Donating Your Old Tram Tokens ?

Among the Roosevelt Island items that makes the rounds over at eBay are the old Tram tokens that were used prior to the Tram being connected to the MTA MetroCard system. I wonder how many of these old token are still in drawers across the Island.

If we set up one of those large water cooler bottles at the Visitor's Center once they re-open how many could we collect? Would be an interesting display. Perhaps then the Historical Society could sell them for $5 a token to the tourists.

Tony Vita Island Posters on Sale at Visitors Center

For all you residents and visitors alike that were blown away by Tony Vita's paintings that were made into the promo banners that are hanging up and down Roosevelt Island's Main Street you can now buy the posters at the Roosevelt Island Visitors Center kiosk by the island Tram station.

You can also contact Tony Vita directly at TonyVita@Earthlink.net. Tell him you got his address from the poster here at RI 360.

Long Holiday Weekend: Only Queensbound Subway Stopping at Roosevelt Island

Only the Queensbound F Train will be making stops this weekend through Tuesday, 5/26, at 5:00am on Roosevelt Island so if you are coming over for the below listed events and need to return to any borough plan on taking the Tram to get off the island if you did not arrive by car.

Affected events:
(1) Saturday 5/23, 4:00 pm Improv Everywhere MP3 Six
(2) Sunday 5/31 Adorama Tweetup / Shootout
(3) Sunday 5/31 Queensboro Bridge Centennial Events at the Visitors Kiosk and RIVAA
(4) Sunday 5/31, 9:00 pm Centennial Fireworks

You would have thought for a holiday weekend the MTA could have delayed this stoppage as it must be affecting events and festivities up and own the F Train line.

Coat Drive : Dec 27-28 & Jan 3-4

This weekend and next drop off your gently used winter coats at the Roosevelt Island Visitors Center from Noon to 5pm.

Extended Holiday Shopping on Roosevelt Island - Today, This Thursday Night

The Roosevelt Island Historiocal Society Visitors Center offers some great holiday shopping options right here without leaving the island. In addition to being open today, Sunday December 14th from Noon through 5:00 pm the Kiosk will be open this coming Thursday, December 18th from 5:00 pm through 9:00 pm.

RI Historical Society Holiday Celebration – Thursday Dec. 6th

The Roosevelt Island Historical Society is hosting a Holiday Celebration & sale this coming Thursday, December 6th from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the Visitors Center Kiosk located at the Tram Plaza on the Island.

The RIHS will be providing free refreshments and holiday gifts will be for sale including holiday cards featuring the above holiday painting of the kiosk painted by Yvonne Smith and photographed by this blog’s author.

Roosevelt Island and “Just Ask the Locals” Tourism Campaign

NYC Mayor Bloomberg yesterday kicked off a new marketing plan to boost tourism here in NYC. The plan referred to as “Just Ask the Locals” features local celebrities who live here in NYC and gives tourists carte blanche to use the site and to physically ask New Yorkers questions during their visits here.

Like many tourism sites it includes a photo of our Roosevelt Island Tram. The above photo is their choice to honor and highlight the Tram. Such photos on such sites are not unusual but they always make me think why doesn’t the City Tourism bureau highlight our island and its history more.

Well we don’t have the high power celeb locals that the NYC Visit site has tapped but we do have the Roosevelt Island Historical Society Visitors Center which is staffed by our locals to answer any questions visitors might have. So stop on by.

My RIHS Kiosk Montage to Play Tonight at Southpoint Park

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Tonight prior to the showing of “Happy Feet” RIOC will be showing a video / slide montage I created regarding how the RIHS Visitors Center kiosk physically came to Roosevelt Island. If that is the DVD I am lending to them at 530 pm tests well for the expanded size of the big screen planned for Southpoint Park.

The montage discusses briefly where the kiosk was before coming to RI, what its original purpose and location was and shows how it was transformed into the Visitors Center. The above version has a few added information slides than the version being played at Southpoint tonight but is essentially the same montage. It was created in under two days in order to allow for it to be produced and shipped from One True Media’s offices in California to RI.

The weather appears to be holding and there is no forecast of rain so this showing should take place. If the DVD does not play well you can say you saw it here. Please let me know what you think.

Southpoint Movie Night Aug. 4 - "Happy Feet" + "Kiosk Video"

This Saturday night RIOC presents, at Southpoint Park, the toe tapping animated adventure “Happy Feet”. The theme this week is family night and voters selected Happy Feet above the other entries. We voted for Nemo as we thought watching fish with water around us would be appropriate. But unlike American Idol where viewers can call in numerous times this process was vote via email.

So if you are not already on Roosevelt Island come on over for the 9:00 pm showing as its free to all whether you live here or not.

Plus Kiosk Visitors Center Video:

And if all works out the newsreel being shown will be about the RIHS Visitors Center Kiosk and how it moved onto Roosevelt Island. This video was compiled by none other than me. I am hoping it translates well to the big screen.

Video: Red Bus Ride from the Subway to the Tram

The video attached to this post is another in a series of videos I have made of this Island. The inspiration for this blog and many of these videos were two German YouTube video submissions of Southpoint and the Lighthouse that were taken in 360 degree shots. Hence the title of this blog. It certainly was not modeled after Anderson Cooper 360.

