110-537: Blackwell House is a historic house on Roosevelt Island in New York City . The house's name comes from Jacob Blackwell, who built the house in 1796. He was the great-grandson of Robert Blackwell, who in 1686 took ownership of what was then known as Manning's Island and subsequently became the island's new namesake. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. This article about
220-529: A "feudal character". Conditions in some of the hospitals declined significantly enough that the island as a whole gained a poor reputation. The women's hospital on the island was completed in 1881. Inmates from the Smallpox Hospital were moved to North Brother Island in 1885, and the Smallpox Hospital building became a nurses' training school and dormitory. In addition, a male nurse's training school opened in 1887 and operated for 16 years. The Chapel of
330-521: A "fire college" and a women's jail on the island. Another medical facility for chronically ill and elderly patients opened on Welfare Island in 1958. By 1960, half of Welfare Island was abandoned, and the Goldwater and Bird S. Coler hospitals were the only remaining institutions there. The city government had been trying since 1957, without success, to obtain $ 1 million to demolish the abandoned buildings. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) opened
440-663: A "new town" in December 1972, making it eligible for additional funds. UDC considered renaming the island to attract new residents; the Four Freedoms Foundation proposed renaming it for U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt . The City Council approved the name change in July 1973, and Welfare Island was renamed Roosevelt Island on August 20, 1973. Officials began planning the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park as well; although
550-508: A 2,000-bed facility, later known as the Bird S. Coler Hospital , also began in 1948. Further projects were proposed in the late 1940s, including the Welfare Island Bridge to Queens, a laboratory for Goldwater Hospital, and two hospitals with a combined 1,500 beds. The bridge was intended to relieve traffic caused by the island's new hospitals, while the additional hospitals would serve
660-408: A Catholic chapel was developed on the island. City corrections commissioner Katharine Davis announced plans to construct a prison hospital on the island in 1915; there was very little vacant land on the island by then. By the 1910s, twenty-five thousand prisoners passed through the island's jail annually, and Mayor William Jay Gaynor proposed shutting the jail. There were also proposals to move
770-521: A borough is an independent level of government, as well as with borough forms used in other states and in Greater London . New York City is often referred to collectively as the five boroughs , which can unambiguously refer to the city proper as a whole, avoiding confusion with any particular borough or with the Greater New York metropolitan area . The term is also used by politicians to counter
880-701: A canal to split male and female prisoners; though the canal was not built, an unknown architect did build a separate building for female prisoners. The island's prison population already numbered in the hundreds by 1838, whereas there were only 24 staff members (including those not assigned to guard duties). By 1839, the New York City Lunatic Asylum opened, including the Octagon Tower . The asylum, with two wings made of locally quarried Fordham gneiss , at one point held 1,700 inmates, twice its designed capacity. Prisoners frequently tried to swim away from
990-570: A cemetery; and a "city of the future". In February 1968, mayor John V. Lindsay named a committee to make recommendations for the island's development, at which point one newspaper called it "the most expensive wasteland in the world". The state government established the Welfare Island Development Corporation (WIDC; later the Roosevelt Island Development Corporation or RIDC) that April. Early
1100-598: A children's hospital and nurses' dormitory on the island. Municipal prison commissioner Austin MacCormick reformed the island's prison in 1934 following a series of uprisings. By then, the old almshouse (the City Home) was so overcrowded that patients were being housed in abandoned portions of the Lunatic Asylum. Welfare Island's jail was scheduled to be relocated, and city parks commissioner Robert Moses proposed converting
1210-450: A communal area for the island's various ethnic groups and socioeconomic classes. The island's residences and businesses are largely clustered around Main Street. Roosevelt Island is surrounded by a seawall of Fordham gneiss, quarried from the island itself. According to archaeological digs, the area around Roosevelt Island was settled by Paleo-Indians up to 12,000 years ago. In particular,
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#17328528502111320-497: A county in themselves, or are completely separate and independent of any county. Each borough is represented by a borough president . Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island each have a Borough Hall with limited administrative functions. The Manhattan Borough President's office is situated in the Manhattan Municipal Building . The Bronx Borough President's office used to be in its own Bronx Borough Hall but has been in
1430-494: A developer. For much of the 1990s, no large buildings were completed on Roosevelt Island. In part because of the lack of development, the island's population remained lower than expected, requiring it to be subsidized. By the mid-1990s, the island had 8,200 residents, less than half the 20,000 that the state government had originally envisioned, and there were around 20 small stores. To attract visitors, RIOC developed several recreational facilities and parks and sought to restore
1540-630: A frequent focus on Manhattan and thereby to place all five boroughs on equal footing. In the same vein, the term outer boroughs refers to all of the boroughs excluding Manhattan, even though the geographic center of the city is along the Brooklyn–Queens border. All five boroughs were created in 1898 during consolidation, when the city's modern boundaries were established. The Bronx originally included parts of New York County outside of Manhattan that had previously been ceded by neighboring Westchester County in two stages; in 1874 ( southern Yonkers , and
