4 upcoming events · 1 local studios
Annadale sits on Staten Island's South Shore, a quiet, spread-out neighborhood of single-family homes and wide lots that feels more suburb than city. For little kids, the main draw is Blue Heron Park, a 222-acre nature preserve with walking trails, ponds, a playground, a nature center with tanks of local wildlife, and NYC Parks programs for kids as young as three. It's genuinely one of the more unusual places in the city to spend a morning with a toddler. There's also a playground next to the local elementary school off Koch Boulevard, and the Huguenot Park branch of the New York Public Library, which serves Annadale directly and has a dedicated children's area with its own story-hour room. The practical reality: this is a car-friendly neighborhood. Distances between spots are real, and most families drive. That said, the Staten Island Railway stops right at Annadale station if you're coming from elsewhere on the island. NYC Parks has events on the calendar here right now, so there's an active presence even without a dedicated local studio.