Lower New York Bay - Definition and Overview

Lower New York Bay shown in pink

Great Egret on the southern shore of Staten Island on Lower New York Bay. Coney Island, Brooklyn is visible in the background.

Aerial photo of Lower New York Bay, showing Hoffman and Swinburne islands.

Lower New York Bay is the section of New York Bay outside of the Narrows and open directly to the Atlantic Ocean.

Roughly triangular in shape, it is bounded on the north by Staten Island and Long Island and on the south by mainland New Jersey. Besides the Hudson River (which empties in to the Lower Bay through the Narrows), the bay is fed by the Arthur Kill and the Raritan River, as well as by several smaller streams.

The section of the bay near the confluence of the Arthur Kill and the Raritan is called Raritan Bay. The bay opens out to the ocean between two spits of land, Sandy Hook in New Jersey and Rockaway Point on Long Island.

Historically, the Lower Bay has been the primary means of marine access to New York Harbor, and more recently to Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal.

Since the time of the Lenape, the Lower Bay has provided a rich fishing ground but in the 20th century it was restricted due to pollution. In the 19th century, the shallow shoals on the south shore of Staten Island were a rich oyster bed.

The bay contains several popular beaches at Brighton Beach on Coney Island in Brooklyn, as well as at Gateway National Recreation Area on Staten Island.