Friday, October 11, 2019

Sponsored Post - Grow NYC Second Annual Roosevelt Island Stop N Swap Free Community Reuse Event Saturday November 9 - Bring Items You No Longer Need To Give Away, Take Something New Home With You & Help The Environment By Keeping Waste Out Of Landfills

Mark your calendar for this fun and environmental friendly event.

The Roosevelt Island Stop N Swap returns for a second year on Saturday November 9 from 12 to 3 PM at the Manhattan Park Theater Club (8 River Road)

GrowNYC and local partners Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC), Manhattan Park, iDig2Learn &the RI Girl Scouts will host the free Stop N’ Swap.

Roosevelt Islanders are invited to drop off good quality items such as clothing, toys, kitchen items, flatscreen televisions even packaged food that has not expired, and then take home good quality items that are “new-to-you" rather than adding waste to the landfill or clogging up local building systems like our underground AVAC waste tube system.

 No one is required to bring something to take something — you can simply show up with a bag and see what’s free for the taking.

This event is good for our land and our wallets helping residents find items just before the holidays for free.

iDig2Learn founder Christina Delfico reports
Fun Fact: last year, 2018, 4800 pounds of good quality items were dropped in 3 hours & nearly 70% went right back to the community the remaining when to Goodwill.
Ms Delfico and Grow NYC's Victoria Dearborn describe the very successful 2018 Roosevelt Island Stop N Swap



and our local Girl Scouts encourage us all



to recycle at the Roosevelt Island Stop N Swap.

You'll be glad to get rid of things you no longer use, may find some good new stuff and help the environment by keeping waste out of landfills.

More interesting info on Grow NYC Stop and Swap from this video,



 their web site here and check out more scenes from the 2018 Roosevelt Island Stop N Swap.

See you on Saturday November 9 for the 2019 Roosevelt Island Stop N Swap.

Oh No - Troubling Indications That RIOC May Cancel Annual Roosevelt Island Family Halloween Parade March Down Main Street

One of the great Roosevelt Island traditions that makes living here so special is the annual Family Halloween Parade with kids, moms, dads and other residents of all ages marching down Main Street. dressed up in their ghostly, goulish and very creative costumes (Click on full screen image at bottom right of video for better viewing of costumed parade marchers).



Many others enjoy just watching the Parade heading down Main Street.

That Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade tradition may not happen this year. Yesterday, RIOC sent out this flyer


announcing a Halloween Extravaganza taking place inside the Sportspark facility, but no mention of the Main Street Halloween Parade. Upon receiving the Halloween flyer yesterday, I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Susan Rosenthal:
Rumor going around that RIOC is cancelling the Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade.

Is that true? I don't see any mention in the Halloween flyer about the Parade. Only events in Sportspark.

If true, what is reason for cancelling the Parade?

Any statement from RIOC about the Halloween Parade.
Also, a Roosevelt Island tipster reported:
Just got confirmation that RIOC has cancelled for this year (and possibly permanently) our RI Halloween Parade down Main Street...
A RIOC spokesperson replied that the matter is being looked into and will get back to me with info.

Here's the 2017 Roosevelt Island Halloween Main Street Parade.



Stay tuned - hopefully, the Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade will continue this year.

UPDATE 9:55 AM - Roosevelt Island residents react to news that RIOC may cancel Halloween Parade:
Say it isn't so Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation of the State of New York...Will all of those smiling faces be turned upside down this Halloween? Is it a budgetary decision? Has there ever been a crowd count based on past Halloween Extravaganzas'? This has to be the single most locally attended event we ever have on RI....and we don't need to worry about lines at the Subway.
and:
Come on RIOC! This is a time honored tradition, for over 40+ years!! You really are just going to cancel it now and forever, without any to none community input?
What a shame. Shame on you!
The Sports Park event doesn’t compare and is not a replacement.
and:
Let RIOC KNOW DON’T CANCEL THE PARADE call tweet or stop in the office let them know how the community feels
2:15 PM - More comments from residents:
Generations of Islanders have marched in this parade and look forward to it every year! Some of us remember Al Lewis “Grandpa Munster” who lived here serving as Grand Marshall! The parade means everything to this community!
And:
Should be pretty easy to reinstate once they realize the community cares this much about it. It can’t be a huge burden or expense to shut down Main Street for an hour. The event at sports park is fun for older kids but potentially overwhelming for little ones - the parade was perfect for them, and also gave the community (especially elderly people) the opportunity to enjoy and participate by observing.
And:
Write letter , after letter, after letter, flood them with letters
UPDATE - 3:10 PM -

But there may be good news.

According to a RIOC spokesperson:
The parade is most definitely not being cancelled this year. We were – and still are - in the process of finalizing the program, which includes a new parade route to accommodate the new indoor location at Sportspark. We hope to release more information later on today on the new route.
UPDATE - According to RIOC:
Yesterday, we shared the news about the Roosevelt Island Halloween Extravaganza.

