A charter city is a city in which the governing system is defined by the city's own charter document rather than by state, provincial, regional or national laws. In locations where city charters are allowed by law, a city can adopt or modify its organizing charter by decision of its administration by the way established in the charter. These cities may be administered predominantly by citizens or through a third-party management structure, because a charter gives a city the flexibility to choose novel types of government structure. Charter cities are similar in administrative structure to special administrative regions.

Examples[link]

For example, in California, cities which have not adopted a charter are organized by state law. Such a city is called a General Law City, which will be managed by a 5-member city council. A city organized under a charter may choose different systems, including the "strong mayor" or "city manager" forms of government.^[1][2] One example of abuse of the charter system was in Bell, California. The charter was created after a lit­tle-no­ticed spe­cial elec­tion, where few voters understood what becoming a charter city meant. After a charter was approved, state laws limiting city salary no longer applied and City Manager Robert Rizzo gave himself a salary of $1.5 million for managing a city of about 36,000 people. ^[3] As of June 2008, 112 of California's 478 cities are charter cities. A few examples include Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, and Irvine.^[4]

However, charter cities that are subordinate to the rules of larger institutions (such as provinces or nations) have limited flexibility to adopt new governance structures. Historical examples cover a broad range of charter cities, from virtually independent city-states to smaller municipalities which have limited administrative freedom. For example, the Hansa League port city of Lübeck, Germany was a chartered city, governed by an autonomous council of local burgesses.^[5] Similarly, the state of Pennsylvania was founded after Charles II granted William Penn a land charter in 1681.

Hong Kong and Macau both are current examples of special administrative regions, similar to charter cities, in China.

Governance and administrative structure[link]

The range of what is considered a "charter city" may lead to definitional ambiguities. Most times, however, a charter city is founded by charter before large-scale development takes place. While a city may adopt a new "charter" long after its first codification of rules, as in the cases of many cities in California, generally the designation of a charter city is reserved for those municipalities whose charter guides development decisions or influences the creation of social structure from the beginning, as in the case of Hong Kong. A charter city may have some exemptions from some state or provincial laws, which varies entirely for each particular region.

With the help of a guiding charter, cities may be able to avoid administrative inefficiencies and establish rules with alternate social motivations. Thus, one benefit of charter cities is the freedom they offer in establishment of rules of governance. For example, many charter cities, like Hong Kong and Singapore as cities, use alternative forms of property taxation. Because charter cities are often founded with a goal of large-scale urban development, efficient use of the city's limited land is of utmost importance, for both the economic sustainability of the citizens and the government units. Thus, rather than using the traditional tax on both property and land, charter cities may use land value taxation, which taxes only the value of land, thus not providing disincentives for development.

Development potential[link]

Economist Paul Romer proposes founding many new charter cities in developing countries. Romer suggests that a developing country pass a law that sets aside a tract of land for a new charter city. This charter city would be administered by a developed third-party guarantor government, and citizens from the host country (and maybe other countries) could move in and out as they please. The point of the charter cities idea is to give citizens the choice about where they want to live and to provide the basic rules and amenities required for economic growth. Ideally, by establishing a city with highly-developed rules and governance in an underdeveloped region, living and working in a charter city may provide a closer and more attractive alternative to moving far away to more developed countries. ^[6]

In Romer’s conception, there are three main actors in the creation of a charter city. First, there is the developing host country. The host country provides the land, and designates that land as a special reform zone, subject to the foundational set of rules. Second, the developed guarantor country administers the region, perhaps with a board of governors and an appointed chairman like the Federal Reserve System in the United States. Third, the source country will be where the charter city’s residents come from. This may be predominantly from the host country, but there also may be a number of source countries. ^[6]

In practice, some countries have been receptive to Romer's idea. Upon meeting with the president, Madagascar considered creating two charter cities, but the plan was scrapped when the political leadership that supported the idea was removed from power.^[7] Most recently, the government of Honduras has considered creating a charter city. ^[8]

See also[link]

• Chartered cities of Ethiopia
• Southern African special administrative region
• Dillon's Rule
• Home rule
• Free imperial city
• Special Administrative Regions
• Urban Enterprise Zone
• City-state
• Micronation

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Lang, Diane (December, 1991) (PDF). Dillon's Rule...and the Birth of Home Rule. New Mexico Municipal League. http://nmml.org/files/2008/01/dillon.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-26.  Discussion of Dillon's rule, charter cities and home rule in New Mexico.

