Travel Guide: Roosevelt Island

To say that I love Roosevelt Island would be an understatement. Whenever I’m feeling down, a walk around the sometimes strange, mostly peaceful island with a sordid history always sets me right. If you don’t know much about the island’s history, I recommend that you read this book before you go, and keep your eye open for hidden bits of the island’s various lives.

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GETTING THERE:

Roosevelt Island Tram

The best part of visiting Roosevelt Island might just be getting there—the fastest and most whimsical way is to ride the Roosevelt Island tram. For the cost of a Metrocard swipe (currently $2.75), you can ride the first commuter aerial tramway in North America. Open in 1976, the tram isn’t operated by the MTA, and it runs every 7-15 minutes from 6am-3:30am on the weekends and until 2am on weekdays from Tramway Plaza at 59th Street and Second Avenue.

On the east side of the island, right beneath the parking garage, you can see a few of the old tram cars. They were upgraded during renovations in 2010, and may one day be preserved in a museum, but they’re currently sitting partially covered by a tarp (and recently, some uninspired graffiti).

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Subway / Bridge / Ferry / Bus

Roosevelt Island is also accessible by the F train via one of the deepest stations (100 feet below ground) in the subway system. Additionally, you can walk or drive to RI from Astoria via the Roosevelt Island bridge (and park in the huge Motorgate garage), or take the new Astoria Ferry.

Once you’re on the island, I recommend walking, but the Red Bus, operated by the RIOC, is free and makes frequent stops. The Q102 bus also circles the island, and connects RI to Queens.

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WHAT TO DO:

Roosevelt Island Visitor Center

Located in a retired street car kiosk right near the tram stop and operated by the Roosevelt Island Historical Society, the Visitor Center is a good place to start your journey. Stop here for quirky RI and New York City-themed souvenirs and books or for a map of the island.

Open Wednesday-Monday, 12-5pm.

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Take a walk

Roosevelt island is two miles long and .15 miles wide, and I recommend walking from one end to the other. With views of the Manhattan skyline on one side and Long Island City on the other, the walkways are every bit as scenic as the Brooklyn Heights Promenade but much more peaceful. The west side is lined with cherry trees that are beautiful all year round, and the east side has a good view of the Queensboro and Roosevelt Island bridges.

Roosevelt Island is part of New York City with about 14,000 permanent residents but it still feels like a completely different world. They have a post office, library, public school, two churches and a few stores on Main Street. There is also a rehab hospital, a brand new Cornell Tech campus and a tiny cat sanctuary.

But the most fascinating thing about Roosevelt Island that you might not notice is how they dispose of their trash—by an underground pneumatic tube system. Installed in 1975, when the only other pneumatic garbage system in the US was at Disney World, the system allows residents to throw their trash down chutes where it piles up until it's whisked away—by an AVAC system that sucks up about six tons of trash a day.

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Smallpox Hospital

Designed by James Renwick Jr. and opened in 1856, the Smallpox Hospital is currently the only ruin within city limits to have been designated a New York City Landmark (it's also on the National Register of Historic Places). There have been plans to further stabilize the Smallpox Hospital and open it to the public, but for now it just sits in ruin, a reminder of Roosevelt Island’s history as a receptacle for all of the city's undesirables. In the fall, the climbing ivy turns brilliant shades of red, and at night the dramatic lighting manages to make the site seem even more sinister.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park

Four Freedoms is a four-acre park located on the southern tip of the island, dedicated to the 32nd President (and the island’s namesake). Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his eighth State of the Union address, known as the Four Freedoms speech on January 6, 1941, and a portion of the that famous speech is etched on a granite block in the park. The memorial is a procession of open-air spaces, culminating in a 3,600-square-foot plaza surrounded by 28 blocks of North Carolina granite, and a bust of Roosevelt, sculpted in 1933 by Jo Davidson.

Open October 1 - March 31, 9am-5pm; April 1 - September 30, 9am-7pm; closed Tuesdays, free.

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The Strecker Laboratory

Built in 1892, the Strecker Laboratory was the first laboratory in the country devoted exclusively to pathological and bacteriological research for the nearby City Hospital. In 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1976 it was designated a New York City landmark. The MTA refurbished the building's exterior and it has housed a power conversion substation powering the subway trains that run underneath Roosevelt Island since 2000.

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The Blackwell House

Built for James Blackwell between 1796 and 1804, this house is the only building on Roosevelt Island from when the island was still privately owned. The Blackwell family owned the island from the late 17th century until 1828, when it was sold to the city. In 1829, with the building of the penitentiary, the Blackwell House became the residential quarters for administrators. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and restored in 1973, the Blackwell House is currently undergoing renovations to be used as community space offering historical tours and a library with space to store the Roosevelt Historical Society's archives.

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The Octagon

The Octagon, built in 1834, originally served as the main entrance to the notorious New York City Lunatic Asylum (the setting of Nellie Bly’s exposé, Ten Days in a Mad-House). In true New York City fashion, the Octagon was renovated and in 2006, the five-story rotunda made of blue-gray stone quarried on the island reopened as the lobby of a luxury housing complex containing 500 apartments.

