Summary
- U Thant Island, officially known as Belmont Island, is the smallest island in NYC and was formed during the construction of the Steinway Tunnel.
- It measures only 100 feet by 200 feet and is off-limits to visitors, serving as a refuge for migrating birds, particularly cormorants.
- The island is located between the United Nations Headquarters and Gantry Plaza State Park and is part of an area designated as a Recognized Ecological Complex.
The smallest island in NYC is U Thant Island (officially known as Belmont Island). U Thant Island is rather unusual for several reasons, including being one of the few islands in the world that came into existence thanks to the construction of a tunnel. U Thant Island is so small and low-lying that one needs to squint to see it in pictures under the United Nations Building.
U Thant Island is located just across from 42nd Street near the United Nations building and under the gaze of the Chrysler Building (once the tallest building in NYC). However, it's off-limits to visit; here's what to know.
The Bizarre Story Of The Formation Of U Thant Island, NYC's Smallest Island
U Thant Island (or Belmont Island) is an artificial island created by the construction of the modern IRT Flushing Line
Midtown Manhattan skyline on a clear day with U Thant island
U Thant Island came into being during the construction of the Steinway Tunnel that runs right under the island. The Steinway Tunnel carries the IRT Flushing Line under the East River between Long Island City, Queens, and Manhattan (at 42nd Street). It is among one of the oldest tunnels in the Big Apple.
- Created: 1890s-1900s
- Tunnel: Steinway Tunnel Carrying the IRT Flushing Line
Planning for the tunnel began in 1885 and construction started in 1892 and the tunnel finally opened in 1907 as a trolley service. Legal disputes led to the tunnel being closed for eight years. But the Steinway Tunnel was not lost to history (unlike some lost and secret tunnels in NYC) and it was reopened as a subway line.
NYC has many abandoned tunnels and subway stations and some of them are open for tours.
U Thant Island was formed by landfill from digging a shaft through a granite outcrop to reach the Steinway Tunnel below. The small and young island was born with a dark history (four workmen were killed in a shaft accident underneath the island in 1906).
Subway in NYC
The tunnel project was started by a wealthy piano maker (William Steinway) and completed by August Belmont Junior. The island eventually became known as U Thant after a Buddhist group used the island in the 1970s in honor of the recently deceased Secretary General U Thant of the United Nations.
U Thant was a devout Buddhist from Myanmar (Burma) and was a man well respected by the people in his home country.
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U Thant Island: The Tiniest Island In NYC & What To Expect There
U Thant Island is the smallest island in New York, measuring only around half an acre
Since the island was created, it has resisted calls to enlarge it, connect it with its neighboring island (Roosevelt Island), and develop it. U Thant Island is tiny, measuring only 100 feet by 200 feet (or 30 meters by 60 meters). It is administratively part of Manhattan and part of Manhattan Community District 6.
U Thant Island or Belmont Island outside of the UN Building NYC
- Size: 100 feet by 200 feet
- Structures: Coast Guard Beacon
- Administration: Manhattan Community District 6
U Thant Island (or Belmont Island) is located at the midpoint between the United Nations Headquarters (at Manhattan's 42nd Street) and Gantry Plaza State Park on Long Island.
There are few structures on the island today apart from a 57-foot tall beacon (operated by the Coast Guard). The island has some vegetation including a couple of small trees.
A vessel with some of U Thant's remarks on spirituality and peace is buried on the island, making the island a sort of shrine.
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U Thant Island: A Refuge For Birds
U Thant Island is off-limits to visitors due to ecological concerns (and possibly for security reasons)
The U Thant Island is now inhabited... by cormorants. It is protected and serves as a sanctuary for migrating birds. Residents on the island include a couple of thousand double-crested cormorants.
U Thant Island is part of an area designated as a Recognized Ecological Complex and part of NYC's Waterfront Revitalization Program. Accordingly, public access to the island is prohibited. While the official reason for prohibiting people from visiting the island is to protect the birds, part of the reason may also be security concerns for the nearby United Nations building.
- Public Access: Prohibited
- Inhabitants: Thousands of Cormorants
Cormorant perched on the rock
While fishermen may not be permitted to land on the island, they are drawn to the island for fishing for striped bass that live in the reefs around the island.
Visitors may be banned from visiting U Thant Island, but there are plenty of other great islands in NYC that people can actually visit, including Little Island at Pier 55, which was redeveloped as a city park.
