Viewing NYC Articles Categorized Under Islands

[WATCH] The Most Depressing Island in New York City

2026-08-09T12:00:00-04:00

This video delves into the unique and often overlooked history and infrastructure of Randalls Island (which merged with Wards Island), revealing its transformation into a central hub of crucial but often undesirable city services. Once two separate islands, it became a dumping ground for facilities like orphanages, hospitals, asylums, and reformatories starting in the mid-1800s. The video highlights how urban planner Robert Moses dramatically reshaped the island in the 1930s with the construction of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, turning it into a major highway interchange for Manhattan, Queens, and The Bronx. The island also hosts the Hell Gate Bridge, a vital rail link on the U.S. East Coast, and the massive Wards Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. Despite being filled with extensive recreational areas like Icahn Stadium and numerous ball fields, it remains geographically central but largely isolated from the rest of the city, accessible primarily by car or pedestrian bridges, with no direct subway access.

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[WATCH] How New Jersey Lost Staten Island to New York

2026-08-07T12:00:00-04:00

The video investigates the popular legend of how New Jersey lost Staten Island to New York in a sailing race. According to the tale, Captain Christopher Billopp of New York supposedly won Staten Island by circling it in under 24 hours in his ship, the Bentley, aided by empty barrels to catch the wind. However, a deep dive into historical records, including articles from The New York Times and various historical books, reveals inconsistencies in dates, details of the race, and even the identity of Captain Billopp. The narrator traces the story's origin to Reverend Gabriel Poillon Disosway, a local chronicler, who likely shared it as an embellished oral history in the mid-1800s. The investigation, which included visiting the New York Public Library and the Conference House (also known as Billopp Manor) on Staten Island, ultimately reveals the Staten Island race story to be a charming but historically unsubstantiated "tall tale" that evolved over centuries.

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[VIDEO] NYC’s Best Kept Secret: Governors Island

2026-03-19T12:00:00-04:00

Discover Governors Island, a true oasis and secret spot nestled right in New York Harbor. This fascinating 172-acre escape, formerly a strictly military base for two centuries, has transformed into a vibrant public space filled with rich history, massive abandoned structures waiting for new life, and scenic bike paths. From the historic cannonball-deflecting design of Castle Williams to innovative environmental efforts like the Billion Oyster Project and the unique Stonybrook Center for Climate Change, this island offers a peaceful retreat from the bustling city streets with incredible views of the Manhattan skyline.

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[VIDEO] Why Pollepel Island is Totally Forbidden

2026-01-27T12:00:00-05:00

In this video, we explore the mysteries and tragedies of Bannerman Castle, a crumbling fortress on an island in the Hudson River, New York. Built by Frank Bannerman as an arms storage facility, this site hides a history of decay, crime, and death. Join us as we uncover a dark past and ruins that still echo stories of power, tragedy, and mystery.

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[VIDEO] NYC’s Abandoned Island of Yachts and Warships

2025-12-23T12:00:00-05:00

Just off the coast of Staten Island lies a forgotten island that once played a surprising role in global history. Shooters Island started as a Revolutionary War spy base and evolved into a powerful shipyard, launching vessels for the U.S. military and even crafting a royal yacht for Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II. In this episode, we explore how this overlooked patch of land helped build warships, hosted presidents and royalty, and then disappeared into obscurity. Today, it’s off-limits, overgrown, and littered with the remains of a once-glorious past.

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[WATCH] Inside Hart Island: A Rare Look at NYC's Most Misunderstood Mass Burial Site

2025-10-07T12:00:00-04:00

Join me as I embark on rare guided tour of Hart Island, NYC's potter's field, and a historically fascinating and poignant place. We'll explore the island's past, learn about its role as a public burial ground, and reflect on the stories of those laid to rest there. We also learned about the many other ways Hart Island has served the greater New York City area. It's a moving and unforgettable tour that many people don't get to experience. A huge thank you to the Urban Park Rangers who led us on this incredible journey throughout the island and the captain and crew of the Michael Cosgrove Ferry!

