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There's a tiny island on the East River that you've probably never heard of, and you're not allowed to visit it. Subscribe to our channel! is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out to get up to speed on everything from Kurdistan to the Kim Kardashian app. Check out our full video catalog: Follow Vox on Twitter: Or on Facebook: Most people have probably never heard of it but there is a tiny 100 by 200 foot island on the East River in New York City called U Thant Island. It’s right below Roosevelt Island and next to the United Nations headquarters and has more history per square foot than most places in Manhattan. It’s origin dates back to the late 19th century when construction of an underground tunnel produced a tiny mound of rock that was originally named Belmont Island, after August Belmont Jr. who financed the construction project. In the intervening years it was leased by a Buddhist spiritual group, crashed into by numerous vessels, and briefly occupied by a protesting artist.
