City Island (New York)
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City Island is a small island approximately 1.5 mi (2.4 km) long by 0.5 mi (1 km) wide. It is part of the Bronx, and (as of 2005) has a population of about 4500.
City Island is located at the extreme western end of Long Island Sound, south of Pelham Bay and east of Eastchester Bay. The body of water between City Island and the even smaller (and uninhabited) Hart Island to the east is known as City Island Harbor. The small island adjacent to the northeast is High Island. Stepping Stones Lighthouse, marking the main shipping channel into New York, is off the southern tip of the island, near the Long Island shore.
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Description
The island has the feel of a small New England fishing village, with no spot more than a few minutes walking distance to the water. Most businesses are clustered along centrally-located City Island Avenue. There are two small supermarkets, a gas station, a pharmacy, and a bank, and a variety of other small shops. The island is most famous for its numerous seafood restaurants and antique stores which line both sides of the avenue.
There are two grade schools; P.S. 175, and St Mary Star of the Sea (Catholic).
Government services include the City Island Station post office (10464) and a FDNY firehouse (engine 70 & ladder 53). Police presence (mostly traffic control on summer weekends) is provided by the 45th Precinct, located in the mainland Bronx. The City Island Branch (http://www.nypl.org/branch/local/bx/ci.cfm) is possibly the smallest of the New York Public Library system, even after the recent expansion which doubled the size of the building.
Houses of worship are Saint Mary Star of the Sea Holy Roman Catholic Church, Trinity United Methodist Church, Grace Episcopal Church, and the Temple Beth El.
A local paper, The Island Current is printed 10 times a year, and chronicles mostly community issues and local news.
Bridges and Transportation
City Island is connected to the mainland by the 3-lane City Island Bridge. A small private bridge connects to High Island, however a security gate prevents access.
Bus transportation consists of the Bx-29 (http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/bus/schedule/bronx/bx029cur.pdf) run by the New York City Transit Authority, and the BxM-7B (http://www.nybus.com/cityisl.htm) express run by the New York Bus Service (http://www.nybus.com/). The closest subway station is Pelham Bay Park, 1.5 miles away. The Transit Authority does not even show City Island on its subway map (http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/maps/submap.htm).
A ferry dock at the foot of Fordham Street is operated by the NYC Dept. of Corrections. The ferry is used to transport prisoners (and the Deceased) to Hart Island, and is not open to the public.
Local Businesses and Attractions
The island famous for its restaurants, with seafood dining, especially lobster, being a common specially. Over a dozen eating establishments (http://www.cityisland.com/restaurants/) compete for business, ranging from fast food (Johnny's Reef (http://www.epinions.com/content_66305953412)) to Latin (Tito Puente's (http://www.titopuentesrestaurant.com/)) to a French bed & breakfast (Le Refuge (http://www.bxtimes.com/news/2005/0106/Boroughwide_News/018.html)). Many of the restaurants close during the winter months.
The City Island Nautical Museum (http://www.cityislandmuseum.org/) display maritime artifacts and antiques. It is located at 190 Fordham Street and is open only on Sunday afternoons (other times by appointment). Admission is free, and there is a small gift shop.
The Island has several landmarks like Samuel Pell Mansion on City Island Avenue near St. Mary Star of the Sea Church. It was where Arsenic and Old Lace (http://imdb.com/title/tt0064042/) starring Fred Gwynne was filmed for TV and has a number of old Victorian mansions complete with tall pointy spires and gables with gazebo's such as Delmours Point on Tier Street.
Boating
The island has four yacht clubs, all situated on the Eastchester Bay side of the island. They are, from north to south, the Harlem Yacht Club, Stuyvesant Yacht Club, City Island Yacht Club, and Morris Yacht and Beach Club. The Touring Kayak Club is on the west side of the island. There are two active sail lofts (Ulmer-Kolius and Doyle). The island also has several commercial marinas. The island has what is called special anchorages where boats of all sizes are freely moored or anchored and there are many docks with boat slips for mooring boats in a secure and restricted way. There are many large piers around the island that can receive large ships.
Many of the boats which competed and won in the America's Cup in years past were built in The Minneford Boat Yard on City Island. The Eastchester Bay Yacht Racing Association (http://www.ebyra.org) is the major organizer for sailboat races in the area.
A small fleet of commercial fishing boats (The Island Current, the RipTide III, and the North Star III) make day trips to Long Island Sound. You can also rent smaller boats by the day. The sail and power boating industry has been declining in recent years as boatyards are being sold and being turned into condominiums.
Cinematography and Famous Residents
The island has earned the nickname Cinema Island for the numerous films, television shows, and commercials that been shot there. Films include Long Days Journey into Night (http://imdb.com/title/tt0056196/), (Katharine Hepburn), Awakenings (http://imdb.com/title/tt0099077/) (Robert De Niro and Robin Williams), and Love Is All There Is (http://imdb.com/title/tt0116928/) (Lainie Kazan and Angelina Jolie). The City Island Bridge was featured in the movie A Bronx Tale, and one scene was set there.
Television series include Coronet Blue (http://imdb.com/title/tt0061242/) and an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent (http://imdb.com/title/tt0275140/) called Sound Bodies (http://www.uni-television.com/criminalintent/html/epguide/s3ep8.html) which was based on a real-life incident of several local teenagers who drowned in Long Island Sound.
Notable residents of the island include Oliver Sacks who wrote the book Awakenings which was filmed on Marine Street at his home. Actor Vincent Pastore of the TV series The Sopranos also lives on City Island. Former residents include announcer Anne Bancroft, Big Wilson, writer Ernest Hemingway, actors Harry Carey and Harry Carey, Jr.
