RIOC Board Nominees Complete Initial Interviews with Governors Office

According to Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner "the Governor's office has completed its initial interview with each of the RIOC nominees. We are now waiting for them to be interviewed by the Mayor's office and to see if they get police background checks." The above letter was sent by the Assembly Member to the Governor on Friday May 9, 2008.

Orphans International to Open Main Street Office

I believe I read in either the Main Street WIRE or perhaps the Roosevelt Islander that the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation was graciously allowing Orphans International to use the Main Street space formerly occupied by the Montauk Credit Union. So if you have any office furniture or personal computers or chairs you can donate to OIWW it appears that your donations will be put into immediate use.

NY Post: "Mothers [& Aunts] Superior"

Today's NY Post in publishing a short compendium of Mothers Day wishes included one for a favorite aunt from Roosevelt Island's own Esther Turay (age 10):

My Aunt Rules !

"Every time I get sick, my Aunt Elizabeth is always there. She loves me even when I mess up. She will lecture me and lecture me, but I know it's for my own good. No matter what happens, my aunt will always love me and have patience. She is like a mother to me.

- Esther Turay, 10, Roosevelt Island"

Local Raquet Club Not Expecting Dinkins This Season

According to Page Six in the New York Post Ex-Mayor David Dinkins was sighted at the Roosevelt Island Racquet Club "bragging about getting his permit to play tennis all season long in Central Park for the senior citizen price of $20." I guess we won't be seeing Mayor Dinkins on the Tram much this season.

Enjoy Central Park Mr. Mayor and don't be surprised if the Racquet Club gives away your locker!

Revisiting the ENYA Mobile Art Park for Southpoint

In 2006, the Emerging New York Architects association held a competition titled "Southpoint: From Ruin to Rejuvenation (The Roosevelt Island Universal Arts Center)". One of the entries was titled Mobile Art Park which won third prize and was designed by New Yorkers Dominic Leong and Brian Price. Their design, as stated in an April 2006 Main Street WIRE article “builds out from the shoreline with art and gallery barges, and rooftop leisure-scapes and sculpture parks”.

I was reminded of this entry today when it was featured in the blog “Pruned” which is subtitled “on landscape architecture and related fields”. While I enjoyed and would support many of the concepts that emerged out of the ENYA competition I must admit this one always amazed me as it was very dynamic and allowed for constant adjustments and modificatons allowing for different themes to be established and conveyed to the public.

It is still unclear if the FERI endorsed Louis Kahn designed FDR - Four Freedoms Memorial will ever raise the funds needed to be built but if the FDR memorial does happen woudn't it be amazing if this Mobile Art Park concept could be added to the design. Would liven up the Kahn design immeasurably.

Mystery Roosevelt Island Photo: Ancient Space Rocket ?

It's time to once again to play the game identify the "Mystery Roosevelt Island Photo". In this case I know where this photo was taken as I took it. But I have no idea what this object is or what it's purpose is or was.

Can anyone hazard a guess as to what it is and where it can be found on Roosevelt Island? For all I know there are more than one on the island but I can recall only seeing this one.

Main Street Teen Theatre:Twelfth Night Begins To[morrow] night

UPDATED (2:45 pm):

Starting tomorrow, May 10th through May 11th, according to the above poster, Roosevelt Island's Main Street Teen Theatre Company will be presenting "Twelfth Night". Despite the poster's text opening night was postponed until Saturday (as confirmed per the voicemail greeting at the MSTDA phone number (212-371-4449) and reported in the comments to this post..

Main Street, Roosevelt Island: “No Respect”

Well it’s happened again. The New York Times, May 2, 2008, in referring to Main Street in Flushing indicated that it was the only Main Street in New York City and forgot that Main Street, Roosevelt Island even exists.

At least this time as opposed to the above Snapple Cap ("Real Fact" Cap # 266) we were in good company as the reporter forgot about our fellow New York City “Main Street”s located in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and on Staten Island. The New York Times issued a correction and amended the original article.

Roosevelt Island: A Great Place to Run

Alison from the blog "Run With It" apparently knows what a number of NYC runners know... namely that Roosevelt Island is a great place to run. In fact she saw Roosevelt Island listed on Active.com's list of 10 great places to run in NYC.

