The Lay Of The Land
Roosevelt Island is a planned community from the 1970s, laid out along one street with the river on either side. Main Street carries the shops, the library and the subway entrance; everything else is residential, parkland or the Cornell Tech campus. A red island bus loops the length of it, cars are few, and the promenade offers the Manhattan skyline from a distance no Manhattan block can match.
The housing comes in generations. Northtown, near the tram and subway, is the original 1970s stock: concrete and brick complexes with balconies and courtyards, many still under affordability programs. Southtown and Riverwalk, built from the 2000s on, are glass rental towers with doormen, gyms and river views. Cornell Tech's campus at the south end added a residential tower for the university, and Four Freedoms Park occupies the island's southern tip with granite and lawn.
The island has its own rhythm. Lighthouse Park at the north end, Southpoint Park by the ruins of the old smallpox hospital, and the promenade between them make up most of the outdoor life; a farmers' market, a few restaurants and a grocery store cover the essentials, and larger errands mean a trip across the river. Noise is minimal, and the view changes with the light.
Transit is better than the geography suggests. The F stops at Roosevelt Island, one stop from Lexington Avenue-63rd Street and a few minutes from Midtown; the tram from Second Avenue and 59th Street takes about four minutes with a view; NYC Ferry lands on the east side; and the Roosevelt Island Bridge connects to Astoria by car and bike.
Nearby restaurants
A taste of where to eat around Roosevelt Island.
- 0.3 mi away
- 0.3 mi away
- 0.4 mi away
- 0.5 mi away
- 0.5 mi away
- 0.5 mi away
No active listings in Roosevelt Island yet
Sidewalk ingests new inventory every few minutes. Check back, or open the chat to ask Sidewalk to alert you when one lands.