Directions and Getting to Roosevelt Island - Then Finding a Parking Spot

Roosevelt Island Map Image from RIOC

I am often asked "How do I get to Roosevelt Island" and Can I park there"? Here is a good summary from RIOC with some additions.

Roosevelt Island TRAM

From Manhattan:

Take Tramway Car at 59th Street & Second Avenue Station. (Travel time is 4-5 minutes.) Exit at Tramway Station on Roosevelt Island. The Fare is the same as the NYC subway and you can use your Metro Card. From the Tram, you can take the 25 cent Red Bus north as far as the Octagon or just walk since nothing on Roosevelt Island is more than 1 mile from the Tram Station.

New York City SUBWAY

Take the F Train to Roosevelt Island stop. The Red Bus stops here as well. Check the F train subway advisories because they occur very often on weekends and if you are not familiar with the subway system can get easily lost.

New York City BUS

From Queensboro Plaza overpass, take stairway down north side to corner of Crescent and Bridge Plaza North. Take the Q102 Queens Surface bus to Roosevelt Island

DIRECTIONS BY CAR

FROM MANHATTAN

59th Street Bridge (Upper Level ) to 21st Street. Take 21st Street to 36th Avenue. Make left onto 36th Ave. Continue to Roosevelt Island via the 36th avenue Bridge.

Triborough Bridge to first exit. Make right on 31st Street (under the elevated subway) to 36th Avenue. Make right onto 36th Ave. Continue to Roosevelt Island via the 36th Avenue Bridge.

FROM LONG ISLAND

Grand Central Parkway (West) to last exit before Triborough Bridge (Hoyt Ave.) Remain on Hoyt Ave. to 21st Street. Turn left. Continue to 36th Ave. Make right turn at 36th Avenue. Proceed to Roosevelt Island via 36th Ave. Bridge.

FROM BROOKLYN via BQE

BQE East to Exit 33- Humboldt/McGuiness, at the end of ramp bear left under the BQE to McGuiness, crossing the Pulaski Bridge into Queens. McGuiness becomes 11th street. Continue on 11th to 44th Drive. Make left at light onto 44th drive. Turn right at next light on Vernon Blvd. Follow Vernon Blvd. to 36th Avenue. Turn left on 36th Avenue to Roosevelt Island via the 36th Avenue Bridge.

Roosevelt Island Parking

If you come to Roosevelt Island by car, you can park, and probably should, at the Motorgate Parking Garage that you enter from the 36th Avenue bridge prior to descending the ramp to Roosevelt Island because there are very few parking spots available and the use of them is quite controversial here on Roosevelt Island.

Motorgate Parking Garage
Managed by Edison Parking
688 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, N.Y. 10044
Phone#: 212-832-4585
Daily up to1 Hour $7.
up to 2 Hours $9.00
up to 4 Hours $12.00
up to 10 Hours $15.00
up to 24 Hours $20.00
Monthly Residents $180.00
Non-Residents $160.00
Reserved $235.00

As reported by Roosevelt Island 360 Motorgate Parking Rates will be rising effective July 1, 2008

If you do decide to try and use one of the sidewalk parking spots here are some of the rules. There are 55 Northtown Main Street parking spots available for up to a maximum of 40 minutes at a price of 25 cents per 2o minutes. The same parking price for a spot on River Road in front of Manhattan Park but with much less availability.


There are 14 parking spots on Southtown's Main Street in front of the Riverwalk buildings available for up to two hours at a price of $1 per hour.


Parking spots are also available for up to six hours on Main Street in front of the Motorgate garage and Post office.


Parking permits are available at the dispensing machines located in front of 455 Main Street for Southtown, across from Blackwell House, M&D Deli, and P.S 217 for Northtown and by the Motorgate garage and Post Office for Manhattan Park.


The Octagon has a separate, private parking facility for their tenants.

Once on Roosevelt Island there is a local Red Bus service that travels back and forth, for better and worse, from the Octagon to the Roosevelt Island tram for 25 cents.

You can also try getting a cab to Roosevelt Island. Good Luck with that!

UPDATE - 7/31 - More on parking and the Octagon Garage here.