Insane Long Lines At The Roosevelt Island Tram Today Filled With Tourists, Line Stretched To 60th Street Halfway Up To Third Avenue - Tram Cabin Rocking & Rolling Over Second Avenue Today Too

With no Roosevelt Island F Train service this Easter weekend combined with the popularity of the Roosevelt Island Tram on social media, the lines at the Manhattan and Roosevelt Island Tram stations were very long.

I took the 12:15 Tram to Manhattan. The Tram platform was very crowded but no line outside the turnstile. 

About 15 people were left on the platform.

When we got to Manhattan the line stretched to 59th street and the wait was 15 minutes to get to the bottom of the stairs. The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Safety Department was managing the crowd and allowing approximately 100 people at a time from the line up the stairs to go to the platform and then enter the cabin.

I took the 4:30 Tram from Manhattan back to Roosevelt Island. That line was insane stretching to 60th street and halfway up Third Avenue. I'm told it took more than an hour on the line to get to the staircase. 

There was also a long line at the Roosevelt Island Tram station.

As I approached the Manhattan Tram station at about 4:25, I noticed the Tram suddenly stopped, rocking back and forth over Second Avenue.

Take a look at some Roosevelt Island Tram scenes from today. 

Check out some of the comments to Roosevelt Island Instagram posts about the Tram lines today.

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You can take the Roosevelt Island Red Bus shuttle tomorrow to avoid the long Tram lines.

UPDATE: RIOC is extending the hours for the planned Manhattan Red Bus shuttle this weekend to help residents with off-island travel while the F-Train is out of service. The shuttle will now run from 11am to 7:30pm. pic.twitter.com/CgXCOEsyqk

— Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (@RIOCny) March 27, 2024

Good Luck Getting To And From Roosevelt Island This Weekend, No F Train Shuttle Service To And From Manhattan And Expect Long Lines At The Roosevelt Island Tram - Regular F Train 63rd Street Tunnel Service Expected To Resume April 1

Today is scheduled to be the last day for the F Train Shuttle running between 21st/Queensbridge, Roosevelt Island and 63rd St/Lexington Ave.

 

Regular F train service is expected to resume Monday, April 1 for Roosevelt Island, 63/Lex and Queensbridge with completion this weekend of the MTA's 63rd Street Tunnel Direct Fixation Project which started last August 28.

But there will be no Roosevelt Island F train service to or from Manhattan this Easter Weekend, March 30 -31 as the MTA finishes up work on the 63rd Street tunnel rehab project.

According to the MTA:

This being Easter weekend and the cherry blossoms starting to bloom, plan for long lines at the Roosevelt Island Tram. This afternoon at 12 pm the Manhattan Tram station platform was jam packed with tourists.

Upon arriving at Roosevelt Island, most of the tourists immediately got on the next very crowded Tram back to Manhattan.

During the March 26 Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) community Working Advisory Group meeting with residents, RIOC announced that extra Public Safety Department officers will be stationed at the Tram stations this weekend (as seen today),

that seniors, disabled and anyone who needs assistance can skip long lines by using the Tram elevator

and that extended red bus hours have been added to the Red Bus Shuttle between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island this weekend.

UPDATE: RIOC is extending the hours for the planned Manhattan Red Bus shuttle this weekend to help residents with off-island travel while the F-Train is out of service. The shuttle will now run from 11am to 7:30pm. pic.twitter.com/CgXCOEsyqk

— Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (@RIOCny) March 27, 2024

According to this March 27 RIOC Advisory:

UPDATE: RIOC is extending the hours for the planned Manhattan Red Bus shuttle this weekend to help residents with off-island travel while the F-Train is out of service. The shuttle will now run from 11am to 7:30pm. Details are highlighted below:

Dear Roosevelt Island Community:

The MTA has informed us that there will be no F- shuttle service on Roosevelt Island on the weekend of March 30-31, starting on Friday 3/29 at 11:30 PM.

At this time, it is anticipated that F, E, and M train service will resume normal operation between Queens and Manhattan starting at 5AM on April 1st.

