Can 11 Subway Cars Platform at Roosevelt Island?

NY1 is reporting that the MTA ran a test 11 car train through the system last night.

Can 11 cars platform at Roosevelt Island?

I don't believe so.

The answer per the first comment provided is NO so the test by the MTA was in essence as one SubChat contributor stated an "April's Fools" joke by the MTA on the public unless stations were modified to increase the accessible lenth of the platforms needed.

ROOSEVELT L!VE - Full Schedule Released

Double Click to Enlarge

The folks who are putting together ROOSEVELT L!VE have put out the full schedule of groups to play at Roosevelt Island's Riverwalk Commons from May 23rd through September 5th and it looks like it will be a busy 15 weeks of concerts. Not being anything remotely close to being a hipster I have no clue as any of these groups are. I will be honest I am glad I don't live facing the Commons area.

Nonno's, Duane Reade, and Starbucks should clean up quite nicely with that amount of foot traffic. You have to give Hudson / Related credit for doing all they can to bring foot traffic to the island to see their new buildings and hopefully set up apartment tours. Maybe after the concerts the visitors can even schedule some rappelling time down the sides of the buildings.

I just hope the MTA holds to its goal of not disrupting weekend subway service while the tram is off line. Kudos to the concert promoters for highlighting the F Train service.

Riverwalk Rappelling Club on Roosevelt Island

In an effort to provide increased services and amenities, Hudson / Related has started a rappelling club at the Riverwalk complex on Roosevelt Island in the hope that it will induce a greater number of individuals to buy condos at the newest two buildings still under construction.

To see the pictures by "grantrjones" of club members in action you link here to the photos on Flickr.

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The pictures had been posted here but were removed at the request of "grantrjones" as they were posted here without permission in error.

NY Senate Video: Serrano Congratulates Elected RIOC Board Nominees

The above NYS Senate video is of State Senator Jose Serrano congratulating those individuals elected to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation Board of Directors who were then chosen as appointees of the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. The video is from June 2008.

Direct YouTube link.

Hunter College AccessRI - Community Review TONIGHT

Link to AccessRI website

Both AccessRI community review meetings, tonight 3/31 and 4/4, are to be held at the Roosevelt Island Senior Center on Main Street, located accross the street from Trellis. Each meeting will present the same information to the public.

Tram Featured as Staycation Destination

A post on the NY Times City Room blog this morning featured the Roosevelt Island Tram as one of several destinations that the author visited on a recent “staycation”.

Get in those staycations now before July 6th or you will miss out until December 2009.

The Periodic Return of the Snapple Cap

It’s amazing how much play one little Snapple cap can get over time. Take “Real Fact” cap #266, supposedly retired, which states that “Manhattan is the only borough in NYC that does have a Main Street”. Any Roosevelt Island resident knows this statement to be absurd but every so often the issue comes up again to perennially make us to be the Rodney Dangerfield of Main Street NYC lore. Today this “fact” was again memorialized in the NY Times Metropolitan Diary. The Diarist, rose to our aid, and corrected amused life long City girl Judi Sinnreich, who obviously has never set foot on our shores.

Happy Birthday Queensboro ( fka Blackwell's Island) Bridge !

Many, certainly not all, Roosevelt Island residents know that the Queensboro Bridge, which turns 100 years old today, was once named for the island's former name "Blackwell's Island".

But few know that the bridge due to opposition to the British sounding name "Queensboro" almost did not get renamed to its curent moniker. The below article from the NY Times archive reports on a City hearing about the name change proposal and that one City Alderman did not believe those in favor of the name change had made their point.

As it is the bridge and the island have gone by many names. And many music fans outside NYC are not aware that the Simon and Garfunfle standard "The 59th Street Bridge" song is the Queensboro Bridge anyway.

To buy the above book about the Queensboro Bridge and to support the Roosevelt Island Historical Society which produced the book in conjunction with the Astoria Historical Society please link HERE.

Will Spider-Man The Play Feature the Renwick Ruin or the Tram?

Will the Broadway play Spider-Man feature a fight scene with the Green Goblin holding the Roosevelt Island Tram hostage or at the Renwick Ruin?

[Semi - amusing comment re the first movie and the Tram: Since the Tram is on a clothesline system when the Green Goblin let go the Tram cabin, most non Island residents had no clue that the other cabin must have already crashed below - but residents certainly did.]

If the Tram is featured will RIOC get a fee?

Apparently the play's book is going to be nothing like the movie franchise based on comments by Director Julie Taymor published in a New York Post news article by Michael Reidel. Oh well I guess the Tram will not be heading to Broadway..

Amusing thoughts.

Earth Hour 2009 - March 28th 830pm-930pm

I only just sent an email a few hours ago into the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation asking if they have any plans to participate in Earth Hour 2009 by turning off non-essential lighting so I have not yet received a response. Like many people I am guessing they did not even hear of this effort. I only heard my self a few days ago.

Didn't the Earth get a whole day a few years back? This year Earth Hour is from 830pm to 930 pm on March 28th , Saturday night in your time zone.

Anyhow I was wondering if RIOC were to participate what lights would they turn off? My assumption would be the Lighthouse and Renwick Ruin.

I am not sure regarding the Lighthouse as I thought it was no longer working in the true sense of its original purpose,(yes the lights works but I thought it was decommissioned due to radar etc) but obviously if it it prevents any ship from running aground I am guessing we would not want to turn it off.

