Where Would you Rather Live - Hoboken or the Octagon Building on Roosevelt Island?
Last Sunday afternoon I was sitting at the Roosevelt Island Starbucks outdoor patio when I struck up a conversation with two people sitting at the adjoining table. I introduced myself as a writer of a Roosevelt Island blog and asked them if they lived on the Island. Their immediate reply was that I probably do not want to hear what they had to say about Roosevelt Island.
I assured them that I would be interested in whatever they had to say about living on Roosevelt Island because that was the whole purpose of Roosevelt Islander. They told me that they did not like Roosevelt Island and were looking to move as quickly as they could, even considering Hoboken, New Jersey. They explained that they lived in the Octagon building and could not stand the distance, time and effort involved in going back and forth to Manhattan. They spoke of the difficulties with the Red Bus transportation system but most of all were disappointed by the sense of isolation and disconnectedness from the City (Manhattan). They also said that the Octagon leasing office did not accurately portray the commuting difficulties or time involved to and from Manhattan. Many Octagon residents that they knew felt the same way.
I told them that I understood their feelings and felt much the same way when I lived in Manhattan Park but since moving to the Riverwalk buildings in Southtown my view of living on Roosevelt Island has changed completely. I suggested that they contact the Riverwalk leasing office before making the drastic step of moving to Hoboken.
The moral of this story is that if living within 15-20 minute walk of a movie theater, bookstore, museum, good restaurant, bar, nightlife and the buzz of the city is very important to you then perhaps the Octagon and Manhattan Park are not the right place for you to live, but Riverwalk may be. If the benefits of tranquility and recreational activities described above are more important and/or you have small children, then Manhattan Park and Octagon would be great places to live.
Octagon image is from Urban Daily Baby.
Hoboken image is from Wooden Signs.
7 comments :
Isn't the commute from Hoboken to Manhattan the same or worse than from the Octagon? I suppose if you live right by the Path, the commute is similar, but if you live away from the Path and depend on the water taxi, that can be expensive and will drop you off inconviently on the far west side. Then you'll have to take a bus provided by the water taxi to get where you want to go. If commute is really the issue to these Octagon residents, then it may be that these Hoboken leasing offices are not accurately portraying the commuting difficulties or time involved to and from Manhattan from Hoboken.
Something doesn't make sense to me. Perhaps the commute is only part of their problem? Hoboken will make their commuting problems into the city worse. They're better off at the Octagon.
The difference is that Hoboken is a real place on its own accord, not a housing project that pretends to be a small town, even though any small town has more amenities.
I've been in Westview for 31 years and sympathize with the Octagon couple. I felt much the same during the years before the subway opened. It's a little better now, but the island has never developed the way I had hope it would and the way it had been presented to us when we moved here. As it was, we had planned to stay only through our son's elementary school years. (This was when the island school was considered good.) Then the real estate boom priced us out of the market and we've been stuck ever since. I'm reconciled and, in fact, there are worse places for retirement. That being said, I can't imagine why any young people, single or couple, would want to live here, if they have other options open to them.
I have lived in both Hoboken and Roosevelt Island. Hoboken is a neighborhood where people work and live. There is no comparison between the number of restaurants and bars between Hoboken and Roosevelt Island. As for the commute, I will take a ferry ride anyday over the Tram.
I guess I don't subscribe to the rush-rush-rush mentality. I've been living in Manhattan Park for quite a while now and never minded the distance to the subway/tram station. It is a nice walk when the weather is fine and if pours down from buckets the red bus is just fine (considering that the Octagon and Manhattan Park are the first and second stop of the route anyway).
Then there is this complaint how people can't see RI as a real neighborhood because it is missing restaurants, bars, shops, movie theaters, etc. etc. None of this are show stoppers for me and my family. Manhattan is close enough to catch a flick or have a drink. And nothing beats walking down the river and see the Manhattan skyline on the way back home.
Again, I am seldom in a rush-rush-rush mood.
Apparently a guy over at the NJ.com site did not like this post. Thought this blog was dissin' Hoboken I guess. I left comments there and on my own blog:
http://rooseveltisland360.blogspot.com/2007/10/hoboken-has-nothing-to-worry-about-from.html
i'm in my 20s and moved here a couple of years ago - and how i regret it. this is nothing at all like the image that was portrayed to me, and i can't wait to move out of this bizarro, isolated place. i've always been an urban person who detested suburbs, but i'd take living in the burbs over RI any day.
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