History
The native inhabitants of the island were the Siwanoy Minneford Tribe. The last known members of the tribe either married into other tribes or moved away from the area in the 20th century.
In colonial times City Island was known as Greater Minneford Island and was inhabited by Huguenot settlers from Belgium. It had a population of about 1000 people, who tended farms and livestock. Current residents of Scandinavian descent say they were the first Caucasians to live in City Island, before the Huguenots; there is some archaeological evidence which suggests they may be right.
The history of the island has been chronicled in Tales Of The Clamdiggers by Alice Payne (ISBN 0974782319) and City Island and Orchard Beach (Images Of America) by Catherine A Scott (ISBN 073853546X).
Indigenous wildlife
City Island is a heavily urbanized area, and the forms of animal life on the island is typical of such an environment: raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, and skunk, as well as a large population of stray cats.
The real diversity of wildlife on and around City Island are birds, especially aquatic species. There are many varieties of duck; buffleheads, goldeneye's, mallards, white and black domestic, and cormorants. Canada geese are common, as are mute swans, great blue herons, great white egrets, and several types of gull. A small protected wetlands area on west Ditmars Street is home to many of these species. Of course, no list of urban wildlife would be complete without the ubiquitous pigeon.
Surprisingly, bright green parrots (monk parakeets), originally imported from South America as pets, have adapted to the climate and breed in the wild (http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/education/miele/monkfood.htm) in New York . They are a common sight in nearby Pelham Bay Park and are reported to be nesting on Buckley Street. Flocks of wild turkey are often seen in the park. On rare occasion, deer who have wandered down from Westchester County can be spotted, but none are known to have crossed the bridge onto City Island.
The New York State Department of Health has declared that the eating of all shellfish from the waters of City Island forbidden due to pollution (including PCBs and dioxin) and diseases. Thus all seafood sold at City Island restaurants must by law come from elsewhere.
There is now a movement on the island to preserve the City Island Marsh and the remains of the City Island Freshwater Creek on west Ditmars Street. A Judge is allowing the Marsh owner to backfill the City Island Marsh and Freshwater Creek and build condos over objections of local residents.
Community issues
As of January 2005, the island's water mains and sewer mains are being dug up and replaced due to old age. A movement exists in the community to have all electric power, cable TV, and telephone wires put underground because the utility poles are overwired and unsightly. Many of the poles are leaning heavily.
Many of the dead-end side streets terminate in small beaches, and many of these have locked gates, limiting access only to local residents or members of small beach clubs and block associations. The ownership of these beaches is unclear, and many people believe that the locked gates are illegal.
High Island is the site of two large radio towers, used by WCBS AM and WFAN. The proximity of the transmitters cause radio interference problems with telephones and electronic equipment. There is also concern about the health effects of the high-power transmissions.
Noise pollution from the nearby NYPD Rodman's Neck Firing Range has been a point of contention with CIty Island residents for many years.
Geology
City Island was created by glacial deposits at the end of the last ice age. There is a layer of bedrock and then a thick layer of red clay and sand, with topsoil above that. The southern end has deposits of rare blue clay. The area is strewn with glacial erratic boulders. Local bedrock is granite and schist with grooves from glaciers.
In colonial times, there were freshwater drinking wells on the island, which is evidence of a water table close to the surface.
See also
- The Pelham Islands
- Fort Slocum
- Battle of Pell's Point
- Rat Island
- The Blauzes
- Chimney Sweeps
- Goose Island
- Green Flats
- Cuban Ledge
- Execution Rocks Lighthouse
- Big Tom
External links
Maps & Charts
- Street Map of City Island (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&address=350+City+Island+Avenue&city=Bronx&state=ny&zipcode=10464)
- Streetmap of City Island with Latitude & Longitude finder (http://maporama.com/share/map.asp?SESSIONID=AE5CC5BD-2883-405C-8069-F17C9701CC3B&COUNTRYCODE=US&_XgoGCAddress=350+City+Island+Avenue&Zip=10464&State=NY&_XgoGCTownName=BRONX&SEARCH_ADDRESS.x=23&SEARCH_ADDRESS.y=10&SEARCH_ADDRESS=submit)
- Satellite Map of City Island (http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-73.786903&cpy=40.847198&res=8&provider_id=305)
- Satellite Map Of City Island (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=bronx+new+york&ll=40.847900,-73.786426&spn=0.041626,0.081314&hl=en)
- Land Use Map of City Island (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/pub/citymap.html)
- Nautical Chart of City Island (http://www.righttrak.com/sailing/charts.html)
- City Island Tide Chart (http://www.tides.info/?command=view&location=City+Island%2C+New+York)
Americana
- City Island.com, Bronx (http://www.cityisland.com)
- Beyond Manhattan: City Island (http://nyc24.jrn.columbia.edu/2003/islands/zone1/city-index.html)
- City Island Chamber of Commerce (http://www.cityislandchamber.org)
- "Close-up on City Island," Village Voice, 2002 (http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0246/lee.php)
- Forgotten NY (http://www.forgotten-ny.com/YOU%27D%20NEVER%20BELIEVE/cityisland/cityisland.html)
Literature
- City Island & Orchard Beach (ISBN 073853546X)
- The Other Islands Of New York City (ISBN 0881505021)
- East Bronx, East Of The Bronx River (ISBN 0738503010)
- Tales of the Clamdiggers (http://cityislandclamdigger.com) (ISBN 0974782319)
- Catherine Scott Promenade (http://www.bxtimes.com/News/2001/1027/Boroughwide_News/020.html)