Residents Land Bound During Marathon - No Tram Views This Year

Unfortunately as compared to years past, Roosevelt Island residents will not be able to view the 2010 ING NYC Marathon from the lofty views afforded by the Roosevelt Island Tram. So I figured to present a couple of shots from years past of how great those views were and will be again for next year and years after that once the Tram is back online.

Adoptable Roosevelt Island Cats

Based on the dates three of photos were posted on Flickr, June 25th, by the local Roosevelt Island Cats group I'd assume these cats are adoptable today. Doubleclick image to expand photo.

The link to these photos on Flickr is HERE and the link to the official RI Cats site, ISLAND CATS, is HERE.

The Evil Fog Referred to in My Tweets

I traded messages earlier this week, on Thursday June 24th, with an individual on Twitter about the fog they noted as enveloping Roosevelt Island. Readers of this blog only saw my side of the conversation, as fed into my left side bar, the whole exchange is below.

The above shot from Morback on Flickr evidences the depth of that fog.

Sabrina Contemplates Her World View

I have written before about how Sabrina came to Roosevelt Island and her connection to the universe, Amherst College and Roosevelt Island and many photos have been shown of her but few of her view of the world from Roosevelt Island looking outward.

We thank Tisdale on Flickr for the above photo. My apologies as Blogger seems to be slightly distorting the image. Link to Flickr to see the original image.

Mystery Photo - Where Are These Flowers ?

Where on Roosevelt Island is this flowerbox? Care to guess?

The above photo was shot by Preetalina during this pat weekend's Adorama Tweetip / Shootout here on Roosevelt Island of photographers who found each other on Twitter. You can find this photo on Flickr HERE.

360 Degree View from Southtown Dock

The below image is by Orangeadnan from Flickr. To see the full size 360 image video, shot from Roosevelt Island, the below image is based on link HERE. By the way I love how in the image it almost has a sun dial feel to it where you see Adnan's images appear like hands on a clock.

FYI, it is this dock (NYT image directly above) which should be upgraded to handle ferry traffic from Roosevelt Island as it has the size and proximity to the central subway / tram transportation hub that exists for the island.

Mystery Photo: 1936 Cornerstone

This week's mystery Roosevelt Island photo is of a 1936 cornerstone. The question is what building is this cornerstone from?

To see the answer link here to the Flickr photo posted by The Real Janelle.

Through the Looking Glass....

My daughter keeps asking me to take her to see Coraline which is in some ways an update of Alice in Wonderland. Sometimes it feels like coming to Roosevelt Island was like stepping through the looking glass. Of course without the Cheshire Cat.

Some would say that living on an Island controlled by a State authority sitting semi-outside the domain of New York City is a bit out of the ordinary and comparable to Alice's Tea Party but life would be too dull otherwise don't you think?

Original photo by ni_san_shijp on Flickr.

Manhattan Hi-Rise Views of Roosevelt island

Chi the Islander has posted on Flickr some great night panorama style pictures of Roosevelt Island, the Queensboro Bridge and Queens.

I recommend the following photos 1, 2, and 3 without hestitation as worthy of checking out. According to the Flickr pages they were taken from a 38th floor rooftop. Thanks Chi !

Low Res: Manhattan's Roosevelt Island Tram Station:

Low resolution video of the Manhattan Roosevelt Island Tram Station

flickr: Deserted Roosevelt Island Structures

The above image links to two flickr photo sets of buildings abandoned on Roosevelt Island prior to their demolition. The first being Sacred Heart a Catholic Church and second the old Central Nurses' Residence that sat where Riverwalk (465 and 475 Main) now stands. [Correction made].

Double Click Map for Full Map - Nurses Residence at #7

Images: Lighthouse at Sunrise

Ritwik Dey from The Deydreamers Weblog apparently got up early to catch this sunrise shot of the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse. You can see the image in its full size over at Flickr. Check it out on a black background. Cool shot !

Bicycles in the Snow

Ritwik Dey from Deydreamers has posted a number of wonderful shots of Roosevelt Island in the snow over on his Flickr pages and are definitely worth checking out. The above shot can be found HERE.

Midnight Bingo Tonight at the Renwick Ruin

Ok, I lied we will not be bringing in the New Year playing bingo at the Renwick Ruin. I am trying to sell the idea to OpenHouse New York though. But don't the stones from the former smallpox hospital on Roosevelt Island, which is currently undergoing a restoration and stabilization effort look like giant bingo tiles? The stones are being removed and numbered in order to put it back together again at a later date.

The above picture is on Flickr by Trixiebedlam. The below pic is also on Flickr by embeedub. For a full size version which is readable link through the picture.

Obama Vote Boat Off Roosevelt Island

Blogger Hayley in New York sighted the Obama Vote Boat off of Roosevelt Island on Friday while she was exiting the F Subway Station. It appears per the Vote Boat web site that the boat has images of each set of candidates, McCain and Obama, on reverse sides of the sails.

The above picture was by rendamay on Flickr of the boat off Dumbo.

Video: Tram Rescue Drills on Flickr

While walking across the Queensboro Bridge, photog DDC95 caught this past weekend's Roosevelt Island Tram rescue drills and posted them onto Flickr.

They are posted in three one minute segments 1, 2, and 3. The below photo is its original size can be found HERE.

FDR Wanted Only a Simple Monument

As noted in the images below, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt wanted nothing more than a simple marker placed outside the National Archives in Washington.

In these harsh economic times are we really honoring his wishes by raising $20 million in donations for a monument / memorial park when the funds could better spent on social programs geared to putting those out of work and hungry back on their feet? Perhaps duplicating the below monument and placque would be more appropriate and placing it at the Southern most point of the island facing the United Nations.






Each photo can be enlarged by double clicking the image. The original photos were shot by VotePrime and can be found on Flickr HERE.

Text:

"In September 1941 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt called his friend, Supreme Court Justice Frankfurter, to the White House and asked the Justice to remember the wish he then expressed:

"If any memorial is to be erected to me, I know exactly what I should want it to be. I should like it to consist of a block about the size of this (putting his hand on the desk) and placed in the center of that green plot in front of the Archives Building. I don't care what it is made of, whether limestone or granite or whatnot, but I want it to be plain without ornamentation, with the simple carving, 'In Memory of _____'."

A small group of living associates of the President, on April 12, 1965, the twentieth anniversary of his death, fulfilled his wish by providing and dedicating this modest memorial."

Images: Southpoint Park from Queens West

The above image is by SOMAC from Flickr and features a view of the Roosevelt Island not always seen and I am guessing was taken from one of the residential buildings in Long Island City's Queens West development based on the angle.

The structures visible starting from the lower left include the Smallpox Hospital, Strecker Labs, and Goldwater Hospital. According to the Flickr post the shot was taken on September 24, 2008.

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.

Mystery Photos – Photographed From Where?

Today’s “mystery photo” contest asks from where on Roosevelt Island each of these images were taken?

The top photo is by STG54 and was taken and uploaded onto Flickr on August 10, 2008. The structures seen in this image all blend together in the shadows adding a few seconds to determining where this shot was taken from.

The bottom photo shows the Ravenswood energy plant, formerly owned by Keyspan and now owned by Trans Canada, but I admit I am unsure what the structure is in the foreground with all the windows. This photo was taken by Paul Antonson on August 9, 2008 and uploaded onto Flickr August 10th.