On Thursday, July 4th, Macy’s will launch the annual Macy’s 4th of July
Fireworks spectacle across the Hudson River, illuminating the New York City
skyline through dazzling displays and pyrotechnics. Live spectators and
viewers across the nation will be treated to a one-of-a-kind show featuring
vibrant colors, shapes, light and sound. This year’s display will feature
thousands of shells and an array of effects from barges positioned along the
Hudson River with multiple viewing opportunities in Manhattan between West
14th and West 34th Streets and in New Jersey.
“This year’s Macy’s 4th of Fireworks display will launch an inspiring
spectacle of patriotic color, light and sound from the Hudson River for
the first time in more than a decade....
The East River Macy's July 4 Fireworks gave Roosevelt Island residents
fantastic
views of the fireworks
>
but also brought large crowds of visitors.
In recent years, after the fireworks ended it took about 40 minutes for the large crowds
to safely leave Roosevelt Island by Tram or subway under the watchful eye of
the NYPD and Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department.
It was announced last week that this year’s Macy’s Fourth of July
Fireworks Show will be returning to the Hudson River for the first time
since 2013.
Due to this change, Four Freedoms State Park will NOT be hosting their
regular ticketed fireworks event this year, as the fireworks will not be
visible from this location. RIOC will therefore not be running a ticket
lottery or sending out any communications regarding a ticketed July 4th
event to the community.
While we still expect higher than average traffic to the island on July
4th, we do not anticipate the numbers to reach what we typically see when
the fireworks celebration is hosted on the East River.
Thank you and enjoy the warm spring/summer months!
-RIOC Executive Team
A long time Roosevelt Island resident reacted to the news of Macy's
Fireworks moving this year from the East River to the Hudson this way:
Happy Friday!
And,
Yipee!!
I, for one, will not miss this one bit. But I’m sure many others will.
NBC Nightly News
featured local Roosevelt Island resident and
iDig2Learn founder
Christina Delfico in a story this evening about the Southpoint Park
SUGi Pocket Healing Forest that was planted Saturday April 6.
Beyond the Ban: Exploring the Landscape of Banned Books
Thursday, May 16 · 5 - 7pm
Join us for a lively discussion on controversial books that have been
banned or challenged throughout history.
Come join us at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park for a
thought-provoking discussion on banned books. Moderated by renowned
journalist and editor Katrina vanden Heuvel, our panel of experts will delve
into the controversial world of literature that has been censored or
challenged throughout history. Discover the stories behind these banned
books and explore the importance of freedom of expression. Don't miss out on
this enlightening event!
Thank you to NYS OPRHP and NYS Natural Heritage Trust for the support for
this free public program.
Mr Ellis began his presentation with a discussion of:
What It Takes To Run Roosevelt Island,
summarized in the slides below.
Mr Ellis noted that Roosevelt Island:
... is entirely self-financed—we do not receive any supportive
funding from the state.
The majority of our funding comes from our ground rent and commercial
leases.
Mr Ellis took comments and questions from Mr Krikler and other Roosevelt
Island residents.
I asked Mr Ellis:
What are the 3 or 4 most important things on your plate
right now?
Mr Ellis answered:
... That's a tough question. Obviously this interim situation is very
difficult.... There are all kinds of challenges that just flow from that
alone. That's at the top of my list .... There are certain hiring decisions that we cannot or should
not make while we're in this interim position. There are big projects that we
can't explore or don't want to explore while we're in in this position. Basic
day-to-day repairs we're obviously doing and they are big priorities for
us....
... The Master Lease discussions are a major priority right now... An
extension of the Master Lease. We have had conversations with the City of New
York about this but we can't really make progress on those discussions or on
that negotiation until we have more certainty internally about our own
governance structure, about our own direction. There are internal/external all
sorts of things that flow from that one issue that we we don't yet have
permanent leadership...
... We have our next board meeting on the 14th. Maybe there's going to be
some movement there. I'm optimistic but I don't know and I've learned not to
get ahead of myself in hoping or in predicting that anything might or
might not happen at a board meeting....
Mr Ellis also discussed problems with the Red Bus delays, overcrowding on
the Roosevelt Island Tram and expressed a willingness to explore models from other cities that are attempting to manage problems caused by tourist overcrowding.
He reported that in a few weeks there will be a
live traffic camera feed from both the Manhattan and Roosevelt Island Tram
stations available for residents to see how large those line are so you can
make a decision about using the Tram or the subway. Another improvement coming this summer is the Red Bus will have a location tracking system installed so that riders
will know when it will be at any stop.
Here's the full discussion from beginning to end. I highly recommend watching the entire video if you are interested in Roosevelt Island issues and governance.
Great job by Mr Krikler and Mr Ellis. This type of conversation and Roosevelt Island community engagement would not have happened under the prior RIOC administration.
Mr Piro moved from Roosevelt Island several years ago but stays in touch with
his Roosevelt Island friends.
Mr Piro returned last week to Roosevelt Island on a farewell tour to pay
tribute to the deceased Petey by sprinkling some of the dog's ashes at the
special Roosevelt Island locations they shared.
Follow along on Petey's Farewell Tribute with Mr Piro and friends.
... Currently, H+H is in the pre-design phase for a new perimeter hazard mitigation system at NYC H+H/Coler. This mitigation system will create a berm barrier, provide protection for up to a 500-year coastal flood event, and protect the long-term care facility from major storm events....
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been constantly hearing farm animal sounds (cow moos, rooster cock-a-doodle-doos, horse neighs) while working from my apartment. It seems like it’s a vehicle that keeps driving by as it gets louder and then quieter until it passes, but I haven’t been able to figure it out. Do you or anyone you know hear these sounds? Any idea what is making them? I’m pretty sure Roosevelt Island didn’t open a farm!
Here's the car making animal noises spotted on Main Street this afternoon.
I thought i was going crazy. I heard this a little last summer too and a lot more often the past month. I thought i was going crazy as no one knew what i was talking about. Why are they playing these sounds?
Car plays the sound all the time as if the residents want to hear the sound all the time. It is very annoying. I spoke to public safety and asked them to stop the car to ask that it not be played so much. Of course they did nothing to stop sound.
I don’t know why residents need to hear this constantly. Want to listen to birds not this repeated tape. If you find car parked leave a note to driver with your complaint. Or flag down car and talk to driver.
Is there any way we can ask him to stop? It’s really, really annoying at 7am and throughout the day
Omg I hear this too
I hear it too, so rude
Just heard it today. Annoying
Heard it today and it sounded like an animal suffering
If it’s the same person I’m thinking of in the Challenger, he’s become a staple on the island that we all hear and recognize! For better or for worse 😂
That my cousin Julio I’m a tell him chill. He still thinks he is Puerto Rico 😂
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
