Tucked between Manhattan and Queens, there’s a small island in the middle of New York City that most visitors don’t even realise exists. At just 800 feet wide and two miles long, Roosevelt Island is easy to miss but those who do make it across the East River often find a surprisingly peaceful escape from the city that never sleeps.
Once home to prisons, asylums and a smallpox hospital, the small strip of land has gone through several transformations. According to travel experts at Lonely Planet, it spent nearly 150 years as the location of hospitals and institutions used to isolate the city’s sick and vulnerable. Today, it’s home to around 12,000 people and offers one of the quietest, most walkable neighbourhoods in New York.
Roosevelt Island is officially part of Manhattan, but feels very different. There are no yellow taxis, few cars, and just one main road, with most residents and visitors choosing to walk, cycle or take the red buses that loop around the island.
The easiest and most scenic way to get there is by cable car. The Roosevelt Island Tram departs from Midtown Manhattan and takes just a few minutes to cross the river.
As it climbs 250 feet into the air, passengers are treated to sweeping views of the city skyline and East River below.
For the price of a single MetroCard swipe, it’s considered one of the best value experiences in New York.
What’s more, the island’s history is never far from view. According to a recent YouTube video by travel channel Fourth Place, the ruins of the old Smallpox Hospital still stand at the southern tip of the island.
Built in the 1850s and now covered in ivy, the building is fenced off but remains a popular spot for photos.
Beyond the ruins lies the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park, a modern memorial to the former president.
Designed by architect Louis Kahn, the park features a bust of Roosevelt and a quiet space known as “The Room,” where visitors can reflect while looking out at the United Nations building and Manhattan’s east side.
One of the island’s newest additions is the Cornell Tech campus. Opened in 2017, it’s home to postgraduate students working in science, design and business.
While the university buildings are closed to the public, the green spaces and walkways around them are open for everyone to enjoy.
Roosevelt Island also has a 360-degree perimeter path, making it great for cycling.
According to Fourth Place, it’s also one of the best places to view New York’s infrastructure – from the Queensboro Bridge to the smokestacks of Manhattan and the giant Ravenswood power station in Queens.
Despite its location, Roosevelt Island has managed to avoid much of the noise and chaos found in the rest of New York.
A 1969 master plan focused on building apartment towers mixed with parks and car-free zones.
Today, the island is known for its peace and quiet, with footpaths, playgrounds and open green areas.