Great news folks: we hit record-high health care enrollment. 31 million
people now have coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Couldn’t think of
a better person to celebrate this milestone with than President Obama, so I
gave him a call.
pic.twitter.com/QtLeskSNnY
A year ago yesterday, June 3, 2020,
a group of young Roosevelt Island activists were among the organizers of an
inspiring
Roosevelt Island March For Justice
from the Cornell Tech campus to Good Shepherd Plaza protesting the murder of
George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin.
On Tuesday, May 25,2021 the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA)
Public Safety Committee (PSC) together with two of the young March For Justice
activists, Joie St. Hubert and Zoe Lopez, held a vigil and program at the
Meditation Steps in memory of George Floyd's murder one year ago.
Roosevelt Island residents taking a knee tonight at Mediation Steps
commemorating 1 year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder.
pic.twitter.com/se1VaoGvmt
— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland)
May 25, 2021
After the program, I asked the organizers, Joie St. Hubert, Zoe Lopez, Erin
Feeley-Nahem, Ike Nahem, Frank Farance and another young resident, Dleanna H.
what the Roosevelt Island George Floyd remembrance meant to them.
According to Joie St Hubert:
As a young black person in America, honestly, it gives me hope that these
conversations are starting to be had and as much as we have not made as much
progress as we wanted, the fact that conversations are slowly starting to
happen, it encourages me.
And Zoe Lopez:
We're hopeful, we've made progress since last year. We'll make progress next
year.
The only thing about being on the Island is you don't see these things
happening. Obviously, being here we're a lot more sheltered which is why we
need to have these conversations but it doesn't happen as much here. We're
relatively safe in our little two mile radius and as soon as you go across
the Tram it changes.
Joie St Hubert added:
I think it's beautiful that as a community we were able to come together and
recognize that you know these awful things are going on and these injustices.
We're able to as a community come together. To me that was really powerful.
Erin Feely-Nahem said:
... We need to keep the pressure on. For us today, inspired by the
actions that they had done last year, which we were unable to attend, we
wanted to do something in conjunction together. Almost like handing over to
the next activist the way forward. Being part of that and sharing that
experience, it meant that our community was not only able to acknowledge
that this is a reality but start to work together to fight against it.
It's also RIRA coming back....
And Ike Nahem:
...I've been involved in struggles like this since I was a teenager, since I
was the age of some of these young activists so it it certainly gives me
great satisfaction to see a new generation of young people becoming
conscious and engaging in a struggle.
The fact that we have a community here, that as these two young sisters just
said, the fact that we are on Roosevelt Island have been able to push back
because of the past struggles that took place seven years ago, now eight
years ago, to win some advances that create more space and constitutional
policing but it's a constant struggle...
And Frank Farance:
... Roosevelt Island should be an examplar for all of the things that have
happened here, both bad and good. This is a model community for how it's
done right....
... As someone who's grown up in the civil rights movement, I'll just say I
thought we were making progress for many years. I feel like in the past
year, past couple years, I didn't realize how fragile all the progress was
that we made in the past 50 years, but I'm glad to be here on Roosevelt
Island because this really is a model for elsewhere. ...
Zoe Lopez added:
Absolutely, like what you were saying, public safety works because it wasn't
built on racism....
And Dleanna H:
It meant a lot to me because I went to the first protest that happened last
year and now I'm at this one today and I just wanted to reflect on this past
year.
It really does mean a lot to see what changes, if there were changes, if
there weren't changes, just evaluate and think about what has happened over
the past year.
But think about these moments, these people who have died because of what is
going on and just keep them in our hearts and in our heads and just think
about and pray about them for the rest of our lives. This is a time to
remember, especially for people of color, and just people out there, just to
think about what has happened
Watch the full interview
and Joie St Hubert ending the program with a beautiful performance of Lift
Every Voice, often referred to as the Black National Anthem.
Here's the entire May 25, 2021 Roosevelt Island Vigil and Program in Memory of
George Floyd.
The Roosevelt Island Saturday Farmers Market is a beloved part of our
community - a place to purchase locally grown, healthy and deliciously tasting
fresh fruits, vegetables and other items at Good Shepherd Plaza. It's also a
gathering spot to meet and talk with our neighbors.