External links[link]

• California State Constitution, Article 11: Local government
• Charter Cities global Information
• The Atlantic: The Politically Incorrect Way to End Poverty
• Podcast with Paul Romer about Charter Cities
• Technology Entertainment Design video with Paul Romer about Charter Cities
• "A Quick Case for Charter Cities: Memo to the Gates Foundation" by Bryan Caplan

Paul Romer
Paul Romer
Born	1955 Denver, Colorado, USA
Nationality	USA
Fields	Economics
Institutions	New York University, Stanford University
Alma mater	University of Chicago

Paul Romer (born 1955) is an American economist, entrepreneur, and activist. He is currently professor of economics at the Stern School of Business at New York University.^[1] Prior to that, Romer was a senior fellow at Stanford University's Center for International Development, the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, and the Hoover Institution,^[2] and a fellow at the Center for Global Development. He is a pioneer of endogenous growth theory.

Romer earned a B.S. in physics in 1977 and a Ph.D. in economics in 1983, both from the University of Chicago. He taught at the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Chicago, and the University of Rochester. He was named one of America's 25 most influential people by Time Magazine in 1997,^[3] and in 2000 started the online educational company Aplia, which was purchased in 2007 by Cengage Learning. Romer was awarded the Horst Claus Recktenwald Prize in Economics in 2002. He is the son of former Colorado governor Roy Romer.^[4]

Academic contributions[link]

Paul Romer's most important work is in the field of economic growth. Economists studied long-run growth extensively during the 1950s and 1960s. The work of Robert Solow, for example, established the primacy of technological progress in accounting for sustained increases in output per worker. Romer's articles published in 1986 and 1990 amounted to constructing mathematical representations of economies in which technological change is the result of the intentional actions of people, such as research and development.

Romer is credited with the quote, "A crisis is a terrible thing to waste." which he said during a November 2004 venture-capitalist meeting in California. Although he was referring to the rapidly rising education levels in other countries versus the United States, the quote became a sounding horn by economists and consultants looking for a positive take away from the economic downturn of 2007-2009.^[5]

His latest contribution has been in trying to replicate the success of charter cities and make it an engine of economic growth.^[6] Romer has argued that with better rules and institutions, undeveloped nations can be set on a different and better trajectory for growth.^[7]

Dominant theme[link]

“Economic growth occurs whenever people take resources and rearrange them in ways that are more valuable. A useful metaphor for production in an economy comes from the kitchen. To create valuable final products, we mix inexpensive ingredients together according to a recipe. The cooking one can do is limited by the supply of ingredients, and most cooking in the economy produces undesirable side effects. If economic growth could be achieved only by doing more and more of the same kind of cooking, we would eventually run out of raw materials and suffer from unacceptable levels of pollution and nuisance. History teaches us, however, that economic growth springs from better recipes, not just from more cooking. New recipes generally produce fewer unpleasant side effects and generate more economic value per unit of raw material.

Every generation has perceived the limits to growth that finite resources and undesirable side effects would pose if no new recipes or ideas were discovered. And every generation has underestimated the potential for finding new recipes and ideas. We consistently fail to grasp how many ideas remain to be discovered. Possibilities do not add up. They multiply.”^[8]

Publications[link]

