East River

East River, strait, southeastern New York, connecting Long Island Sound and Upper New York Bay and separating Manhattan Island from Long Island. It is connected by the Harlem River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek with the Hudson River. On its western bank are the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, and on its eastern bank are those of Brooklyn and Queens. The East River is 24 km (15 mi) long and ranges from 0.8 km (0.5 mi) to 5.6 km (3.5 mi) in width. Its principal islands are Roosevelt, Wards, Randalls, Rikers, and North Brother. The rapids between Wards Island and Long Island have been made navigable by blasting out the rock shoals.