During the outage, the MTA will once again provide free shuttle buses for island residents to utilize:

Starting at 11:30 PM on Friday 3/29 and for the remainder of the weekend, a free shuttle bus will replace the Q95 and Q94 and will extend to connect Roosevelt Island, 21 St- Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza, following the current Q94 overnight shuttle route. This shuttle bus will run during daytime and overnight hours for the duration of the weekend and is scheduled to operate approximately every 5-10 minutes.

Other Methods of Travel

In addition to the MTA’s free shuttle bus, island residents may utilize the following methods of off-island transportation during the weekend:

Red Bus Manhattan Shuttle: RIOC will once again run a Red Bus Shuttle to Manhattan on Saturday March 30th and Sunday March 31st from 11:00am– 7:30pm. The shuttle leaves from the Tram Station at the top of every hour and picks up returning riders from the Southwest side of 2nd Avenue, between 58th Street and 59th Street, on the half hour.

Tram: RIOC is running the Tram on a rush hour schedule every Saturday and Sunday from 7:00am – 10:00pm during the ongoing MTA trackwork. Please be advised that we expect longer than average wait times for the Tram while this MTA work takes place, so you should plan your travel accordingly. Extra PSD officers will be stationed at both the Roosevelt Island and Manhattan Tram stations during these weekends, and if you are elderly or disabled and need help reaching the Manhattan side Tram platform, please make sure to speak with one of the PSD officers on site.

NYC Ferry: The NYC Ferry Astoria line serves Roosevelt Island and can provide off-island transportation to Queens and Manhattan. You can check its schedule here.

Q102 Bus: Travelers can also utilize the Q102 Bus to Astoria for off-island travel. You can view its schedule here.

Thank you. -RIOC Transportation

Good luck with getting to and from Roosevelt Island this weekend.

Sponsored Post - Roosevelt Island Farmers Market Returns To Good Shepherd Plaza This Saturday March 30 - Featuring A Wide Variety Of Locally Grown, Healthy And Tasty Fresh Fruits, Vegetables & Much More, See You Saturday At The Roosevelt Island Farmers Market

The Roosevelt Island Farmers Market returns to it's Spring/Summer Fall Home at Good Shepherd Plaza this Saturday March 30.

from it's Motorgate Plaza Winter home.

The Roosevelt Island Saturday Farmers Market is a beloved member of our community - a place to purchase locally grown, healthy and deliciously tasting fresh fruits, vegetables and much more. It's also a gathering spot to meet with our neighbors and learn about the latest neighborhood news and gossip.

The Roosevelt Island Saturday Farmers Market at Good Shepherd Plaza is open early morning to mid afternoon on Saturdays in good weather and bad. 

Support your Local Farmers, Eat Healthy! 

See you Saturday at Good Shepherd Plaza for the Roosevelt Island Farmers Market.

Hilton Hotel Coming To Roosevelt Island With $210 Million Purchase Of Graduate Hotel Brand

Hilton is acquiring lifestyle hotel brand Graduate Hotels from AJ Capital Partners for $210 million. AJ Capital will retain ownership of the real estate, and Hilton will enter into franchise agreements for all existing and signed pipeline hotels.https://t.co/TgZHTEaS5f pic.twitter.com/8LIQBhRe7a

— Hotel News Now (@Hotel_News_Now) March 14, 2024

According to a March 14, 2024 Hilton press release:

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced an agreement with Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners (“AJ Capital”) to acquire the fan-favorite Graduate Hotels® brand, adding a significant growth opportunity for the global hospitality leader in the fast-growing lifestyle hotel market. 

Hilton will pay $210 million to acquire all rights to the Graduate brand worldwide, enter into franchise agreements for all existing and signed pipeline Graduate Hotels, and become responsible for the brand’s future development and growth. AJ Capital will remain the owner of the more than 35 operating and pipeline Graduate properties, each of which will be operated under long-term Hilton franchise agreements.

 The transaction, which is expected to close in the second quarter, subject to customary closing conditions including review and approval pursuant to Hart-Scott-Rodino, will be immediately accretive to Hilton. The company expects the fee contribution for the first full year of ownership to be approximately $16 million....   