• "Growth Cycles", with George Evans and Seppo Honkapohja (American Economic Review, June 1998). Jstor link
• "Preferences, Promises, and the Politics of Entitlement" (Individual and Social Responsibility: Child Care, Education, Medical Care, and Long-Term Care in America, Victor R. Fuchs (ed.), Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995).
• "New Goods, Old Theory, and the Welfare Costs of Trade Restrictions," Journal of Development Economics, No. 43 (1994), pp. 5–38.
• "Looting: The Economic Underworld of Bankruptcy for Profit" with George Akerlof (Brookings Papers on Economic Activity 2, William C. Brainard and George L. Perry (eds.), 1993, pp. 1–74). Jstor link
• "Economic Integration and Endogenous Growth," with Luis Rivera-Batiz (Quarterly Journal of Economics CVI, May 1991, pp. 531–55). Jstor link
• "Endogenous Technological Change" (Journal of Political Economy, October 1990). Jstor link
• "Increasing Returns and Long Run Growth" (Journal of Political Economy, October 1986). Jstor link
• "Cake Eating, Chattering and Jumps: Existence Results for Variational Problems" (Econometrica 54, July 1986, pp. 897–908). Jstor link

Influences[link]

Romer has influenced the "People's Capitalism" concept put forth by James S. Albus--arguably a form of basic income guarantee.[1]

See also[link]

• Endogenous growth theory

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Politically Incorrect Guide to Ending Poverty In The Atlantic
• Paul Romer's talk on Ted.com regarding charter cities
• Paul Romer's home page at New York University
• Interview with Reason Magazine
• Aplia.com

Bryan Caplan

Public Choice school
Born	(1971-04-08) April 8, 1971 (age 41) Northridge, California
Nationality	United States
Influences	Donald Wittman, Ayn Rand, David D. Friedman, Murray Rothbard, Tyler Cowen, Gordon Tullock
Contributions	Rational Irrationality

Bryan Caplan (born April 8, 1971) is an American economist, a Professor of Economics at George Mason University, Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center, adjunct scholar of the Cato Institute, and blogger for Econlog. He is best known for his work in public choice theory and for his Right-libertarian ideology.

Personal life[link]

Caplan grew up in Northridge, California. He currently lives in Oakton, Virginia with his wife and three sons. He describes himself as being type ENTJ on the MBTI and as an "openly nerdy man." He is the author of one graphic novel and several role-playing game campaigns. He has described role-playing games as "an art form, on par with novels, or movies, or comics"^[1] and has been published in Dragon magazine.^[2]

According to Caplan, he was first introduced to Right-libertarian political philosophy through the writings of Ayn Rand and that it was his interest in philosophy that drew him to study economics.^[3]

Academic career[link]

Caplan earned a B.A. in economics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1993 and a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University in 1997. Since then, he has spent his entire career at George Mason University.

Austrian economics[link]

Caplan considered himself an Austrian economist before graduate school, and much of his work draws upon themes in Austrian economics. Nevertheless, most of his academic work on Austrian economics is critical. He has written that "while self-labeled Austrian economists have some valid contributions to make to economics, these are simply not distinctive enough to sustain a school of thought. The task of developing an alternate Austrian paradigm has largely failed, producing an abundance of meta-economics (philosophy, methodology, and history of thought), but few substantive results."^[4]

Public choice[link]

The bulk of Caplan's academic work is in public economics, especially public choice theory. He has agreed with political economist Donald Wittman that traditional public choice has reached conclusions inconsistent with the canonical assumption of voter rationality; many of his publications examine the effects of relaxing this assumption, an idea Caplan dubbed rational irrationality.^[5] In a series of exchanges with Wittman, Caplan defended many of the conclusions of public choice while agreeing that Wittman's criticisms hold under the assumption of voter rationality.^[6][7][8][9] Caplan has also done empirical work on public opinion which suggests voters indeed hold systematically biased views about economics.^[10] His book, The Myth of the Rational Voter, provides a detailed account of Caplan's theory of rational irrationality as well as his summary of some empirical evidence of voters' systemically biased beliefs about economics.

Author[link]

Myth of the Rational Voter[link]

The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies, published in 2007, further develops the "rational irrationality" concept from Caplan's earlier academic writing. It draws heavily from the Survey of Americans and Economists on the Economy in making the argument that voters have systematically biased beliefs about many important economic topics. Caplan argues that voters indulge these biases at the polls, creating a negative externality because they do not directly bear the full cost of their action.

Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids[link]

Caplan's second book, published in 2011, argues that the cost of having children is lower than most people believe and many potential parents could increase their welfare by having more. It is his first book written for a general audience, although it draws heavily from the academic literature in behavioral genetics, particularly twin and adoption studies which are relevant to the nature versus nurture debate.

Future projects[link]

Caplan's next planned book has the working title The Case Against Education: A Professional Student Explains Why Our Education System is a Big Waste of Time and Money; he has previously argued that almost all of education is inefficient signaling. Caplan has outlined book projects to follow will deal with the root causes of poverty (Poverty: Who to Blame) and presenting a philosophical / economic case for pacifism (Pragmatic Pacifism: The Realism of Idealism).^[11] While he still publishes occasionally in professional journals, he has shifted his focus almost entirely to books.

Political views[link]

Caplan is an anarcho-capitalist, citing influences such as Murray Rothbard and David D. Friedman, and has written on the feasibility and desirability of a stateless society.^[12] He promotes austerity for marginal reform^[13] and is a vocal proponent of open borders.^[14] Despite his pacifist position and radical libertarian ideology, he has criticized left-libertarianism.^[15][16] He has also criticized some economists' (such as his colleague Robin Hanson) use of an efficiency-only moral standard,^[17] advocating instead ethical intuitionism with efficiency considerations secondary to moral principles.

Controversies[link]

Caplan wrote an essay entitled "Columbus: The Far Left is Dead Right" to explain why his agreement with the far-left on Christopher Columbus was unusual. Caplan decried some of Columbus's defenders for engaging in cultural relativism to defend his policies of mass enslavement.^[18]

In April 2010, he caused controversy with a blog post that argued that women were more free in the 1880s than they are in the 21st century.^[19] This post led Bradford DeLong to call Caplan "the stupidest man alive".^[20]

Selected works[link]

Books

• The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies. 2007. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. (Named a Best Book of 2007 by the Financial Times)
• The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies. 2008. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. [Paperback edition with a new introduction by the author.]
• Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids: Why Being a Great Parent is Less Work and More Fun Than You Think. New York, NY: Basic Books. 2011.

Journal articles

• "Rational Irrationality: A Framework for the Neoclassical-Behavioral Debate." Spring 2000. Eastern Economic Journal 26(2), pp. 191–211.
• " Rational Ignorance versus Rational Irrationality." 2001. Kyklos 54(1), pp. 3–26. (lead article)
• "Rational Irrationality and the Microfoundations of Political Failure." June 2001. Public Choice 107 (3/4), pp. 311–331.
• "The Logic of Collective Belief." May 2003. Rationality and Society 15(2), pp. 218–42.
• "How Do Voters Form Positive Economic Beliefs?" Evidence from the Survey of Americans and Economists on the Economy." September 2006. Public Choice 128(3/4), pp. 367–81.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Bryan Caplan

• Bryan Caplan's Website
• The EconLog blog
• "The Myth of the Rational Voter" (essay)
• Anarchist Theory FAQ
• Why conservatives should be libertarians
• Intellectual Autobiography of Bryan Caplan by Bryan Caplan
• Why I am not an Austrian economist
• Caplan on voting Caplan discusses his book on EconTalk
• Caplan on labor markets Caplan discusses labor markets on EconTalk
• Caplan on voter ignorance on NPR Caplan discusses voter ignorance on NPR
• Video of interview/discussion with Caplan by Will Wilkinson on Bloggingheads.tv

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009)

City Island

City Island, Bronx
Geography
Location	Long Island Sound
Coordinates	40°50′51″N 73°47′11″W / 40.84758°N 73.786476°W / 40.84758; -73.786476
Archipelago	The Pelham Islands
Area	0.39505 sq mi (1.02317 km2)
Length	1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Width	0.5 mi (0.8 km)
Country
United States
State	New York
City	New York City
Borough	the Bronx
Demographics
Population	4362 (as of 2010)
Density	11,441.6 /sq mi (4,417.63 /km2)

City Island is a small island approximately 1.5 mi (2.4 km) long^[1] by .5 mi (1 km) wide. At one time incorporated within the boundaries of Pelham, Westchester County, it is now part of the New York City borough of the Bronx. As of the 2010 census the island had a population of 4,362.^[1][2] Its land area is 1.023 km² (0.395 sq mi, or 252.835 acres). The island is part of Bronx Community Board 10.

