New York (city) - Roosevelt Island
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Culture and History / Travel to New York (city) - Roosevelt Island, visa requirements / By Tramway / By Subway / By CarC FootC or Bicycle / New York (city) - Roosevelt Island attractions and sightseeing / City tours / Shopping, New York (city) - Roosevelt Island souvenirs / Good restaurants and cheap meals / New York (city) - Roosevelt Island nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Hotels, youth hostels, lodging / ContactRoosevelt Island [1] is an elongated island in the East River between Manhattan Island and Queens.
Culture and History
Roosevelt Island was purchased in 1637 from the Algonquin Indians by Dutch colonists. Originally a cattle farm, over the years it has had various names and uses. Until 1921 it was known as Blackwell's Island (after the Englishman Robert Blackwell, who purchased it from the Dutch in 1676). It was then known as Welfare Island, and was home to an asylym and quarantine hospital. Today called Roosevelt Island, it is the home to several thousand New Yorkers and who like its calm ambiance and that it is very well connected with both midtown Manhattan (by subway and tram) and Queens (by bridge and subway)
Travel to New York (city) - Roosevelt Island - Visa Requirements
By Tramway
Probably the most convenient and best way to get on to Roosevelt Island is to take the Tramway, crossing over the 300 yard stretch of the East River from 59th Street on Manhattan. Board the tram on Second Avenue at 59th Street. One way fare $2.00; MetroCards accepted. Service on the tram has been restored, following an interruption caused by power outages on the line.
By Subway
The F train makes a single stop on the island before continuing on to destinations in Queens or Manhattan (depending on which borough you took the train from).
By Car, Foot, or Bicycle
The bridge from Queens to Roosevelt Island can be accessed at the intersection of 36th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard. On the other side, if you're on foot or bike, you can take a staircase, elevator, or escalator down to the ground level through a parking garage. The alternative is to run/bike down the corkscrew ramp but this is not suggested since occasionally you may be run over by a bus.
New York (city) - Roosevelt Island tourist attractions and sightseeing
- Manhattan viewpoints:
- the Meditation Steps - just north of the Tramway stop
- the Southpoint - a newly-created public space at the southern tip of the island, accessed by one of the riverside promenades
New York (city) - Roosevelt Island city tours
- Head to Roosevelt Island for the 4th of July Fireworks display over Manhattan - Roosevelt Island affords one of the best views of the city's pyrotechnic displays. Get to the island very early, or you'll find that the seats are sold out.
New York (city) - Roosevelt Island souvenirs and shopping
New York (city) - Roosevelt Island Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive
New York (city) - Roosevelt Island nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs
New York (city) - Roosevelt Island cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging
Contact
This page was last edited by SONORAMA. Based on work by Stacy Hall, Wikitravel user(s) Jonboy and Pjamescowie and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license
