For many Roosevelt Island visitors, cherry blossoms are the draw. But FDR Four Freedoms State Park causes them to linger amid the thoughtfully sculpted serenity.
by David Stone
for The Roosevelt Island Daily News
FDR Four Freedoms, Stay for the Park
No question, the cherry blossoms, springtime’s natural jewels, dazzle, but the tree-lined meadows plus the message of freedom dig deeper.
FDR Four Freedoms State Park commemorates President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech, given in 1941. The park is located on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island, offering stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and the East River.
There are also seasonal special exhibits on the grounds and a bust of FDR. The park is a great place to learn about American history and enjoy the outdoors.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States. He was sworn into office in 1933, in the midst of the Great Depression.
FDR’s New Deal network of programs and agencies helped to lift the country out of the Depression and get Americans back to work. He also led the country through World War II, helping to defeat Nazi Germany. After his death in 1945, FDR’s Four Freedoms speech was remembered as one of his most enduring legacies.
In the springtime serenity of the park
But for some, it’s the quieter moments along sculpted planes breaking modern patterns.
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Who Does This?
At the June 18 meeting of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation’s Real Estate Development Advisory Committee, President and Chief Executive Officer B.J. Jones acknowledged that there had been no progress finding a tenant for the long-discussed medical space on Main Street. Hudson/Related Realty LLC had told him that filling the space, along with other vacant storefronts, was proving more difficult than expected.