The list in order is (1) Central Park, (2) Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, (3) Riverside Park, (4) East River Walk, Carl Shurz Park, Bobby Wagner Walk, (5) Roosevelt island, (6) Brooklyn Bridge, (7) Prospect Park Loop, (8) Madison Square Park, (9) Battery Park, Hudson River Park, and (10) the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. As a non-runner I can't comment on these sites but I can say I plenty of local residents and visitors running on our island so Alison is in good company when she visits Roosevelt Island.

You can't beat the views, the promenades surrounding Roosevelt Island offer a safe, quiet place to run in a City that sometimes is a bit too busy when you like to get into a running groove.

Pictures: Last Trolley Over Queensboro Bridge & The Last in New York State

Courtesy of the photo collection of Railfan FRANK PFUHLER you can link to a picture set that includes photos of car 601 taken on the last day, April 7, 1957, of the running of the local trolley across the Queensboro Bridge.

The sad part is that today that same trolley car is below as it rests at the Trolley Museum of New York at Kingston.

NYC DOT re CB8 Request for Roosevelt Isle Queensboro Bridge Access: No Way

According to Manhattan Community Board 8 Co-Chair Jonathan Horn the NYC Department of Transportation response to CB8's April 2007 resolution calling for a study to look at access to the Queensboro Bridge was in summary "No Way". Mr. Horn was unsure when the DOT response was received but believes it was only in the last few weeks. He admitted that publicizing DOT responses to CB8 resolutions is sometimes slow but in this case I am amazed that the DOT responded at all given the fact that the resolution was passed over one year ago.

This coming June 24, 2008 the DOT and the MTA have been invited to a joint CB8 meeting of both the Roosevelt Island and Transportation Committees where several issues will be discussed including access to the Queensboro Bridge as well as the F Train, the Tram, and the ongoing process, as noted in the news this week, of bringing ferry service to Roosevelt Island. I was unclear as to where this meeting would be held but one would presume it would be on Roosevelt Island.

When I asked Mr. Horn if the physical DOT response could be made public he indicated that I needed to contact the CB8m office to make that request.

In the end the DOT response was not surprising. Mr. Horn indicated that while representatives of both DOT and the MTA are being invited to the planned June 24th meeting it is not guaranteed that they will attend. I would expect and suggest that if enough constituents contact our elected officials (Maloney, Serrano, Kellner, and Lappin) that we would see not only the elected officials but more likely the DOT and MTA will attend as well. Again nothing is a sure thing but at least we can gripe to the elected officials with the hope they can lobby both of these organizations as responses to average Joes and Josephines are virtually nonexistent. Heck it took a year for CB8 to get a response.

For prior media coverage regarding Queensboro Bridge access: NY Times and Streetsblog.

Wanted: One Paper Roosevelt Island Tram for Measurement Purposes

I have written in the past about the paper Tram model contest that took place here on Roosevelt Island a few years back. I am again renewing my call / request to be able to examine one of these models where I would be allowed to open the model up so I can copy the original measurements of the model. My goal is to eventualy investigate mass producing templates that can be made available to kids and visitors alike.

Just a tad of back history. The templates for the trams pictured in the above and below images were provided by Colgate - Palmolive's tooth paste box manufacturer after measurements of the actual trams were taken.

The color photos were taken by and are of a model tram that may still be displayed at the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery and the black and white photos are courtesy of the Main Street WIRE.

RailFan Fantasy Proposal: Light Rail to Replace Roosevelt Island’s Red Buses & Provide Additional Access Off Island

A rail fan named Robert Marrero has drafted a rail based transportation map of NYC that includes the construction of two light rail lines on Roosevelt Island. The lines would be connected to Queens and Manhattan via stationary bridges at the North and South ends of the island. The proposed system as a whole is discussed on Subchat in his initial post and a follow-up which includes links to the full proposal maps.

