I have
been a homegrown New Yorker my whole life. Like most people I get caught up in
my daily life taking for granted the precious places I am surrounded by. For as
long as I can remember looking out a car or bus window towards the East River my
eyes always gleam staring at both that beautiful N.Y.C. skyline as well as
Brooklyn where my heart lies.
Since I
began this blog I have made it my mission to make a list, checking it twice,
and give myself a year or so to scratch off attractions that I haven’t yet been
to despite living in this city for almost thirty-four years. I found that even
when I cannot travel to an exotic location I could have a staycation any day I
want. There is so much more to discover in New York City especially when I am
so close. Ironically it is not so much the location of the places we want to
see, as it is more important to carve the time out of our busy schedules.
Sometimes the things we would love the most are right in front of our faces
slipping by. Such is certainly true about Roosevelt Island and me. Well that
statement is false as of last weekend. We have been introduced and are still
very much in the honeymoon stage of our relationship.
This
story begins not on the day of my visit, but much earlier, starting in October
2012, thus is appeared on my blog back in 2013 where it appeared for the first
time on my yearly to-do list (http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2013/06/for-year-3-20132014-to-do-list.html).
But it was not Roosevelt Island that was listed; it was the creation of FDR
Four Freedoms Park. Up until the time I arrived here I had not planned on really
seeing anything else on the island, I assumed I would get in and out and go
about my life back to looking out a window. Boy was I naĂŻve.
It is
interesting to me how many times I must have stared out a window looking at
Roosevelt Island without even so much as a twinge to explore it. All that is
over now.
But
before I can talk about why a park named for our former President would create
such a strong desire to visit an unknown land, first we must talk about the
Island and its namesake themselves.
Prior to
being named Roosevelt Island in 1971, this island had many previous names, the
most recent being Welfare Island. This name clearly identifies who mainly
lived, worked, or was ill there. At different points in time this Island has
been a prison, an asylum, and more infamously a hospital for immigrants who
were suffering from Small Pox. Coincidentally I stumbled upon this ruin, as it
is right before you walk into the Freedoms Park. This may be the highlight of
my day. No disrespect for the President but this was amazing. I had been trying
to find it on a map of Roosevelt Island and never had any luck. So to stumble
upon it was a great find. You can even see it better from the view in the park.
I love when a trip exceeds my expectations. Things like this make my day!
F.D.R.
Four Freedoms Park is named not only for this great politician but also for the
famous speech of the same name, which appears on the opposite side of the
statute. The Four Freedoms are the freedoms of: speech, religion, want, and
fear.
F.D.R.’s
face (it is actually just his head) is facing inward towards the Island. It is
sort of like he is watching over what happens there. He is so close to the edge
of the boundary of the park it seems like a frightening location. But the trees
(even though not fully in season yet) create a triangle of foliage that
naturally leads you to the man himself. My favorite part of visiting his
section was when I got to sit down looking at the monument, then across at my
city and/or my hometown taking in the sun and looking myself towards the action
beyond.
Roosevelt
Island surprised me a great deal. I couldn’t believe how many people live on
the Island now and how many were out and about so early in the day. It’s sort
of like a party that never ends. It was strange to be standing on ground that
was brand new to me it was like being in a foreign land. Walking around I felt
like I was on vacation on a hidden, well island. I can’t stop thinking about
it. I have seen all there is as I walked from one side to the other but just
being there was special to me. I was with people I like and we were all
enjoying this place that was new to us yet old to our city.
The
Octagon is a hotel and residential building. It was listed on the National
Register of Historic Places in 1972. An interesting piece of history exists in
the current building; it is the atrium from the old asylum. This fact only
makes me want to stay here more. It was so gorgeous just from the outside I
could only imagine what the inside was like. It made me feel like if I stared
at that building long enough it would appear on a beach in Rhode Island. That’s
the feeling I got.
This
building is the farthest point on that side of the Island, with the F.D.R. Park
being on the edge of the opposite side of the Island. We actually thought we
could park in their lot but that was of course for those staying there. We just
had bad information but at least I got to see some amazing architecture.
I am
going to be nice and leave you more well informed for your visit than I was for
mine. For starters when they say on the website that there is limited parking
on the Island they aren’t kidding. Actually what they mean is that there are a
handful of spots with limited meter time that may be available for you to park
in. Please keep in mind that nowadays there are a lot more people living and
visiting the Island so parking on Main Street (the only street here) is not
likely. What you should do is go directly from the Roosevelt Island (Welfare
Island) bridge/overpass and make a quick right into the Motor Gate Garage
(there is a Gristedes on the bottom level) where there is tons of parking at
reasonable rates. If you pass it and end up on Main Street like I did you will
need to go back over the ramp to enter the garage. Once you have parked you
will cross the street and see red buses going in each direction. They are free,
come every few minutes, and make getting around the Island much more
manageable.
Once on
the very comfortable bus we were able to take it to the opposite end of the
Island where you get off by the Tram and walk the remaining distance to FDR
Four Freedoms Park. Initially that’s all I cared about seeing so the walk was
good for exercise, Island exploration, and of course that view!
Many may
not know this but the Roosevelt’s were New Yorkers. This is their hometown.
Cousin Teddy’s (also a former President) estate, Sagamore Hill still exists and
you can visit. It is currently going through renovations and will reopen in
July of this year. Hyde Park is Franklin’s home and the location of his
presidential library (Teddy does not have one). I look forward to going up here
before the summer heat is upon us. Both of these historic houses are both on my
to-do list this year (http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2015/03/for-year-5-2015-2016-to-do-list.html).
Incidentally
if you are looking for a monument for Teddy Roosevelt there isn’t one but you
can see a statute of him in the American Museum of Natural History here in New
York City (http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2012/06/for-all-things-natural-and-historic.html).
A good way to get to know more about this family is to see Ken Burns PBS
documentary or read the accompanying book (links below).
As you
will find out in a few months when I post my Washington D.C. blog, I have seen
the National Monument for F.D.R. there. In many ways the one in Four Freedoms
Park was much simpler and I am still debating the value of that. I saw the one in D.C. first and it’s
much grander. But that’s for another time.
I have to
say that for a man who suffered so badly from polio and walked with braces or
was in a wheelchair, I have walked the farthest to see him in both cities. The
irony cannot be excluded. Another similarity is that Cherry Blossoms always
seem to be in season when I see an F.D.R. statute. I don’t know what it all
means but this is how me and F.D.R. roll (no pun intended).
I am
going to end this discussion by leaving you with my most favorite piece of
information about Roosevelt Island. In order to maintain cleanness and traffic
on the Island there are no garbage cans or sanitation trucks. Instead there are
underground tubes that vacuum up the mess. This is genius. I swear this Island
is just keeps improving. I would so be good with living here in the new million
dollar condos they are building.
It’s all
about the Roosevelt’s baby.
For More
Information on Roosevelt Island:
For More
Information on the Roosevelt’s:
Great place to visit, great weather and good company. Thanks to you I got to see a place I wouldn't of even thought of going to. Thanks for all my history lessons. xo
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