Overview & visitor information
City Island lies off the eastern Bronx between Eastchester Bay and Long Island Sound, connected to the mainland at Pelham Bay Park by a single bridge. The island is roughly one and a half miles long and half a mile wide, with City Island Avenue forming its commercial spine.
Oyster cultivation, sailmaking, marine supply and shipbuilding shaped its economy from the nineteenth century. Local yards built and repaired commercial vessels, military craft and major racing yachts, including America's Cup contenders, while marinas and yacht clubs continue the island's close practical relationship with the water.
Side streets of detached houses and small apartment buildings retain a lower scale than most of New York, and Belden Point marks the southern end. Seafood restaurants and boating businesses bring heavy seasonal traffic, creating a persistent tension between City Island's role as a regional destination and its identity as a residential neighborhood.