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Blackwell Island Lighthouse

Designed by the architect of the Smallpox Hospital, James Renwick Jr., this 50-foot-tall, gray gneiss, Gothic-style lighthouse was built in 1872. Built by inmates of the penitentiary with stone extracted from the island, the lighthouse was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and was designated a New York City Landmark in 1976. The light was operated until about 1940. Because of its vulnerable location at the northernmost tip of the island, the park has frequently been closed when I’ve visited due to weather-related damages from Hurricane Sandy and most recently an October nor’easter.

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The Marriage of Real Estate and Money Sculptures

If you peek over the railing on the western bank of the island, into the East River between RI and Manhattan, you’ll see three sculptures by Tom Otterness. Installed in 1996 and titled The Marriage of Real Estate and Money, “the sculptures make a statement situated between the dueling residential developments on both Roosevelt Island and Midtown East.” If Otterness’s work looks familiar, you may have seen his little mischievous figures in the 14th Street subway station.

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Stay for sunset

One advantage of the sun setting so early in the winter is that you don’t have to stay out too long to catch a beautiful sunset. Roosevelt Island is the perfect place to watch the sun set behind the Manhattan skyline, and I was lucky to catch one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen while waiting to see the Smallpox ruin at night.

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WHERE TO EAT:

For all of its charm, the one area where Roosevelt Island is lacking is in food options. There are a few chain outposts: Duane Reade, Gristedes, Subway and Starbucks, in addition to a bubble tea shop, sushi bar and classic Chinese takeout.

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Piccolo Trattoria

I did finally eat at the pizza joint right next door to Starbucks on my most recent visit, and despite the lackluster reviews, it was exactly what I wanted: hot, greasy, thin crust New York pizza. I ordered a personal pie to go and ate it by the river, but you can dine-in as well.

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Want more? See all of my Roosevelt Island posts here.

Roosevelt Island

Roosevelt Island is one of my very favorite places in the city. It's a little strange, a little out of the way, a little crumbling and so fascinating. Of course it's well known for its sordid former lives as Blackwell's and then Welfare Island—home to the notorious New York City Lunatic Asylum, a penitentiary, a workhouse and various hospitals including the James Renwick-designed Smallpox Hospital (some of which is still standing today as the only ruin with landmark status in the city). The island is only 2 miles long and .15 miles wide, so it's a wonderful place to spend an afternoon walking the perimeter.

The best way to get to the island is to take the tram from 2nd Avenue at East 60th Street. The tram is right up there with the Staten Island Ferry when it comes to whimsical transportation options in the city, and it costs the same as a subway ride (and accepts Metrocards). The F train also stops on the island, and the Roosevelt Island station is one of the deepest underground in the whole subway system.

The west side of the island has incredible views of midtown Manhattan, and a wonderful promenade along the waterfront. I am sad, however, that they demolished the old Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital, which also means that a majority of the southern part of the island is currently fenced off and under construction.

One of my favorite Roosevelt Island fun facts is their Automated Vacuum Collection system (AVAC) for collecting trash, one of only six such systems in the US. According to Atlas Obscura, "this incredible feat of Swedish engineering whisks away the garbage of all 20,000 inhabitants at speeds of up to 60 mph. Trash is sucked out of the homes of Roosevelt Islanders through large pipelines using a complex system of air valves." I also happen to think that their trash cans—featuring the tram and the Queensboro Bridge—are downright adorable.

I know I've mentioned it before, but the Smallpox Hospital ruin is definitely my favorite place on the island, and I try to pay my respects every time I visit. Lighthouse Park, at the northern tip of the island, is finally open after being closed for years due to damage from Hurricane Sandy. This was the first time I was able to actually get close to the (also James Renwick-designed) lighthouse and it's really wonderful. Both structures were designed in the Gothic Revival style, which seems to perfectly align with the island's dark history.

I'm currently reading a book in which one of the characters is imprisoned in the Blackwell's Island lunatic asylum, so I couldn't resist returning to the Octagon—once the main entrance to the asylum, it's now the lobby for a 500-unit apartment complex.

Roosevelt Island has a strange vibe that is hard to explain, and just kind of needs to be experienced in person. It feels a little bit utopian and a little bit dystopian with its sparsely populated Main Street of small-town USA essentials—a sweet shop, library, grocery, nail salon, post office and daycare—all housed in non-descript, vaguely Brutalist concrete structures. Of course this—coupled with its nefarious history and proximity to Manhattan—is precisely why I love it so much.

Roosevelt Island: Smallpox Hospital Ruin

I've mentioned the smallpox hospital ruin on Roosevelt Island before, but I saw it again this weekend and realized that it definitely deserved its own post. Designed by James Renwick and opened in 1856, the hospital is currently the only ruin within city limits to have been designated a New York City Landmark (it's also on the National Register of Historic Places).