Farmers Market vendor Israel Wengerd shares these photos of strawberries
picked today
from the Wengerd family farm
that will be available tomorrow at the Roosevelt Island Farmers Market.
Fresh strawberries are perfect for what is expected to be a hot summer day
tomorrow.
Eat Fresh, Eat Local and Eat Healthy at the Roosevelt Island Farmers Market
See you Saturday at Good Shepherd Plaza for the Farmers Market.
Today,
Big Reuse
delivered a truckload containing 9 cubic yards of compost from it's facility
in Gowanus Brooklyn to the
Roosevelt Island Living Library
next to the new Public Library branch at 504 Main Street.
Living Library Teacher and Gardener China Bushell explains that the Roosevelt
Island Living Library is built on compost, no soil at all, and with the added
compost, more flowers and vegetables can be planted in the garden.
This was a good day for Ms Bushell and the Roosevelt Island Living Library
unlike May 20 which Ms Bushell described as " one of my worst days on
Roosevelt Island."
On May 25, I asked the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):
I'm told last Saturday, a brutally hot day, the Living Library gardener
attempted to use the Youth Center Water Connection for the plants and to save
trees that were dying as she has done for several years in the past. According
to the Gardener she was stopped from doing so by Erica Spencer-El who claimed
the Gardener was trespassing and filed a complaint with Public Safety.
Is this true? Any comment from RIOC on the matter?
Ms Spencer-El is the RIOC Director of Communications and Community Affairs.
RIOC has not responded to my inquiry.
In response to Living Library Director Bonnie Sherk's
email about this incident, RIOC President Shelton Haynes replied:
... I was made aware of the incident that occurred last week with regard to
the request for water usage near the RIOC Youth Center. Please know it is
always RIOC’s intention to have positive professional exchanges with
Roosevelt Island community members, stakeholders and the public at large. As
an update, we have plans to upgrade the area adjacent to the library which
includes having a permanent water source. We anticipate that this project
should be completed in the fall 2021.
I have copied John O’Reilly, CFO on this correspondence as he will work with
you and your team on a temporary solution for water access. We would also
like to discuss some additional upgrades to the area that your group works
in.
Lastly, Rosanna Ceruzzi inquired if there was an NYPD report filed on the
matter. Our Public Safety leadership confirmed that there was no NYPD
involvement or reports filed. Ms. Bushell, does not have any NYPD record
that will need to be expunged. A member of the RIOC Public Safety
department, who was assigned to the Youth Center that day was on the scene
during the discussion. As part the requirement of the Public Safety
department, he made an incident report in which all parties involved have to
identify themselves....
This morning,
the Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel welcomed the Roosevelt Island community and
guests with a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the hotel.
— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland)
June 2, 2021
The Ribbon cutting ceremony was hosted by Graduate Hotel General Manager Bill
Cutillo who said:
It's my pleasure to welcome all of you today to this beautiful
property. We gather to celebrate today the opening of the hotel.
It's
the first hotel to open on this special Island. In a moment of promise
and excitement for the future of New York City as a whole.
It's
such a pleasure to gather with all of you to commemorate this
incredible project and the future ahead. Today was a long time coming.
Some of us have joined for this final stretch to bring the hotel to the
market while many of you have perhaps lived here on the island for
decades or have been involved with Cornell Tech since it's inception.
We appreciate your passion and your dedication and we feel so lucky
to be opening our doors here amid such a dynamic community, rich
history and tradition
We have an inspiring future ahead all with
indisputably the best backdrop we can imagine. Each Graduate Hotel's
property is anchored and celebrating the community within. This hotel
is no different. From our decor which nods to all sorts of Island
stories, some big and some small to our exciting food and beverage
offerings and the activations that will bring the hotel to life. We
hope you will continue to stop by and visit and we look forward to
getting to know all of you here at Graduate Roosevelt Island and thank
you again for joining us today
The question everyone on Roosevelt Island is asking is when will the Rooftop
Bar/Restaurant and Ground Floor Restaurant open?
We still don't have an exact opening date yet for either restaurant opening,
but I am told that the Ground Floor restaurant is expected to open in the next
2 weeks and the Rooftop Bar/Restaurant sometime in July.