Today, we’re sharing information on the annual Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade!

The parade begins on Saturday, October 26th at 11:30 AM, departing from the Lawn south of Rivercross (across from 500 Main St.), and proceeds to Sportspark for entry into the Halloween Extravaganza!

Please arrive at 11 AM if you’d like to join in. More Halloween Extravaganza details below.

We look forward to seeing all your costumes on display!

Roosevelt Island F Train Service To And From Manhattan This Weekend, Tram And Ferry Service Too - Watch Video Of MTA Rep Talking Roosevelt Island Subway Service

According to the MTA, there will be Roosevelt Island F Train service


to and from Manhattan this weekend.

Both Roosevelt Island Tram cabins are operating and here's the NYC Ferry Roosevelt Island Astoria Route Schedule. 

During June 13 Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting organized by Council Member Ben Kallos, MTA representative Markus Book spoke about Roosevelt Island F Train subway service. Watch the full MTA Roosevelt Island presentation below.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

You're Invited To Latin Night Social Hosted By Roosevelt Island Seniors Association - Come Enjoy Night Of Food, Drink, Dancing & Entertainment On Saturday October 12

You're invited to a Latin Night Social hosted by Roosevelt Island Seniors Association (RISA).


For more info and to RSVP, contact RISA.

Roosevelt Island US Chess Federation Rated Tournament For Kids 6-17 Saturday October 12 Hosted By RI Public Library And RIOC At Sportspark - Learn The Magic Of Chess

A Must Do event for Roosevelt Island kids interested in Chess - whether you're a top notch player or a beginner. The NYPL Roosevelt Island branch together with the Roosevelt Island Youth Center is hosting a US Chess Federation (USCF) rated tournament this Saturday October 12.

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):


The Roosevelt Island Youth Center will host its first rated tournament, in partnership with the R.I. Branch Library, this Saturday, October 12th at 1 PM inside the Sportspark gymnasium, located at 250 Main Street. The free tournament is open to children ages 6-17.

Tournament Format: Swiss system tournament of 3 rounds. Timed games with 25 minutes and a 5-second delay.

Three sections:

Unrated Non-USCF Member

Under 700 USCF Member

Under 1300 USCF Member

United States Chess Federation (USCF) rated tournament for Under 700 and Under 1300 players.

If you are a member of the USCF please include your USCF ID in the registration form.

All players will receive a medal for participating and the top three players at each level will receive trophies.

Click the link to register your child:
Check out this video on The Magic Of Chess



and learn more about the US Chess Federation.

The Roosevelt Island Library has a kids chess club that meets Thursdays at 4 PM in October and an adult chess club that meets Tuesdays at 3 PM

Click here to register
for Saturday's USCF tournament.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Roosevelt Island Yom Kippur Services Schedule At Chabad Of Roosevelt Island and Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation

The Chabad of Roosevelt Island and Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation are hosting Yom Kippur services this evening and tomorrow.

The Chabad Of Roosevelt Island Yom Kippur services schedule is here and Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation Yom Kippur services here.

You're Invited To Learn About Human Interaction With Self Driving Cars At Cornell Tech Faculty Roosevelt Island Community Conversation With Professor Wendy Ju Thursday October 10

You're invited to learn about human interaction with self driving cars.

 Image From Cornell Tech

The Cornell Tech Faculty Roosevelt Island Community conversation begins a second year on Thursday October 10 with a presentation by Professor Wendy Ju on:
Interaction With Automation:
According to Cornell Tech

Where did this $^@#$! Autonomous Car Learn to Drive? Addressing Cross-cultural differences in Autonomous Car Design.

About this Event

Today’s autonomous cars are designed to follow the letter of the local law, but do not adapt to regional variations in driving behavior. At scale, this lack of adaptation can cause accidents and cost lives. Wendy Ju will talk about recent and on-going research to understand how cross-cultural differences should inform the design of autonomous cars.

About Wendy

Wendy Ju is an Assistant Professor at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech and in the Information Science field at Cornell University. Her work in the areas of human-robot interaction and automated vehicle interfaces highlights the ways that interactive devices can communicate and engage people without interrupting or intruding. Dr. Ju has innovated numerous methods for early-stage prototyping of automated systems to understand how people will respond to systems before the systems are built. She has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford, and a Master’s in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT.

This event is FREE and open to the public.

Click here to register.
More about Professor's Ju's work with self driving cars here:
... To date, Ju has carried out most of her experiments around Stanford. She has found that people there are pretty nonchalant when they encounter robots. “A lot of people are very pro-technology and they also work in technology so they’re very much like, ‘Oh yeah, this is happening now,’” she said.

Having recently moved to New York City, she is curious to find out whether people will behave differently or the same way. One of her first projects at Cornell Tech will explore how people interact with a troupe of chair robots -— essentially chairs that can reconfigure themselves in a space. She will also carry out further on-road experiments with ghost drivers....
and this CBS Sunday Morning report on self driving cars.



