U Thant Island
Encyclopedia
U Thant Island is the smallest island located in the borough of Manhattan
in New York City
. The tiny artificial island
is 100 by in size and located in the East River
, just south of Roosevelt Island
. It lies midway between the United Nations Headquarters
at 42nd Street
and Gantry Plaza State Park
in Long Island City
and is legally considered part of the Borough of Manhattan
and New York County.
The islet is managed by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
and is currently protected as a sanctuary
for migrating birds
, including a small colony of Double-crested Cormorant
, and access is prohibited to the public. The reefs in the waters surrounding the island make it a popular spot for boats fishing for striped bass
.
's construction of trolley
tunnel
s under the river to link Manhattan
to his eponymous company town
named Steinway Village
, which is now in Astoria, Queens
. The island was built up on the existing granite
outcrop Man-o'-War Reef using excess landfill
from a shaft
dug down the reef
to the tunnels. Steinway died before his tunnels' completion, and financier August Belmont Jr. finished the project in 1907, leaving the finished islet as a bonus. The Steinway Tunnels are still in use as part of the IRT Flushing Line
( trains) in the New York City Subway
, and trains pass directly beneath the island. Belmont Island, named after the financier, became the legal name of the island.
The small, uninhabited island was almost forgotten for nearly a century, until in 1977 it was adopted by employees across the river at the United Nations Headquarters following the guru Sri Chinmoy
, who served as the interfaith chaplain. The group, called the Peace Meditation at the United Nations, leased the islet from the state of New York
, greened its surface, and unofficially renamed it after former United Nations Secretary General U Thant
, a friend of Chinmoy. Although unofficial, U Thant Island has stuck as the common name for the island. It is now the site of a metal oneness arch, preserving personal items of the island's namesake.
In 1999, The New York Times Magazine
staged an international competition to design a time capsule
to preserve artifacts for the next millennium. An entry by Caples Jefferson Architects proposed a granite obelisk on U Thant Island that would gradually disintegrate, leaving only the time capsule by the end of the 30th century.
During the 2004 Republican National Convention
, local artist and film-maker Duke Riley
, who has traveled to various abandoned islands around the New York City area, rowed a boat with a friend to the island under cover of darkness, proclaimed it a sovereign nation and hoisted a 21 feet (6.4 m)-long pennant depicting two electric eels from the island's navigation tower. On their return voyage in daylight, they were apprehended by a United States Coast Guard
boat but were not arrested. The entire incident was videotaped for a piece Riley titled Belmont Island (SMEACC).
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The tiny artificial island
Artificial island
An artificial island or man-made island is an island or archipelago that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means...
is 100 by in size and located in the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
, just south of Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island, known as Welfare Island from 1921 to 1973, and before that Blackwell's Island, is a narrow island in the East River of New York City. It lies between the island of Manhattan to its west and the borough of Queens to its east...
. It lies midway between the United Nations Headquarters
United Nations headquarters
The headquarters of the United Nations is a complex in New York City. The complex has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1952. It is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, on spacious grounds overlooking the East River...
at 42nd Street
42nd Street (Manhattan)
42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square. It is also the name of the region of the theater district near that intersection...
and Gantry Plaza State Park
Gantry Plaza State Park
Gantry Plaza State Park is a state park on the East River in the Hunter's Point section of Long Island City, in the New York City borough of Queens.The park first opened in May 1998 and was expanded in July 2009...
in Long Island City
Long Island City, Queens
Long Island City is the westernmost neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. L.I.C. is notable for its rapid and ongoing gentrification, its waterfront parks, and its thriving arts community. L.I.C. has among the highest concentration of art galleries, art institutions, and studio...
and is legally considered part of the Borough of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and New York County.
The islet is managed by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation is the department of government of the City of New York responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecological diversity of the city's natural areas, and furnishing recreational opportunities for city's...
and is currently protected as a sanctuary
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
for migrating birds
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, including a small colony of Double-crested Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
The Double-crested Cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It occurs along inland waterways as well as in coastal areas, and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico...
, and access is prohibited to the public. The reefs in the waters surrounding the island make it a popular spot for boats fishing for striped bass
Striped bass
The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater fish of New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire...
.
History
The island has its origins in the 1890s as a side-effect of William SteinwayWilliam Steinway
William Steinway, also Wilhelm Steinway, born Wilhelm Steinweg , son of Steinway & Sons founder Henry E. Steinway, was a businessman and civic leader who was influential in the development of Astoria, New York....
