Take Me To Roosevelt Island - A Beautiful Song About Uniqueness Of Our East River Home - An Oasis In New York City And A Dream Spot To Live Says NYC Singer Songwriter Ian Miller

Reposting from a 2021 story.

Ian Miller is a New York City based singer, songwriter and pianist. Earlier this year, he participated in the 15th annual Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project. He wrote and performed Take Me To Roosevelt Island for the closing event of the project.

It's a beautiful song which truly captures the uniqueness of Roosevelt Island, an oasis in the middle of New York City.

Watch the video and listen to the words - I'll bet they resonate with many.

According to Mr. Miller:

I live in Astoria, about a 30 minute walk from Roosevelt Island, and the first time I visited I was just struck by how it felt like an oasis in the middle of the city – it felt like I could leave the stress and hubbub on the other side of the river, and I had such a sense of peace that was hard to come by elsewhere in town. 

Once the pandemic hit, and I spent so much of my time cooped up in my apartment, I started taking walks over there whenever I could – walking 30 minutes there, walking around for maybe an hour, and then walking back. It became my go-to place to restore my peace of mind. 

The song is, for me, about coming to terms with the difficulty of making a life in a city like New York, and longing for relief from the pressure and the non-stop grind.

I tell everyone that Roosevelt Island's my dream spot to live, whenever I can afford it!

More info about my music is also available on my website. 

Here are the lyrics to Take Me To Roosevelt Island by Ian Miller:

I feel like I’m wasting away in this town
I stare at the Hudson and watch myself drown
In this city that won’t let me sleep
Full of promises that it can’t keep

Take me to Roosevelt Island
Where the river flows gently all day
I’ll sit ‘neath the bridge in the silence
And hear what the breeze has to say
I’m getting lost in this city
All the busyness just doesn’t pay
So take me to Roosevelt Island
It’s only a mile away

All these people move fast and I want to go slow
And if I disappeared, well, would anyone know? No...
In this city that don’t give a damn
Where I don’t even know who I am

Take me to Roosevelt Island
Where the river flows gently all day
I’ll sit ‘neath the bridge in the silence
And hear what the breeze has to say
I’m getting lost in this city
I used to know how to pray
So take me to Roosevelt Island
It’s only a mile away

Getting tired of fighting
Can’t you see that I’m trying?
Need a place I can hide here
Or else I’m gonna die here

So take me to Roosevelt Island
Where the river flows gently all day
I’ll sit ‘neath the bridge in the silence
And hear what my heart has to say
God get me out of this city
Or give me a reason to stay
I’m sick of the noise and the striving
I’m young but I’m barely surviving
Just longing for Roosevelt Island

Forever a mile away

Ian MillerMusic Director * Pianist * Singer-Songwrite

Watch Highlights From RIVAA Gallery Black History Month Exhibition Opening Night Filled With Fabulous Music And Artists Talk Celebrating Unlauded Black Inventors - RIRA Presentation Celebrating Black History Month Tonight Too

RIVAA Gallery shares some highlights from their February 8 Roosevelt Island Black History Month exhibition opening reception honoring unlauded Black inventors. According to RIVAA Gallery Instagram post:

It was a fabulous opening ... night of “The Lives That Matter, The Lives We Live” for Black History Month featuring local black artists filled with music and an artist talk....

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RIVAA Gallery (@rivaagallery)

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A post shared by RIVAA Gallery (@rivaagallery)

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A post shared by RIVAA Gallery (@rivaagallery)

The Lives That Matter, The Lives We Live co-curator Amazia Thompson gave me a pre-opening tour of the exhibition.

Check out the exhibition this weekend at RIVAA Gallery.

Gallery hours are 

Wednesday 6-9pm | Thursday 11-6pm | Friday 6-9pm | Saturday & Sunday 11-5pm

Also, the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) invites you to a Black History Month 

presentation today, February 21, at Good Shepherd Chapel.

Fantastic Views Of Present Day Roosevelt Island From High Flying Drone Over NYC East River Waterfront - Compare To 1972 View

Take a look at some fantastic aerial views high above Roosevelt Island from Lighthouse Park to the Roosevelt Island Bridge and the NYC East River waterfront shot by a drone launched at Socrates Park in Long Island City.

https://t.co/gfTV7MTqRL

Roosevelt Island, seen from Socrates Park, is more beautiful at altitude 120 meters. It's cold, but the wind is calm. There was a little snow left, but there were a lot of dogs in Socrates Park. 021925

— tigershoes (@jklyeu) February 19, 2025

 And here's what much of the same area looked like in 1972.