City Island is located at the extreme western end of Long Island Sound,^[1] south of Pelham Bay and east of Eastchester Bay. The body of water between City Island and the even smaller (and uninhabited) Hart Island to the east is known as City Island Harbor. The small island adjacent to the northeast is High Island. Stepping Stones Lighthouse, marking the main shipping channel into New York, is off the southern tip of the island, near the Long Island shore. It is part of the Pelham Islands, a group of islands originally belonging to Thomas Pell.

Geology[link]

City Island was created by glacial deposits at the end of the last ice age. There is a layer of bedrock and then a thick layer of red clay topped with sand, with topsoil above that. The southern end has deposits of rare blue clay. The area is strewn with glacial erratic boulders. Local bedrock is Manhattan schist with glacial striations.

Indigenous wildlife[link]

City Island is an urbanized area, reminiscent of a small New England town. The forms of animal life on the island are typical of such an environment: raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, skunk, and occasional deer. Coyotes and turkeys have also been sighted.

The real diversity of wildlife on and around City Island is among birds, especially aquatic species. There are many varieties of duck; buffleheads, goldeneyes, mallards, and cormorants. Canada geese are common, as are mute swans, great blue herons, great white egrets, and several types of gull. A small protected wetlands area on west Ditmars Street is home to many of these species. Of course, no list of urban wildlife would be complete without New York's ubiquitous feral pigeon.

Surprisingly, bright green parrots (monk parakeets), originally imported from South America as pets, have adapted to the climate and breed in the wild in New York. They are a common sight on City Island and in nearby Pelham Bay Park. Flocks of wild turkeys also are often seen in the park. A herd of five or more deer live in Pelham Bay Park, but one deer made a couple of short visits to City Island by crossing the bridge.

Another surprising resident of the island is the brown or De Kay's snake. This small serpent has adapted superbly to life amongst the island's growing community. Natives often tell stories of encounters with these snakes while gardening.

History[link]

Originally inhabited by the Siwanoy band of Lenape Indians, City Island later was settled by Europeans as part of property and estate bought by English nobleman, Thomas Pell, in 1654. Prior to that, English settlers led by Anne Hutchinson (seeking religious freedom) settled in an area nearby on the river (now known as the Hutchinson River) in 1642.

After changing hands several times, in 1761 the Island (at that time known as Minefer's Island), was bought by Benjamin Palmer of New York. Up to this point the island had been inhabited by only a few homes and farms. It had a population of about 1000 people, who tended farms and livestock. Palmer had the vision of developing the island into a port, which could rival that of New York. He knew that ships heading north and south passed City Island using Long Island Sound as a safe inshore waterway. He envisioned shipyards, and stores that could cater to the ships. He went as far as to have the island mapped out in different plots designated as shipyards, docks, business, farms, homes, schools, and houses of worship, along with streets, paths, and access routes. Benjamin Palmer appealed to the British Crown and received letters patent that covered the ownership of waterfront properties 400' out from the high tide mark under water and around the perimeter of the Island. This patent, known as the "Palmer Grant" is unique to City Island; it has been contested in courts since, but has always been upheld.

Palmer also is responsible for changing the name from Minefer's Island to City Island in anticipation of things to come. Palmer's vision never fully materialized, however, as the timing just before the American Revolution halted all progress, and the war depleted the capital of Palmer and his investors. It would be another sixty years before the island again started to be developed when oystermen, Hell-Gate pilots, and eventually shipbuilders arrived and introduced these industries.

The history of the island has been chronicled in Tales Of The Clamdiggers by Alice Payne (ISBN 0-9747823-1-9) and City Island and Orchard Beach (Images Of America) by Catherine A Scott (ISBN 0-7385-3546-X). According to local tradition, anyone actually born on the island is known as a "clamdigger". A City Island resident not born on the island is known as a "musselsucker."