Just random thoughts.

Lighthouse picture via Flickr and Renwick ruin via Bowery Boys.

ROOSEVELT L!VE - Summer Concert Series

Last October, on Saturdays, it was KidFest on Roosevelt Island's Riverwalk Commons, this May it will be ROOSEVELT L!VE. According to a NY Press blog post, starting May 23rd, this new concert series will kick off and run through September 5th.

According to the post the confirmed acts include " trumpeter Steven Bernstein on July 11; Dance L!VE Brazil featuring Nation Beat (July 18), and Chicha Libre (pictured) of Barbes fame (Aug. 22). All of the concerts begin at 4 p.m. ".

The question is will the concert series do as well as KidFest did with no tram starting July 6th? The web link provided so far only allows the the reader to subscibe to email updates.

Subway Update re 3/26-4/10 Weeknight Disruptions

Update per MTA website: The service changes to the F Line described below, between 3/26 and 4/10, are only in effect on Tuesdays through Fridays Midnight through 5:am.

179 St-bound "F Trains" trains run on the "V Line" from 47-50 Sts to Queens Plaza Late night.

For service from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island and 21 St-Queensbridge, take the "F Train" to Roosevelt Av and transfer to a Coney Island-bound "F Train" .

-----Original Message-----
From: Parker, Deirdre, MTA Spokesperson.
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:27:41
To: <rooseveltisland360@Gmail.Com>
Subject: RE: FW: Roosevelt Islands

Please be advised that due to emergency work, there will be no northbound F service at Roosevelt Island on weeknights from 12:01 AM - 5AM, March 26th to April 10th. We apologize for any inconvenience thismay cause.

Bad 1980's Movie Filmed on Roosevelt Isle

Old Man Grumpus on Live Journal blogged yesterday about a really bad movie titled Robot Holocaust that was filmed partially on Roosevelt Island. Grumpus lays out the plot fairly well but in short the robots rebelled and wiped out civilization and the remnants of mankind apparently were outside the last city (of course NYC) and well would you believe it were here on little Roosevelt Island. I guess we don't need RIOC to divulge their evacuation plan as this rock turns out to be the safest place left on the planet. Pretty wild.

Well I had to see for myself and after watching 10 minutes I could not take it anymore and turned it off but very clearly many scenes were filmed down at Southpoint Park. From the look of it the park was still in formation.

If you want to see this movie before it is taken off Hulu you only have about 2 to 3 more days to see it.

F Train: 3/26 - 4/10 Late Night Week Day Service Changes

-----Original Message-----
From: Parker, Deirdre, MTA Spokesperson.
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:27:41
To: <rooseveltisland360@Gmail.Com>
Subject: RE: FW: Roosevelt Islands

Please be advised that due to emergency work, there will be no northbound F service at Roosevelt Island on weeknights from 12:01 AM - 5AM, March 26th to April 10th. We apologize for any inconvenience thismay cause.

One Very Upset Local Blogger - NY GULAG 10044

A local resident blogging under the title "nygulag10044" published on line today a letter written, in August 2008, to New York State Inspector General Joseph Frisch alleging corruption and more at all levels of state government involving Roosevelt Island.

Without knowing the specific facts backing up the blogger's claims it's hard to say if anything written has legitimate merit. I just know from the comments posted to the Roosevelt Landings post a lot of folks are very unhappy.

The Little Red Bus - Can't Beat It's 25¢ Fare

There has been talk that soon even the Red Bus, Roosevelt Island's other red painted transportation symbol, may have to raise it's fare above the current 25¢. We shall see if that occurs but in the mean time two bus enthusiasts (not me) took the below videos of the Red Buses and posted them recently on YouTube.


Direct YouTube Link by FL92002



Direct YouTube Link by FL92002



Direct YouTube Link by Eman2211

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.

S Stands for "Salt" Film Shoot ?

While I never received confirmation from the Roosevelt island Operating Corporation that a film permit was issued for the movie "Salt" it appears that the signs that have been posted with the letter "S" indicate that it is likely the movie is filming on the island.

Granted one letter is not outright confirmation and I admit I have not ventured down to Goldwater or Southpoint to confirm in person but the odds are pretty good. Still no word regarding any possible sightings of Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt or the kids.

$2.50 Fare Card = $170 Break Even Monthly Card for these Roosevelt Island Parents

Double Click to View Clearer Image

With the likelihood of a $2.50 base fare card and a monthly card at $103 it was time to again determine what the break even for a Roosevelt Island couple that incurs 6 fares per day on the MTA would be. My wife and I incur approximately 136 fares /month which with a $81 monthly card averages out to $1.19/fare.

Based on the below analysis my break even goes from $136/month at $2/fare to now a whopping $170 per monthly fare card if the full fare is as expected raised to $2.50/ride. This is actually a reduction from a $204/month break even if the fare jumped to $3.00/ride.

The Rolling Seas of East 60th Street

As I stood this morning on the Roosevelt Island Tram, heading into Manhattan, I was struck by the wind that was making the cabin swing so much today . I have been on the tram on windier days, as many residents have, but with a half empty cabin you tend to feel it in your feet more. Makes that bump when we platform all the more exciting.

Supposedly when the new tram cables are strung the guide cables will be father apart, perhaps even ten feet on either side of each cabin decreasing the amount of swing. It will not be the same.

Amusing start to the day.