If You Could Compete In Any Olympic Sport, What Would You Choose? RIOC Staff Share Their Picks of Diving, Break Dancing, Water Polo, Long Distance Running, BMX Freestlyle, Throwing The Stick (Javelin), Hurdles, Long Jump, Basketball & More

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) social media folks asked RIOC staff:

Here's what they said.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (@rooseveltislandny)

Very nicely done. Good job.

What Olympic sport would you choose to compete in?

RIOC hosted a community outdoor viewing party at the Riverwalk Commons for the 2012 and 2016 Olympics Opening Ceremony. 

Maybe another outdoor viewing party for the 2028 Olympics opening ceremony?

Rio 2016 Olympics Opening Ceremony And Parade Of Nations Watched On Big Screen From Roosevelt Island Riverwalk Commons Lawn - Global Village For Some, Excessive Noise Volume For Others

The Riverwalk Commons Lawn

was a global village

filled with Roosevelt Island residents

from all over the world watching the 2016 Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony

last Saturday evening, August 5.

Here's first few minutes of the Parade Of Nations led into the Olympic Stadium by Greece



as seen from the Roosevelt Island Riverwalk Lawn.

It was a very nice event for those attending. But, there were complaints from some Riverwalk residents about the excessive noise volume coming from the outside speaker system that could be heard inside the Riverwalk apartments (with closed windows) surrounding the Commons.

The noise was coming not from the Olympics TV Broadcast, but from the sound amplification system used by the event's Master of Ceremony who spoke during the TV commercials.

Roosevelt Island Firefighters Field Outdoor Movie Showing Tonight Of Across The Universe Rescheduled For Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony Viewing Party - Also, August 6 Showing Of Goonies Cancelled Due To Expected Rain And Thunderstorms

The Roosevelt Island Firefighters Field Outdoor movie

Image From June 24 Firefighters Field Outdoor Movie Showing Of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

showing scheduled tonight of Across The Universe has been cancelled and rescheduled for next Saturday August 12. Instead, there will be a public viewing party tonight of the 2016 Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony Parade Of Nations at the Riverwalk Commons.

We hope to see you tonight at the Roosevelt Island Rio 2016 Olympics Viewing Party! #rio2016 #rooseveltisland pic.twitter.com/697i0FFGvb

— RIOC NYS (@RIOCny) August 5, 2016

Also, tomorrow's Roosevelt Island Outdoor Movie showing at Firefighters Field of Goonies has been cancelled due to expected thunderstorms and rescheduled for September 2

The Goonies CANCELLED for Sat., August 6th due to expected rain and thunderstorms! Rescheduled for Friday,... https://t.co/KNW9vaYRi6

— RIOC NYS (@RIOCny) August 5, 2016

Goonies has been rescheduled for September 2.

You're Invited To Roosevelt Island 2016 Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony Parade Of Nations Viewing Party Friday August 5

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Join us for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony! After the success of the 2012 London Olympics viewing, RIOC will once again host an outdoor viewing party on Friday, August 5th from 8 PM to approximately 12 AM.

Come to the Riverwalk Commons Area (on the lawn between the Riverwalk Bar & Grill and Fuji East) to watch the Parade of Nations and an exciting spectacle of Brazilian culture at the world’s biggest party! Enjoy food & drink specials as you lounge on the grass or in the outdoor seating of our local establishments.

This year we will broadcast on both a 30’x15’ projector screen and on four 50” TVs. The event will be rain or shine. For more info visit

We hope to see you there!

  Image of Roosevelt Island Public Viewing of 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony From Jonathan Kalkin

You're Invited To Roosevelt Island 2016 Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony Parade Of Nations Viewing Party Friday August 5

Last week I asked if Roosevelt Island will have an outdoor public viewing of the 2016 Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony as it did for the 2012 London Olympics.

The answer is yes. Today the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) announced that they will host a Roosevelt Island Viewing Party for the Rio 2016 Olympics Opening Ceremony



on Friday, August 5 at Riverwalk Commons.

According to RIOC:

Join us Friday, August 5th, as Roosevelt Island will be hosting a Rio 2016 Olympics Opening Ceremony Viewing Party!