Description[link]

The island has the look and feel of a small New England fishing village, with no spot more than a few minutes' walking distance to the water. Most businesses are clustered along centrally-located City Island Avenue. There are two small supermarkets, a gas station, a pharmacy, a bank, a hardware store, and a variety of other small shops. The island is most famous for its numerous seafood restaurants and antique stores, which line both sides of the avenue.

Government services include the City Island Station post office (10464) and a FDNY firehouse (Engine 70, Ladder 53). The New York City Police Department presence (mostly traffic control on summer weekends) is provided by the 45th Precinct, located in the mainland Bronx. The City Island Branch is possibly the smallest of the New York Public Library system, even after the recent expansion which doubled the size of the building.

Houses of worship are Saint Mary's Star of the Sea Holy Roman Catholic Church, Trinity United Methodist Church, Grace Episcopal Church, and Temple Beth El.

A local paper, The Island Current is printed ten times a year, and chronicles mostly community issues and local news.

Education[link]

City Island is within the New York City Department of Education.

P.S. 175 City Island School, located on City Island Avenue, serves grades K-8 for the island.

The School of St. Mary Star of the Sea is a Catholic grade school, which serves grades PreK-8 on City Island.

The former Public School 17 houses the City Island Historical Society and Nautical Museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.^[3]

Bridges and transportation[link]

An off-going view of the City Island Bridge on a summer night in 2006

Starting in 1760, a small ferry powered by a rope between Rodman's Neck and City Island was used to transport people and supplies between the mainland and City Island. It was not until 1873 that a bridge was built by a syndicate of City Island businessman including G.W. Horton, Ben Hedgeman, and David Carll. Then, in 1901, City Island became connected to the mainland by a new, steel three-lane City Island Bridge. There is another small, private bridge on the northeastern end of City Island which connects it to High Island, site of the radio transmitter for New York AM stations, WFAN (660) and WCBS (880); a security gate prevents access to High Island, even though at low tides a sandbar that can be walked across is exposed adjacent to the bridge, some locals go on the island (via the sandbar) as there is great fishing spots, however it is illegal to trespass on the island so most do not.

In the early 1900s, the Pelham Park and City Island Railroad provided rail service to the island.

Bus transportation consists of the Bx29 local bus to Bay Plaza via the Pelham Bay Park subway station and the two rush-hour extended roundtrips of the BxM8 express bus to Manhattan, both run by the MTA. There is also the City Island Seaside Trolley run by the Bronx Tourism Council.

Local businesses and attractions[link]

The island is famous for its seafood restaurants, with lobster^[1] being a common specialty. Over thirty eating establishments compete for business, ranging from fast food (Johnny's Reef) to The Lobster Box to a French bed and breakfast and a popular spot, The Black Whale, famous for its desserts. The 'Snug' is a popular local Irish pub. While a few of the restaurants close during the winter months, most are open year round.

City Island Nautical Museum

Local shops include Focal Point Gallery (a gallery of photography), Starving Artist Cafe and Gallery (featuring musical talents), Exotiqa International Arts (featuring art objects, gift items, and jewelry from around the world), Early Ruth's Antiques, Midtown Antiques, My Dolls And Things, and Calico Juno Designs, a handcrafted jewelry store where all the jewelry offered for sale is handmade on the premises.

The City Island Nautical Museum displays maritime artifacts and antiques. It is located at 190 Fordham Street and is open only on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (other times by appointment). Admission is free and there is a small gift shop. The building was PS17 in its prior life.

The Island has several landmarks such as the Samuel Pell Mansion on City Island Avenue near St. Mary Star of the Sea Church. It is where Arsenic and Old Lace was filmed for TV in 1969; there are a number of old Victorian mansions located throughout City Island, mostly on the Sound side, complete with tall pointy spires and gables with gazebos, such as Delmours Point on Tier Street.

The City Island Theater Group is the local community theater that produces entertaining shows year round.

Boating[link]

The island has four yacht clubs, all situated on the Eastchester Bay side of the island. They are, from north to south, the Harlem Yacht Club, Stuyvesant Yacht Club, City Island Yacht Club, and Morris Yacht and Beach Club. The Touring Kayak Club is on the west side of the island. There are two active sail lofts (UK-Halsey and Doyle). The island also has several commercial marinas.