's construction of trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
s under the river to link Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
to his eponymous company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
named Steinway Village
Ditmars, Queens
Ditmars is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. Ditmars is in northwestern Queens bounded by Bowery Bay to the north, LaGuardia Airport to the east, 23rd Avenue to the south and the East River on the west. The neighborhood is often considered to be within Astoria...
, which is now in Astoria, Queens
Astoria, Queens
Astoria is a neighborhood in the northwestern corner of the borough of Queens in New York City. Located in Community Board 1, Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City, Sunnyside , and Woodside...
. The island was built up on the existing granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
outcrop Man-o'-War Reef using excess landfill
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
from a shaft
Shaft mining
Shaft mining or shaft sinking refers to the method of excavating a vertical or near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom....
dug down the reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
to the tunnels. Steinway died before his tunnels' completion, and financier August Belmont Jr. finished the project in 1907, leaving the finished islet as a bonus. The Steinway Tunnels are still in use as part of the IRT Flushing Line
IRT Flushing Line
The Flushing Line is a rapid transit route of the New York City Subway system, operated as part of the IRT Division and designated the 7 route...
( trains) in the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
, and trains pass directly beneath the island. Belmont Island, named after the financier, became the legal name of the island.
The small, uninhabited island was almost forgotten for nearly a century, until in 1977 it was adopted by employees across the river at the United Nations Headquarters following the guru Sri Chinmoy
Sri Chinmoy
Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, also known as Sri Chinmoy was an Indian spiritual teacher, poet, artist and athlete who immigrated to the U.S. in 1964., the founder of the religious organization "Sri Chinmoy Centre Church, Inc." better known as "Sri Chinmoy Centre"...
, who served as the interfaith chaplain. The group, called the Peace Meditation at the United Nations, leased the islet from the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, greened its surface, and unofficially renamed it after former United Nations Secretary General U Thant
U Thant
U Thant was a Burmese diplomat and the third Secretary-General of the United Nations, from 1961 to 1971. He was chosen for the post when his predecessor, Dag Hammarskjöld, died in September 1961....
, a friend of Chinmoy. Although unofficial, U Thant Island has stuck as the common name for the island. It is now the site of a metal oneness arch, preserving personal items of the island's namesake.
In 1999, The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
staged an international competition to design a time capsule
Time capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
to preserve artifacts for the next millennium. An entry by Caples Jefferson Architects proposed a granite obelisk on U Thant Island that would gradually disintegrate, leaving only the time capsule by the end of the 30th century.
During the 2004 Republican National Convention
2004 Republican National Convention
The 2004 Republican National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States, took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York...
, local artist and film-maker Duke Riley
Duke Riley
Duke Riley is an American artist.Riley earned a BFA in painting form the Rhode Island School of Design, and a MFA in Sculpture from the Pratt Institute. He lives in Brooklyn, New York...
, who has traveled to various abandoned islands around the New York City area, rowed a boat with a friend to the island under cover of darkness, proclaimed it a sovereign nation and hoisted a 21 feet (6.4 m)-long pennant depicting two electric eels from the island's navigation tower. On their return voyage in daylight, they were apprehended by a United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
boat but were not arrested. The entire incident was videotaped for a piece Riley titled Belmont Island (SMEACC).
See also
- Steinway TunnelSteinway TunnelThe Steinway Tunnel carries the trains of the New York City Subway under the East River between 42nd Street in Manhattan and 51st Avenue in Long Island City, Queens, in New York City. It was originally designed and built as an interurban trolley tunnel , with stations near the trains' current...
- IRT Flushing LineIRT Flushing LineThe Flushing Line is a rapid transit route of the New York City Subway system, operated as part of the IRT Division and designated the 7 route...
- William SteinwayWilliam SteinwayWilliam Steinway, also Wilhelm Steinway, born Wilhelm Steinweg , son of Steinway & Sons founder Henry E. Steinway, was a businessman and civic leader who was influential in the development of Astoria, New York....
External links
- Forgotten-NY
- An Island just for U -photos
- ...to the New York Islands -photos
- Newtown Creek- Borderline Crazy -clear photo of arch
- Steinway, Queens -Steinway's Queens company town
- NYC Audubon Harbor Herons Project
- Harbor Herons Nesting Survey -recent reports on cormorant and gull nesting activity at U Thant Island
- www.nycsubway.org
- The Steinway Tunnels -their construction
- IRT Corona/Flushing Line -7 Line