East River

This article is about the East River in New York City. For other uses, see East River (disambiguation).

East River
Tidal strait
East River and the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, as seen from Roosevelt Island.
Country	United States
State	New York
Municipality	New York City
Tributaries
- left	Newtown Creek, Flushing River
- right	Westchester Creek, Bronx River, Bronx Kill, Harlem River
Source	Long Island Sound
- coordinates	40.8039900°N 73.8251343°W / 40.8039900; -73.8251343
Mouth	Upper New York Bay
- coordinates	40.696355°N 74.016609°W / 40.696355; -74.016609
Length	16 mi (26 km)
The East River is shown in red on this satellite photo of New York City.
Wikimedia Commons: East River

The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island (including the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn) from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland. In reference to its connection to Long Island Sound, it was once also known as the Sound River. The tidal strait usually reverses flow four times a day.

History

The strait was formed approximately 11,000 years ago at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation. The distinct change in the shape of the strait between the lower and upper portions is evidence of this glacial activity. The upper portion (from Long Island Sound to Hell Gate), running largely perpendicular to the glacial motion, is wide, meandering, and has deep narrow bays on both banks, scoured out by the glacier's movement. The lower portion (from Hell Gate to New York Bay) runs north-south, parallel to the glacial motion. It is much narrower, with straight banks. The bays that exist (or existed before being filled in by human activity), are largely wide and shallow.

Channel

 

Historical film of the East River, leading up to a final shot of the Brooklyn Bridge (1903)

The East River is dangerous to people who fall in or attempt to swim in it, although as of mid-2007 the water was cleaner than it had been in decades. Anyone in the channel would find there are few places from which to climb out. According to the marine sciences section of the city Department of Environmental Protection, the channel is swift, with water moving as fast as four knots (just as it does in the Hudson River on the other side of Manhattan). That speed can push casual swimmers out to sea. A few people drown in the waters around New York City each year. The strength of the current foiled an effort in 2007 to tap it for tidal power. However, in February 2012 the federal government announced plans that an agreement to install 30 tidal turbines in the channel, projected to begin operations in 2015 and produce 1.05 MW of power.

A panorama of the Hell Gate Bridge and Triborough Bridge from Astoria Park

Historically, the lower portion of the strait (separating Manhattan from Brooklyn) was one of the busiest and most important channels in the world, particularly during the first three centuries of New York City's history. The Brooklyn Bridge, opened in 1883, was the first bridge to span the strait, replacing frequent ferry service. Some passenger ferry service remains between Queens and Manhattan.

The Bronx River drains into the East River in the northern section of the strait.

William Glackens 1902 painting of East River Park in the Brooklyn Museum

North of Wards Island, it is joined by the Bronx Kill. Along the east of Wards Island, at approximately the strait's midpoint, it narrows into a channel called Hell Gate, which is spanned by both the Triborough Bridge, and the Hell Gate Bridge. On the south side of Wards Island, it is joined by the Harlem River.

Newtown Creek on Long Island drains into the East River, forming part of the boundary between Queens and Brooklyn. The East River contains a number of islands, including:

• Upper section
  • Rikers Island
  • North Brother Island
  • South Brother Island
  • Mill Rock
• Lower section
  • Wards Island and Randall's Island (joined by landfill)
  • Roosevelt Island
  • U Thant Island (Belmont Island)

Crossings

New York City waterways:
1. Hudson River, 2. East River, 3. Long Island Sound, 4. Newark Bay, 5. Upper New York Bay, 6. Lower New York Bay, 7. Jamaica Bay, 8. Atlantic Ocean

See also: List of fixed crossings of the East River and List of ferries across the East River

Bridges

The river is spanned by ten bridges, which from north to south are:

• Throgs Neck Bridge
• Bronx-Whitestone Bridge
• Rikers Island Bridge (From Queens to Rikers Island only)
• Hell Gate Bridge
• RFK-Triborough Bridge (East River Suspension Span)
• Roosevelt Island Bridge (east channel only)
• Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge
• Williamsburg Bridge (Vehicular traffic & Trains of the J M Z subway services)
• Manhattan Bridge (Vehicular traffic & Trains of the B D N Q subway services)
• Brooklyn Bridge

Tunnels

The river is spanned by thirteen tunnels. From north to south, along with uses as of April 2012:

• 63rd Street Tunnel (Trains of the F subway service – upper level; lower level – under construction for LIRR East Side Access project)
• 60th Street Tunnel (Trains of the N Q R subway services)
• 53rd Street Tunnel (Trains of the E M subway services)
• Steinway Tunnel (Trains of the 7 <7> subway services)
• Queens-Midtown Tunnel (Vehicular traffic of Interstate 495)
• East River Tunnels (Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak trains from Penn Station to points north and east)
• 14th Street Tunnel (Trains of the L subway service)
• Rutgers Street Tunnel (Trains of the F subway service)
• Cranberry Street Tunnel (Trains of the A C subway services)
• Clark Street Tunnel (Trains of the 2 3 subway services)
• Montague Street Tunnel (Trains of the N R subway services)
• Joralemon Street Tunnel (Trains of the 4 5 subway services)
• Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel (Vehicular traffic of Interstate 478)

Trams

• Roosevelt Island Tramway (west channel only)

In popular culture

• The Brecker Brothers performed a song named after the river and is featured on their 1978 album Heavy Metal Be-Bop.
• Kramer decided to swim in the East River for exercise in the Seinfeld episode "The Nap."
• In the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the Russian Navy had taken control of the river as part of their invasion of the East Coast of the United States in the fictitious Russo-American War.
• According to words of its author Yasushi Akimoto, one of the best known Japanese songs Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni ("swan song" of the famous singer Hibari Misora) also was inspired by this river.
• In The Simpsons episode, The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson, Homer receives a letter stating that his vehicle is illegally parked between the World Trade Center Towers and that if he doesn't fix the issue that his car will be "crushed into a cube and thrown into the East River at your expense."

See also

• List of New York rivers
• Lists of crossings of the East River
• Geography and environment of New York City
• Geography of New York Harbor

Gallery

• 

  East River flows past Upper East Side

• 

  East River passes children playing football in East River Park

• 

  Powell's Cove, Whitestone

• 

  Blackwells Island, East River, From Eighty Sixth Street, Currier & Ives, 1862

• 

  Loading at Pier 10, East River, Clipper ship Sunrise

External links

• East River NYC from the Greater Astoria Historical Society
• LIC Community Boathouse site for free paddling on the East River
• Hydropower turbines destroyed by East River current
• Western Queens waterfront information page