1650-430: A hermetically sealed suburb than an integral part of New York City". One newspaper from 1989 described the island as a "small, self-contained, family-oriented community", with its own Little League Baseball team, newspaper, and library. A Washington Post article from the same year described the island as having the feel of a small town but with a closer connection to Manhattan. A New York Times article from 1999 said
1760-452: A historic property or district in Manhattan , New York City , that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places , is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a building or structure in Manhattan is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Roosevelt Island Roosevelt Island is an island in New York City 's East River , within
1870-561: A lawsuit to block Northtown II, a judge approved it in late 1986. Work on Northtown II commenced at the end of 1987, financed by a $ 176 million mortgage loan from the city. The Northtown II towers, known as Manhattan Park, opened in 1989. While the new apartments initially sold at a slower-than-expected pace, Northtown II was 70 percent occupied by early 1990. The opening of the Roosevelt Island subway station , in late 1989, allowed further development to proceed. Officials announced
1980-404: A pneumatic garbage-disposal system. There are several parks on Roosevelt Island as well, including a promenade around the island's perimeter and Four Freedoms Park at its southern end. In addition to Cornell Tech, the island contains an elementary school . Several houses of worship are located on Roosevelt Island, and numerous community organizations have been founded there. Roosevelt Island
2090-529: A proposal to redevelop the Octagon tower as an apartment building was announced that year. The largely inaccessible Southpoint Park was opened year-round in 2003, a year after Governor George Pataki signed legislation designating several parks on the island. The island's first two condominium buildings, both in Southtown, and the Octagon were developed next. All three structures had been completed by 2007, increasing
2200-544: A public park, except for senior citizens' housing at the north end. The United Nations International School considered developing a campus at the island's southern end, and the New York Board of Trade pushed to redevelop the island as a city park. Other plans included a mix of recreational facilities and low-density housing; an amusement park similar to Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen; an underground nuclear power plant ;
2310-625: A redesign of Southpoint Park. Southpoint Park reopened in 2011, and Four Freedoms Park was finished the next year. A RIOC survey from 2010 found that only 12 percent of residents shopped on the island, and RIOC leased the island's largely vacant retail space to the Related Companies and Hudson Companies the next year. Related and Hudson renovated 33 storefronts, while RIOC waived food-truck permit fees to entice food vendors. The city government selected Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and Cornell University in late 2011 to develop
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#17328528502112420-405: A training school in 1962, using 90 abandoned buildings for training purposes. One reporter in 1967 called Welfare Island a "ghost town, vacant lot, woodland and mausoleum for unhappy memories". The businessman and politician Frederick W. Richmond announced a proposal in 1961 to redevelop the island with residences for 70,000 people. The plan would have cost $ 450 million and would have included
2530-403: A two-level platform supporting buildings as tall as 50 stories. The American Institute of Architects ' New York chapter proposed that the island instead become a park, while yet another plan called for the island to become housing for United Nations staff. Other plans included those for a college campus or a smaller-scale residential area. A New York City Subway station on Welfare Island
2640-528: Is located in the middle of the East River , between Manhattan Island to the west and Queens to the east. The island's southern tip faces 47th Street on Manhattan Island, while its northern tip faces 86th Street on Manhattan Island. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) long, with a maximum width of 800 feet (240 m). The island was 107 acres (43 ha) prior to the 18th century but has been expanded to 147 acres (0.59 km ). Administratively, it
2750-521: Is part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. Together with Mill Rock , Roosevelt Island constitutes Manhattan's Census Tract 238, which has a land area of 0.279 sq mi (0.72 km ). The island is one of the southernmost locations in New York City where Fordham gneiss , a type of bedrock commonly found beneath the South Bronx , can be seen above ground. The gneiss outcropping
2860-457: The New-York Tribune described the island as unsanitary. The city's controller recommended the construction of a new hospital to alleviate the poor conditions. A proposal to convert the island into a park resurfaced in 1907. By the end of the decade, thousands of elderly residents voluntarily traveled to the island for "vacations" every year. The island's prisoners manufactured goods for
2970-480: The 2000 United States census , Roosevelt Island had a population of 9,520. Some of the island's original buildings, which were part of the Mitchell–Lama affordable housing program , were planned to be converted to market-rate housing during the time. Southtown's first buildings, including two structures for medical workers were announced in early 2001. The first two Southtown buildings were completed in 2002, and
