Changing in colors, Roosevelt Island mostly showed off its natural beauty as autumn struck its annual tone. Of course, it was all great or even good, but it was a special space in the middle of New York City, on display.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Roosevelt Island, Changing in Colors
Change is constant across all of the universe, all of the time, but Roosevelt Island has its distinctive style.
Small but vibrant with highlights, Hudson-Related’s wild garden along the West Promenade, a discovery worth looking for, visiting again and again.
But best of show was the display of Linden trees gone golden with autumn. FDR Four Freedoms State Park was a symphony of changing in colors.
After a summer of turning imagination into things, The Girl Puzzle stands ready for its official opening in December. An idea by former RIOC President/CEO Susan Rosenthal drew the genius of Amanda Matthews to Roosevelt Island.
Autumn’s brush with color made beautiful with history. Vines that sometimes seem to hold James Renwick’s masterpiece together, accented the Smallpox Hospital in red.
November may promise winter ahead, but…
…on Roosevelt Island, it’s about the beauty of changing in colors.
Christmas is always welcome, but it came too early. RIOC parked weathered reindeer pulling a sled in the middle of the Farmers Market. The fruits, vegetables and breads soon migrated to their winter home.
We caught the Roosevelt Island Renewal Tree at the peak of changing in colors. Dark branches, damaged by careless pruning, some already dead, surrounded in golden leaves that proved fresh life can spring from manmade ruins.
A burning bush along the West Promenade marked its place in Roosevelt Island red.
Bulgarian folk singers, on a mild November day, gave the Cornell Tech campus a musical taste of Christmas.
Changing in Colors and Purpose
At Cornell Tech, a building devoted to progressive change softened by the spray of autumn color.
But for some, nature can be studied and celebrated. Borough President Gale Brewer, City Council Member Ben Kallos and State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, cut the ribbon for the Green Roof and STEM Learning Hub at PS/IS 217.
If nature can change its look, so can we. Eileen Fisher Renew brought used, but fresh fashion to an Autumn giveaway at the CBN/RI Senior Center. It’s also environmentally friendly, dismissing waste.
Did you know Roosevelt Island has a front yard? An accident of design, its color filled the yard outside Blackwell House’s hidden front porch.
First changing in colors, the youngest trees in Southpoint Park.
We said it wasn’t always good, but it was absolutely ugly at times. Improperly trained RIOC groundskeepers took a power saw to the historic West Promenade cherry trees. They called it “pruning,” but it was something else. This isn’t how fruit trees get pruned by professionals. Fortunately, an alert resident, Rose Klein, raised a flag, and the destruction halted before more than a dozen trees were hacked.
More worth remembering…
Our resident flock of Canadian geese build up fat for taking them through winter. In spring, though, this pays off with renewal as goslings arrive with warming weather.
Worth remembering because no one should forget. Hobbled since May, Roosevelt Island’s prized AVAC was too much to handle for RIOC. Promises and excuses, we learned, won’t fix broken, poorly maintained technology.
Finally, nothing says incompetence or corruption like public property wasted and costing residents millions. RIOC promised winding trails bordered by flourishing vegetation. So, why is this the best we can get?
Changing in Colors Conclusion
We saved the worst for last for a reason. In November, Roosevelt Island really was mostly beautiful. But sometimes, it wasn’t. We chose not letting the ugly dilute the month long wash of color and achievement.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily
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- Gloria Steinem’s Passing Sparks Personal Tributes on the Upper East SideGloria Steinem’s passing on the Upper East Side was marked by personal tributes and quiet remembrance, reflecting how a national figure’s legacy unfolded in a local community.
- Upper East Side Response to Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak Scrutinized by City CouncilCity Council scrutinizes the Upper East Side response to Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, focusing on communication, prevention, and public health protocols in dense neighborhoods.
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Still Searching: Transparency Delayed at RIOC
New York’s Freedom of Information Law rests on a basic principle: government records belong to the public unless an agency can identify a lawful reason to withhold them. For Roosevelt Island residents, that right matters because RIOC controls public land, infrastructure, transportation, contracts and development without functioning as a locally elected government.
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