There was no eleventh hour rescue for Cedar Grove, no life preserver for the 99-year-old beach community on Staten Island’s South Shore, the last of its kind. Despite resident’s best hopes, the politicians and preservationists backing the Grovers could not reach a deal with the Bloomberg administration or the Parks Department to save the bungalows at least for another season, to say nothing of another century. Even Andrea Peyser — Andrea Peyser! — couldn’t woo them.
Cedar Grove, an industry leading environmental solutions company, harnesses the vitality of organic waste by recycling it into innovative products. We recycle 350,000 tons of residential and commercial yard and food waste every year.
Grovers still maintain there is no reason to spend good money tearing down a good beach — it’s much cleaner than its city-owned neighbors — that pays $140,000 to the Park’s Department every year to exist. It will cost millions of dollars in capital money to tear down the houses and reopen the stretch next year, which is and has always been publicly accessible. At the same time, beaches across the city, including some just up the shore, have been closed due to lack of funds. Never mind that the city is so desperate for money that it is considering selling off its parking meters to fill the widening budget gap.
The Orchid Cottage is named after the abundant orchids that grow in the tropical gardens of Cedar Cove Resort & Cottages. A charming interior of the Orchid Cottage creates a relaxing and inviting feel. A private bedroom with a plush king sized bed and beach style furniture. Great Kills Park is known for its four beaches: New Dorp Beach; Cedar Grove Beach; Oakwood Beach; and Fox Beach. One of the four, New Dorp Beach, was once the home of the second permanent European settlement in Staten Island. Today, these beaches and wetlands help fight against erosion and flooding in nearby neighborhoods. Cedar Grove Beach is a beach located just 4.8 miles from Cambridge, in Dorchester County, in the state of Maryland, United States. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including striped bass, white perch and perch here. Whether you’re baitcasting or fly fishing your chances of getting a bite here are good.
At midnight Saturday, Cedar Grove was no more. Parks police was on hand to see to that, according to the News:
Parks Department officers guarded the club’s gate as members carried out their belongings. “It’s been tough because I’ve been finding a lot of old family memorabilia,” said John Murphy, 52.
The Staten Island Advance has been covering the saga closely and has its own tale of woe:
The season at Cedar Grove Beach Club opened each year with the raising of American flags from each of the 41 bungalows. [Saturday], those same flags were flying upside down. “It signals a vessel in distress,” said Roy Wood, a retired Sandy Hook pilot. After nearly a century, time has run out for Cedar Grove. Its lease with the city expired yesterday, an occasion made even grayer by the rain.
[…]
Edith Holtermann pulled the remaining produce from her garden. Mick Kenny took one last view from his back deck. Jennifer Fitzgerald-Young stood on her porch with her daughter, Elizabeth, who at 9 months is Cedar Grove’s youngest resident. Eric Lesnick hoisted his 5-year-old daughter, Lillianna, in his arms.
“We will miss you,” she scribbled on a bungalow wall.
mchaban [at] observer.com/@mc_nyo
City beaches have closed for the season, and are scheduled to re-open for swimming on May 29, 2021.
Parks maintains 14 miles of beaches. Beaches are open from Memorial Day weekend through September 7, 2020. During beach season, lifeguards are on duty daily, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Swimming is prohibited when lifeguards are not on duty and in closed sections. Closed sections are marked with signs and/or red flags. All of our beaches are free and open to the public.
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Search Beaches and Related Swim Programs and Leagues
Brighton Beach
On Atlantic Ocean, from Ocean Parkway to Corbin Place, Brooklyn
(718) 946-1350
This beach next door to Coney Island is popular all summer long, as individuals and families from all over the city come to enjoy the beach’s sand and water and to explore the surrounding...
Cedar Grove Beach
Ebbitts Street and Cedar Grove Avenue, Staten Island
(718) 987-2060
The city's newest beach is a converted oceanfront bungalow colony. This charming beach is smaller and somewhat more tranquil than its neighbors, Midland Beach and South Beach, and is popular...
Coney Island and Coney Island Boardwalk
On Atlantic Ocean, from W. 37th Street to Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn
(718) 946-1350
Iconic Coney Island is bursting with activity throughout the summer and even during the off-season. Walk along the famous boardwalk, ride on amusement rides, enjoy swimming or sunbathing on its...
Manhattan Beach
On Atlantic Ocean, Oriental Blvd., from Ocean Avenue to Mackenzie Street, Brooklyn
(718) 946-1373
This small, family-friendly beach east of Brighton Beach attracts locals looking for a somewhat calmer beach than its neighbor. Visitors bring full picnic baskets and set up barbecues along the...
Midland Beach and Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk
On Lower New York Bay, from Fort Wadsworth to Miller Field, Midland Beach, Staten Island
(718) 987-0709
Midland Beach shares the Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk with neighboring South Beach, and tends to be the somewhat less crowded of the two beaches. The beach's attractions include a playground...
Orchard Beach and Promenade
On Long Island Sound in Pelham Bay Park, Bronx
(718) 885-2275
Orchard Beach, Bronx's sole public beach, was proclaimed 'The Riviera of New York' when it was created in the 1930s. The 115-acre, 1.1-mile-long beach contains a hexagonal-block...
Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk
Cedar Grove Beach Hook Update
On Atlantic Ocean, from Beach 9th Street, Far Rockaway, to Beach 149th Street, Neponsit, Queens
(718) 318-4000
From surfers to swimmers to the Ramones, everyone wants to 'hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach.' Rockaway Beach is a year-round resource for residents all along the Rockaway peninsula, and it comes...
Cedar Grove Beach Hook Up Camera
South Beach
On Lower New York Bay, from Fort Wadsworth to Miller Field, Midland Beach, Staten Island
Beachgoers can sunbathe while taking in a lovely view of the Verazzano Bridge, bike through a scenic trail, jog along the boardwalk, kayak, play tennis, or fish off of the Ocean Breeze Fishing...
Wolfe's Pond Beach
Cedar Grove Beach Hook Ups
On Raritan Bay and Prince's Bay, Holton to Cornelia Avenues, Staten Island
(718) 984-8266
Love the ocean but think NYC’s beaches are just too chaotic? Wolfe’s Pond Beach is the city’s best-kept secret, a small, calm, and secluded beach that’s a perfect retreat...