After brunch, Jeannette, Masako, Tien, Eleanor and I took The Tram to Roosevelt Island to see the Smallpox Hospital Ruins. We missed the openhousenewyork tours, but the grounds are open until sunset every day so explored around by ourselves.
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After brunch at the Sidewalk Cafe we went to Veniero’s to get some Italian pastries for dessert. I’d never been to Veniero’s before – it sounds too much like an STD! – but had heard Jeannette talk about it many times. On the bus ride to the Upper East Side we dug in to the pastries. From the Upper East Side we took The Tram to Roosevelt Island, a small island in the East River between Manhattan and Queens.
The Tram goes from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island and back. The Tram opened in 1976 as a temporary solution to get people to Roosevelt Island since there was no subway service. The gondolas are Swiss-made and are the only such system used for mass-transit in North America. At the time of it’s opening, The Tram was free. It wasn’t until 1990 that they started charging a 10 cent fare. Today the fare is $2.00 and is the only place in New York that still uses the old subway tokens.
From The Tram you get a beautiful view of the Queensboro Bridge and Queens. The skyscraper to the right of the bridge is the Citibank building and is the tallest building in Long Island (including Queens and Brooklyn).
The Queensboro Bridge is also called the 59th Street Bridge because you access it from 59th Street on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Simon & Garfunkel sang a song called The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy). It’s one of my favorite songs of theirs.
The Tram system has two sets of cables so that two gondolas can be running at the same time. Here we pass the other gondola at one of the highest points of the 4 1/2 minute ride. It’s about 250 feet above the water.
Descending, we approach the Roosevelt Island Tram station.
Roosevelt Island’s west side has a promenade along the water with great views of Manhattan. These cranes are working on FDR Drive on Manhattans’ east side.
While we were at brunch earlier we were trying to decide what to do. We wanted to go to Gracie Mansion but it was going to be too late by the time we got done eating. We thought about going to the MTA Transit Museum but it was closed. On the openhousenewyork map there were tours of the Smallpox Hospital Ruins on Roosevelt Island, but they were for Saturday, not Sunday. Because no one in our group had ever been to Roosevelt Island, we decided to go and check it out anyway. These are the ruins of the Smallpox Hospital.
The Smallpox Hospital was opened in 1856 and was the first hospital in the United States to take in the victims of the smallpox plague. Patients here were under quarantine because smallpox is so contagious.
James Renwick, who is best known for St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Smithsonian Institute Building, was the the architect who designed Smallpox Hospital.
The ruins of Smallpox Hospital as well as The Tram are featured in the 2002 movie Spiderman. Dave Gallagher documents the NYC Spiderman locations here.
Looking back at the ruins as we make our way to the southern tip of Roosevelt Island.
Masako stops to pick up a stone. Behind her are the ruins of Smallpox Hospital and the Queensboro Bridge. The three smokestaks are that of a powerplant in Queens.
At the tip of Roosevelt Island there was a grassy area with some chairs left behind by some fishermen. Sitting down and enjoying the view.. Manhattan to our west, Queens to our east. This is another view of Manhattan.
Eleanor, Jeannette, Masako, Rachelle, Tien
Pepsi Cola bottling in Long Island City, Queens. There’s been controversy around this sign.. whether it should be preserved or whether it should be taken down to make a clear waterfront for Queens West. I think it should be saved. It’s 60 years old and is well-known and loved as part of the western Queens skyline.
At the very tip of Roosevelt Island there were some rock outcroppings in the water. In the background is Manhattan.
Walking back up the promenade to the subway.
The seagulls of Roosevelt Island hate me. I was torturing them to get a good shot in front of the Queensboro Bridge and the Manhattan skyline.
- Tien’s post on Roosevelt Island
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