The idea is where the RIHS and others are preserving the Island's past I wanted to take pictures of the present so my kids and long distance family coud see where we live now. If others want to use the blog as a video postcard for their family and friends that is great.

After submitting the blog to Outside.in (a blog aggregator) the folks at Outside.in were excited about a Roosevelt Island blog and encouraged me to start adding text about what I am taping. That combined with a past with tinges of school journalism and the fact that I am no stranger to blogging ( I run a totally unrelated blog which just passed 400 plus posts) resulted in what this blog is now becomming. It was a coincidence that I learned about the Roosevelt Islander blog and his goals (as I have seen them) of making life here more transparent to those here and off island as well as bringing out his views about life here.

My blog is not trying to copy the Roosevelt Islander (although once I went beyond pure video compilation and creation I am leaning in the same direction) but I guess my goal is similiar in that I expect to present my own views and observations as a relatively newer resident of this Island.

Come to Roosevelt Island But Make Sure to “Go” Before Leaving Manhattan or Queens

A few of my friends when visiting Roosevelt Island have asked where there is a public bathroom on this Island. My usual reply is there are none. In truth I know of only one but I have never tried it and it’s all the way up by the Octagon Gardens across from the Fire Department Special Operations Command. I actually have no idea if it's even unlocked.

On days that I have been in the playgrounds (Al Lewis, The Castle, or Manhattan Park) with my kids and nature called to them I usually have had them use the porta-potty discreetly. When I have had to go I have either high-tailed it back to our apartment in Northtown or scurried into Trellis. So far Trellis has been good about these trips.

As reported in The Main Street Wire within an article or two or perhaps it was a letter to the editor I know I saw indications that the NY Public Library’s bathroom is off limits to all but their staff and they have been known to tell young mothers with children to go to Trellis. Now again Trellis has been good about this but try rushing down those stairs with a toddler either walking or carrying them and you are looking at a disaster.

With the opening of the Visitor’s Center I began wondering where all our expected guests are supposed to "go". I am not sure what the policy is but the bathrooms at the Tram station are usually locked. The tram staff has taken pity on the occasional parent of a toddler in need but that cannot be counted on and tourists don’t even know where these bathrooms are generally. These bathrooms are clearly marked but when you exit the Tram most folks walk off the platform heading away from the bathrooms.

It appears to me that if we want to be seen as tourist friendly we need to start planning on keeping the Tram bathrooms open to the public or we better buy a stand alone toilet like those currently employed at Greeley and Herald Square Parks in Manhattan.

Official Opening of RIHS Visitor Center - July 27, 2007

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

On Friday, July 27, 2007, the Roosevelt Island Historical Society officially opened the Visitor’s Center. The 98 year old former Trolley Kiosk was welcomed by a host of officials. Despite the heat the crowd enjoyed the speechmaking which was quite fun.

Ms. Berdy began the ceremonies with a history of how the kiosk came to Roosevelt Island. Stephen Shane, the President of RIOC made it clear that Ms. Berdy is a model of persistence. This was a common theme among each of the speakers. Also in attendance and speaking were NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin (D-District 5), Angela Blocker on behalf of Kate Levin the Commissioner for the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and David Burney, the Commisioner of the NYC Department of Design & Construction.

As Council Member Lappin stated visitors, prior to the installation of the kiosk, would simply take the Tram over, get off look around for a moment, and then get back on to return to Manhattan. Now they will stop into the Visitor’s Center, learn a little about the Island and then perhaps stay to shop or tour the Island.

According to the Opening Ceremony program:

The Visitor’s Center is open daily from 12 Noon to 6 p.m. through the Summer. Measuring only 210 square feet this charming structure with a cast iron exterior, decorated with terra cotta motifs on three sides also includes a Guastivino domed tile interior. The kiosk will get a fresh coat of paint this Autumn and will truly reflect her heritage when she has a forest green and beige exterior, along with restoring the original terra cotta tiles.

Invited guests that were not able to attend included State Senator Jose Serrano whose office is providing funds for future cultural events, Micah Kellner, our newly elected State Assemblyperson was in Albany and Scott Stringer the Manhattan Borough President who sent his regards and congratulations.

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On a personal note when I returned to work after the event I saw that WNBC-TV on their news website page listed under their “Latest from Local Blogs” a link to this blog for my story post regarding the Opening day festivities. Even though I realize it was an automatic feed from www.Outside.in it was still amusing and surprising.

RIHS Visitor's Center to Open Officially - 7/27/07

Tomorrow, Friday, July 27, 2008, is the official opening of the Visitors Center on Roosevelt Island. Judy Berdy of the Roosevelt Island Historical Society will get to officially open the former Trolley Kiosk. The RIHS has been manning the center, Noon to 6:00 pm everyday, since its debut just prior to the July 4th weekend.

I expect to take some video of the official event and post it here by Saturday morning.

I just realized while writing this post that I missed their tearing down or removing the old dilapidated booth that RIOC maintained by the Subway station that once acted as the “visitor’s center. Does anyone have a picture of it anymore? I guess it was so ugly and old that its removal went unnoticed by all but a few.

Photos of the Visitor’s Center in action can be seen via the RIHS photo page on Flickr and be linked to HERE.

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Photo credits – Each of the above photos are copyrighted by the RIHS and an unknown photographer.