Bristol Basin in Manhattan
Walk a little too far down Manhattan's East 25th Street and you'll find yourself standing on English soil. No, not something created by treaty like an embassy or consulate, but rather, actual English land, brought to the Port of New York during some of the darkest days of World War II. The small outcropping of land near East 25th Street that houses the architectural landmark Waterside Plaza, as well as a small stretch of the FDR Drive, was made out of landfill from the English city of Bristol during WWII. As German forces fought furiously to break British resistance and conquer Europe, U.S. and Canadian merchant marine vessels steamed across the Atlantic to keep the British defenders supplied against Nazi Germany's assault. These ships were loaded to the brim with weapons when they set out on their journey, risking U-boat and air attack with a cargo that was apt to explode. When they arrived, the supply ships delivered so much cargo, with nothing to bring back, that they needed ballast