We did learn from Mr. Abrou that the name of the Ground Floor Restaurant is:
Anything At All
and the name of the Rooftop Bar/Restaurant is:
Panoroma.
Believe me, the name Panorama is right on target for the Rooftop
Bar/Restaurant. The NYC skyline and East River waterfront views seen from the Panorama's rooftop are magnificent.
As reported yesterday:
... Last Friday, I toured the Graduate Hotel and it looks fantastic. The
ground floor will have an indoor restaurant with outdoor seating and a lobby
area that is welcoming the Roosevelt Island community to sit,relax, eat,
drink, chat and read.
The rooftop bar and restaurant is a site to behold. It reminded me of the
old Rainbow Room on top of Rockefeller Center. The views are
breathtaking....
... Here's a peek today at the lobby area and ground floor restaurant....
... residents will receive a $99 rate from June 1 – August 31, 2021 (plus
applicable taxes and fees) and their friends & family can receive 10% off
the hotel's Best Available Rate year round and that their apartment management
firms will be sharing the booking code...
Long time Roosevelt Island resident Ross Wollen was a "staycation" guest for
the first night at the Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel. Mr. Wollen reports:
We were delighted by the whole experience and look forward to when the
Graduate has its restaurants and rooftop lounge open.
Our Junior Suite had a very interesting view - eye level to the very close
Bridge traffic - not what we see from Rivercross. It must be said the
extended Lobby and even the rooms strongly resemble a Museum and Library
dedicated to Roosevelt Island and President Roosevelt, and alone are worth
a visit. Our room was very commodious and every Graduate staff member we met
was extremely gracious and helpful. The linens were wonderful.
I should add that our short trip to Granny Annie's for dinner was excellent
too.
It was a wonderful trip wrapping up my Birthday Weekend.
The Twitterverse reported on today's Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel ribbon
cutting ceremony.
Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island has brought cutting edge innovation to our
city.
Today, I was proud to open up the adjoining Graduate hotel
and to take a tour afterwards. The hotel will increase access to the island
& expand all that R.I. can do to serve NYers & tourists.
pic.twitter.com/ttzzKHjI5l
— Carolyn B. Maloney (@CarolynBMaloney)
June 2, 2021
Graduate Hotels®️ is excited to announce that Graduate Roosevelt Island opens
its doors on June 1, 2021. The 224-key, 18-story hotel opens as part of the
Graduate Hotels collection at the Cornell Tech campus on New York City’s
Roosevelt Island. Serving as the island’s first hotel, Graduate Roosevelt
Island marks the brand’s 29th property and New York City debut. Located at 22
North Loop Road, the hotel offers a scholastic retreat in the middle of the
East River with bright, modern spaces and breathtaking views of Manhattan,
Queens and beyond.
Created for travelers who seek
memory-making journeys, Graduate Hotels is a hand-crafted collection of hotels
that reside in dynamic university-anchored towns across the country and
expanding into the U.K. in summer 2021. Each property celebrates and
commemorates the optimistic energy of its community, while offering an
extended retreat to places that often play host to the best days of our
lives.
“We’re thrilled to make our debut in New York with the
first ever hotel on Roosevelt Island and proud to join the innovative Cornell
Tech campus,” said Ben Weprin, founder and CEO of Graduate Hotels. “Each of
our hotels are rooted in the communities they serve, and we took great care in
creating a highly customized hotel experience that honors the island’s rich
history and has an authentic connection to the Cornell Tech campus. Now more
than ever, there is a new appreciation for exploring what’s in your own
backyard and we look forward to welcoming locals and visitors looking to
experience New York from a fresh and unexpected vantage point.”
Positioned
at the entrance of the Cornell Tech campus, the hotel is architecturally
designed by internationally renowned design firm, Snøhetta, and New York
City-based hospitality-focused architecture firm, Stonehill Taylor, with
interior design from Graduate Hotels’ in-house team. The interior design of
the hotel blends Old School and New Age, taking inspiration from both the rich
history of Roosevelt Island and the future of technology that the Cornell Tech
campus embodies. The futuristic and functional meld to create a space that’s
bright, open and always interesting.