3080-509: The 2010 United States census . Some of the Mitchell–Lama apartments were converted to market-rate housing in the 2010s, while development of additional residential structures continued. The seventh Riverwalk building was finished in 2015, followed by the eighth in 2019. Firefighters Field was renovated with the development of the eighth Riverwalk building. To attract visitors, RIOC announced in 2018 that it would create an "art trail" around
3190-559: The Blackwell House , one of Manhattan's oldest houses . James L. Bell paid the Blackwells $ 30,000 for the island in 1823, but Blackwell took back control two years later, upon Bell's death. One source indicated that Bell never fulfilled the terms of the sale. By 1826, the city almshouse at Bellevue Hospital was overcrowded, prompting city officials to consider moving that facility to Blackwell's Island. The city government purchased
3300-879: The Bronx County Courthouse for decades. Since the abolition of the Board of Estimate in 1990 (due to a 1989 ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court ), the borough presidents have minimal executive powers, and there is no legislative function within a borough. Executive functions in New York City are the responsibility of the Mayor of New York City , while legislative functions reside with the New York City Council . The borough presidents primarily act as spokesmen, advocates, and ceremonial leaders for their boroughs, have budgets from which they can allocate relatively modest sums of money to community organizations and projects, and appoint
3410-472: The Cornell Tech research center on the island; the proposal included three towers, a hotel, and a conference center. The campus replaced the outmoded Goldwater Memorial Hospital, which closed in 2013. Work on Cornell Tech itself began in 2015, and the campus opened two years later. Graduate students moved to the island after Cornell Tech opened. Meanwhile, the island's population had grown to 11,661 by
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3520-486: The Metropolitan Museum of Art in late 1970. The UDC modified some of Johnson and Burgee's designs after they were publicized; for example, it added more buildings on the waterfront. The redevelopment attracted residents who wanted a better quality of life. Critics expressed concerns about the fact that lower- and upper-income residents were placed on opposite sides of Main Street, and they also questioned whether
3630-519: The New York metropolitan area as well as in other states, U.S. territories , and foreign countries. In 2011, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg referred to the city's waterfront and waterways as a composite sixth borough during presentations of planned rehabilitation projects along the city's shoreline , including Governor's Island in the Upper New York Bay . The Hudson Waterfront , in
3740-551: The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) to operate the island in 1984. The UDC re-approved the Northtown II plan in July 1984, and RIOC approved it in 1986. The revised plans called for five buildings, containing a total of 1,100 apartments. Opponents of the Northtown II project wanted to maintain the island's character and expressed concerns about the lack of mass transit options; following
3850-520: The Smallpox Hospital in 1856. The Asylum burned down in 1858 and was rebuilt on the same site, and the prison hospital was destroyed in the same fire. Two pipes provided fresh water from the Croton Aqueduct to the island by 1860, and maps indicate that Blackwell's Island had two reservoirs as well. The prison hospital was replaced with City Hospital (later known as Charity Hospital), which
3960-668: The U.S. state of New Jersey , lies opposite Manhattan on the Hudson River , and during the Dutch colonial era , it was under the jurisdiction of New Amsterdam and known as Bergen . Jersey City and Hoboken , in New Jersey's Hudson County , are sometimes referred to as the sixth borough, given their proximity and connections by rapid transit PATH trains to the city. Fort Lee , in Bergen County , opposite Upper Manhattan and connected by
4070-407: The borough of Manhattan . It lies between Manhattan Island to the west, and the borough of Queens , on Long Island , to the east. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) long, with an area of 147 acres (0.59 km ), and had a population of 11,722 as of the 2020 United States Census . It consists of two largely residential communities: Northtown and Southtown. Roosevelt Island is owned by the city but
4180-495: The 1960s, the UDC leased the island, renamed it after former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1973, and redeveloped it as a series of residential neighborhoods. The first phase of Northtown, the island's first community, was completed in 1974, followed by the second phase (Northtown II) in 1989. Southtown was developed in the early 21st century, along with the Cornell Tech higher-education campus. In addition to residential towers,
4290-448: The Board of Estimate approved the plan later that month, the UDC signed a 99-year lease with the city that December. The city could pay either two percent of the development cost or 40 percent of any profits. The UDC issued $ 250 million in bonds to help finance the project. The state hoped to finish the project within eight years. The architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed
4400-533: The Bronx , Brooklyn , Manhattan , Queens , and Staten Island . Each borough is coextensive with a respective county of the State of New York : The Bronx is Bronx County, Brooklyn is Kings County, Manhattan is New York County, Queens is Queens County, and Staten Island is Richmond County. All five boroughs of New York came into existence with the creation of modern New York City in 1898, when New York County (then including
4510-452: The Bronx), Kings County, Richmond County, and part of Queens County were consolidated within one municipal government under a new city charter . All former municipalities within the newly consolidated city were dissolved. New York City was originally confined to Manhattan Island and the smaller surrounding islands that formed New York County. As the city grew northward, it began annexing areas on
