Local Subway Stop Renamed to Honor This Blog?

Before anyone goes issuing official cease and desist orders again for my illegal use of MTA logos, fonts, etc the above image was created on a retail site officially licensed by the MTA to produce personal use signage matching the signs in the NYCTA subway system.

Pretty cool site named Undergroud Signs. Worth checking out. Prices are a bit high to become a craze among purchasers but plenty of folks I am sure will consider it.

New Juice Business for Roosevelt Island

A new retail business started up this week on Roosevelt Island and it again is in Southtown / Riverwalk escaping the public authorities issues surrounding the empty storefronts on Main Street.

The business will be starting slow, opening a few days a week, and only a few hours each day. It’s young owners are balancing their education requirements as well as family life so you can forgive them if they start small. You will find their stand at the East end of Riverwalk Commons between the small bike rack and the Japanese restaurant. As noted on the shirt of one of the owners their location is right off the F Train.

They will be open, as per their original business plan, on Wednesdays and Friday evenings from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm and all day on Saturdays. All hours are contingent on the prevailing weather that day as well as who has not finished their homework at least until the school year officially closes.

The business has yet to decide on one name but they will be offering Sweet Lemonade or Slightly Sour Lemonade depending on that day's lemon shipment. Juice will be offered at $1 a cup but this blogger bets they will negotiate depending on the volume purchased.

No word yet how the young entrepreneurs expect to spend their profits or rather if they plan to reinvest in the business perhaps at an additional location further North on the island.

The youngsters probably recognize they are not the first to start a lemonade stand on Roosevelt Island so they may or may not realize this is a purely seasonal business. So if you are thirsty stop on by now while the stand is open.

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Note: The blogger is not related to this new business or its owners in any way and himself found the stand by accident and through his own thirst for a good cup of lemonade.

News Shorts: Blackwell House, Southtown Retail, & Tram Towers

Blackwell House - As first reported by the Roosevelt Islander last week the historic island landmark had suffered some window damage possibly due to vandalism. This week there is a reliable report that one of the exterior doors to the building may have been subject of a separate incident where a vandal or burglar was attempting to push their way into the structure. Perhaps its time that RIOC stepped up whatever plans it has for the landmark as increased official activity, or perhaps some sort of full time presence (i.e. a tenant, or caretaker), might help deter further vandalism.

Riverwalk Retail - Snazzy new signage at Southtown indicating what stores exist. The plaza isn't exactly so big you can't see every store's sign from where this sign is sitting but they are still cool. Does the presence of two open slots indicate the last remaining space will be subdivided into two retail establishments. Can the name "Riverwalk" be placed upon any more signage? Perhaps it can be mowed into the weave of the grass so that residents can see it from their apartments above.

Last Weeks Tram Tower Project - For those of you that were wondering what the men in the orange jump suits were doing climbing throughout the towers they were absolutely not cage bungee jumping. The news according to Armando Cordova, Tram Operations Director, was that these individuals were "performing structual assessments" as well installing "transducers" that would collect information that will allow "computer models" to be developed to determine allowable stress levels which will be needed for next year's tram modernization project". Interesting information but it was more fun to think that the orange men were in fact practicing for a new Summer olympic sport.

First Fruit Cart Comes to Island

Roosevelt Island moved one step closer to "retail" civilization with the opening this morning of Onur Benirbaz's fruit and vegetable cart right across from the entrance to the local subway station. In honor of the opening a free banana is being given away to each potential customer.

Mr. Benirbaz has two other carts open in the City, one in downtown Manhattan and one in Brooklyn Heights. The cart in Brooklyn Heights apparently opened with a bit of controversy as localmerchants were not thrilled with the competition and the story eventually even hit the newspapers.

The opening of this cart stand will be welcome addition to the island's morning commuters as it was stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables that all looked great.

Local Roosevelt Isle Starbucks Spared

The full list of the 600 Strabucks locations nationwide was released yesterday, 07/17/2008, and it did not include the local Roosevelt Island Starbucks.

It is unknown if this location is making a profit or not but either way it is not being closed.

A full list of the NYC locations being closed is provided below and the entire list of nationwide closings can be found in PDF format HERE. Thanks to reader Daniel Chen for sending me a link regarding the announcement.

Gothamist: Starbucks to Close 600 Stores

It is being reported today on Gothamist that Starbucks will be closing 600 stores nationwide. It is unknown if the Roosevelt Island branch will be part of those closings.

So if you value your [overpriced] latte I suggest you continue your spending at the local venue to show your support for this location.

RIOC's Shane Speaks re Roosevelt Island Retail Spaces

PressHD.com has posted two video interviews, on April 11, 2008, with Stephen Shane, President and CEO of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, regarding a possible plan to bring more retail to Main Street and the possible relocation of the Public Safety Office. At the time of this blog's posting I have not yet watched either video.

Presumably each video is tagged to a companion article in this weekend's Main Street WIRE as at least the retail interview was conducted by the WIRE based on the PressHD picture caption.

To link to the video interviews double click the above image.

Pizza on 36th Ave...A Stone's Throw Over the Roosevelt Island Bridge

On Saturday, my son and I took a stroll over the Roosevelt Island Bridge and I recalled that directly across from the bridge, at 36th Ave and Vernon Blvd., was a relatively new pizza place.

I had first heard of the "36th Avenue" while reading a comment posted to this blog in response to a short link I posted regarding Ion's, the new Roumanian place directly across the street from the pizza place.

36th Avenue is small establishment serving more than just pizza, and whose menu, contains a pretty good variety of Italian dishes, although I can only comment that the pizza was pretty good and the service excellent. It is owned and operated by Antonio and Anita who informed me that they opened this past september and they are looking forward to the return of the warmer months when they hope increased foot traffic from across the Roosevelt island Bridge will bring more patrons to their door. The restuarant has only three boots, two which will sit 4 and the third for only a couple.

Definitely worth checking out.