Here's the 2012 Roosevelt Island

 Image of Roosevelt Island Public Viewing of 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony From Jonathan Kalkin

Olympics Opening Ceremony



at Riverwalk Commons.

Have fun.

UPDATE 7/27 - RIOC adds:

Join us for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony! After the success of the 2012 London Olympics viewing, RIOC will once again host an outdoor viewing party on Friday, August 5th from 8 PM to approximately 12 AM.

Come to the Riverwalk Commons Area (on the lawn between the Riverwalk Bar & Grill and Fuji East) to watch the Parade of Nations and an exciting spectacle of Brazilian culture at the world’s biggest party! Enjoy food & drink specials as you lounge on the grass or in the outdoor seating of our local establishments.

This year we will broadcast on both a 30’x15’ projector screen and on four 50” TVs. The event will be rain or shine.

We hope to see you there!

Will There Be A Roosevelt Island Public Outdoor Viewing Of 2016 Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony This Year?

The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro Brazil takes place August 5 - 21.

During the 2012 Olympic Games held in London, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) hosted a public outdoor viewing of the Olympics Opening Ceremony

 Image of Roosevelt Island Public Viewing of 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony From Jonathan Kalkin

using a large inflatable screen at the Riverwalk Commons lawn. It was a wonderful evening with Roosevelt Island residents from all over the world gathered together to cheer their home country teams entering the Olympic arena.



On July 18, I asked RIOC President Susan Rosenthal and the RIOC Directors:

During the 2012 Olympics, RIOC put up a big outdoor screen in Southtown for a public viewing of the opening ceremonies.

Here's link.

It was very popular among the residents and brought out alot of people.

Does RIOC have plans to do the same for 2016 Olympics?  The date is Friday August 5.

So far, I have not received an answer from RIOC if they intend to have a public viewing of the 2016 Olympics opening ceremony this year.

RIOC previously scheduled an outdoor movie showing of Across The Universe at Firefighters Field for August 5.

Will update if I receive more info.

CBS This Morning



and the Wall Street Journal



have more on the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Report From RIOC President Leslie Torres - Roosevelt Island FDR Hope Memorial Funding, DEP Water Tunnel Meeting, Main Street Construction, Motorgate LED Staircase Lighting, Hazardous Materials Investigation, Asian Long Haired Beetle Tree Investigation & More

FDR Hope Fundraiser from Michael Bergmann on Vimeo.

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Lesie Torres sends the following report to Roosevelt Island residents.

Greetings Roosevelt Islanders! I hope you are staying cool in the July heat and that all of the children in our community are having fun and staying safe as they enjoy their summer vacations.

Olympics Opening Ceremony Viewing

RIOC is pleased to announce that we are hosting a public viewing of the Summer Olympics opening ceremony on Friday, July 27 on an inflatable screen on the Riverwalk Commons lawn. We will start showing the pre-ceremony coverage at sunset – about 8:30 pm – with the ceremony beginning at 9:00 pm. You are welcome to bring blankets, lawn chairs and food. Enjoy!

Councilwoman Lappin Helps Roosevelt Island

Councilwoman Jessica Lappin came to Roosevelt Island on July 13 to announce that she has successfully secured over $4 million for Island projects and organizations in the new city budget passed by the New York City Council. The funding includes $2 million for the Roosevelt Island Library to move into a new space at 504 Main Street, $1.85 million for the completion of the FDR Four Freedoms Memorial, which is scheduled to open in October 2012, and $150,000 for the FDR Hope Memorial. We are grateful for all of Councilwoman Lappin’s work supporting Roosevelt Island.

Community Meeting about Water Tunnel

On Tuesday, August 7 from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Manhattan Park Community Center, RIOC and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will host a community meeting about the work being done at the third water tunnel shaft site located to the south of the Octagon. DEP representatives will update the community about the project and its future. For more information, call 212-832-4540.

Main Street Reconstruction

We have begun Phase II of our Main Street Reconstruction Project. During Phase I, completed in 2009, we replaced Z-Bricks with asphalt pavement on the roadway from 40 River Road to the Fire House Station. Phase II will continue the same work from 40 River Road to the bottom of the Helix ramp. The asphalt surface is better at handling heavy vehicle traffic and the elements, and it won’t require the frequent and costly repairs involved in maintaining the Z-Bricks.

