Staten Island may be called the borough of parks, but when it comes to its beaches, residents say they fall short of excitement.

It’s a picturesque location, an unobscured view of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and calm waters.

There are four city Parks Department beaches on Staten Island, but some residents of the city’s least inhabited borough say they are far from perfect.

“A lot of Staten Islanders go to the Jersey Shore, to be honest with you I think the beaches are a little nicer there,” Joe Dibartolo, resident of Arrochar, said.

South Beach and Midland Beach are two beaches that share a boardwalk and are the two largest on the island. But the sand in parts of South Beach may be more gravel than powdery.

The concessions are desolate, with only one of them and a restuarant. 

The concession Boardwalk Grill on South Beach has been there since the 1980s.

“You know, on a Friday, Saturday night, the line would be from there, going down the ramp on to the beach. We’re lucky if the line gets past the line stanchions now, you know,” Nick Yodice, an assistant manager at Boardwalk Grill, said.

He said business has been on the decline since the pandemic and believes it’s partially because there’s not much for beachgoers to do.

“We should have a hot dog eating contest as well. The Fourth of July is coming up. We should have some volleyball courts on the sand. There should be some activities over here. Even somebody playing music underneath the gazebo. If you hear there’s not even music around, we have our little speaker here that we have ourselves,” Yodice said.

“As much as I would like to put more money into that area, we can’t do it,” Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said.

Fossella said he’s willing to work with anyone looking to invest in the experience on Staten Island beaches. However, he indicated that there are structural issues preventing some investments in South Beach and Midland Beach.

“Part of the issue that’s frustrating is some parts of the boardwalk are in disrepair. I know the fields can be improved,” he said.

According to Fossella, major improvement can’t be done until the East Shore Seawall moves forward. It’s a plan by the Army Corps of Engineers to make Staten Island’s East Shore more storm resilient after Hurricane Sandy.

Last month, the Army Corp awarded a contract to build large interior drainage ponds and an open channel culvert flap gates, inlets for future stormwater inlets and the relocation of existing sanitary sewers.

Fossella said improving South Beach and Midland Beach can’t happen until the Army Corps of Engineers Project is done, which is years away.

“There is a reluctance to put any money into something that I and I understand is not cheap to do work in the city if you’re gonna rip it out in another year or two,” he said.

Staten Islanders like Joe DiBartolo said they hope something is done soon so people don’t have to go to New Jersey because, after all, the island has a lot to offer.

“The view is beautiful, and that’s what I come for,” DiBartolo said.

Fossella said there are events in the summer like the “Sounds of Summer” concert series, which begins on Wednesday at Midland Beach.