Roosevelt Island is an underrated island right next to Manhattan. The island is only 2 miles (3.2 km) long making it very walkable. To get to the island you can take the subway, of course, but a popular and fun mode of transportation is the tramway. It’s 250 feet above the ground and about a 3-minute ride which gives you spectacular views of the City. A little history about Roosevelt Island – in the 9th century the island served as home to some of the city’s poor, sick, and mentally ill residents. Which leads us to the the first point of interest:
Smallpox Hospital
The main point of attraction for us was to see the smallpox hospital. The hospital was opened to care for people with contagious diseases in 1854 and later it housed one of the first nursing schools in the U.S. It’s now abandoned and has been abandoned since the early 1950s. What I found interesting as well is the renowned architect James Renwick, Jr. designed the building – he’s the same person that designed the St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC and the Smithsonian Castle in D.C.
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park
Right next to the hospital is the FDR Four Freedoms park, which celebrates President Franklin D. Roosevelt. An excerpt of his January 6, 1941 State of the Union address, which pronounced the Four Freedoms, is inscribed in a massive granite monument.
Strecker Laboratory
Making your way up towards the other side is the Strecker Laboratory which is a division of City Hospital and the nation’s first institution for pathological and bacteriological research. That operated until the 1950s and in the 1990s it was restored for use as a power substation for the E and M subway lines.
Cornell Tech Campus
Along the way to the above points of interest, there is a part of the Cornell Tech Campus for graduate studies and research. The campus is to be completed in the next 20 years, but for now it has an academic building, co-working space for start ups, and housing & facilities.
This is all we ended up exploring but I do want to mention the other points of interest on the North side of the Island:
Blackwell House
The Blackwell family were the owners of the Island back in 1676 and held it for 150 years. The Island was sold to the City of New York in 1828 for $30,000. The house was restored in 2007 and will be open for community activities.
Chapel of Good Shepherd
This chapel served as a house of worship and comfort for the poor and sick. It’s now home to the protestant congregations, and houses community meetings, concepts, and special events.
Octagon
This was the City’s lunatic Asylum back in 1839, and when the Metropolitan Hospital took over in 1895 it became a general hospital. The hospital relocated to Manhattan in 1955 and the building was abandoned, but in 2006 it was restored to an apartment building.
Lighthouse
Last, but not least is the lighthouse which is on the north tip of the island. The lighthouse was built in 1872 to assist boats that were navigating the treacherous Hell Gate waters. Another James Renwick, Jr. design.
There’s so much to do in New York, but if you find time to explore this NYC Hidden Gem…do it! Ride the first commuter tram, visit the six landmarks, dine and shop on the main stroll, and stroll the promenade. Let me know if you’ve ever been to Roosevelt Island or if you plan on going!