"Roosevelt Island will have LRT service to replace both the Q102 and the Red Bus. Designated the Red Line, the line would run along the 57th Street Line, make all stops on Roosevelt Island, and end at the Queens Plaza TC. The schedules of the Red Line will be coordinated with the Tram (400 Main Street station), which will continue to operate as a local tourist attraction. A spur line to Coler Hospital might be used, but since the Octagon station is so close, the spur is deemed unnecessary at this point. Express trains would bypass all stops and run via the east shoreline of the island. The ramp to the South Bridge will also be on the east side of the island, and will join a line from Queens already on the bridge. It's unclear at this point as to whether the North Bridge will be stationary or lift-span. However, since the Octagon station will be near the bridge, a double-decked lift span seems to be the way to go. "

An interesting concept and a visit to the full map is something to see. I can’t imagine the City trying to build any new bridges, much less one that potentially would block free flowing river access to the numerous boats that travel the waters around Roosevelt Island. I also can’t see where the money for this would come from nor the craziness that would ensue trying to build two lines running the length of the island. Either the Eastern express would be in the East Channel or I can’t see it being built of the Eastern promenade as it would run too close to Eastwood, the existing apartment complex.

It always amazes me what people can come up with. After reading all thsi I don't feel to bad asking the NYC DOT to simply examine the possibility of peestrian access to the Queensboro Bridge.

City News Conference Regarding Expanded Ferry Service Addresses Roosevelt Island Dock Construction

Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn announced today the start of Rockaway ferry service on May 12, restored service to Williamsburg and expanded east river routes. City and Council-funded programs to be joined with federal funding and allocations from Congress-members Nadler and Maloney.

According to the official news release the second phase of the plan will include the construction of a new dock on Roosevelt Island. Once again Congresswoman Maloney has shown her committment to bringing ferry service to Roosevelt Island.

It is expected this dock will be replace the dock currently sitting just South of the Octagon complex and across from the Dayspring Church on the Western side of the island facing Manhattan. The news release states that the ferry service route that will stop at this dock will be a private operator and apparently not the City-subsidized routes starting on May 12th. No dates were stated in the news release regarding construction start dates on Roosevelt Island.

So Roosevelt Island is one step closer to having access to the water. The questions still open are (1) how many stops per day (presumably during the morning and evening rush hours will the private operator make on the island (2) at what cost to the commuters and (3) how many residents will use (a) the service overall and (b) whether the location of the dock at North end of the island will influence their decision?

Update: 4:20 pm

According to an anonymous (uncomfirmed) comment left here and on the Roosevelt Islander, Mayor Bloomberg announced at the news conference that ferry service to / from Roosevelt Island would commence in 2010.

A Sign to Remember the Last Trolley Kiosk ?

The last of 5 Trolley Kiosks still sits at the Manhattan foot of the Queensboro Bridge isolated and without a single sign as to what the structure's original purpose was. During this year the Bridge will celebrate its 100th Anniversary. It is time that a sign is erected to recognize the contribution of the trolleys and the last kiosk sitting at its original location.

As I have written in the past there were once 5 of these kiosks, each an entrance to the actual trolley lines which would traverse the Queensboro Bridge. One now serves as the Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) Visitors Center but the last one sits, restored, but unused and for the most part unappreciated as so few people know its original purpose and why it sits where it does.

I have asked Judy Berdy, RIHS President, if such a sign is possible and she believes she heard that a sign was discussed and she is investigating this recollection. If no plan exists I believe one should be suggested to the NYC DOT, and the Transit Museum among others. The City by its restoration of the last kiosk has deemed it worth saving. I would think that recognition should be evidenced by a sign so residents and visitors alike can share in its history.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Five Boro Bike Tour Cuts Off Vehicular Access to Roosevelt Island

Access this morning to Roosevelt Island by car, truck, or bus will be a challenge to say the least. The reasons for this is simply that the Five Boro Bike Tour is running along both 21st Street all the way into Astoria (from the 59th Street Bridge) where they turn around and are coming back via Vernon Boulevard.

I had rented a car in Manhattan this morning and upon exiting onto 21St Street found myself blocked off from heading North. After gett9ing onto 36th Avenue we waited for a god 15 mibutes before being allowed across 21st St only to be blocked again at Vernon. NYPD was not even sure if they were let any cars across the RI Bridge but eventualy allowed us over. We actually have a family event off island today so it will be interesting to see if we can get off the island by car and for how long we will sit on the RI bridge.