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A post shared by New York Transit Museum (@nytransitmuseum)

Sponsored Post - Roosevelt Island 1 Bedroom 1.5 Bathroom Rivercross Building Coop Apartment For Sale By Owner, $700,000 - Open House This Weekend Saturday February 22 & Sunday February 23

Roosevelt Island Apt for Sale 531 Main St APT 1411, (Rivercross Building) New York, NY 10044 1 bed 1.5 bathroom approximately 1000 square feet.

$700,000.

Sold By Owner.

Open House This Weekend 4-6:30 PM Saturday, February 22 and 1-3:30 PM Sunday February 23. Contact oneminedbeta@gmail.com To View

Bright, high floor 1 bedroom, 1.5 bath (convertible to 2 bedrooms) at Rivercross, 

a full-service, luxury coop on Roosevelt Island. 

Approximately 960+ SqFt of generous living space easily converts to a second small bedroom/ home office / guest room. 

Good condition throughout, excellent closets (seven in all.) All new casement windows offer excellent light, river, bridge and skyline views, and magical nighttime views of the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings. 

Convenient to local shopping, casual restaurants, and outdoor sport venues, and just three minutes to Manhattan, one stop on the F train or the Tram using your MetroCard. % minute walk to Ferry. Maintenance includes electric, gas, heat and A/C. Gym, Pool, Common Room, Playroom, Balcony, and Paid Storage options. 

Contact oneminedbeta@gmail.com for more information.

Rosie The Roosevelt Island Wild Turkey Spotted Perched High Above Up On The Roof Of Rivercross Building - She Really Can Fly

Rosie the Roosevelt Island wild turkey was spotted perched on the Rivercross building rooftop

and then flying down to the ground

last Monday morning by resident PJ Kaplan who shares these photos with us.

According to the Wild Turkey Lab:

... flight, something we often don’t think about when we think of wild turkeys. Obviously, wild turkeys spend most of their day on the ground and they are supremely adapted to doing so – keen vision and hearing, wariness, and speed on the run. But flight is a critically important component of how wild turkeys survive....

... large birds like turkeys generate enough lift to take flight by gaining speed just prior to take-off, which is why turkeys briefly run (or sprint!) just before taking flight. In fact, the take-off is the most energetically demanding part of flight, because the bird has to generate airflow over the wings to produce lift – one way to get around this issue is to drop into the air from a perched location and sail to the intended destination. Wild turkeys drop from perched locations when they leave the roost, but they’ll also fly into trees during the day and sail to other locations as necessary...

Here's Rosie getting a running start before she flies up to her nesting spot in a tree on the Rivercross Lawn.

Astoria the Wild Turkey gracefully flies up to her roosting tree on Roosevelt Island, then to a higher branch. She shows excellent balance despite her large size. 🦃 ❤️ ⚖️ pic.twitter.com/7QPKcgnF7s

— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) February 14, 2025

More on turkeys flying.

Sometimes we all have to get away from it all Up On The Roof.

Meet TRIBA, The Roosevelt Island Business Alliance - Working To Secure Roosevelt Island Ground Lease Extension, A Mobile App For Local Attractions And Fundraising For Local Organizations

The Roosevelt Island Business Alliance (TRIBA), was formed in 2023 to represent the local business community and make a positive impact for the entire Roosevelt Island Community (for disclosure purposes, I am a member and helped to form TRIBA).

During the January 6, 2025 Community Board 8 Roosevelt Island Committee meeting, TRIBA President Skip Hartman, the owner of the Roosevelt Island Racquet Club described the mission and project initiatives undertaken by TRIBA.

Mr Hartman reported that TRIBA's initial focus has been on three items:

1. The Roosevelt Island ground lease extension between New York City and NY State,
2. A mobile marketing app to improve visitors experience and public understanding of Roosevelt Island businesses and attractions as well as
3. A community engagement event to fundraise for Roosevelt Island non-profits and TRIBA projects.

Image From October 23, 2024 TRIBA Awards Gala 

Here's the full TRIBA presentation by Mr Hartman.

 

Mr Hartman reported that approximately $60 thousand was netted and awarded to these 17 Roosevelt Island organizations 

from the October 23, 2024 TRIBA Awards Ceremony Gala Dinner.

