Rat Island (New York)
Rat Island is a tiny island in City Island Harbor which is a part of Long Island Sound, near New York City. It is about halfway between City Island and Hart Island and south of High Island.
It has an odd dual humped appearance and is mostly a lump of bedrock. There is a small channel cut into the bedrock on the southern side of the tiny island that was used for launching small boats. There is a beach made of Mussel shells on the west side of the island with some reed grass.
In the 1800's Rat Island was used for a typhoid quarantine hospital for about 40 infected people. The remains of cobblestone walls and foundations are still there. It was abandoned due to storm floods.
The island's biggest inhabitants are a huge pair of Great Blue Herons that sleep there during the day and feed at the City Island shores at night when awake. Swans and Canada Geese have also been there; Seagulls are abundant, and the birds' feces have turned the island white. No rats have been seen on Rat Island in over 50 years.
The island is said to be privately owned by marine constuction contractor Red Brennan.
Rat Island is one of The Pelham Islands.
Categories: Islands of New York | New York City geography | The Bronx