It definitely is a ruin—portions of the exterior walls have collapsed over the years and there is not much interior to speak of (trees appear to be growing inside), but there is enough of the original Gothic Revival structure to make a huge impact. There is ivy climbing over the crumbling walls and when I went on Sunday I was pleased to discover that it had turned bright red, upping the creep factor even more. There is a fence around the entire ruin, and stabilizing structures throughout, but I love that something like this still exists in any form.

Roosevelt Island—formerly known as Blackwell's Island or Welfare Island—once housed several hospitals, a prison and the New York City Lunatic Asylum (now luxury condos, groan) and was basically a receptacle for all of the city's undesirables. Today, there are still a few medical facilities but it is mostly residential, with a few city staples like a Starbucks, a pizza place and a Duane Reade.

There have been plans to further stabilize the Smallpox Hospital and open it to the public, which would be amazing, but from the looks of things that's still a long way off. In the back of the hospital, there are pallets of organized and numbered pieces—it always fascinates me how anyone begins to make sense of a building that has been reduced (at least in some parts) to rubble.

There is a little bit of graffiti on the walls, which normally I would be annoyed with, but it's kind of hard to be mad at the cute little ghosts that have been there since I first visited (also, the "RIP Smallpox Victims" is wonderful). I actually love this ruin so much that I decided to stay on Roosevelt Island long enough for the sun to set so I could see the Smallpox Hospital lit up and I was not only rewarded with a beautiful sunset but the ruin was just as creepy as I imagined it would be in the dark.

Roosevelt Island

Sunday was one of the best days I've had so far in the city. Aside from the obvious joy of seeing Meryl (albeit briefly) present at the Oscars, the first half of my day was pretty much perfect. I got up early and started the day with a walk through Central Park. My ultimate destination was Roosevelt Island, and I had planned to ride the tram, which is on the east side.

Since I'm on the west side, I took the subway halfway down and then walked the rest of the way through Central Park, stopping at a cute diner, Gene's Coffee Shop, for breakfast. I had a delicious mushroom and feta omelette, but I was especially smitten with their coffee. I think New York is turning me into a huge fan of diner coffee, and Gene's served a quintessential cup — for a dollar, no less (nothing here is a dollar).

From Gene's it was only a short walk to the Roosevelt Island tram, which quickly shot to the top of my "ways to commute in New York" list. It's easy to get to (just a few flights of stairs), comes frequently (I waited maybe 30 seconds), and accepts Metro Cards, so it's no different than riding the subway. Except of course, instead of speeding through a dark and smelly underground tunnel, you're suspended above the city in a cute little tram car,  that takes you smoothly over the East River into Roosevelt Island in less than five minutes.

The views are great, and the novelty of it all is totally worth it, although you can still get to and from the island by subway as well if you're into that. There's also a bus service that will take you all around the island for 25 cents, but I decided to walk. It was a beautiful day, and I was in an exploring mood. There's a beautiful walking path around the whole island, and it took me less than two hours, walking at a leisurely place and making stops along the way.

The views of Manhattan are spectacular, and I'd never really given the Queensboro bridge much thought, but it's quite lovely. The views of Queens on the other side are decidedly less majestic, but I was pleasantly surprised when I turned a corner and was greeted with a close-up view of the Pepsi sign that I'd previously only seen in miniature from atop the Empire State building.

At the southern tip of the island is a Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial that just opened in October. It's pretty sparse as far as monuments go, but it's a beautifully designed space. Right next to the memorial is the Smallpox Hospital ruins, which are the only ruins to have designated landmark status in the city.

The area is fenced off, but you can still get a good look at the crumbling structure which is super creepy even in mid-day. I'm fascinated by creepy old medical things like asylums and hospitals and Roosevelt island has its share of history in that department.

Unfortunately the Octagon (once the main entrance to the New York City Lunatic Asylum) is now the lobby of a luxury apartment building, but it's still pretty to look at. On the northern tip of the island is a charming little lighthouse and another small park, which was fenced off due to damage from Hurricane Sandy but looked like a cute place to have a summer picnic (I'll be back!).

There's not much in the way of shopping or dining on Roosevelt Island, as far as I could see it's mostly residential (and there's still quite a few medical facilities). I've read that it's a great place to live because it's convenient to the city, but quiet and peaceful. At times it felt as if I had the whole place to myself, which was kind of awesome, but I imagine it gets a bit more crowded in the summertime. I stopped at the Starbucks (of course they have a Starbucks) for my weekly coffee-and-Sunday-Times tradition, and it's worth noting that they had the best music selection of any Starbucks I have ever been to. It was a wonderful interlude to my walk, and I was sad when I realized that I had pretty much seen all of the island and it was time to go.

Luckily, it's harder to be sad when you're taking a tram through the sky and back into Manhattan. I absolutely loved Roosevelt Island and I highly recommend taking a day to explore it on your own. It almost felt as if the whole thing was a bit of a secret — not too commercial or touristy but perfectly interesting, peaceful and pleasant. I'll definitely be back and it's nice to know that if I ever need a break from the city, it's only a tram ride away.