There is a tiny island near New York that no one is allowed to visit.

New York is full of islands. But there is one special one, which is not only tiny, but it is also forbidden to visit it. It's called U Thant. Despite its small size, the island has a rich history. Traveler365.

u thant is a small artificial island in the Manhattan area of ​​New York. It was originally called Belmont Island, but was renamed in 1977. This tiny island, created during the construction of the Steinway Tunnel, measures 100 feet by 200 feet. It is located in the East River, south of Roosevelt Island.

This island was created in the 1890s when William Steinway built two tunnels on the East River to connect Astoria to Manhattan. Waste from construction formed a reef that stuck out of the water. Steinway died before completing the work - he left it to August Belmont Jr. The first name of the small island was Belmont. However, the project failed and the island became empty. A group called Peace Meditation at the United Nations, which included UN officials and Guru Sri Chinmoy, took over the land in 1977. The island was renamed after former UN Secretary-General U Thant, a close friend of Chinmoy.

Public access has been closed as it is a protected area for migratory birds, including a small colony of two-crested cormorants. The waters around it are quite popular with fishermen who rush to catch striped bass.

Take a look at the following Vox video showing a canoe ride near the island.