Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk and Beach

The Daily Plant : Thursday, August 28, 2014

Visit Staten Island's New Fantasy Shore Amusement Park

While New York City is commonly characterized by its stoic buildings and crowded streets, this summer, NYC can add another element to its dynamic personality: Fantasy. Staten Island’s new Fantasy Shore Amusement Park is the perfect place for New York families to leave the busy city life behind and embark on a thrilling adventure. Nestled between a beautiful lawn, a spray plaza and the beach, Fantasy Shore’s whimsical feel comes from its open interaction with the surrounding landscape.

Fantasy Shore’s design blends manmade structures with garden-like elements to ensure its visitors can fully embrace the outdoors. With no admission charge or age restrictions, all park-goers can come and go as they please, allowing each person to craft their own fantasy experience. In this way, Fantasy Shore echoes the goal of NYC Parks to create comfortable, safe, and fun spaces for all people to enjoy.

The park features four fun-filled rides, all named with some Staten Island flare. Get your adrenaline pumping as you follow the exhilarating dips and turns of the Verazzano Viper, Staten Island’s only roller coaster. Take a whirl on the dizzying Teaside Seacups or test the bounds of gravity at the 20-foot high Midland Beach Pro Tow. For a more relaxing adventure, come aboard the Staten Island Railroad for a spin around the park. Children can even live out their fantasy by coming up front as the engineer of the train.

In keeping with the garden theme, this park is set for future growth. NYC Parks plans to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a food concessionaire and new comfort stations in the upcoming future, and further down the road, New York Carousel plans even more rides for park-goers to enjoy. Come visit Fantasy Shore on any day of the summer until Labor Day for a day jam-packed with fun.

The opening of this amusement park is part of ongoing efforts to revitalize the Staten Island East and South Shores in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. The storm devastated many areas of the shore, damaging valuable recreational destinations and severely impacting local businesses. The idea for a children’s amusement park at Midland Beach was already in the works and with a desire to reactive the Midland Beach waterfront, the city issued an RFP to move the project forward. The city worked in close collaboration with the community to construct the ideal park for families to enjoy with the objective of resiliency in mind. As such, all of the rides are mobile, so can be easily protected in the case of inclement weather.

In addition to the RFP, a Request for Expressions of Input (RFEI) was also issued for local residents to make suggestions for new ways to rejuvenate the shore. Based on the input offered by Staten Islanders, the shore is once again brimming with fun activities and events to celebrate the summer.

Check out Staten Island Beachfest, right next door to Fantasy Shore, on Midland Beach. Coordinated by the Berman Group, this programming series collaborates with corporations to hold fun, unique events for park-goers to enjoy: Get active and work up a sweat at one of many outdoor fitness classes; Share beauty secrets with an Avon representative; Play video games in nature on Flareplay Gaming’s 20 foot long truck; Grab some fresh and healthy produce at the Farmer’s Market. Or, dance your heart out at a performance by Staten Island DJ company Brothers Entertainment. And also in Midland Beach, keep an eye out for the soon to be opening Splash Plaza, a water feature to keep New Yorker’s cool in the hot summer months.

Venture to South Beach for our Back to the Boardwalk series. Every Wednesday and Sunday, we host the Sunset Family Festival starting at 4:00 p.m. Spend the evening playing carnival games and enjoying delicious cuisine from the South Fin Grill or the Boardwalk Cafe. Later on, watch the fireworks light up the sky along the waterfront. On Fridays at 4:00 p.m, join us for an evening of fun on the fields enjoying some ice cream as you watch the kids play on the several inflatables and bouncy castles. At sunset, sit back and relax for a free outdoor movie.

This summer, make sure to check out Staten Island’s Fantasy Shore Amusement Park the Staten Island Beachfest and the Back to the Boardwalk event, in addition to plenty of other activities and events along the East and South Shore. Regardless of your interests, you’re guaranteed to have a great day at the Staten Island coastline.

Submitted by Adena Long, Staten Island Borough Commissioner.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"Tall poplars—human beings of this earth!”

Paul Celan

(1920-1970)