The TRIBA Awards Ceremony Gala Dinner honored Roosevelt Island residents:

• Nancy Brown for her lifetime work on behalf of the disabled community,
• Sonal Bhatia for her work identifying and developing cures for rare diseases and
• Red Apple/Foodtown for its business commitment to Roosevelt Island

and was attended by over 200 people at The Sanctuary events space with resident Jim Luce acting as the Master of Ceremonies and Sanctuary owner Frank Raffaele introducing the evening's festivities.

It was a wonderful evening. Here's some of what happened.

Current TRIBA members are:

TRIBA has two categories of voting memberships:

1. those with leases of 20 years or more (annual membership is $3 Thousand) and
2. those with leases of 5 years or more (annual membership is $1 Thousand).

There is also a TRIBA non voting Associate Membership (annual membership is $1 Hundred).

Mr Hartman adds: 

... we welcome the involvement of individuals. They don't have to be businesses. If we have a project that requires the help of people who are not members we will be reaching out to them...

TRIBA is holding it's next meeting tomorrow, February 18. Please contact Skip Hartman if you are interested in learning more about TRIBA or joining.

"When Manhattan Was Dutch", A Free Lecture Hosted By The Roosevelt Island Historical Society February 18 At The RI Library - A Great Way To Meet Your Neighbors And Find Out Stuff About NYC History

The Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) is hosting "When Manhattan Was Dutch",  a free lecture given by Joyce Gold taking place 6:30 PM Tuesday February 18 at the Roosevelt Island NY Public Library (504 Main Street).

According to the NYPL Roosevelt Island branch:

The Dutch of the early 17th century turned an edge of Manhattan wilderness into New Amsterdam. Although it lasted only 40 years, the colony had a profound and lasting impact on the future city of New York. From the start, people of many ethnicities filled its streets, trade and profit were paramount, and religious tolerance was the norm. https://www.joycegoldhistorytours.com/

No Registration Required

This is an in-person event

Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 6:30 - 7:30 PM

End times are approximate. Events may end early or late.

During a February 3 Community Board 8 Roosevelt Island committee meeting, RIHS President Judy Berdy added 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...

Here's more on When Manhattan Was Dutch. 

Wow - A Couple Of Dolphins Spotted In East River Today Swimming Between Roosevelt Island And The Upper East Side

A couple of dolphins have been spotted in the East River the last couple of days and today were seen swimming past Roosevelt Island across from Manhattan Park.

pic.twitter.com/xrnlNiUkJ9

— gigpalileo (@gigpalileo) February 16, 2025

Now the two dolphins are swimming south past 78th Street on the East River, reports @gigpalileo.

Watch for them downriver. It's been a thrill to see them!

— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) February 16, 2025

The pair of common dolphins in the East River are continuing today off 96th St in Manhattan pic.twitter.com/o7kaazPqpi

— ᴄʜʀɪs 🐳 (@chrisstIawrence) February 15, 2025

A pair of dolphins are dazzling New Yorkers with a rare appearance in the water off the Upper East Side, seen in stunning photos and video. FREE TO READhttps://t.co/3YXC6UEcpy pic.twitter.com/Uiypmb5lVl

— UpperEastSite.com (@uppereastsiteny) February 16, 2025

 In April 2023, I reported another spotting of dolphins swimming in the East River near Roosevelt Island and former Roosevelt Island resident and an original Roosevelt Island resident Bob Babcock added:

When I worked on the launch of NYWaterTaxi in 97 (my cover letter, describing life on the East river, and seeing the changes over time, secured the job) we saw dolphins in the lower harbor by Governors Island. The Gowanus was still a toxic stew, but the waterways around NYC had greatly improved since we moved to the Island in 1975 when the joke on Barney Miller was the you don’t drown in the East River, you dissolve. Much of the credit for this transformation should go to a Roosevelt Island pioneer and her cadre of environmentalists: Sally Leifer, the first teacher assigned to PS/IS217, was part of the protest to GE’s pollution at Storm King, that led in part to the passing of the EPA. She went on to help establish the first Environmentally-focused public school in NYC. Her friend, Tom Fox, a Ranger at Gateway National Park (who taught us about horseshoe crabs and mollusk beds), went on to found the Greenway Project, to restore the New York City waterfront, which ultimately became Hudson River Park.

So dolphins out your window are courtesy of a long history of concerned citizens working to protect the environment, getting regulation passed, and then continued vigilance. Be a part of it.