Blessed with sunshine, a cool breeze and low humidity, me and my "daycation" party of five, made up of my two daughters, my friend, Karla and her daughter, took a glorious drive over the Throgs Neck Bridge, to the Bronx island known today for its amazing seafood! At one and one-half miles long by one-half mile wide, City Island is both manageable and enjoyable for a short day trip, alone or with the kiddos. Of course, in my case, as a travel blogger, my kids are generally always in tow (even if under protest).
Though small in size, City Island, has quite a bit of history, with the first Europeans, arriving from England, and settling in the 1600's and even further back, having been inhabited by the Siwanoy band of the Lenape native Americans. One of the first Europeans to settle City Island, then called Minefer's Island, was Samuel Pell, an English nobleman, who created an estate in 1654.
Through the hundred or so years that followed, there were many changes in ownership of the island, with one of the most influential of these being Benjamin Palmer, who had a vision of developing City Island as a port that would rival that of New York.
As the years passed, however, new industries came to City Island which included fishing and ship building. And to this day, City Island is known for its seafood and lobster.
But, alas, it was time to move on. We made our way around the block to 175 Belden Street House, a simple, small picturesque cottage built in 1880, which is today, a NYC Landmark and on the National Register of Historical Places.
I wasn't 100% sure, but it did appear that someone lived in the historic home. I snapped away anyway (yikes) but so happy I have some photos of this lovely, old treasure.
Unfortunately, it was closed, although my kids were trying to contain their excitement (brats!). In any case, Karla and I decided this just gave us another excuse to come back in the near future.
We definitely made the perfect choice in eateries, since my kids are not seafood eaters (I know, not the place to be if you don't eat seafood), however, Gianna and I both had tuna fish salad, so that is in the category of fish (insert grin). It was dee-lish!
Kelsey went with her usual of chicken tenders and fries, and as a result of stealing some food from her plate, I can attest to the fact that the fries were cooked to perfection. All five of us left not a morsel or a crumb on our plates!
With our tummy's full, we walked back to the car to retrace our drive back to the entrance of the island and the City Island Bridge. After a few hours of bopping around and having a bite to eat, our last stop was The City Island Veteran's Memorial Triangle situated prominently near the bridge, honoring our brave American heroes.