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4620-464: The East River between Roosevelt Island and Queens. Roosevelt Island's street layout is based on a master plan designed in 1969 by the architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee . Main Street runs the length of the island, splitting into a loop around Southtown; it was the island's only road until 1989. The street is paved in red brick. Main Street, along with the island's parks, was intended to be
4730-569: The European colonization of New Netherland in the 17th century. According to several sources, Dutch Governor Wouter van Twiller was said to have purchased the island from the Lenape in 1637. A study from 1988 found that Van Twiller's deed referred to what is now Randalls and Wards Islands further north, but a subsequent study said that Van Twiller acquired Randalls, Wards, Roosevelt, and Governors islands simultaneously. In any case, Roosevelt Island
4840-557: The Good Shepherd opened on the island in 1889. The Strecker Memorial Laboratory was constructed in 1892 for the City Hospital. The next year, the city began sending typhus patients to the island. During the decade, city officials found the almshouse and City Hospital dilapidated and overcrowded, and a grand jury declared the women's asylum a "disgrace" to New York City. The asylum's inmates were transferred to Wards Island in
4950-479: The Metropolitan Hospital. A girls' shelter on the island opened in late 1945. By the late 1940s, mayor William O'Dwyer described conditions at some of the island's hospitals as "frightful", mainly because of their age. A chronic-care hospital and a laundry building were developed on Welfare Island during that era. The laundry building began construction in 1948 and was completed the next year. Work on
5060-475: The New York state government planned to begin developing Northtown II. The opening of the subway, which would support the island's increasing population, had been repeatedly delayed, even as residents expressed concerns that the subway would cause the island's low crime rate to increase. By then, the island had 5,000 residents and 1,800 hospital patients, but relatively few businesses. The state legislature created
5170-535: The Southtown development in October 1989. Designed by Raquel Ramati Associates, it was to consist of 1,956 apartments, split evenly between market-rate and affordable apartments. The development would span 19 acres (7.7 ha) and house up to 5,000 people. The New York City Board of Estimate approved plans for Southtown in August 1990, but the project had been placed on hold by 1991 because RIOC had not been able to secure
5280-451: The U.S. government provided a grant the same year to fund the construction of parks on the island. Rivercross, the only cooperative apartment building in Northtown, generally attracted upper-class families because of its high monthly fees, while the other buildings attracted middle-class residents. The FDNY training school moved to Randalls Island in 1977, and the old Roosevelt Island campus
5390-508: The UDC signed an agreement in June 1979, in which Starrett agreed to build the three buildings, collectively known as Northtown II, for $ 82 million. New York state comptroller Edward V. Regan published a report in 1980, saying that the Roosevelt Island redevelopment suffered from severe cost overruns and was losing money. Starrett continued to modify its plans for Northtown II, and, by 1982,
5500-523: The UDC's residential developments, including Roosevelt Island. Following an architectural design competition , the UDC hired four architecture firms to design the second phase of Northtown that year. Residents began moving into Roosevelt Island's first building in April 1975. Initially, there were no stores on the island, and residents had to pass through Queens to go anywhere else. Although people were not incentivized to move to Roosevelt Island because of
5610-518: The Welfare Island Hospital for Chronic Diseases, later Goldwater Memorial Hospital , opened in July 1939, the Central and Neurological Hospital closed. An eight-building camp also opened in 1939. During the mid-1940s, plans were filed for a combined laundry, garage, and firehouse building; a hospital at Welfare Island's northern tip; a nurses' training school; and a chronic-disease ward at
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#17328528502115720-577: The area was the homeland of the Mareckawick, a group of Lenape Native Americans, who called it Minnehanonck . The name is variously translated as "long island" or "It's nice to be on the island". The historian Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes claimed that the Minnehanonck name referred to Randalls Island , but this claim has not been corroborated. The Lenape may have visited the island. Archeological studies have found shell middens just opposite
5830-465: The city jail, and several hospitals. The United States Department of the Navy proposed a drill ground and training facility at Blackwell's Island's northern end in 1901, although city officials opposed it. The following year, there was a proposal to turn the island over to the federal government and raze many of the existing structures; the city's controller was also against this plan. Other proposals for
5940-513: The city's growing elderly population. During the early 1950s, the city planned a 1,500-bed hospital on the island and wished to convert the island's Cancer Institute into a tuberculosis hospital. After Coler Hospital opened in 1952, patients were relocated there from the City Home for Dependents. City Home was emptied out by 1953. The Welfare Island Bridge opened in May 1955, and a bus began serving
6050-472: The city, such as beds, brushes, and clothes, and the Russell Sage Foundation set up a short-lived pathology institute on the island in 1907. The Queensboro Bridge , crossing Blackwell's Island, opened in 1909, but it did not provide direct access to the island until the late 1910s. In addition, in the early 1910s, several buildings were added at the island's City and Metropolitan hospitals, and
