The Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel welcomed its first visitors on June 1st, but ribbon-cutting waited a day. Allowed time for resettling after Memorial Day, officials greeted an enthusiastic crowd for the ceremony. And then, we took a look inside.
By David Stone
Behind the Ribbon, a look at the new Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel
You don’t usually think “whimsey” when considering hotels, but this one has a clear gift for it.
As you see, right away, inside the front door…
Fly Boy overlooks check-in, a presence so unique that city council member Ben Kallos suggested it become an official Roosevelt Island symbol.
All those books… They’re not just randomly grabbed and stacked for achieving a certain look. All are technology books in keeping with the campus spirit.
A low-key, but spacious lounge nearby encourages socializing and neighborliness.
For now, although most people in the hotel are masked, face coverings are optional for guests.
A tone-setting corridor packed with Roosevelt family photos leads to the elevators, but even there, a big surprise…
On the elevator wall, the Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel makes a statement: they know where they are. The even got our community love for cats right. But don’t try this in real life.
And, at least for the opening, more whimsey lay in wait…
For the opening and respecting coronavirus restrictions, Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel outfitted its ballroom with a theme from the movie Big with Tom Hanks and Elizabeth Perkins.
And yes, that’s a real trampoline in the background, and it’s active.
But really, what about the rooms…
In spacious, stylish rooms, some guests awaken to a Queensboro Bridge view of the New York City, Upper East Side skyline.
Other features include designer phones made to look like olf-fashioned dial bases. In one bathroom, we saw photographs, not so unusual, except these were of mobsters.
Unexpected, to say the least.
Corridor carpets enlivened with Cornell red. Nothing dull here.
Plenty of variety in the rooms and plenty of space accented with great views.
But the bathrooms… You could get lost in this one, and you wouldn’t care.
They’re ready for conferences, and the Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel has multiple meeting rooms in varying sizes and styles.
But in the end, a reminder of where you are and the reason for being…
Our community partners at Cornell Tech make the Graduate Hotel and much more possible for a grateful community separating boroughs and the East River.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- 700,000-home housing gap mapped by neighborhoodNYC’s path forward: meeting the 700,000 home housing challenge offers a roadmap for closing the city’s housing gap, with neighborhood-level solutions and coordinated action.
- Building Queens conference on Long Island City developmentLong Island City’s rapid development is driving discussions at the Building Queens conference, where stakeholders will address construction, housing, and the changing skyline.
- NYC Small Business Grant Program Invests $8.4 Million in Local Community OrganizationsNYC launches an $8.4 million small business grant program supporting community-based organizations to empower local entrepreneurs and boost neighborhood commercial corridors.
- Hate-crime charges after Central Synagogue Shabbat disruptionA man was charged with hate crimes after disrupting a Shabbat service at Central Synagogue in Midtown Manhattan. The incident raised concerns about worshipper safety and led to increased police patrols and community care.
- Forest Hills E train threat and Jackson Heights station stabbingTwo recent assaults on Queens subway lines have led to ongoing transit investigations, prompting increased safety measures and community response across key commuting routes.
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The Women Who Held the Ground
The recording arrived before RIOC posted it. On this island, that usually means they’ll release it when they’re confident nobody still cares. ArchRI simply made a copy available, the way people here tend to do once they’ve stopped waiting for institutions to keep their word. It was the first meeting of what is now meant to be a monthly community advisory group (CAG).
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