In the East River, this skinny island is an odd planned neighborhood, mostly built in the 1970s, that feels more like a northern European suburb. At the southern tip is architect Louis Kahn’s striking Franklin D Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park, planted with beautiful cherry trees. At the north end, Manhattan Park Pool Club is a good swimming getaway. A short Roosevelt Island Tramway – yeah, the one Spider-Man hopped on – connects to Midtown; it's worth a trip in itself for the stunning view.
Roosevelt Island was once known as Blackwell’s Island after the farming family who lived here; the city bought the island in 1828 and constructed several medical facilities, including a smallpox hospital. Later, New York State built housing for 10,000 people, in structures that resemble a brutalist Olympic village. More recently, the glittering, modern campus for Cornell Tech has brought a bit more flash to the island's east side.
With fine views and little traffic, this quiet island is conducive to lounging and cycling. You can pick up a map of the island ($1) at the cute visitor center (12:30pm to 5:30pm Wednesday to Monday, shorter hours in winter), located in an old trolley station entrance next to the tram exit.