Upon entering, guests
are greeted with a custom 12-foot statement sculpture created by Hebru
Brantley that reinterprets his iconic Flyboy character and a neon Graduate
sign situated above the reception desk, which is a reimagined vintage
apothecary cabinet. Nods to the island’s storied history can be seen through
the corridor behind the front desk, which features a gallery of black and
white photographs of the Roosevelt family. The spacious lobby is lined with
5,000 linear feet of textbooks and floor-to-ceiling windows to create a bright
and airy space warmed up with Persian-inspired rugs, mid-century light
fixtures and pops of Cornell Big Red hues throughout. The lobby is also home
to the hotel’s full-service, all-day restaurant with a statement wraparound
bar anchoring the space and a variety of inviting lounge seating.
Food &
Beverage Los Angeles-based hospitality team and New York City natives,
Med Abrous and Marc Rose of
Call Mom are the
exclusive food and beverage partners at Graduate Roosevelt Island, marking the
duo’s homecoming and their third collaboration with Graduate Hotels, which
also includes Graduate Seattle and Graduate Nashville. The hotel includes the
full-service restaurant, Anything At All, on the ground level; The Panorama
Room, an extraordinary indoor-outdoor rooftop bar and lounge with
unobstructed, sweeping views of the city; and, over 3,000 square feet of
onsite flexible meeting space all concepted and operated by Abrous and
Rose.
Abrous and Rose have tapped a talented, female-led team
including Executive Chef Ja’Toria Harper, Pastry Chef Lindsey Verardo and
Beverage Director Estelle Bossy to oversee all food and beverage programs.
Opening later in June, Anything At All will serve breakfast, brunch, lunch and
dinner. Rooted in a vegetable-forward, farm-first approach to contemporary
comfort food, the light-drenched indoor-outdoor space features a sustainable
synergy between the kitchen and the bar whose playful, creative frozen drinks
and seasonal spritzes will take center stage at brunch. In advance of opening,
the ground floor restaurant offers a sneak peek of the menu with a selection
of grab & go items available for takeout and delivery via ChowNow and
DeliverZero, the innovative service which delivers food in reusable
containers. Additionally, Rose and Abrous have partnered with Brooklyn’s
Variety Coffee which will be served at the hotel in addition to the solar and
battery-powered Poindexter Coffee Bike Cart that will be parked out front
offering coffee and a curated selection of morning and afternoon grab-and-go
items.
Situated atop the hotel, The Panorama Room, is the
stunning 168-seat rooftop bar and lounge designed by James Beard Foundation
Award-winning design firm, Parts and Labor Design. Opening in July 2021, the
crown jewel of the property will evoke a sense of cinematic drama inspired by
futurism creating a true destination for fashion-forward elegance in an
intimate space all set against unobstructed city views.
"It's
an inexplicable feeling to return to our hometown and have a hand in creating
a bold, new destination within this great city," said Med Abrous and Marc
Rose, founders and owners of Call Mom. "Alongside our longtime partners and
collaborators at Graduate Hotels and the Roosevelt Island community, we can't
wait to offer a sense of discovery as both locals and visitors experience our
restaurant, bar, and spaces in between for world-class cocktails, inventive
yet comforting dishes and enveloping hospitality."
The
hotel’s third floor features a variety of distinct multi-use meeting and event
spaces set against clear skyline views, offering the perfect venue for every
occasion from weddings to off-site corporate meetings. This summer, Graduate
Hotels has transformed its ballroom into a space for collaboration inspired by
the iconic film BIG. Known as “The Loft” at Graduate Roosevelt Island, this
pop culture moment creates an opportunity for families, local businesses and
private groups to catch up on lost time in a space that sparks creative energy
and taps into the power of nostalgia. “The Loft” is available for private
bookings
online here
and families can join the fun at Family Saturdays this summer, a series of
kid-friendly activities in partnership with
PlayDay.
In 2011, Cornell won a
city-sponsored competition to develop a tech and science campus on Roosevelt
Island including a hotel that could serve visitors, students and the
community. A selection committee of high-profile Cornell alums with ties to
the hospitality and real estate industries selected Graduate Hotels for the
project in 2016 for its ability to create a highly customized experience that
would have a clear and authentic connection to the Cornell campus. Cornell
Tech's Roosevelt Island campus opened fall 2017. When fully completed, the
campus will include two million square feet of state-of-the-art buildings,
over two acres of open space, and will be home to more than 2,000 graduate
students and hundreds of faculty and staff.
