Sunday Sightseeing on City Island

Just at the other end of a short bridge that extends past Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx and over Long Island Sound is a peculiar little place that seems very un-New York, but is still a part of the city's northernmost borough. It takes on the persona of a New England-type fishing village with its historical homes, tree-lined streets, yacht clubs, and impressive selection of seafood restaurants. It's only a mile-and-a-half long and half a mile wide, but it packs a lot of character with its local businesses and lively residents. Welcome to City Island!

It was a top-notch Sunday afternoon with my partner-in-exploration Allie, and had all the characteristics of what we consider to make up a perfect weekend adventure: breakfast or lunch at a fabulous diner, tons of picture-taking of what I referred to as "weird shit," plenty of vintage signage and of course, a cemetery. Plus, where else in New York are you going to spot a classic Mustang?!

City Island Diner was a charming little place with delicious diner fare, and as Allie pointed out, was also the spot Jerry Seinfeld drove Ricky Gervais to in an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. (We're pretty sure we sat at the same table.)

It had to have been one of the hottest days of the summer and I was sweating harder than a whore in church, but we were having too much fun to let that slow us down. Thankfully Allie reminded me to put sunscreen on otherwise I would've turned into the next lobster cooked up at the City Island Lobster House! Obviously we wouldn't have passed up the opportunity to cool down with a few scoops from the Lickety Split, and took a few more breaks by ducking into some air-conditioned shops to keep from melting to the sidewalks.

We found some exceptional treasures at an antique store, including a life-size giant hot dog Allie would've taken home if not for the prohibitive price tag of $3,500.

It was a nice change of pace to be in such a laid-back and quiet space with empty streets and sidewalks, not to mention great views of the water and awesome old buildings.

We walked the entire length of the island, sweating through our shirts and backpacks as we people-watched and wondered what daily life is like for the animated residents we encountered, remarking that City Island is assuredly one of those places where everyone knows everyone's business. 

When we got to the very south end, we stumbled on a staggering amount of birds that appeared to be having a party on the restaurant patios that sat on the water, and stood amazed at the scene while trying to avoid being pooped on. By that point, we decided we had enough of the heat and caught the bus back to the Bronx train station, but it was an exceptional afternoon and I'm definitely a fan of this quirky little seaside town.