6160-555: The city. In some document collections the boroughs used to be designated with a one-letter abbreviation: K for Brooklyn, M for Manhattan, Q for Queens, R for Staten Island (Richmond County), and X for the Bronx. The term "sixth borough" is used to describe any of a number of places that have been metaphorically called a part of New York City because of their geographic location, demographics (they include large numbers of former New Yorkers), special affiliation, or cosmopolitan character. They have included adjacent cities and counties in
6270-507: The counties are considered to be arms of the state government), rather than officials of the city government, they are not subject to the term limitations that govern other New York City officials such as the mayor, the New York City Public Advocate , members of the city council, or the borough presidents. Some civil court judges also are elected on a borough-wide basis, although they generally are eligible to serve throughout
6380-464: The demolition of six dilapidated buildings on the island in 1965. The city took over another 45 abandoned hospital buildings via condemnation in June 1966, and the New York City Board of Estimate applied for $ 250,000 in federal funds for a feasibility study on the island's redevelopment later that year. The New York state government proposed in December 1967 to convert most of the island into
6490-503: The existing Blackwell House and Chapel of the Good Shepherd were renovated. After Logue was fired in early 1975, there was uncertainty over whether additional buildings would ever be built, especially given the UDC's financial troubles. The UDC decided to complete the first phase of the island's development, on which it had already spent $ 180 million, and the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal took over
6600-441: The island for $ 32,000 (equivalent to $ 887,855 in 2023) on July 19, 1828. Ownership of the island remained unresolved for another 16 years while Bell's widow sued the city. Through the 19th century, the island housed several hospitals and a prison. At one point there were 26 institutions on the island. The city government erected a penitentiary on the island, which opened August 3, 1830. There were proposals to construct
6710-426: The island had been renamed in anticipation of the park's construction, the project was delayed for the next several decades. By the middle of 1973, one building had topped out , and the island had been expanded by 4 acres (1.6 ha) using dirt from the 63rd Street Tunnel 's construction. UDC head Edward J. Logue and project manager Robert Litke convinced multiple developers to sign 40-year leases for buildings on
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#17328528502116820-467: The island had the feel of "a postwar suburb of some European city", distinct from the rest of New York City. In 2008, the New York Daily News described the island as a "fantastic and peaceful place to live", albeit with many disputes among residents. Boroughs of New York City The boroughs of New York City are the five major governmental districts that compose New York City . They are
6930-399: The island has several buildings that predate the residential development, including six that are New York City designated landmarks . The island is accessible by numerous modes of transport, including a bridge , an aerial tram , and the city's subway and ferry systems. Many government services, such as emergency services, are provided from Queens, but the island also has a post office and
7040-504: The island in 1642. The following year, it was leased to Francois Fyn. Fyn, in turn, leased the island to Laurens Duyts, who developed further structures on the island. Duyts defaulted on his lease in 1658 and was deported for "gross immoralities", and Fyn's lawyer took back the island. After the Dutch surrendered to the British in 1664, a British military captain named John Manning acquired
7150-420: The island in 1668. In 1673, Manning surrendered to Dutch forces who had wanted to retake New Netherland; as punishment, he had to live on the island in exile. After Manning's banishment, the isle became known as Manning's Island. Manning had a mansion near the island's southern tip, where he served rum punch to visitors. The island was then conveyed to Manning's stepdaughter Mary in 1676 or 1685. Mary
7260-469: The island in 1780 and tried to sell it, at which point Blackwell's Island had several buildings and was several miles removed from New York City. By the mid-1780s, the island included two houses, orchards, a cider mill, and other farm structures. Contemporary sources do not mention any structures on the northern half of the island. A public auction was held in 1785, but no one bought the island. In 1796, Blackwell's great-grandson Jacob Blackwell constructed
7370-486: The island in the first decade of the 20th century included new tuberculosis (consumptive) hospitals, additional almshouses, an electric power plant, and general hospitals. A tuberculosis ward at Metropolitan Hospital opened on the island in 1902, followed by an expanded nurses' school the next year. By the mid-1900s, the Louisville Courier-Journal called the island "the world's best guarded prison", and
7480-508: The island to a park in 1924, and the city began planning to move Welfare Island's inmates to a new jail complex on Rikers Island further north. By then, the Welfare Island penitentiary lacked plumbing, had rat infestations, and was susceptible to fire. The prison's hospital was so overcrowded that ill inmates had to be treated in their cells. Prison staff were poorly compensated, and the prison received little to no maintenance. A chapel
7590-651: The island's hospitals moved into the apartments as well. The island also attracted residents who wanted to live in a racially integrated neighborhood, as well as those who wanted to avoid housing discrimination in other areas. Due to its proximity to the headquarters of the United Nations , Roosevelt Island attracted UN employees almost as soon as the first building opened. A New York Times article from 1999 described Roosevelt Island's diverse demographics as being another factor in its popularity among diplomatic staff. The island has been home to many diplomatic staff over
