Honestly, I was looking for something else when I walked down the East Promenade from the post office south. But we can set that aside for now because, even on an overcast afternoon, nature lit up the path… like a reminder. And a promise.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Roosevelt Island’s East Promenade, Where Wild Grasses and Flowers Make a Stand
I don’t know who’s responsible for this wild garden of cultivated wildflowers and grasses, but thank you, whether it’s Hudson-Related, RIOC or someone else.
Because Hudson-Related’s graceful landscaping so refreshes every complex along Main Street in Southtown, giving them credit here is the default.
It’s a small patch along the East Promenade but a big reminder. Roosevelt Island once had wild places along each shore and within our parks. Now, we have what the state calls “open spaces,” but they’re not open to nature
A copse of willows matured in season in Lighthouse Park, becoming so dense, the soft branches lowered a curtain along the path. You had to gently sweep them away as you walked or ran. You had to touch and smell nature and were part of it.
Between the grassy area, home to the dog run, set aside for the last Southtown building, and Blackwell Park, the wild garden gets missed because of its location. It’s not “on the way” to anywhere.
But that’s a virtue making it worth the detour away from Main Street.
If we can do this along the neglected East Promenade, why not more? Why spend millions on an unneeded bike trail when wild grasses and flowers give so much more to everyone for so much less.
Why are we pouring more millions into turning Southpoint shorelines into a tourist trap of poured concrete and rock when we can have this?
Bikes and tourists serve so few of us and, in time, will make the East Promenade unsafe for many. Is it too late for saving our shorelines and parks? Maybe this wild garden will change some minds, but at least for now, we can all enjoy it.
A little detour can uplift any day with a stroll through curated nature.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- A Week Rooted in Community: Daily Life and Neighbor Connections on Roosevelt IslandThis week, daily life and neighbor connections on Roosevelt Island come into focus with stories of parks, transit, public safety, and community rhythms shaping the summer.
- NYC Health + Hospitals Data Breach Lawsuit: What Roosevelt Island Readers Should KnowA proposed class action says millions of NYC Health + Hospitals patients, staff and family members may have had deeply sensitive information exposed. Here is what Roosevelt Island readers should know.
- Queens Community News and Events: How Local Stories Echo on Roosevelt IslandQueens community news and events shape daily life on Roosevelt Island and beyond. From park reopening and fundraisers to public safety and local transit, catch up on the stories echoing across both neighborhoods.
- How Roosevelt Island Connects with Queens This Week: Community, Safety, and Neighborhood CelebrationsHow Roosevelt Island connects with Queens is clear in this week’s stories of community, public safety, celebrations, and neighborhood life in both boroughs.
- Connecting Roosevelt Island Community Life with Local Transit, Safety, and Business InitiativesConnecting Roosevelt Island community life with local transit, safety, and business initiatives, this week’s Beat explores how citywide stories shape our days and routines.
The Line That Didn’t Land
I stood in the back of Good Shepherd Chapel on the evening of April 15, 2026, at the Steam Plant Demolition Town Hall, watching people adjust scarves and jackets before the meeting began. Benjamin Jones, President and CEO of RIOC, thanked us for attending and, without a pause, said he was “pleased to host tonight’s town hall on the city’s demolition of its steam plant.” The demolition, in other words, was not up for discussion.
