New York Is One of the Dirtiest Cities, And Roosevelt Island Is Doing Its Part

A Time Out survey last year found New York City as the second dirtiest city in the world. Because #1 is Rome, Italy, that makes New York the worst in America. And as the following pictures show, Roosevelt Island is doing its part.

by David Stone

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

Mayor Eric Adams recently insisted that New York City Streets aren’t really all that dirty, but we disagree. A few photos from just the first two months of this year show Roosevelt Island doing its part in holding the dirtiest position.

The photo above is from Lighthouse Park. It shows visitors treated to a RIOC-created pile of rubbish on their way to The Girl Puzzle and the historic lighthouse. But there’s so much more.

In untended bushes directly across from the subway, the main point of entry for visitors, a months-long residue of discarded garbage remains untouched by the state overseers.

At midday, a collection of garbage is left standing in this doorway on Main Street. The business owner thoughtfully asks passersby to “Be Respectful. No Peeing.” This is next door to the alleged Public Safety Department.

The MTA took down a barrier after finishing work on the Midtown Access tunnel, but they left a few reminders. It’s cute how they laid down the asphalt while making a safe place for months of trash left behind.

This may or may not be the “worst of…” photo, but we chose it for the cover because it includes all the elements with visitors exposed to the worst of Roosevelt Island. This one’s a candidate for the RIOC Hall of Shame.

The Beat Goes On

Outside Rivercross, someone left this pile of refuse stacked against an already unkempt and uncared-for trash can. Maybe we were lucky they didn’t try stuffing it inside. Or down an AVAC chute.

Note: This is directly across the street from RIOC’s secret headquarters but didn’t seem to bother the state agency that never makes a mistake.

Curbside trash mingles with scraps from the healthy Red Maple RIOC killed way back in October. This combines the worst of RIOC’s war against trees with general, ongoing neglect.

Oh, look! By the next day, the rubbish pile outside Rivercross grew, and nobody from RIOC’s secret headquarters across the street did anything.

Finally

Whether New York City is the dirtiest city in America or the fifth dirtiest, we hope we have shown that Roosevelt Island stands second to no other neighborhood in doing its part in maintaining the all-important negligence..