7700-399: The island's infants' hospital. The prison's hospital burned down in 1899. At the end of the century, the island housed 7,000 people across seven institutions. By the 20th century, Blackwell's Island had received the nickname of "Farewell Island" because of its connotations with fear and despair, and it was also known as simply "The Island". At the time, the island contained a poorhouse ,
7810-497: The island's oldest buildings. RIOC also planned to remove about 1 acre (0.40 ha) of land to make way for a seawall. The architect Santiago Calatrava was hired to design a visitor center in the 1990s, but this was never built. RIOC proposed selling off the Southtown site in 1997, and the Related Companies and Hudson Companies signed an agreement to develop Southtown. The plans for Southtown were subsequently redrawn;
7920-577: The island's population to around 12,000. Southtown's fifth and sixth buildings were completed by 2008. By the late 2000s, there were long waiting lists for residences on the island, and people quickly moved into the new residential buildings. Although the Roosevelt Island Residents Association expressed concerns that the new developments would cause gentrification , the island largely retained its middle-class housing stock. Work commenced on Four Freedoms Park in 2009, along with
8030-509: The island, along both the Queens and Manhattan shores, and the Lenape are known to have had settlements around waterways. However, the island likely did not have any Lenape settlements because of the lack of freshwater. There is little evidence of Native American activities on the island from before the Archaic period (which ended around 1000 BCE). There are disputes over who owned the island after
8140-404: The island. Almshouses , or housing for the poor, were constructed in 1847. Other hospitals were soon developed on the island, including a 600-bed prison hospital that was finished in 1849. Thomas Story Kirkbride , who oversaw some of the island's hospitals, described the island as having fallen into "degradation and neglect" by 1848. A workhouse was built on the island in 1852, followed by
8250-479: The island. Parts of the project were delayed by disputes over the relocation of a laundry building. By the end of the year, an advisory group recommended that the state legislature halt all UDC financing for the unbuilt phases of the Roosevelt Island development, citing the state's financial shortfalls. At least one of the residential structures' builders had also gone bankrupt. Construction proceeded steadily through 1974, and renting began that October. In addition,
8360-556: The island. RIOC began soliciting plans for a memorial to the journalist Nellie Bly in 2019; it ultimately commissioned The Girl Puzzle monument by Amanda Matthews , which was dedicated in December 2021. There was an additional influx of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City , particularly among those looking for open space. The final building in Southtown, Riverwalk 9, began construction in November 2022 and topped out
8470-449: The island. The Metropolitan Hospital moved to mainland Manhattan later that year, while the City Hospital was replaced in 1957 by Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens. Several medical facilities on the island opened during the mid-1950s, including an elderly rehabilitation center at Goldwater Hospital, a polio treatment center at Goldwater, and a children's rehabilitation center at Coler Hospital. There were also proposals to establish
8580-467: The jail site to a public park. A city committee instead recommended a plan by city hospital commissioner S. S. Goldwater , who proposed expanding the island's hospital facilities. After the Rikers Island jail complex opened, workers demolished the Welfare Island jail, and all inmates had been relocated by February 1936. The city announced plans for a chronic care hospital complex in 1936. When
8690-418: The lack of public transportation, the island was home to 170 families by the end of 1975. The first four buildings in Northtown were all completed by mid-1976, while the storefronts were slowly being rented. No new buildings were completed between 1976 and 1989, due to delays in the subway line's opening and the city's financial troubles. The Roosevelt Island Tramway to Manhattan opened in May 1976, and
8800-460: The mainland, absorbing territory from Westchester County into New York County in 1874 ( West Bronx ) and 1895 ( East Bronx ). During the 1898 consolidation, this territory was organized as the Borough of the Bronx, though still part of New York County. In 1914, Bronx County was split off from New York County so that each borough was then coterminous with a county. When the western part of Queens County
8910-563: The master plan for Welfare Island, which called for two neighborhoods named Northtown and Southtown, separated by a common area. The island was to become a car-free area with apartments, stores, community centers, and a waterfront promenade. The apartments ranged in size from studios to four-bedroom units and were a mixture of rental and cooperative units. There would be a hotel, public schools, stores, and office space, and several existing buildings would be retained. Services such as parks and schools were near every residence, and there
9020-405: The media, they are technically and legally the district attorneys of New York County and Kings County, respectively. The same goes for Staten Island. There is no such distinction made for the district attorneys of the other two counties, Queens and the Bronx, since these boroughs share the respective counties' names. Because the five district attorneys are, technically speaking, state officials (since
9130-522: The members of the 59 largely advisory community boards in the city's various neighborhoods. The Brooklyn and Queens borough presidents also appoint trustees to the local public library systems in those boroughs. Being coextensive with an individual county, each borough also elects a district attorney , as does every other county of New York State. While the district attorneys of Manhattan and Brooklyn are popularly referred to as "Manhattan D.A. Cyrus Vance, Jr. ", or "Brooklyn D.A. Kenneth P. Thompson " by