Buckle up.

The first 2018-19 Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Faculty community conversation was with Professor Serge  Belongie on Computer Vision, Machine Learning and Augmented Reality. Watch the video here.

The second 2018-19 Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Faculty community conversation was with Professor Nicolai Dell on Creating Tech For Underserved Communities. Watch the video here.

The third 2018-19 Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Faculty community conversation was with  Professor Mor Naaman on Tech, Media & Democracy. Don't have video of that presentation.

The fourth 2018 -19 Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Faculty community conversation was with Professor James Grimmelman on Law, Technology and the Sealand Data Haven. Watch the video here.

Am very much looking forward to this year's Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech faculty community conversation starting this Thursday.

Unique Beta Pop Up Dinner Event Comes To The Sanctuary On Roosevelt Island, An Exploration Of The Plant Kingdom, 6 Courses Each Paired With Exquisite Wine - Get Your Ticket For Monday October 14 Event


Roosevelt Island's new event space, The Sanctuary,


will be the venue for a unique Pop Un Dinner experience


on Monday, October 14:
An Exploration Of The Plant Kingdom
According to Edible Queens:
Japanese eggplants lacquered with berry kosho tare, baby potatoes cooked in a massam melon curry beurre blanc, each paired with exquisite wines, served at an intimate pop-up dinner on New York’s most intimate island. We're planning a very special Monday evening and you're invited.

On October 14, La Nueva Mesa kicks off a pop-up dinner series with a wine-paired six-course locally sourced plant based meal crafted by Drew Shives, Matthew Taber and Amir Dholakia- the three ex-Jean-George culinary wizards behind Beta, the wait-list only popup in Queens.

Indulge in a night to remember. Better act fast, there's limited seating and the location will only be given at time of purchase.

Date: October 14, 2019 6:30 PM-9:30 PM

Location: An Exploration of the Plant Kingdom | Manhattan

Admission:

$125 per person, 30 seat limit
Click here for tickets.

Monday, October 7, 2019

Scenes From Roosevelt Island Shops On Main Street Block Party - Nisi Restaurant Pancake Easting Contest, Sanctuary Silent Disco, Island Om Yoga, Gallery RIVAA Art & More - A New RI Tradition Begins

Let's hope that like Roosevelt Island Day, Fall Arts Festival, Halloween Parade and Holiday Tree Lighting, a new annual tradition has been begun for Roosevelt Island - the Nisi Restaurant Pancake Eating Contest.


The Nisi Pancake eating contest was part of this past Saturday's first annual Hudson Related Shops On Main Street Block Party.
Presented by Shops on Main, Main Street Block Party is the first festival of its kind on Roosevelt Island’s Main Street. The event brings together neighbors and visitors of all ages to celebrate Shops on Main through food, art, festivities and fun....
Main Street Retail Master Leaseholder Hudson Related's David Kramer describes the Shop On Main Street Block Party:
Anything we can do to throw a party, help the retailers out bring people on to the streets and sidewalks....

... It's great to see people on the streets of Main Street and hopefully it'll keep up. We have a bunch of new tenants who are working to open up their spaces we have some new tenants whether it's Pup Culture or Hotpot and so our hope is that Roosevelt  Islanders will continue to reinvest in their retail corridor.


Here's more from the Nisi Pancake Eating Contest



and interview with Nisi owner Alex Razaghi who says he would like to make it an annual event.



The winner of the first Roosevelt Island Pancake Eating contest was a young visitor from Brooklyn, Rufus Burns-Heath, who outlasted all the other competitors while working on his plate with numbers 10-12 pancakes served. Rufus received a Nisi $100 gift certificate for winning from Alex.


There were lots more activities during the Shops on Main Street Block Party.

Roosevelt Island's new event space/restaurant The Sanctuary hosted a Silent Disco on the Rivercross Lawn:



Jax Schott, owner of the not yet open Island Om Yoga Studio hosted Yoga


and Meditation sessions

with gorgeous view of the East River waterfront.

Gallery RIVAA artists were selling their work



and showing David Kramer the new Island Of Art mural on wall next door the the gallery.


Wholesome Factory showed residents how to make their own mini flower bouquets.


Roosevelt Island Shops on Main Street adds:
Doggie toys and treats at PupCulture / Tastings at Island Wine & Spirits / Mild to hot to sweet tastings at LiuKouShui Hot Pot Noodle / Arts and crafts for all ages at Gallery RIVAA / Make your own mini bouquet at Wholesome Factory / Free Nail decals + manicures with Roosevelt Nails / Free Empanadas + Lemonade at Bread + Butter / Tastings at Subway Sandwich / Musical entertainment / Face painting and much much more…
The Block Party was well done. Hope to see more events like this in future - particularly the Nisi Pancake eating contest.