Resting in the East River of New York City, between Manhattan and Queens, is a stretch of land about two miles long and, at most, 800 feet wide. The city bought what was called Blackwell’s Island in 1828, and it became home to a penitentiary and an asylum, both developing sordid histories.
In an attempt to break from the past, the city changed the name to Welfare Island in 1921, moved the prisoners off the island and made it home to several hospitals. By 1969, the island was almost abandoned. But the state of New York stepped in and redeveloped it to provide affordable housing.