The island has what are called "special anchorages" where boats of all sizes are freely moored or anchored, and there are many docks with boat slips for mooring boats in a secure and restricted way. There are also many large piers around the island that can receive large ships.

The island is home to the Columbia University Sailing Team, whose fleet of dinghies is docked at City Island Yacht Club. The team comes from Manhattan four times a week to practice off the western shore of City Island. Fordham University's Sailing Team sails out of Morris Yacht and Beach Club.

In the novel Bluebeard, by Kurt Vonnegut, the character Dan Gregory states that his 80-foot (24 m) yacht, the Ararat, was dry-docked on City Island.

Many of the boats which competed and won in the America's Cup in years past were built in The Minneford Boat Yard on City Island. The Eastchester Bay Yacht Racing Association is the major organizer for sailboat races in the area. J/24 sailboats are the active one design racing fleet on the island.

A small fleet of head boats take paying passengers on fishing trips to Long Island Sound. Smaller boats are also available for rent by the day. The sail and power boating industry has been declining in recent years as boatyards are being sold and being turned into condominiums.

City Island in film and TV[link]

Numerous^[4] films, television shows, and commercials have been filmed on City Island. Films include BUtterfield 8^[5] starring Elizabeth Taylor, Long Day's Journey Into Night^[6] (Katharine Hepburn), Awakenings^[7] (Robert De Niro and Robin Williams), Love Is All There Is^[8] (Lainie Kazan and Angelina Jolie), and A Bronx Tale^[9] (Robert De Niro and Chazz Palminteri), which featured the City Island Bridge and one scene which was filmed in the parking lot of Johnny's Reef Restaurant. Michael Douglas filmed Don't Say a Word at the Hart Island Ferry and Hart Island. Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums was filmed at Delmours Point, which is the mansion where Long Days Journey Into Night was filmed.

The movie City Island, starring Andy García and Julianna Margulies, is set on City Island and also was shot there. Its release date was March 19, 2010. The film won the Audience Favorite Award at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.^[10]

City Island was also the setting for the 2006 film The Groomsmen, which was directed by Edward Burns; filming took place at many locations on City Island.^[11]

In 1999, Spike Lee directed and produced Summer of Sam, a crime drama based around the Son of Sam murders, and set in the neighborhood of City Island.

In 2006, Margot at the Wedding starring Nicole Kidman and Ciarán Hinds was filmed on City Island Avenue and other locations on the island.

In 2008, actor Michael Douglas returned to City Island with actor Danny DeVito to film Solitary Man (2009) in the City Island Diner and Jessica Alba was filmed in An Invisible Sign of My Own (2009) there as well.

A very early film shot in a City Island studio was Richard III, made in 1912.^[12]

Television series that were filmed on the island include the classic Coronet Blue,^{[citation needed]} Naked City,^{[citation needed]} Car 54, Where Are You?^[13] and, more recently, an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent called "Sound Bodies" which was based on a real-life story of several local teenagers who drowned in Long Island Sound near City Island. The fictional city of Hyde in the series finale of the US version of Life on Mars was filmed on City Island.^[14] Also the Law and Order episode "Maritime" showing the City Island bridge.

Since 2002, the film production company Harrington Talents has had its offices and studio located on City Island. Notable celebrities who have worked on their productions include rapper and actor Ice-T, professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino. They also shot many scenes from their movie Doughboys starring Louis Lombardi, Vincent Pastore, Andrew Keengan, Mike Star, and James Madio. The company is owned and operated by Frank Mosca, Stephen Franciosa Jr., and John Morena.