Click here for the full press release. 

I asked a representative from the Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel: 

How will this affect the Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel? Any changes?

Any statement to the Roosevelt Island community?

Will update when more info becomes available.

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What, if any, changes will Hilton Hotel bring to the Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel

Panorama Room rooftop cocktail bar

or Anything At All lobby restaurant?

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We shall see.

Watch Fascinating Video Of RIHS Lecture About Redevelopment Of Roosevelt Island From Blackwell's & Welfare Island To Visionary Phillip Johnson/John Burgee 1969 Master Plan To Present Day Deviations

Last Tuesday, March 19, the Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) hosted a presentation by Hunter College Urban Policy and Planning graduate student Dylan Brown. He is currently working on a research project with RIHS President Judy Berdy exploring the history of Roosevelt Island's development  from its beginning as Blackwell's Island to Welfare Island to the 1969 Roosevelt Island Master Plan by architects Phillip Johnson/John Burgee and continuing to the present day. Approximately 30 residents attended his very interesting and informative lecture at the Roosevelt Island NYPL branch.

RIHS President Judy Berdy introduced Dylan and reported he:

... has been working with us the last few weeks going through our treasure chest and it is a treasure chest. We have things from the from the 60s the welfare Island days the early development days...

According to Mr Brown:

... Last semester I started a research project on Roosevelt Island and that is how I met Judy. That research project has still not finished ... because it is so detailed and in depth. I really felt like I could not wrap myself around how much history has happened on Rosevelt Island ... to focus on just one aspect is almost impossible. What I'm going to try to do to you guys today is explain a very long history about probably one of the most interesting places in New York City...

My research prompt for this was: How did Roosevelt Island deviate from its master plan in 1969 and why?

... I'm a nerd. I like urban planning. I knew about Rosevelt Island beforehand and I read the Master Plan. I thought it was fascinating but I never really dove into it until this project. I noticed that there was a lot of things that either happened or didn't happen or were altered so basically the presentation we're going to go through will be in four sections. 

The first section is going to be history. We're going to be looking at the history of Roosevelt Island pre-development and post-development.

Then we're going to be looking at the Island That Nobody Knows. That's the 1969 plan devised for the Island.

Then we're going to be looking at building Northtown which is where you're sitting in right now... 

... Finally we're going to look at the deviations and how, what you experienced of Roosevelt Island from the 1969 plan that was laid out.

Here's video of Dylan Brown's Redeveloping Roosevelt Island lecture,

his slide presentation

and the Phillip Johnson/John Burgee Roosevelt Island Master Plan.

RIHS President Judy Berdy adds:

Over the last 40 years we have collected all sorts of island artifacts Luckily we have storage unit in the Octagon as well as our office. We have hundreds of photos and paper documents that can be used for research. Here a some of our unique collection...

And:

TREASURES REDISCOVERED 

This is an original poster that publicized the exhibit “Welfare Island: An Interim Report” which was presented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for two weeks October 6 through October 19, 1970 

Did you know that there was a scale model of the future island exhibited at the Met in 1970? This is just one historical item that is stored in our office/archive in the Octagon 

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO FUND OUR ARCHIVAL WORK TO MAKE OUR COLLECTIONS MORE AVAILABLE AND EASY TO USE. PLEASE USE OUR DONATION LINK BELOW TO MAKE A DONATION FOR OUR ARCHIVES AND AN EXHIBIT OF OUR COLLECTION IN UPCOMING MONTHS. ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTABLE AND WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED.

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Sponsored Post - Roosevelt Island Home Town Hairstylists At Fusion Salon Wish You A Happy Easter

Roosevelt Island hairstylists at hometown Fusion Salon wish you a Happy Easter

Our mission has always been to provide exceptional hair care services for men, women and children in a safe, modern, relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. We provide the finest selection of professional hair care products – We are a Certified Concept Salon featuring expert Hair Care, Cuts, Styles, Highlights, Color and Keratin Treatment. Our experienced stylists are dedicated, well trained professionals who provide our clients with a phenomenal salon experience that will allow you to always look your best.