Graduate
Roosevelt Island proudly joins the cutting edge, eco-friendly Cornell Tech
campus. The hotel furthers the campus’ ongoing commitment to sustainability
through its LEED-rated architecture and the use of highly efficient materials
and energy saving systems throughout the property. Graduate Roosevelt Island’s
many sustainability initiatives include the LEED-certified architecture, use
of recyclable materials, highly efficient heating, cooling and LED lighting
systems, reduced water consumption, waste reclamation programs, healthy indoor
air quality and more. The food and beverage operators are equally committed to
creating environmentally conscious restaurant operations and culinary programs
including: composting food scraps, recycling programs for restaurant waste, no
single-use plastic products, minimizing food waste and purchasing sustainable,
locally-sourced ingredients and products.
Easily accessible from the F Train, NYC Ferry and the Tramway, Graduate
Roosevelt Island invites locals looking for a convenient getaway from the city
and visitors curious to experience New York City from a new perspective. Rates
start at $219 per night.
It's a kit (a baby raccoon) and very likely he ventured outside of its den and roamed away from his mom... Raccoons walk on rocks in the river at night so the baby will return there when he'll feel safe. Common sense tip: Do not try to chase or shoo the raccoon away
— Wildlife Freedom Foundation (@wffny) June 2, 2021
... non-profit 501c(3) organization specializing in the rescue and placement of pets, wildlife rehabilitation of injured birds and mammals and advocating to protect, preserve wildlife in New York City. We are registered with the State Of New York, Dept. Of Agriculture And Markets, Registration No.: RR350.
Roosevelt Island does have our share of NYC wildlife. Fortunately, we don't have to worry about bears roaming our parks and streets.
A young woman saved her dogs from a bear by pushing it off a ledge with her bare hands. The viral video was posted by the woman's cousin Brenda on TikTok with the caption, ‘My cousin Hailey yeeted a bear off her fence today and saved her dogs. How was your Memorial Day?!’ pic.twitter.com/xNldXvoc7P
For friends in Boulder. Now this is wildlife. I don’t think folks on Roosevelt Island could handle a Mountain Lion outside our window. https://t.co/1nWr7dHJ0P
Summer is officially here and so is Graduate Roosevelt Island! We are
thrilled to announce the grand opening of our 29th location and the first
hotel on Roosevelt Island.
#WeAreAllStudentspic.twitter.com/4I7lYxwwWI
Last Friday, I toured the Graduate Hotel and it looks fantastic. The ground
floor will have an indoor restaurant with outdoor seating and a lobby area
that is welcoming the Roosevelt Island community to sit,relax, eat, drink, chat and read.
The rooftop bar and restaurant is a site to behold. It reminded me of the old Rainbow Room on top of Rockefeller Center. The views are
breathtaking.
Neither restaurant is open yet. The ground floor restaurant is expected to
open soon with the rooftop area opening later this summer.
Here's a peek today at the lobby area and ground floor restaurant.
... ... residents will receive a $99 rate from June 1 – August 31, 2021 (plus
applicable taxes and fees) and their friends & family can receive 10% off
the hotel's Best Available Rate year round and that their apartment management
firms will be sharing the booking codes....
On Memorial Day, we honor and reflect upon the courage, integrity, and
selfless dedication of the members of our Armed Forces who have made the
greatest sacrifice in service to our nation.
pic.twitter.com/wRq9hJSxoC
Please take some time today on Memorial Day to honor the men and women of the
United States Military who died while serving our country as well as their
families.
Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday
of May, commemorates the men and women who died while serving in the
American military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated
in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal
holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting
cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in
parades. Unofficially, at least, it marks the beginning of summer...
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a
time set aside to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their
graves...
This #MemorialDay, I'll not only be thinking about our fallen soldiers, but also the incredible sacrifices of the families they left behind. They, too, deserve our deepest admiration. We must never forget the lives cut short, nor the lives forever altered. #HonorThempic.twitter.com/MulRNKYwFD
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) May 29, 2021
Today's Memorial Day Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
The origin of “Taps, the distinctive bugle melody played at U.S. military funerals and memorials and as a lights-out signal to soldiers at night, dates back to the American Civil War.
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.