Notable residents[link]

Notable current and former residents of the island include:

• Anthony (1920-2011) and Sally Amato (1917–2000); founders & directors, Amato Opera
• Harry Carey (1878–1947), one of silent film's earliest superstars ^[15]
• Adolfo Carrión, Jr. (born 1961), former Bronx Borough President ^[16]
• Bruce McRae (1867–1927), silent film actor^[17]
• George Meany (1894–1980), union leader who served as president of the AFL-CIO ^[18]
• Henry B. Nevins (1878–1959), master yacht builder and author
• Vincent Pastore (born 1946), actor known for his role on the TV series The Sopranos ^[19]
• Carlos D. Ramirez (1946–1999), publisher of El Diario La Prensa ^[20]
• Oliver Sacks (born 1933), who wrote the book Awakenings, whose adaptation was filmed at a house similar to his own, but on a different street on the island ^[21]
• Salvatore Santoro (1913–2000), Lucchese crime family underboss ^[22]
• Richard Waring (1911–1994), television and film actor
• Warren Weith, columnist for Car and Driver in the 1960s and 1970s

See also[link]

• The Pelham Islands
• Fort Slocum
• Battle of Pell's Point
• Green Flats
• Cuban Ledge
• Execution Rocks Lighthouse
• Big Tom

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: City Island, Bronx

Miscellaneous[link]

• Chamber of Commerce
• City Island Branch Library
• City Island Nautical Museum
• City Island Theatre Group
• Grace Episcopal Church
• P.S. 175 City Island School
• The Adaptable Monk Parakeets, Environmental Education Science Masters Program, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
• City Island Sailing Blog - Nautical Tales & Tidbits
• The City Island Blog

Businesses[link]

• Eating establishments on City Island
• The Black Whale
• Calico Juno Designs
• City Island Yacht Club
• Early Ruth's Antiques
• Eastchester Bay Yacht Racing Association
• Exotiqa International Arts
• Focal Point Gallery
• Harlem Yacht Club
• J/24 Fleet
• Johnny's Reef Restaurant (review, photographs)
• Midtown Antiques
• Morris Yacht and Beach Club
• My Dolls And Things
• Starving Artist Cafe & Gallery
• Stuyvesant Yacht Club
• Barron's Boat Yard
• SnarkMedia

Maps and charts[link]

• City Island Tide Chart

Coordinates: 40°50′51″N 73°47′11″W / 40.84758°N 73.786476°W / 40.84758; -73.786476

• Subway Map

Americana[link]

• The Island Current Newspaper online
• City Island Chamber of Commerce
• The City Island Blog
• Transportation from Manhattan
• "Close-up on City Island," Village Voice, 2002
• Forgotten NY
• The City Island Digital Image Gallery

Literature[link]

• City Island & Orchard Beach (ISBN 0-7385-3546-X)
• The Other Islands Of New York City (ISBN 0-88150-502-1)
• East Bronx, East Of The Bronx River (ISBN 0-7385-0301-0)
• Tales of the Clamdiggers (ISBN 0-9747823-1-9)

v t e Neighborhoods in the New York City Borough of The Bronx Allerton Baychester Bedford Park Belden Point Belmont (Arthur Avenue) Castle Hill City Island Clason Point Crotona Park East Co-op City Country Club East Bronx Eastchester East Tremont Edenwald Ferry Point Park Fieldston Fordham Harding Park Highbridge Hudson Hill Hunts Point The Hub Kingsbridge Kingsbridge Heights Locust Point Longwood Marble Hill Melrose Morrisania Morris Heights Morris Park Mott Haven North Bronx North Riverdale Norwood Olinville Parkchester Pelham Bay Pelham Gardens Pelham Parkway Port Morris Riverdale Silver Beach Soundview South Bronx Spuyten Duyvil Sychulerville Throggs Neck Tremont University Heights Van Cortlandt Village Van Nest Wakefield West Bronx West Farms Williamsbridge Woodlawn Community Boards: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

v t e Islands of New York City Barren Island The Blauzes Broad Channel Island Chimney Sweeps City Island Coney Island Ellis Island Governors Island Hart Island High Island Hoffman Island Hunter Island Isle of Meadows Liberty Island Long Island Manhattan Mill Rock North Brother Island Prall's Island Randall's Island Rat Island Rikers Island Roosevelt Island Ruffle Bar Shooters Island South Brother Island Staten Island Swinburne Island Travers Island Twin Island U Thant Island Wards Island