Mystery Photo: Roosevelt Island Tied to Sutton Place ?

On eBay today there is a Roosevelt Island matchbook cover up for auction. What is interesting about it is that the cover includes the phrase “400 YARDS EAST OF SUTTON PLACE".

Does anyone know why a Roosevelt Island matchbook was created much less printed with a reference to Sutton Place. The phone number on the matchbook looks familiar but is apparently hooked up to a fax machine.

PSD Responds to Fire at 546 Main Street

Having survived a fire many years ago where I was rescued by firemen after I collapsed due to smoke inhalation I appreciate any opportunity to thank individuals who run into a fire to help others.

According to a report I received earlier today from PSD Director Keith Guerra, four of his officers responding to a smoke alarm report at 546 Main Street (Apt 1018) this past Saturday night at about 10:50 pm found that smoke was coming from Apartment 1016, the apartment of Woodrow Deas. Mr Deas was able to open his door and the four oficers entered and extinquished the fire which was located in the kitchen.

Along with Mr. Deas I would like to thank the following Officers: John Malone, Brian Rivera, Anthony Clemente and Nicholas Sach. Thank you gentlemen!

Puzzling How Roosevelt Island is Center of Universe?

Not sure what to give that Aunt that never quite understands where Roosevelt Island is no matter how many times you explain it? Send her a personalized 400 piece puzzle with your Roosevelt Island address as the center point of the puzzle.

Thank Hammacher Schlemmer for allowing you to prove to your Aunt that we are indeed the center of the universe ... at least so far as a 18 ½” by 12 ¼” puzzle will allow.

Roosevelt Island Real Estate Hot Topic

Apparently Roosevelt Island real estate is a hot topic today. It all started with an article by Leigh Kamping-Carder in The New York Observer which was then picked up by Curbed, Runnin' Scared of the Village Voice and Gothamist. Pretty cool.

Morning Commute – Schools Open, More Feet in Local Subway

Today is the first morning that theoretically should subject the recent Roosevelt Island elevator / escalator / stair configuration to a full test as most schools are back in session and very few people are still taking Summer vacations.

My older child wanted to be at school early so we arrived at the station by 7:55 am and it was a fairly quick wait for the elevator, the pkatfirm was not crowded, and the trains were not yet packed. No seats but standing was not a hassle and a half.

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.

View from the Beekman Tower Hotel

My wife and I had lunch this past Friday at the restaurant "Top of the Tower" in the Beekman Tower Hotel located at East 49th Street and First Avenue. As opposed to most guests we chose a view of the East River and Roosevelt Island. No surprise there. The food was very good and the lunch prices quite reasonable.

Great views of the island and of the East side in general. I expect to post addition pictures on Flickr in the coming days. The above photo can be seen fully HERE and the full set HERE once they are posted. I can only imagine the views at night.

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.

Blackwell House Back Porch - The View

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

Roosevelt Island's Blackwell House Faces Queens but most residents know the back porch, which faces Manhattan, as the view of the house they see from Main Street. This video is the view from the back porch.

Caged Bungee Jumping? Don't Think So.

Apparently there is some sort of Tram tower maintenance project going on. Yesterday the men in orange were in Tower 1 on Roosevelt Island (pictured). Today they were seen in Tower 2.

WSJ: UDC's Ed Logue Needed at Ground Zero

Logue on Main Street - NY Times 1974 Article

Today’s Wall Street Journal notes that the Ground Zero projects needs greater direction on the scale of a City Planner like Ed Logue who helped develop Roosevelt Island in the early 1970’s. Most City development types these days, the story reports, would not even know who Logue is and the same goes for most Roosevelt Island residents.

It was Logue’s vision, while at the Urban Development Corporation, that got the project off the ground that became our Roosevelt Island. Logue had the vision and abilities of a Robert Moses and the style to not be a tyrant like Moses. His other most publicly know NYC project while with the UDC was helping to rebuild the Bronx at a time when no one thought it worth the effort. Two articles (1, 2) from the NY Times remember Logue upon his passing in 1990. A website exists that remembers him even today, The Friends of Ed Logue.

