Visitors to New York City who check out a Bronx neighborhood on an island are in for a gastronomic treat. City Island was settled largely by oystermen, shipbuilders and ship pilots. Their influence accounts for the present-day charm reminiscent of a New England fishing village.
Along with marinas and yacht clubs, it’s famous for dozens of seafood restaurants where lobster is a popular specialty.
Adding to the atmosphere is the spectacular Samuel Pell House, a grand Second Empire Victorian built around 1876 by a well-to-do oysterman. Also, the Nautical Museum, which displays maritime artifacts and antiques.
Liberty and Ellis: The Famous Pair
New York is home to a number of seafood and other restaurants. Mention New York City and “islands” in the same breath and it’s likely that Liberty and Ellis will come to mind.
Liberty Island is home to the world-famous Statue of Liberty, which, since 1886, has welcomed people to the United States. Once here, many of them were processed through the immigrant station on Ellis Island.
Planning to hit more than just the islands? New York CityPASS bundles entry to the Statue of Liberty, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, and more — typically saving 42% off combined admission.
Randall’s and Wards Islands: From Battlefields to Ball Fields
Photo by PicturemakersLLC/Dreamstime
Randall’s and Wards Islands were separated until the 1960s, when the channel between them was filled in. Today, much of Randall’s is set aside as parks, housing athletic fields, a driving range, and other recreational facilities. In the past, it was the site of asylums, hospitals and cemeteries.
During the Revolutionary War, Randall’s and Wards, which Native Americans called Minnehanonck and Tenkenas, were the site of British military posts used to launch attacks on Manhattan.
Roosevelt Island: A Story of Reinvention
Other islands also saw chapters of history play out. In 1637, the Dutch governor of what was then New Amsterdam purchased an island in the East River from its Native American owners, only to lose it when the Netherlands surrendered to Britain in 1664.
A descendant of the original English owner built a home in 1796, which is now the sixth-oldest house in New York City. In 1872, the City of New York built a Gothic-style lighthouse on the northern tip of the island, designed by architect James Renwick Jr.
The City Council approved the name change in July 1973. The island was renamed Roosevelt Island to honor the 32nd president of the United States. Planning for the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park began at the same time.
The focus of the park is a plaza containing a bust of Roosevelt and excerpts from his famous “Four Freedoms” speech carved onto granite walls. The park was dedicated in a ceremony on October 17, 2012, nearly four decades after architect Louis Kahn first designed it.
Top Hotel Picks in Manhattan
Hart Island, Mill Rock and the Harbor’s Dark History
The name of Mill Rock Island is said to have come from a man who constructed a tidal mill there around 1701. At the start of the War of 1812, the U.S. War Department built a blockhouse armed with cannons to guard New York Harbor against the British Navy.
Mile-long Hart Island has filled numerous roles, including serving as a Civil War Union prisoner-of-war camp. In 1865, Hart Island held 3,413 captured Confederate soldiers for four months, and 235 of them died there.
Quarantine Islands and Wildlife Sanctuaries
Memories of a different war linger on Swinburne Island. The four-acre artificial enclave and nearby Hoffman Island served as training stations for the U.S. Merchant Marine at the start of World War II. Some of the Quonset huts that were erected still stand.
Those islands played a very different role in the early 20th century as quarantine locations for immigrants. After several cholera epidemics swept across the world, the U.S. Government used them to house immigrants found to be suffering from contagious diseases.
Swinburne and Hoffman Islands today are part of a National Recreation Area. Not open to the public, they’re still worth knowing about: harbor and gray seals are often spotted hauling out on Swinburne’s rocks.
Chimney Sweeps and Governors Island
Photo by Dalia Kvedaraite/Dreamstime
Wildlife is also an attraction on the Chimney Sweeps Islands, a pair of small dots of bedrock in City Island Harbor. They’re inhabited by numerous birds, including gulls, great blue herons and predatory Skuas, which love to steal food from other seabirds.
There are two legends about the origin of the islands’ name. One is that, from a distance, they resemble “chimney sweeps” brooms. The other is that a man once purchased the islands using money he had earned sweeping chimneys.
Governors Island: Climate, Culture and Cannons
Governors Island, located between Manhattan and Brooklyn, played numerous roles in American wars between 1776 and 1996 and has been a popular destination for recreation, public art and science programming since 2005.
The Climate Museum brings exhibitions, art installations and programs to the island each season, using it as a platform to raise awareness about climate change through a mix of art, science and community events.
The 172-acre island in New York Harbor hosts an impressive year-round roster of programs and exhibitions. Adding to the appeal are the fortifications built to protect New York Harbor.
Fort Jay, completed in 1795 and reconstructed several times, was designed to accommodate 100 guns and barracks for 230 troops.
For a fishing-village feel, a fort to explore, an outstanding meal, or an interesting museum, the islands below the radar in New York City reward the curious traveler.
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Inspire your next adventure with our articles below:
- An Off-the-Beaten-Track Guide to New York City
- 10 Best Things to Do in New York City: Must-See Attractions and Experiences
Author Bio: After gallivanting throughout the United States and to more than 75 other countries around the world, and writing about what he sees, does and learns, Victor Block retains the travel bug. He loves to explore new destinations and cultures, and his stories about them have won a number of writing awards. Read his travel blog on Go World Travel.
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