Lighthouse Park on Roosevelt Island in New York City is one of the most unique and beautiful parks in the city. The park is home to a variety of plant life, including several species of trees. With a new art installation and its namesake feature under construction, this spring, it’s very much a work in progress.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
At Work in Lighthouse Park
The park also features a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline, making it a perfect spot for a romantic picnic or a leisurely stroll.
Visitors to the park can also take a short walk to the nearby Roosevelt Island Lighthouse, which offers stunning views of the East and Harlem Rivers and the New York City skyline. But much of that will wait until the work is completed.
Next Door Neighbor The Girl Puzzle
In December, Amanda Matthews’s The Girl Puzzle, a tribute to Nellie Bly opened to widespread praise. But the incomplete landscaping around it gives it an unfinished look.
The best time to plant grass seeds in the northeastern United States is from late spring to early summer when the weather is warm and the days are long. The ideal time for planting is in May or June. RIOC has not announced a plan or plans for sprucing things up with fresh grass..
Moving on from Lighthouse Park
Although both projects are behind schedule, one or both may make it for summer, opening the north end up where the seawall dips into the choppy waters of Hell Gate. But traveling south, the picture is not as promising. Long neglected problems are… well, still neglected.
But then, you wouldn’t know for sure you were on Roosevelt Island until you saw bicycles whizzing past Public Safety’s laughable and never enforced orders to get off and walk.
After countless complaints about safety for pedestrians, Public Safety posted these ridiculous signs in 2018. But it was really just a gesture meant to shut people up. The sidewalks narrow, making walking perilous with unyielding bikes racing through.
Further on down, the deterioration of several installations along the East Promenade show visible signs of neglect. This is a potentially knockout area with stunning perspectives. Many visitors walk this way to Lighthouse Park.
But the Worst Was Yet to Come
The satirical sculpture, The Marriage of Money and Real Estate, by Tom Otterness is a decades old artwork, recognized nationally, but not locally. At least not when you consider the graffiti the state’s ignored for at least five years.
Tom Otterness’s sculpture The Marriage of Money and Real Estate is a whimsical and satirical take on the relationship between money and real estate. The sculpture, located in the East River along the east seawall of Roosevelt Island, features two large bronze figures, one representing money and the other real estate, who are joined together in matrimony.
The sculpture is a humorous way of commenting on the close relationship between money and real estate, and how they often work together to drive economic activity.
While RIOC’s been noticeably rudderless recently, there’s hope that at least the most significant issues will be pulled together in time for summer. Some, which have waited for years, are likely to wait for a few more.
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
- Queens Subway and Far Rockaway Stabbings Spur Police InvestigationsQueens subway and Far Rockaway stabbings on September 30 prompted separate police investigations and community response after two fatal incidents disrupted daily routines.
- Fatal Stabbing on J Train at Woodhaven Boulevard Spurs Subway Safety Concerns in QueensA fatal stabbing on J train at Woodhaven Boulevard raises fresh subway safety concerns in Queens, as NYPD investigates and riders reflect on recent incidents.
- J and M Train Weekend Service Changes: What Riders Need to KnowJ and M train weekend service changes will impact riders for five weekends as crews replace elevated track switches. Here’s what to expect and how to prepare for modified schedules across Brooklyn and Queens.
- Coastal Flooding Disrupts Southeast Queens Streets and TransitCoastal flooding disrupted streets and transit across Southeast Queens as a fall nor’easter brought heavy rain and renewed calls for resilience and improved drainage.
- Nor’easter Brings Slow Streets and Transit Delays Across Queens and NYCAfter the nor’easter, slow streets and transit delays across Queens and NYC greeted commuters. Utility crews continued repairs as normal routines resumed Monday.
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Susan Rosenthal, a Sacrificial Lamb?*
After Susan Rosenthal was fired, David Kraut would talk about almost anything except Susan. This was unusual because David could discuss a subject long after everyone else had exhausted both the subject and the available oxygen. When her name entered the conversation, however, he became careful. At first I mistook that restraint for discretion; later, I began to recognize guilt.
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