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[WATCH] Overnight on NYC's Smallest island

2025-09-07T12:00:00-04:00

There's this teeny island in New York City. No buildings, no people, just a little patch of rock sitting in the East River. Every time I ride the ferry, I see it. And every single time I wonder, what even is that place? Is it possible to even get there? Could someone actually survive a night on that island?

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[VIDEO] Above New York: Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island

2025-08-29T12:00:00-04:00

Gifted to the United States in 1885 to celebrate and commemorate our centennial anniversary the following year, the Statue of Liberty originally arrived in pieces, displayed around New York City to raise support for the financing of the pedestal. With a campaign and donation matching request led by newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer, the fundraising efforts took over 10 years to determine a permanent location for the statue and to raise enough to pay for its pedestal, as the United States Congress refused to finance it.

Standing at just over 151-feet-tall, Lady Liberty is the tallest statue in the United States. She is mounted on the massive star shaped footprint and pedestal, which gives her a total height of 305-feet, 1-inch from ground level to torch, allowing her to be seen from anywhere with a clean line-of-sight in New York City and parts of New Jersey.

The Statue of Liberty National Monument sits on the aptly named Liberty Island and is managed by the United States National Park Service. The land was originally known to New Yorkers as Bedloe's Island, only being renamed to Liberty Island in 1956 by and act of the United Stated Congress. The island was private for a century following the Dutch surrender of Fort Amsterdam to the British in 1664, where the original owner, Captain Robert Needham, sold it to the namesake Isaac Bedloe. It shifted hands privately and to businesses until February 1758, when the City of New York purchased the island for one thousand pounds to hold terminally ill patients with infectious diseases.

After the United States won independence, the star-shaped Fort Wood was constructed on the island and was completed in 1811. Never used for battle, the aging fort was mostly dismantled for the mounting of the Statue of Liberty and pedestal, which maintained the original 11-point footprint for its foundation.

In this short aerial video from our Above New York series, see the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island from a unique birds-eye-view on a gloomy day in New York Harbor. This is likely one of the last times you will see a drone video shot this close to the Statue of Liberty, as the FAA and DOI have recently imposed special restrictions on the proximity of flight to this, and other U.S. National Monuments. This video was captured before the new restrictions took effect.

Music: "Release" by Pogo

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[VIDEO] New York's Lost Link to City Island

2025-07-31T12:00:00-04:00

The history of New York City’s lost City Island monorail is a fascinating chapter in urban planning that illustrates both ambition and failure. In the early 20th century, City Island—located in the Bronx—was a vibrant maritime community with limited transportation connections to the rest of New York. To address this, a bold plan was conceived in the early 1910s to link City Island to the mainland via a monorail. The project, officially called the Pelham Park and City Island Railroad, was envisioned as a cutting-edge transportation solution using elevated rail technology. The system was designed to stretch over the wetlands of Pelham Bay Park, reducing the need for more invasive infrastructure.

Construction began in 1910, and by 1914, a prototype was operational. However, it was short-lived. The monorail faced significant technical issues, including mechanical failures and derailments. Public skepticism and political opposition grew, and with World War I diverting resources and attention, the project was abandoned. City Island residents continued to rely on other modes of transportation, such as streetcars and ferries. Today, the remnants of the monorail are long gone, but its story remains a curious reminder of New York’s ambitious—yet sometimes impractical—transportation experiments.

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[WATCH] Why New York's North Brother Island is Totally Forbidden

2025-06-23T12:00:00-04:00

North Brother Island is one of New York City’s most mysterious and eerie places. Located in the East River between the Bronx and Rikers Island, this abandoned island is steeped in history and tragedy. Originally developed in the 19th century as a quarantine facility for smallpox patients, it later became infamous as the home of Typhoid Mary, one of the most notorious cases of contagious disease in American history.

The island was repurposed over the decades, serving as a rehabilitation center for drug addicts in the mid-20th century, but was eventually abandoned. Today, it is off-limits to the public and has become an overgrown wildlife sanctuary. Despite its haunting past, it remains a fascinating and forbidden relic of New York City's history.

Join me as we uncover the secrets and stories of North Brother Island and explore why this unique place remains off-limits to visitors.

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