About the long-neglected tree beds on Main Street, a resident wrote, “They are first and foremost eyesores, and then safety hazards. It’s impossible to believe — No, wait – not impossible — the neglect going on this long.” We took a look around on the 4th of July weekend. Neglecting the center of town seems a RIOC habit.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
The point of tree beds on city sidewalks is to make the surroundings more attractive while providing a home for greenery. They should be welcoming places, an oasis in the middle of concrete and asphalt.
On Roosevelt Island, they’re neither. Instead, they’re an embarrassment, repositories for weeds, and – as one resident put it to us – “first and foremost eyesores, and then safety hazards.”
We walked around on the 4th of July weekend to see for ourselves, confirming the neglect going on for years now.
Take a look at these pictures and see if you can spot the problem. It’s not just that the tree beds are full of weeds. It’s not just that they haven’t been planted in years.
It’s that they’re a disgrace, an indictment of those responsible for Roosevelt Island’s public spaces.
And there are plenty of those. First, there’s the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, a state-run entity that is, in theory, responsible for the island’s physical plant. Then there are the Shops On Main and the Roosevelt Island Residents Association, both of which are supposed to be advocating for the island community.
Going the Other Way on the 4th
If not in population, then in attention, Roosevelt Island has tilted south over the last decade. With the opening of FDR Four Freedoms State Park, Southpoint and Cornell Technion, eyes turned away from the community core on Main Street.
The Main Street Canyon is where the town started, and it’s still where most people live. This makes the neglect stark. And it tells us why subway and Tram riders visiting Roosevelt Island, for the 4th of July and the rest of the year, immediately turn south.
Few ever see the landmark community that changed New York City’s urban focus and helped drag it out from its worst days in the 1960s and ’70s.
But as we made our way north, starting at the well-appointed New York State Shelton J. Haynes & Friends Parking Area, the story was more than tree beds abandoned.
From Blackwell House to Westview, we saw an unbroken chain of neglect. Even though a tough resilient community still came out to dine at Nisi, the rawness of Main Street stands out. It’s as if RIOC hung out a sign: Don’t Come Back… if you wandered this far away from the main event in the first place.
Conclusion: When Community Managers Neglect Urban Spaces
The neglect is especially striking because it’s so unnecessary. With just a little care, the center of town could be a showplace, a jewel in Roosevelt Island’s crown, an attraction for residents and visitors alike. Instead, it’s an embarrassment that says much about those responsible for its upkeep.
What do you think? How would you rate the job being done by those responsible for Roosevelt Island’s public spaces? Let us know in the comments.
Pitch in for independent reporting on Roosevelt Island.
Thank you.
Also from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
- Octagon Park Lecture Nov. 16: Was the Park’s Plan a Success?Octagon Park lecture: architect John di Domenico revisits how the park was planned 35 years ago and whether it worked. Free, Nov. 16, 6:30 p.m., island library.
- Friday’s PSD blotter: two theft reports at 425 Main, three hospital runsRIOC’s Nov. 13 PSD blotter lists 15 incidents, all on Main Street, including two petit larceny reports at 425 Main Street, three hospital transports and five entries at 546 Main.
- Variety Boys and Girls Club Sale: Astoria Property Sells for $28 MillionThe Variety Boys and Girls Club sale brings $28 million for its longtime Astoria property. Questions remain about the building’s future and youth programs.
- Fall Prevention for Seniors: Make Your Apartment Safer, Nov. 20Fall prevention for seniors: Sen. Krueger’s Nov. 20 virtual roundtable tours a typical NYC apartment, with tips on landlord changes and balance. RSVP on Zoom.
- Thursday’s PSD blotter: two hospital runs, a trespass summons at 888 MainRIOC’s Nov. 12 PSD blotter lists 15 incidents: six medical calls, two alarms at 546 Main Street, and a late-night trespass at 888 Main Street that ended with a summons.
“Yes. I’m Present.”
It is October 20, 2022, and the Cultural Center Theater at 548 Main Street has again been made to serve as a boardroom, its folding tables carrying the temporary authority of the state. The folding tables are perfect for RIOC. They support anything, question nothing and collapse under pressure. At 5:45 p.m., Chair Designee Alex Valella calls the meeting to order.
2 COMMENTS