North and South Brother Islands
North and South Brother Islands are a pair of small islands located in New York City's East River between the mainland Bronx and Rikers Island.
A park & preserve inside New York City
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 77K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 95% of the 7,799 attractions we track.
You can stay in New York City
North and South Brother Islands is inside New York City, which has 1,485 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Aug, Sep and Oct
May, June, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 66–84°. When to go ↓
An airport 2 miles away
LaGuardia (LGA) has airline service, about 2 miles from North and South Brother Islands.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in New York City. Green months are the mild ones.
North and South Brother Islands
North and South Brother Islands are a pair of small islands located in New York City's East River between the mainland Bronx and Rikers Island. North Brother Island was once the site of the Riverside Hospital for quarantinable diseases but is now uninhabited. The islands had long been privately owned, but were purchased by the federal government in 2007 with some funding from the Trust for Public Land and others; both were given to the city. They were then designated as sanctuaries for water birds.
According to the New York City Parks Department, which oversees the islands, North Brother Island has about 20 acres (8 hectares) of land, and South Brother Island about 6 acres (2.4 ha).
- Type
- Park & preserve
- Wikipedia readers
- 77K a year
Where to stay near North and South Brother Islands
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are New York City (1,485) and Jersey City (39).
- 1Central Park
- 2Madison Square Garden
- 3Metropolitan Museum of Art
- 4Studio 54
- 5Yankee Stadium
- 6MetLife Stadium
- 7National September 11 Memorial & Museum
- 8Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From North and South Brother Islands | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | in town | — | 1,485 1295 hotels · 35 motels · 71 inns & B&Bs · 17 lodges & cabins · 38 hostels · 28 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 8,584,629 | $778K | D |
| Jersey City | 11 mi southwest | 15 min | 39 34 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 302,013 | $567K | C− |
| North Bergen Township | 7 mi west | 10 min | 19 15 hotels · 4 motels | 61,483 | $474K | B |
| Secaucus | 9 mi west | 15 min | 18 16 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 22,640 | $572K | C− |
| North Hempstead | 12 mi east | 15 min | 22 18 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 238,982 | $888K | — |
| Hempstead | 19 mi southeast | 30 min | 51 30 hotels · 8 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 7 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 795,734 | $641K | — |
| Newark | 15 mi west | 25 min | 29 27 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs | 323,808 | $374K | C− |
| Fort Lee | 5 mi northwest | 10 min | 9 7 hotels · 2 motels | 40,345 | $448K | B |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near North and South Brother Islands
Other well-known places within 10 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw14 mi GardenCentral Park40.0M visitors a year
Big draw26 mi Stadium & arenaMadison Square Garden
Big draw34 mi MuseumMetropolitan Museum of Art2.0M visitors a year
Big draw45 mi TheatreStudio 54
Big draw53 mi Stadium & arenaYankee Stadium
Big draw69 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium
Big draw79 mi MuseumNational September 11 Memorial & Museum
Big draw83 mi MuseumSolomon R. Guggenheim Museum1.1M visitors a yearPhoto credits
Central Park: Ed Yourdon from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Madison Square Garden: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Studio 54: Americasroof (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Yankee Stadium: Matt Boulton, CC BY-SA 2.0 · MetLife Stadium: babyknight, CC BY 2.0 · National September 11 Memorial & Museum: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0 · Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0
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Visiting North and South Brother Islands
Is North and South Brother Islands in New York City?
Yes. It’s inside New York City, NY.
When is the best time to visit North and South Brother Islands?
May, June, August, September and October, with highs of 66–84°.
How far is North and South Brother Islands from Oyster Bay?
About 20 miles east of Oyster Bay, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to North and South Brother Islands?
LaGuardia (LGA), about 2 miles away.
Where should I stay near North and South Brother Islands?
New York City (in town, 1,485 places to stay), Jersey City (11 mi, 39 places to stay) and North Bergen Township (7 mi, 19 places to stay).
Tips from people in New York City
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in New York City’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.