Motorgate Lighting

Work is also underway to procure and install new LED lighting fixtures on each floor and the stairwells at Motorgate, replacing the current incandescent fixtures. When the project is completed, the garage will be better illuminated, making it safer for users. The LED lights are also environmentally friendly and more cost efficient than the outdated incandescent lights.

West Road Closed Last Sunday

On July 22 a resident called 911 after discovering three dead squirrels in and around a tree near West Drive. FDNY sent a local fire truck, followed by responders from the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), as per standard City procedure. The agencies temporarily closed West Drive while they conducted tests for toxins. All tests came back negative. The responding city agencies, consequently, deemed the area safe and reopened the roadway.

Outdoor Movie Series Continues

The new date for RIOC’s free outdoor screening of Tangled, which was cancelled last week due to rain, is Sunday, July 29. The Summer Outdoor Movie Series continues as scheduled on August 4 with the Disney animated classic The Lion King. Each movie starts at 8:45 pm at Southpoint Park, but people are encouraged to arrive early for food, music and movie trivia.

Bicycle and Car Safety Day

RIOC’s Public Safety Department distributed 384 bicycle helmets to community members during our Annual Bicycle and Car Safety Day on July 19 at the Good Shepherd Plaza. Participants also learned safety tips for automobiles and car seats during the event, which was co-sponsored by PSD and Safe Kids NYC.

Tree Inspection

The United States Department of Agriculture and The Davey Tree Expert Company recently completed its inspection of trees on Roosevelt Island for the presence of Asian Longhorned Beetles, which can potentially infest various tree species we have here. The inspection was part of the overall eradication effort in New York City.

More information on FDR Hope Memorial is available here and previous post.

Roosevelt Island Outdoor Public Viewing Of 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony Tonight At Riverwalk Commons

Come watch the 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony tonight outdoors at the Riverwalk Commons. According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC)

Don’t forget that tonight is the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics! View the live coverage on the Riverwalk Commons lawn, the pre-ceremony coverage will be shown at 8:30PM and the opening ceremony will begin at 9:00PM. Feel free to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and food while you view the games. See you there!

Sincerely,

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Advisories Group

Grab a bite to eat from Eddie's Pizza Cart, dessert from La Bella Torte, the Riverwalk Bar & Grill, Fuji East, Nonno's or Starbucks and enjoy being outdoors watching the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. Can you handle all the choices?

Just hope that it doesn't rain.

UPDATE - It didn't rain last night and the Roosevelt Island Public Viewing of the Olympics Opening Ceremony was a wonderful event. The Riverwalk Commons was full of lots of people enjoying the evening. Roosevelt Island resident Jonathan Kalkin shares this photo of the evening.

Image From Jonathan Kalkin

Good job by RIOC Director Margie Smith in suggesting the idea and RIOC Staff in implementing on short notice.

Roosevelt Island Outdoor Public Viewing Of 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony Friday July 27 At Riverwalk Commons

Image From Economics Help

The 2012 Olympics will be starting this Friday in London and though they won't be held in NYC as Mayor Bloomberg advocated, you can watch the opening ceremonies here on Roosevelt Island outdoors at the Riverwalk Commons. According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

RIOC is pleased to announce that we are hosting a public viewing of the Summer Olympics opening ceremony on Friday, July 27 on the Riverwalk Commons lawn. We will start showing the pre-ceremony coverage at sunset – about 8:30 pm – with the ceremony beginning at 9:00 pm. You are welcome to bring blankets, lawn chairs and food. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Advisories Group 

The decision of whether to have a Roosevelt Island pubic viewing of the Olympics Opening Ceremonies was discussed during the July 24 RIOC Operations Committee meeting. There was concern that the weather forecast was for rain on Friday night but the decision was made to go forward with the public viewing. Here's the discussion.



Audio web cast of full July 24 RIOC Operations Committee meeting is here.

UPDATE 7/28 - Here what happened at Roosevelt Island Public Viewing of Olympics Opening Ceremony. It was a great event.

Update 9/19 - Brief video of the night.