Customer Reviews

The Other Islands of New York City: A History and Guide (Second Edition)

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As a native New Yorker, I heard of many islands that occupied the waters that surround the five boroughs of the city. As I flew back into LaGuardia and JFK airports I even began to notice them from above. Obtaining information about these islands was very difficult, even from local libraries, and therefore when I found this book at a local bookstore, I was delighted that someone came up with the idea of publishing such a book.

From Roosevelt Island to Cuban Ledge, the authors give a very thorough and well researched book on the many islands inhabiting the New York archipelago. Many islands which were once islands, but have long since been connected to the boroughs by artificial landfills are also covered here (e.g. Coney Island-Brooklyn, Hunter Island-Bronx, Battery Park area-Manhattan, etc..) are also covered here.

If you live in the city or plan on visiting, please make sure to pick up a copy of this guide, and make sure to visit the many hidden treasures found in this city.It makes an excellent companion book while aboard a plane or even in the subway.

New York City is an archipelago of islands - this is a reality that has been paved under by centuries of development in this great city, but has been brought to light in this fun, excellent little book.

Besides Manhattan Island, Roosevelt Island, Staten Island, etc., there are a host of tiny lesser-known islands all around the waterways of the city, and this book describes them all. Each and every one of them has a unique history - most were settled at one time or another, most are abandoned now - as well as a unique ecosystem. The book does a great job exploring all these aspects, in prose that has just the right level of detail to inform and excite. The histories it relates are miniature, fractured reflections, serving to both highlight and contrast with the mainstream narrative of NYC history.

Here are a few islands you may never have heard of before - North Brother Island, Swinburne Island, Shooters' Island, and - my personal favorite - U Thant Island, named for a late U.N. diplomat. Yes, there really is a place within New York City limits called "U Thant Island!" Reading this stuff makes you want to go to these places. Most of them are illegal to visit, and unfortunately the authors are responsible, law-abiding individuals who won't tell you how to get to them. Too bad :)

For urban historians, this book is like a collection of lost pottery shards of NYC life. For ecologists, it is a testament to the resilience of wildlife in some of the busiest waterways in the world. And for aspiring urban explorers, it is a temptation to buy a raft, flashlight, and wire cutters....

As a native New Yorker, I heard of many islands that occupied the waters that surrounded the five boroughs of the city. As I flew back into LaGuardia and JFK airports I even began to notice them from above. Obtaining information about these islands was very difficult, even from local libraries, and therefore when I found this book at a local bookstore, I was delighted that someone came up with the idea of publishing such a book.

From Roosevelt Island to Cuban Ledge, the authors give a very thorough and well researched book on the many islands inhabiting the New York archipelago. Many islands which were once islands, but have long since been connected to the boroughs by artificial landfills are also covered here (e.g. Coney Island-Brooklyn, Hunter Island-Bronx, Battery Park area-Manhattan, etc..) are also covered here.

If you live in the city or plan on visiting, please make sure to pick up a copy of this guide, and make sure to visit the many hidden treasures found in this city.It makes an excellent companion book while aboard a plane or even in the subway.

This book is a great resource for anyone interested in learning about the New York City most people don't know. A great quick read if you want to take it island by island, or just plow through the whole thing! I highly recommend this book!

Whenever we take guests on a cruise around NYC I am the designated tour guide who points out all the sights. People are always amazed by all the little known stories about the history of the city as viewed from the water that I can relate to them. Many of them I gleaned from this wonderful book. After you read this book, a ferry or circle line ride will be a totally new experience.

This is a wonderful book, well written and informative.
Color pictures would have enhanced the book, but reading the brief description and history of all these little known islands was very educational.

I saw this book discussed and talked about on The National Parks special last year. I could not find it in any bookstore! I searched on Amazon and it was available and shipped instantly. It is a great resource for those who enjoy NYC and want to visit wonderful areas that aren't known as well. Many of these are free for visitors . Enjoy the experience...a great resource.

I get to New York often, though I am a Chicagoan. Done a lot of urban exploring throughout the five boroughs, but always knew I was missing lots of hidden stories--

So last trip I got Forgotten New York, and learned more about New York. Read that cover to cover, and loved it. But I still was missing parts of the city.. the quirky little islands I caught glimpses of from the air, or on the ferry to Staten Island. This book does a great job of giving the history, feel of these places. Well written, full of great information. I am picking out an itinerary for my next trip as I write this review.

Thanks to the authors for recognizing a gap in New York exploration guides and for filling it very well!

I read this book due to my interest in Hoffman and Swinburne Islands. I have noticed them for years during my walks on the South Beach boardwalk in Staten Island, and I wanted to find out more about them. This book is probably one of the few books to actually have an entire chapter devoted to these two islands. But I got more than I bargained for by reading this book because I learned a lot about many other islands of NYC. I have lived in NYC my entire life (which means 35 years) and this book made me feel like a total stranger to my home state. But I mean that as a compliment to the book, because I now have an interest in visiting the islands mentioned in the book in order to continue to enhance the knowledge that the book gave me. My main criticism is the lack of photos. For example, the chapter on Hoffman and Swinburne has one photo, and this photo merely shows two shacks sitting on a tiny part of an island. The photo doesn't explain that the shacks are on Swinburne, and there is not one photo of Hoffman at all. All chapters are like this. It's hard to appreciate the layout/size of the islands without photos. Other than that, I would recommend this book to readers.

fast, great