Serving Midland Beach, South Beach, Ocean Breeze and Arrochar Midland Beach and South Beach houses, below the boulevard
Streets inland of Father Capodanno Boulevard sit in a low bowl, and many houses began as summer cottages. Water is the first thing to plan for here.
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Local homes
Homes in Midland Beach and South Beach
No single building type dominates ZIP 10305: attached houses, detached houses and two-family buildings each hold between a fifth and a third of the housing, and about one unit in ten is in a building of 20 or more apartments.
- 29.0% of housing units in ZIP 10305 are attached one-family houses
- 17.0% were built in 1939 or earlier
- 64.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied
Figures are U.S. Census ZIP-level estimates (ZIP 10305); ZIP lines do not follow neighborhood lines exactly.
What goes wrong here
The bowl behind the boulevard
Father Capodanno Boulevard was built higher than the streets behind it. When Sandy’s surge topped it, the low ground filled fast and water stayed trapped for days, and even smaller storms can keep water from draining back to the bay.
Cottages turned into year-round homes
Many East Shore houses began as seasonal cottages in the early 20th century and became year-round homes from the 1950s on, often without being brought up to modern standards. Small, close lots leave little room for drainage or equipment.
Sewers that run backward in a surge
Sandy’s surge overwhelmed drainage built for rain, and NYC DEP notes that a high tide plus storm surge can push water back out of basement sewer connections.
The seawall is not built yet
The Army Corps’ line of protection from Fort Wadsworth to Oakwood Beach is still unbuilt, and in 2026 the Corps terminated the contract for an early drainage phase. Until then, each basement’s protection is up to its owner.
Services Midland Beach and South Beach homes call for
- Flood Pumping & Water Removal in Staten IslandPumping out a basement in the bowl after a storm or a sewer backup.
- Flood Restoration in Staten IslandDrying and rebuilding a converted cottage after water gets in.
- Basement Finishing & Waterproofing in Staten IslandBackwater valves and battery-backed sumps before the next storm.
- ElectricalMoving a panel and outlets up out of reach of flood water.
- Plumbing in Staten IslandOld supply and drain lines in pre-war houses.
Local programs and rules
New Creek Bluebelt
The city finished the New Creek Bluebelt expansion in 2023. Runoff from streets and roofs in parts of Midland Beach, Grant City, Dongan Hills and Todt Hill now drains to new catch basins and storm sewers that empty into a Bluebelt of 94 acres.
Program details are for information; ask the agency that runs each one what applies to your home.
Getting to you
Raised houses and tight lots
On a raised house the boiler, water heater and panel may sit upstairs or on a platform. We plan access for the house as it stands.
Estimates are free, and emergencies are answered 24/7.
Around the neighborhood
Ocean Breeze Park covers more than 110 acres of what was once tidal meadow crossed by winding creek channels.
Questions from Midland Beach and South Beach homeowners
What does the unfinished seawall mean for my basement?
For now it changes nothing on your block, so protection is up to each house: a backwater valve, a sump with battery backup, sealed openings, and equipment raised where you can.
Can you work on a raised house?
Yes. Plumbing, heating and electrical on a raised house run through the elevated floor down to the utility connections, so the work is planned around stairs, platforms and flood vents.
Is it worth finishing a basement here?
Below the flood elevation, keep it to storage and utility space. If you finish it, use water-tolerant floors, raised outlets and a plan for pumping.
Free estimate
Get a free estimate in Midland Beach and South Beach
Tell us what is going on at the house. A person reads every request, and emergencies are answered 24/7.