East River

Wall Street, the financial centre of the USA and home of the New York stock exchange, USA, with the East River in the background. Wall Street is so-named because it follows the route of a wooden wall built by the Dutch to keep American Indians and British trade rivals away from their land.

Tidal strait running between Manhattan Island and Long Island, in southeastern New York, USA; length 24 km/15 mi, width 0.8 km/0.5 mi to 5.6 km/3.5 mi. The East River separates the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx (west and north) from those of Brooklyn and Queens (east and south). It links Long Island Sound with New York Bay and is connected, via the Harlem River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek, with the Hudson River. There are docks and many bridges here, including the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Manhattan, Williamsburg, Queensboro, Triborough, Bronx-Whitestone, and Hell Gate bridges also span the East River. Among its islands are Randalls, Wards, and Welfare; they are used mainly for hospitals and parks. Rikers Island contains a prison. Roosevelt Island has residences and is joined to Manhattan by a passenger tramway (cable car).