At Fusion Salon We have created a warm and friendly family atmosphere where our aim is to always exceed your expectations and to ensure a safe and superb experience time and time again.  

At Fusion Salon we are always happy to discuss your hair care needs or styling questions. Ask your stylist which products or treatments are most appropriate for your type of hair. We appreciate how important your hair is and how it affects the way you feel.

Please review our services, pricing and special packages.

Fusion Salon hours are:

• Tuesday – Saturday 9am – 7pm
• Sunday 10am – 7pm
• Monday – Closed

Please stop by our shop at 523 Main Street, call 212-688-0055 or email us.

We look forward to working with you on your individual hair needs.

Happy Easter Roosevelt Island!

Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation Celebrates Purim With Worship Service, Holiday Fun Performing Maestra Esther Heimer Purimschpiel Play & Delicious Home Made Hamantaschen Fruit Pastry

Janet Falk reports on the Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation (RIJC) Purim celebration last Saturday evening. According to Ms. Falk:

Maestra Esther Heimer: A Purim Celebration on Roosevelt Island

Purim, a joyous and comedic holiday celebration filled with fun and parody based on the Biblical story of Esther, was celebrated by the Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation (RIJC) on Saturday evening, March 23, with about 50 people participating in a full evening of activities for all ages.

Following a pizza dinner, Amber Levanon Seligson led the evening worship service. 

Then, Rabbi Laurie Gold, dressed as a pirate, led the reading of the megillah, or traditional scroll, which recounts the story of the holiday, marking the survival of the Jewish people at a time of a threatened massacre. Ably assisted by Gad Levanon, Michal Melamed and Dvir Koenigstein, her reading was interrupted by children and adults wielding groggers to blot out the recitation of the name of the man, Haman, who purportedly attempted to destroy the Jews.

Interspersed among the sections telling the Purim story was a Purimschpiel, or play based on this narrative. Written by Mickey Rindler and Janet Falk, Maestra Esther Heimer combined the narratives of three summer blockbuster movies: Barbie, Maestro and Oppenheimer.

The audience was invited to join in a song to a very familiar melody, here called Sweet Esther Stein, as Queen Esther gathered her courage to petition the King and secure the safety of the Jews. The cast featured Emily Kalb, Michal Melamed, Scott Piro, Mickey Rindler and Charlie Schwartz, plus teen members of the congregation, Tamar & Lucia,

The Purimschpiel's broad humor, plus references to past & current Roosevelt Island affairs, drew much laughter, groans and many cheers from the audience. This was the latest and most successful Purimsphiel from our great Team of Rindler & Falk, who have been writing them for many years.

The evening concluded with delicious home-made Hamantaschen, a traditional fruit pastry treat, baked by the Levanon-Seligson family. 

Mishloach Manot holiday gifts were prepared and donated by RIJC friends and neighbors.

The RIJC is the oldest, longest-serving, welcoming Jewish organization on the Island. For more information about the Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation, please visit our website or email Nina Lublin, RIJC President, at ninalublin1@gmail.com.

Sponsored Post - Check Out The Roosevelt Island Café At Cornell Tech March 25 Weekly Menu For Breakfast, Lunch, Salad Bar, Coffee, Smoothies, Wifi For Your Laptop & Much More - How Are We Doing? Send Your Feedback By Email Too

Check out the March 25 weekly menu at the Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Café.

We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us with any questions or concerns. Thank you for taking the time to let us know how we are doing. Any feedback can be emailed to thecafe-fbservices@tech.cornell.edu

The Cornell Tech Café is a great spot on Roosevelt Island   

for breakfast, Daily Hot Lunch Meals,  

Specialty & Grab and Go Sandwiches, Make Your Own Salads, Flatbread and Neapolitan Pizza, Salads, Soup, Coffee, Smoothies,

 beer, wine,

Sushi Thursday

and more.

Bring your laptop if you wish. The Cafe has very good wi-fi connection  

The Cafe is open Monday thru Friday 8am to 7 pm. Saturday and Sundays 11am to 5pm.

More info at the Cornell Tech Café website and Instagram Page.

See you soon at the Cornell Tech Café.