Most people have never heard of it, but there is a tiny 100-by-200-foot island on the East River called U Thant Island. It’s right below Roosevelt Island and next to the United Nations headquarters and has more history per square foot than most places in Manhattan.
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Its origin dates back to the late 19th century when construction of an underground tunnel produced a tiny mound of rock. This tiny mound was originally called Belmont Island, named after August Belmont Jr., who financed the construction project.
In the intervening years it was leased by a Buddhist spiritual group, crashed into by numerous vessels, and briefly occupied by a protesting artist.
Watch the video above to learn more about U Thant and to see me fall in East River attempting to canoe out to it.
