The Park's Department provides Staten Island with a beautiful landscape. Some parks are for recreational uses for families. Other parks are in honor of notable Islanders.

Staten Island, Richmond Town is America’s town.  It is Staten Island’s preserved farm museum complex and town dating back to the 1600’s.  Today, we were there to enjoy all that Staten Island has to offer with its numerous restaurants, breweries and bakeries: Afternoones Restaurant and Bar, Alfonso's Pastry Shoppe, Bin 5, Brooklyn Brewery, Cabot Creamery, Café Gourmand, Christine's Restaurant, Cucina Teresa, Da Noi, Edible Arrangements, French Tart, Heidi's Homemade, Ho'Brah Tacos, In the Middle, Jade Asian Bistro, Killmeyer's Old Bavaria Inn, Lee Sims Chocolates, Liberty Tavern, Lucy's Cuban Restaurant, Maizal Restaurant, Melone Brothers Bakery, Michael's Meatballs and Martinis, Miller's Ale House, NATURZBEEZ, Novelli's Pork Store, Oishi Asian Fusion…

2826 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

I step out my front door and the humidity is intoxicating. I want the day off because I'd like to go to the beach. I am surrounded by water and to my east is the Atlantic Ocean.

Starting at the Verrazano Bridge, South Beach has a board walk that stretches two miles from Fort Wadsworth and then another half mile to encompass Midland Beach. Off the boardwalk at South Beach you can kayak, play tennis, or fish at the Ocean Breeze Fishing Pier. On top of that there are other amenities offered in the park area such as chess tables, benches and bocce courts especially designed for seniors. Midland Beach has a playground and courts for shuffleboard and tennis as well as a Sea Turtle Fountain for children.  Staten Island's newest beach Cedar Grove follows and…

1991 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Summer may seem over and the kids are back to school, but who said the fun had to stop? Saturday, September 20th, Westerleigh Park will host the 7th Annual Westerleigh Folk Festival, also known as WestFest.

This year a total of 15 music acts of all different genres will take three stages, and an art exhibit by the South Shore Artists Group will be on display. For the kiddies - there will be face painting, pony rides and balloons. WestFest 2014 will be this Saturday in Westerleigh Park from 11:00am to 7:00pm.

In an article written by Nicholas Rizzi, from dnainfo.com, he interviewed and reported the festival organizer, Jim Indelicato, discussing how Westerleigh Folk Festival came to be.

"Indelicato, a musician himself, said he started the event six…

2240 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Newly renovated Westerleigh Park has been on the up and up lately. Westerleigh Improvement Society and Friends of Westerleigh Park teamed up to bring the beautiful neighborhood of Westerleigh a fun and eventful summer for all families. 

June 14 - Fitness Mobile    12-2PM June 21 - Make Music New York    3-9PM *June 22 - Patriotic Sunday In The Park    2-4PM July 1 - Puppet Mobile    12-12:30PM July 8 - Art In The Park    10AM-12PM July 15 - Art In The Park    10AM-12PM July 17 - Starlight Concert July 22 - Fitness Mobile    12-2PM July 29 - Skating In The Park    12-2PM Aug 8 - Army National Guard Band    7-9PM Aug 29 - Movie In The Park    TBA Sept 3 - Wag Your Tail Social    8-10PM Sept 13 - Westerleigh Park…

2343 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Picture this: Feeling the wind blow, rustling the leaves on the sky-high trees. No obscene traffic or horrendous car horns whaling over the chirping of birds. Walking a short distance to a quiet place along freshly cut green grass and a variety of colorful flowers. 

Although a relatively small square within a big island, Westerleigh Park plays a large role in its community as the site of countless school performances, field trips, dance lessons, art exhibits, seasonal festivals, and holiday performances. (x)

Westerleigh Park has improved immensely over the years and was even featured in New York Times.

Stephanie Slepian from the Staten Island Advance reported back in November 2013 the park had $1.2 million in capital improvements:

"The…

2050 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

South Shore Gold Course, Courtesy of americangolf.com

South Shore Golf Course, now called Grand Oaks Country Club, is located in Rossville. Once known as Blazing Star, the property was renamed Rossville in 1836 in honor of Colonel William E. Ross, a wealthy local landowner. This neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Founded privately in 1930 as the Mayflower Country Club, South Shore Golf Course property was acquired by the City throughout 1966 until 1982. Until 1984, Parks managed the course and the adjoining restaurant. At that time, the American Golf Corporation took over the management of - the course, the ‘grill room’ snack bar, and the pro shop. 

In 1994, American Golf Corporation used $100,000 to…

9072 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Home equity is the difference between what your home can sell for and what you owe on it. You can calculate your equity by subtracting the amount still owed on the mortgage loan(s) from the market value of your property.

Generally, the longer you own your home, the more equity you build. If you can’t make the payments, you can lose your home. This is why you have to use your home equity in smart ways.

  1. Remodel your home. If you’ve wanted to add on a family room or modernize your kitchen, consider using your home’s equity to fund the project. Home improvements usually increase your home’s marketability and value.
  2. Make major repairs where need be. Your home’s equity can be a funding source for major repairs likeplumbing problems and re-roofs.…

2567 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Shooters Island, Courtesy of Jim.henderson

Originally a hunting preserve, George Washington turned Shooter’s Island became "a drop-off point for messages, and the place became a haven for spies" during the Revolutionary War. After the War, the island picked up industrial traffic that included storage and shipping companies.

During World War I, industries and companies that occupied the island decided to produce sensible means regarding the war. Following WWI, the manufacturing of steel cargo ships stopped, and the island became a dump for damaged vessels. In the 1960s, a local politician wanted to decimate Shooter’s Island to make ship navigation easier.

However, the proposal never passed and with the help of the Clean Water Act of…

2618 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

In 1907, Moritz and Elsa Glauber owned 35-acres of land. That land now consists of Sports Park, Toad Hall Playground, and Todt Hill Houses. The City obtained the property in 1958, as well as the Clove Lakes Expressway. 

"In February 1991, Parks signed a license agreement with Eagle Recreation Management for the construction and operation of a miniature golf course, batting cage, snack bar, and pro shop for a 10-year term. Playworld USA, Inc. temporarily operated the facility from the beginning of May 1998, to the very end of December 1998. The concessionaire is Staten Island Hockey. Under the terms of their contract, signed the following year, Staten Island Hockey refurbished the miniature golf course, installed new battings cage equipment, improved…

2297 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

The original Silver Lake was known as Fresh Pond, up until 1860. During the 19th century, a casino and saloon once existed on the property and several companies harvested ice. The lake's body of water was used for boating and ice skating. In February 1897, Silver Lake hosted the National Skating Amateur Championship races.

When the population was growing, Silver Lake Park was created for families and their children to have recreational grounds to play on. 

As ice harvesting became old news, the lake was drained and converted to a working reservoir by the Board of Water Supply in 1913. Less than five years later, Silver Lake Reservoir became the endpoint of the city’s Catskill water supply system. 

Facilities  
Baseball Fields …

2339 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post