Roosevelt Island resident Verna Fitzpatrick reports:
The Church of the Good Shepherd (543 Main Street) is offering free take away fully prepared meals every second and fourth Sunday of the month at 10:30am. Please join us for Open Table.
First come, first served. 100 meals will be distributed.
Next distribution will be this coming Sunday, February 9th at 10:30am
Nneji - Astoria is providing the meals as part of food access work across the country.
Roosevelt Island RIVAA Gallery invites you to celebrate Black History Month with their upcoming exhibition highlighting the contributions of unlauded Black inventors. You're invited to the exhibition's opening reception tomorrow night, February 8 from 6-9 PM.
Earlier today, I received a pre-opening tour of the exhibition from co-curator Amazia Thompson.
According to Mr Thompson:
I have co-curators that I've invited from different
boroughs. Essentially, this exhibition
is focusing on black inventors. It's
called The Lives That Made The Lives We Live and it's
focusing on a lot of the times whether
it be inventors of culture, inventors of
technology or inventors of medicine, black hands are interwoven into the
fabric of what we sometimes take
for granted.
For example ... we have an aspect of
other cultures renditions of their
divinities depicted as women. We have Mother Earth, the Moon, the Sun, the Water and then the abstract usually
takes place with identity. We have one of
my favorites which is a rendition of Black Angel Babies and this one was
unique to me because oftentimes
Divinity is close to Whiteness in a lot
of ways and so Light is associated with
good, Darkness with bad but this is a
reminder that oftentimes perception is
not what we think...
The Lives That Made The Life We Live is an exhibition highlighting unlauded Black inventors and their silent impact on our way of living. Through this exhibition, artists explore the effects of Black inventions on the physical world and human psyche in mediums ranging from paint and textiles to photography and film. Serving as a tribute to these forgotten legacies, it calls for recognition and respect for Black creators who touch every part of our lives, often missed and taken for granted, spanning culture, technology, medicine, and everything in between and beyond.
Join us at RIVAA Gallery on Saturday, February 8th, from 6-9 PM for art, music and performances at the opening ceremony of this exhibition honoring Black History Month.
A year or so ago, I saw a blueprint/design document for Riverwalk 9 that included a layout of the shared courtyard between buildings 8/9 including the dog park. Does anyone know where I could find this?
It’s too bad they didn't include both a small and large dog park. That is really important as some dogs need space to move but can’t be with bigger dogs, or need the option to be separated. Also, the increase in dogs thanks to the new building is notable.
Several residents asked today about plans for the Riverwalk Commons dog run and other features.
Will the dog run have separate space for big and small dogs?
Also, what other features will the Commons have and is May the opening date?
Can you share any renderings or design of the Commons?
This was a proposed plan before construction.
Are there any changes?
Hudson Companies Jordan Camina replied:
The dog run will be split for small dogs and large dogs with separate entrances. The dog run will be a turf-type material designed for dogs.
We are still targeting a spring opening for the Commons East and work continues on-site towards completion.
The Commons was modified to be accessible directly from the riverside promenade as RIOC is no longer pursuing the bike-path project.
The design itself is largely unchanged besides the relocation of the dog run towards the river. Unfortunately, I don't have a nice color render of the Commons East like the original one you cited in your email.
During the February 3 RIOC Real Estate Development Advisory Committee meeting (REDAC), Mr Camina reported that the temporary dog run at Firefighters Field will soon be moving to the Riverwalk Commons East and that the new Dog Run will have lighting.
Related Companies Frank Monterisi describes the new Roosevelt Island Rivercross East Commons Open Space under construction
... the Assembly Member is currently busy in Albany with session and
preparing for budget hearings as a member of the Ways and Means Committee.
Our office is currently in communication with the Governor's office. We were
informed of a couple of promising updates. We continue to press for clarity
surrounding the request for priority boarding and a waiver.
First additional swing dampeners will be installed to enable the Tram to
increase its speed resulting in more trips per hour. Second, Poma, which is
the tram contractor, has agreed to install the radio frequency system by
quarter 3 which is the summer as opposed to quarter 4 which would have been
December 2025. We're pushing for it to be moved up even further now as well.
We remain we remain supportive of the priority boarding resolution as
proposed by CB 8 to include priority for New Yorkers.
Several Roosevelt Island parents spoke seeking support for increasing the
number of 3k seats on Roosevelt Island. According to one parent:
... we understand the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery continues to write to whichever planning committee is responsible for allocating funds for 3K. They have the capacity to offer more spots and they have made that known to the Department of Education but they have not received approval to formally expand. Some of the parents have gotten together and we've got a petition and letter writing campaign...
February 18 Lecture program,
When Manhattan Was Dutch,
at the Roosevelt Island Public Library. Ms Berdy adds that the RIHS programs
at the Library are:
... a great way to meet your neighbors, to find out stuff about the island, to
find out stuff about history and we're always glad to answer some of those
innumerable questions that newcomers have to the Island...
The lack of public bathrooms on Roosevelt Island has been a problem for many years...
When you gotta go, where do you go on Roosevelt Island? The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) may have a solution.
During the February 3, 2025 RIOC Real Estate Development Advisory Committee meeting, Acting Chief Operating Officer Mary Cunneen reported a plan to install a Portland Loo public bathroom at Firefighters Field.
According to Ms Cunneen:
... We haven't finalized the location but
probably if you're standing by the tram at the northeast corner of Firefighters Field, right where the water
fountain
is.
The proposed location next to Firefighters Field is a few feet from the Roosevelt Island Tram and Riverwalk residential buildings.
The Roosevelt Island Tram is featured in a scene from The Night Agent season 2 episode 9 showing now on Netflix. Check out the priority seating for Seniors and people with disabilities signage
This fills a longstanding need, and thanks to all the leaders who pulled it together. For balance now, we need resident leadership to come up with something similar. RIRA is a wreck waiting for...
Jesus Christ. Give it up. The priority boarding is not going to happen. If the line is too long, take the subway. It's not that far from the tram station on either end of the trip.
The protections from Public Safety for tram safety diminish the man hours of protection that Roosevelt Islanders pay for to protect us right here in our community. While It's necessary,...
It good idea but need to think about a limit number of passes per person or some other control to stop people trying to grab multiples for sale. Also have to think where/when do you get the daily...
There is no extra fee for the annual Fast Line Pass. The idea is the same thing as what your are calling Priority Boarding. The idea that is different is that anyone (residents/workers/visitors)...
Re. the 8:30 update: The Roosevelt Landings Residents Association determined that at least 22 heater sparkings and fires had taken place in our building in recent months. I personally experienced 3...
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.