9240-531: The mid-1890s, and Wards Island's Homeopathic Hospital relocated to Blackwell's Island, becoming the Metropolitan Hospital . A proposal to build a power plant on the island in 1895 was unsuccessful, and the city began planning to expand the island's prisons the next year. Work began on new structures for the City Hospital and the almshouse in early 1897, and eleven new almshouse buildings opened that October. There were also plans to add eight pavilions to
9350-420: The name of the county unchanged. There are hundreds of distinct neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs of New York City, many with a definable history and character to call their own. Since 1914, each of New York City's five boroughs has been coextensive with a county of New York State – unlike most U.S. cities , which lie within a single county or extend partially into another county, constitute
9460-571: The newly consolidated city . Under the 1898 City Charter adopted by the New York State Legislature, a borough is a municipal corporation that is created when a county is merged with populated areas within it. The limited powers of the boroughs are inferior to the authority of the government of New York City , contrasting significantly with the powers of boroughs as that term is used in Connecticut , New Jersey , and Pennsylvania , where
9570-561: The next year, the state government canceled plans for a state park encompassing Welfare Island, and Lindsay's committee recommended renaming the island and developing housing units and recreational facilities there. Land clearing began that April, and Lindsay asked the New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC) to help redevelop the island in May. The city and state governments formally presented their proposal for Welfare Island in October 1969. After
9680-409: The next year. In March 2024, plans were announced for a 2,700-square-foot (250 m ) "healing forest" at the southern end of the island. When the first residential buildings opened, Roosevelt Island's amenities and wheelchair accessibility made it attractive to disabled residents and families with children. Many of the first residents were white, middle-income families, and disabled patients from
9790-423: The penitentiary to Hart Island , freeing up Blackwell's Island for hospitals and charitable institutions. The city's deputy correction correctioner called the island's penitentiary "unfit for pigs" in a 1914 report criticizing the unsanitary and overcrowded conditions, and a grand jury investigation the same year found that the jail was severely mismanaged. Blackwell's Island Penitentiary was negatively affecting
9900-683: The population. In the 2020 census data from the New York City Department of City Planning , Roosevelt Island is grouped as part of the Upper East Side-Lenox Hill-Roosevelt Island neighborhood tabulation area. The neighborhood tabulation area had 59,200 residents. Roosevelt Island's redevelopment in the 1970s spurred the creation of a community distinct from the rest of Manhattan. Following Northtown's completion, an architectural critic wrote for Architectural Design that Roosevelt Island "seems to be more of
10010-446: The project's $ 400 million construction budget could have been spent on other projects. The first phase of the development, Northtown, was to accommodate about 2,100 families. The law professor Adam Yarmolinsky was hired to lead the WIDC in late 1970, but he resigned after just over a year. Work formally began in mid-1971, and the state approved the construction of the first buildings
10120-502: The reputation of the island's other facilities, to the point where a renaming of the island was under discussion. The women's penitentiary underwent reforms during the mid-1910s, and some prisoners were sent off the island to other jails. Bird S. Coler ordered that the island's buildings be refurbished after he became the city's public welfare commissioner in 1918. In 1921, the city began using Blackwell's Penitentiary to detain women who were awaiting trial. The island's prison hospital
10230-408: The revised plan called for three buildings to the east of Main Street, six buildings to the west, and new recreational fields. Southtown's development also entailed reducing the size of the existing Blackwell Park, which prompted opposition from Northtown residents who used the park. A 26-story hotel with a convention center was proposed on the island in 1998, though this plan was controversial. There
10340-481: The same year. The UDC hired at least 17 architectural and engineering companies to design the structures, though many of the architects resigned during construction. The WIDC approved a proposal for 1,100 middle-income and luxury apartments in April 1972; the UDC decided to build the residences as housing cooperatives after unsuccessfully looking for a private developer. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development formally designated Welfare Island as
10450-406: The three eastern towns of Queens County that had not joined the city the year before—the towns of Hempstead , North Hempstead , and Oyster Bay —formally seceded from Queens County to form the new Nassau County . The borough of Staten Island, coextensive with Richmond County, was officially the borough of Richmond until the name was changed in 1975 to reflect its common appellation, while leaving
10560-483: The towns of Kingsbridge , West Farms , and Morrisania ) and then following a referendum in 1894 (towns of Westchester , Williamsbridge , and the southern portion of Eastchester ). Ultimately in 1914, the present-day separate Bronx County became the most recent county to be created in the State of New York. The borough of Queens consists of what formerly was only the western part of a then-larger Queens County. In 1899,
