’t partake in everything that’s on the boardwalk, it’s certainly more quiet and there are less people than usual, making this a very peaceful excursion. After you grab your delicious boardwalk hot dog (or cheeseburger, I won’t judge!), you can make your way down one of the many ramps towards the beach. In the middle of March, I wouldn’t recommend going near the ocean because it’s absolutely freezing but a photographer stops at nothing to get a good picture.

If its your cup of tea, you can also go fishing right down by the ocean or on the fishing pier that’s on the boardwalk. The pier is another great place to take it easy for a while, since you can go much farther than the beach. Arguably, there isn’t a better place on the boardwalk to get the ocean breeze, and there aren’t many places to fish in NYC at all, so here’s one of the few places where you can.

With how busy every day life is, it sure would be nice to relax for a little while, and this is just one place on the island out of quite a few where you can do just that. Staten Island is full of lovely places that so many people are unaware of, so hopefully this encourages you to get out and explore the area you live in. Eventually, you can find the perfect spot for whatever you want on Staten Island, you just have to look hard enough.