Sketch from WSJ article cited

Images: Island House Main St. Passage

The above photo was taken on Friday evening, August 22, 2008 looking North from the start of the passageway by 510 Main Street. The full size version can be found on Flickr.

The Stairs Down Roosevelt Island's Subway Station

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

For those of you wondering how bad the stairs at the Roosevelt Island subway station could possibly be I have prepared the above video.

If the elevators go out this is what our residents have to deal with as long as the lone pair escalators from the Street to the Lower Mezzanine are locked as "up only".

Now don't get me wrong, I'd rather walk down this never ending stairway than up it and I just putting this video out there so people can see how deep the stairs and escalators have to go.

First Morning Rush - No Down Escalators

Today, 8/25, is the first morning rush hour that the Roosevelt Island subway station will have no down escalators for the next three weeks. Now this may sound like no big deal but when that means descending 8 sets of stairs each about 15 stairs in length just to get to the lower mezzanine, not even the platform, when about 6000 residents commute through the station in the morning it's a big deal.

As discussed in previous posts the reason for the change is the current escalator rehab is now marrying up the most recent new escalators (ES 412/415 - not yet open) with existing set ES 413/416. For this three week period ES411/414 are locked in a perpetual up direction.

Overall from 8:00am through 8:30am there were no issues to deal with. A number of residents appeared caught off guard despite the number of signs put up the last two weeks. As expected the elevators down were a bit backed up but cleared out rather quickly as the red buses and Q102s did not get to bunched up dropping off riders at the station.

Pics: A Roosevelt Island Midsummer Night's Dream

Photos from Saturday's performance of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (Roosevelt Island, Eastwood Amphitheatre) are already showing on on Flickr. The above photos (1,2,3,4) are by Darks Adria. The play is again playing at 4pm this afternoon and is FREE.

NYT: Verdant to Deploy Third Gen. Turbines

The New York Times on Friday August 22, 2008 ran an article that Verdant Power, over the next twto weeks, will be deploying their third generation of underwater turbines into the East River's East Channel alongside Roosevelt Island. The tides destroyed the first two generations and as the article points out progress comes with experience.

"City Island" Shoot Night 2 on Roosevelt Isle

The above YouTube video is again from "City Island" Director Raymond De Felitta's video blog "Movies 'Til Dawn" and is a pretty cool view of watching the crew and the director walk through and film a scene where the actors are walking along Roosevelt Island's Westerm promenade.

Tram Video from the Director of "City Island"

The above YouTube video of the Roosevelt Island Tram was posted by Raymond De Felitta, a flim director currently shooting the film "City Island" on his blog "Movies 'Til Dawn" . This sequence was filmed last night.

Movie "City Island" Filming on Tram

The rumor at the Manhattan Tram platform this evening was that the filming tonight involves actor Andy Garcia. No confirmed sightings yet. The film crew working at the Roosevelt Island Tram station did confirm that the movie was indeed "City Island" which Garcia is starring in.

As of 9:00 pm only one tram cabin was running on a rush hour schedule so the film company could load equipment into the other cabin. The production vehicles were lined up right down Main Street all the way to 425 Main from the Tram circle.

F Train Transit Advisories : Aug 23-25

F

Manhattan-bound F trains run on the V from Roosevelt Avto 47-50 Sts
Aug 23 – 25, 12:01 AM Sat to 5 AM Mon

Jamaica-bound F trains run local from 21 St-Queensbridgeto Roosevelt Av
Aug 24, 12:30 AM to 5 AM

Sunday Manhattan-bound F trains run local from Roosevelt Avto 21 St-Queensbridge
Aug 23, 12:01 AM to 5 AM Saturday

For more detailed information about these scheduled service changes, click

http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/subsrvnweekend.htm