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
- Midtown Subway Shooting Leaves 26-Year-Old Dead; Queens Incidents SeparateA shooting inside a Manhattan subway station left a 26-year-old dead. Police investigate the Midtown incident and separate shootings in Queens as commuters seek safety.
- College Point Community Responds After Senior Dog Taken From Front LawnA College Point senior dog was taken from her front lawn, sparking a neighborhood response and NYPD investigation. Learn how the community is working together after a senior dog was taken from front lawn.
- Queens Child Death Investigation: Family and Community React as NYPD Probes TragedyGet the latest on the Queens child death investigation. NYPD continues to probe after a 5-year-old was found unresponsive in Richmond Hill, as the family and community grapple with the tragic event.
- Queens 5-Year-Old Girl’s Death Under Investigation After Mother’s 911 CallPolice are investigating the death of a 5-year-old girl in Queens after a 911 call from her mother. Authorities are gathering evidence while the community mourns.
- NYPD Use-of-Force Policy Reform Announced After Rozario ShootingMayor Mamdani announced NYPD use-of-force policy reform following the Rozario shooting, introducing new procedures, oversight measures, and transparency protocols across New York City.
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Ten Years, or Another Temporary Fix?
Roosevelt Island was built through public investment, then expected to support itself through development. The ten-year lease extension gives RIOC a rare chance to replace short-term deals with a financial system designed to outlast the people approving them.
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