Roosevelt Island

Note the fear in my face having just put the bike on an elevator to get on the Tram.

and you may remember that I do not like heights!

It is another world on Roosevelt Island.  My favorite place was The Octagon, a restored apartment complex.  Carl had explored "Welfare Island" in 1966 as a graduate student.  They walked over the 59th Street Bridge and climbed down a stairway from the bridge to the deserted island.  They entered The Octagon, a deserted hospital and found the circular stairway and saw rooms full of beds and medical records laying around.  The fire department practiced burning buildings on the island. 

This is the remains of the Smallpox Hospital.  The housing and "main street" look pretty boring.  The residents to whom we spoke liked living there.  Newer changes of note are a nice park at the south end and having a Duane Reade - not my idea of a great thing however.  I think they could use some planning before  Cornell moves in. Why cars, for instance?

We biked home via the East River to Carl Schurz Park then across town through CP to home.  This stairway is part of the bike path - right? Take note of the rail on the left, an easier way to push your bike up or down the stairway.