Sabrina At The Octagon - Who Is That Scantily Clad Goddess?

Our favorite Italian correspondent, Alain, sends in the above photo and asks the following question:

What is the monument entitled to "Sabrina" that sits in front of the Octagon? Have you ever seen it? Who is Sabrina?

Roosevelt Island 360 has the answer:

Sabrina is also the patron goddess of Amherst College. A metal casting of her, made by the J.L. Mott Iron Works of New York City, was given to the college by Massachusetts Lieut. Governor Joel Hayden in 1957. The statue was located adjacent to The Octagon building on the Amherst campus until 1885. Roosevelt Island's installation reestablishes the historic setting of Sabrina adjacent to an Octagonal building.

Read more about the sculpture here.

And check out the nearby Marriage of Real Estate and Money sculpture by Tom Otterness in the East River between the Octagon and Manhattan Park.

I have always enjoyed what has come to be called "public art" including recent projects such as Christo's Central Park Gates, Thom Sokoloski's Roosevelt Island Encampment and even Olafur Eliasson's current East River Waterfalls. In the near future, I think it would be great to see other examples of "public art", for instance 3D Street Art, come to the sidewalks or waterfront promenade of Roosevelt Island.

Image by Kurt Wenner

Image by Julian Beever

Image by Eduardo Relero

Image by Tracy Lee Stum

All images came from the weburbanist blog highlighting 10 of the world's most amazing 3D street artists. According to weburbanist 3D street art or:

3D graffiti, whether it’s in chalk or paint, on walls or the street, represents a new way of combining the mastery of Renaissance art techniques with the gritty, ephemeral qualities of amazing street art. These 3D street artists gives graffiti a whole new meaning – one that departs from the conventional interpretation of graffiti as vandalism in the form of images and letters scrawled on public property. Artists like Kurt Wenner, Eduardo Relero and Tracy Lee Stum create street art that’s so incredible it is almost impossible to pass by without being sucked in to the worlds they create on asphalt and concrete surfaces.

Looks pretty cool to me!

Nonno's Focacceria - Not DiFara's or No. 28, But Italy and Roosevelt Islander Still Think It's Pretty Good!

You Tube video of Di Fara's Pizza in Midwood Brooklyn

Our Italian correspondent Alain chimes in on off-Island pizza by highly recommending No.28 on Carmine Street.

N.28 is at the very top of the Pizza rankings. I go there often.
But still I go to Nonno Pizza as well... And so do all the Italians I know.
Very very far away from N.28's level, but not below the average Pizza quality you can find around Manhattan.

I haven't been there since last summer but my personal favorite is DiFara's in Brooklyn, though as does Alain, I also like Roosevelt Island's six month old Nonno's. Nonno's square Grandma's Pie with meatballs is excellent. Try it, the cheese is very good. Of course, it does not compare to DiFara's. Very few do.

On a hot July day last year, my niece and I waited over an hour for a DiFara's pizza pie. As we were waiting, we felt kind of silly standing around in a hushed, almost cult-like atmosphere of hungry pizza fanatics watching Dom make each pie. But just as we were about to give up and leave, our pizza was done. It was great, unbelievable and worth the wait - at least once a year. Here's a round up of news about DiFara's from Slice and Gridskipper's 2007 top ten New York pizza places.

Italy Concerned for Island Bus System, but Roosevelt Island - That's Amore

You Tube video of Student filmmakers homage to Dean Martin's That's Amore

Our Italian correspondent has some thoughts on the Roosevelt Island bus situation:

Hello,

the accident happened recently to the white bus led me to some considerations about the safety of the Bus system on Roosevelt Island.
Each RIOC bus has a sign right above the driver that says: "FOR PASSENGERS SAFETY FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS OPERATION OF THIS BUS WHILE ANYONE IS STANDING FORWARD OF THE YELLOW LINE".
This morning, like every other morning, about half a dozen of people were standing forward of that line. Same applies on the way back home: every night people is packed everywhere, including forward of the yellow line.

It's clear to everyone that the Bus service is not reliable, but is it at least safe?
What is the maximum allowed occupancy of these Buses? Is RIOC willing to enforce and respect State laws?

Yours

Alain

P.S.
Despite the bus, R.I. is still the best place in NYC

Hey Italy, did you know that one of your fellow Italians had this to say about good mozzarella:

I think your Board of Italians, and your Italian collaborator, should return to Italy because they evidently forgot what good mozzarella tastes like when on Pizza. Try N. 28 on Carmine and Bleecker... real Italians go there.

Italy Still Loves Roosevelt Island - and Nonno's Foccaceria Too

Our Italian friend/correspondent and six month Roosevelt Island resident still loves Roosevelt Island and says that the Nonno's mozzarella used on its pizza is the best he has tasted yet in NYC. The Board of Italian Residents on Roosevelt Island also agree that Nonno's is very good. On the negative side, he is not happy with the Red Bus system. Here is his update on an Italian living on Roosevelt Island.

I am the Italian guy you wrote about in a couple of your posts.
First of all congratulations for your blog. I read it all the times
and suggest it to all of my friends.

After 6 months of life on R.I. I still believe that this place is the
best place to live in NYC. No doubts about it.

However, one thing that can be improved is the bus service.
Considering that the bus is the only system of transportation
available on the island I believe it is not reliable or powerful
enough.
I often have to walk home from the subway or wait for unpredictable
time especially at night or during weekends. During rush hours,
instead, the bus comes quickly but you will rarely ride seated. Also,
the 25 cents fare is convenient but a bit odd. I don't carry around
much cash and find it annoying having to use coins or 1 dollar bills.
How about a 10/20$ card that one can charge once every while? How
about resident card that one can swipe or blink at some reader?

Now some good news.
I can tell you that the Board of Italian Residents on R.I. have
approved with good remarks Nonno's Pizza.
Nonno's its already on top of favourite food delivery options and I
believe the mozzarella used for their square Margherita is the best I
have tasted so far in Manhattan. I am happy they have opened on the
Island cause they make me feel even more like home.

Last, here is a picture taken from my Manhattan Park window that
shocked and made jealous all my friends back in Italy:

Image is here.

Italy Strolls Roosevelt Island Waterfront Promenade

A reader from Italy who found a home here on Roosevelt Island takes us for a stroll on the Roosevelt Island waterfront promenade.

Italy Loves Roosevelt Island

Received this comment from a reader:

today (12th of August) I visited the island for the very first time and I immediately fell in love with it.
I am an Italian 28 yo software engineer seeking for a place to live in NY.
Roosvelt Island is the place to be!

Prices are quite high (as the rest of the city, btw) but one way or the other I will move there.

R.I. is the best place I have seen in NYC.

Ciao

Roosevelt Island image is from New York Social Diary.