Direct Bus Access from [Roosevelt] Island to Manhattan ?

It was proposed that [Roosevelt] Island residents and employees be afforded direct bus service to and from Manhattan. Of course the proposal was made in 1957 by the entity that operated the last trolley line across the Queensboro Bridge with the goal of such service replacing their trolley operation with buses to then Welfare Island. This last trolley operated solely between 59th Street and Second Avenue to Queens Plaza in Long Island City

The above and below images accompanied a March 20, 1957 NY Times article discussing the proposal. According to the article 80 to 85 percent of the trolley’s riders were City employees either getting off or on the trolley at the mod point of the Queensboro Bridge to take the then elevator down to Welfare Island where they were employed at either Coler or Goldwater Hospitals. Under the proposal to switch to direct service, the trolley-goers were to be afforded door to door bus service to and from each hospital.

I am unsure if this is how the last trolley came to its end but I am guessing the full story can be found in the Queensboro Bridge Images of America book now being sold by the RI and Astoria Historical Societies.

Update: 5:32pm

On April 7, 1957, the last trolley, Car 602, rattled across the Queensboro Bridge, making one last stop mid point across the bridge at Welfare Island and proceeded across to Queens Plaza. According to the NY Times article of that day, riders were not afforded direct bus access prospectively to Welfare Island but were able to take the Q101 from Second Avenue in Manhattan to Queens Plaza, as you can still do stoday, and transfer to the Q102 onto Welfare Island.

For pictures of what happened to those last trolley cars (Car 601 etc) link HERE.

Six Subway Lines – Only 1 Accessible – D’Oh

Subway map afficionados are all excited as Men’s Vogue commissioned Massimo Vignelli to update his abstract 1972 Subway Map. It is a gorgeous map but seeing it only highlights what Roosevelt Island residents always know and the map highlights every time we look at it. That being we have access to only subway line, the F train, when five additional lines all run under the island and we have absolutely no access despite the tunnels and lines being right there.

Update: May 2nd at 5:00pm

At least in regards to the KickMap version of the subway map (see below insert), which evokes the Vignelli style, two of the subway lines (the E and V lines) are not even accessible via a land entrance from Roosevelt Island. The current MTA map presented at the bottom, like the Vignelli Map, accurately portrays the locations of the subway lines relative to the island's geography.

Kickmap

MTA Actual Map

May Calendar - NYPL Roosevelt Island Branch

The May calendar of events at the Roosevelt Island branch of the New York Public Library includes not only the familiar book bingo, reading and story time hours for younger and school age children but also classes for 12-18 year olds on how to make their own hats, jewelry, and urban fashion items. For adults the month includes a book discussion focusing on the book Fast Food Nation.

New Roosevelt Island Dogs Blog

It's official Roosevelt Island has gone to the dogs. Despite the old belief that no dogs were allowed on the island (see the parody movie) the past two years has seen an explosion of residents owning dogs due to the buildings at Southtown and the Octagon allowing dogs as pets.

The creation of a new blog "Roosevelt Island Dogs" officially seals the new reality and their place as residents. So far the blog chronicles in pictures and text the first meeting of the Small Dog Play Group at the Octagon-Coler dog run on the Eastern side of the island. The run is by the Coler Hospital parking lot facing Costco and the West Channel of the East River. The blogger who created the blog is listed as "Hanahlly" and lives in the Octagon. No contact info was provided nor does the blog provide for comments to be left by readers. A post on the Octagon resident's website is how I learned of the blog. A follow up post on that site gives information for those dog owners looking to joing the group.

Recently I had been speaking with one resident who commutes with his dog into Manhattan using Tram about the state of the Southern of the island's two dog runs which sits across from the Riverwalk buildings behind their sales center. As shown in the picture below the run at this point is pretty bare and some of the residents who use this run are hoping it can be improved but it is unclear who and what organization is responsible for its upkeep. I am guessing RIOC built the runs to encourage residents to limit off leash exercise to within their confines but I have not confirmed this assumption.