Midland Beach or Miami Beach? In days gone by, it was hard to tell | From the editor Updated Dec 27, 2020; Posted Dec 27, 2020 Staten Island’s east shore was once the go-to destination in the summer months. South, Midland and New Dorp beaches, along with with other smaller communities along the shores, attracted sunbathers and beach lovers in the early 1800s. Land along the shorelines of Midland and South beaches was used to build hotels, amusement attractions, restaurants, dance pavilions and shooting galleries to entertain the massive crowds at the end of the beach day. Later, casinos with complete vaudeville shows cropped up, and soon there were few vacancies along the boardwalk. Boats began running to South Beach from the Whitehall Street slip in Manhattan in 1890, and later lines came from Brooklyn. In 1896, Midland Beach opened a bustling boardwalk resort. South Beach benefited from this, as a seasonal trolley line ran between the two beaches, starting in 1901. A big feature at Midland Beach was Happyland Park, a playland complete with a restaurant and theater. Just beyond the south, New Dorp Beach boasted Munger’s-on-the-Beach Hotel, a 1,200-foot pier and baseball grounds. The Richmond Beach Co. opened a 71-acre park in Prince’s Bay in 1899, and soon steamboat service took passengers there three times a day from Port Richmond and Stapleton. Woodland Beach, located between Midland Beach and Miller field, thrived in the 1920s as an exclusive summer bungalow resort. A number of resort fires, polluted waters and oil spills caused the beaches to loose swimmers, before the Depression knocked out the resorts’ economic life. In 1938, the city acquired South and Midland beaches. Staten Island AdvanceStaten Island Advance