10670-559: The years, including Kofi Annan when he was United Nations Secretary General . One of every three Roosevelt Island residents was foreign-born by 2000. The 2020 United States census showed that Roosevelt Island had a population of 11,722, across three census tracts. The racial makeup of Roosevelt Island's three census tracts was 36.3% (4,251) White , 10.6% (1,237) African American , 33.2% (3,897) Asian , 2.8% (333) from other races , and 4.8% (564) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 12.3% (1,440) of
10780-473: Was a pneumatic trash collection system. The first apartment buildings banned dogs, but this prohibition was not applied to buildings developed later. Additionally, the hospitals on the island still needed vehicular access, so the car ban was ultimately repealed. By the early 1970s, the families of Welfare Island's three chaplains were the only people living on the island, excluding hospital patients. Models of Johnson and Burgee's proposal were exhibited at
10890-430: Was also growing discontent with RIOC. As a result, mayor Rudy Giuliani proposed having the city take over the island in 1999, and state legislator Pete Grannis also proposed legislation to allow the island to govern itself. A contractor was hired to build the first section of Southtown in May 1999, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center indicated that it would build a tower in Southtown to house its staff. By
11000-456: Was announced in February 1965 as part of the new 63rd Street lines under the East River; the subway announcement spurred additional plans for the island's redevelopment. There were plans to rename Welfare Island because the public generally associated the name negatively with the island's hospitals, and even the hospital's patients wanted the island to be renamed. The city government ordered
11110-564: Was completed in 1861 and served both prisoners and New York City's poorer population. A "hospital for incurables" followed in 1866. Prisoners built the Blackwell Island Light on the island's northern tip in 1872. In 1877, the hospital opened a School of Nursing, the fourth such training institution in the nation. Late-19th-century editions of the Appleton's Dictionary of New York described Blackwell's Island's penitentiary as having
11220-423: Was consolidated with New York City in 1898, that area became the Borough of Queens. In 1899, the remaining eastern section of Queens County was split off to form Nassau County on Long Island , thereafter making the borough and county of Queens coextensive with each other. The term borough was adopted in 1898 to describe a form of governmental administration for each of the five fundamental constituent parts of
11330-408: Was dedicated on the island in 1925, followed by a synagogue in 1926. The city government also expanded the island's Cancer Institute in the 1920s. The State Department of Correction described the island in the early 1930s as "absolutely unsuitable for the purpose for which it is now used". The Board of Estimate rezoned the island in 1933 to allow redevelopment. At the time, officials were planning
11440-423: Was known in early modern Dutch as Varcken[s] , Varken , or Verckens Eylandt , all of which are translated in modern English as Hog Island ( Varkens eiland ). By 1639, Jan Claessen Alteras was known to have farmed Hog Island. Reports indicate that Alteras had made improvements to the island by 1642, though the nature of the work is not known. New Netherland director-general Peter Stuyvesant took over
11550-535: Was leased to the New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC) for 99 years in 1969. The island was called Minnehanonck by the Lenape and Varken Eylandt ( Hog Island ) by the Dutch during the colonial era and later Blackwell ' s Island . During much of the 19th and 20th centuries, the island was used by hospitals and prisons, with very limited access. It was renamed Welfare Island in 1921. Following several proposals to redevelop Welfare Island in
11660-461: Was married to Robert Blackwell, who became the island's new owner and namesake. The Brooklyn Times-Union wrote that the island had gained the Blackwell name "by a mere chance, or the result of a marriage". The Blackwell family settled the island over four generations. At the beginning of the 18th century, Blackwell built his farmhouse, the Blackwell House , on the island. Blackwell's Island
11770-533: Was not a major battleground in the American Revolutionary War , though British troops tried to take the island after the 1776 Battle of Long Island . The British briefly seized control on September 2–4, 1776, after which the American troops took over. A British prison inspector proposed using the island as a prison in the early 1780s, but it is not known whether this happened. Blackwell's sons took over
11880-493: Was razed. There were over 3,000 residents by early 1977 and 5,500 residents by 1978. Two-thirds of the island's storefronts were still empty by the end of 1977, even as almost all of the rental apartments and most of the cooperative apartments were occupied. The UDC leased some land in late 1977 to the Starrett Corporation , which planned to erect three additional buildings with a combined 1,000 apartments. Starrett and
11990-535: Was severely understaffed, and the prison was described as "a disgrace to the City of New York". That April, the New York City Board of Aldermen renamed Blackwell's Island to Welfare Island. The aldermen hoped the new name would improve the island's reputation, though the United States Board on Geographic Names did not recognize the name change for four decades. The state's prison commission recommended converting
12100-460: Was surrounded by dolomite , which was worn down by East River currents, creating the current island. The layer of bedrock is shallow and is covered by glacial till , and a 2012 study found no evidence of ponds or streams on the island. Since the 19th century, the island's natural topography has been modified drastically, and fill has been added to Roosevelt Island to increase its area. An ancient fault line , known as Cameron's Line , runs within
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