Timeline for Roosevelt Island
April 25th : All media completed (maps, video, pictures)
April 28th – May 2nd : Return to Island for interviews, finish editing website
May 9th: Complete presentation
May 16th: Finish writing and editing paper
Nicole-Amanda Merchan and Nicolette Belitsis
Hi everyone,
I created the site for our neighborhood projects, here is the link:
You can go ahead and log in using the same password and this site.
We went on a short walking tour of Roosevelt Island (Emphasis on “short”), the small piece of land wedged in between Manhattan’s Upper East Side and Queens. After getting off the subway, we proceeded to walk down the Main Street, and we noticed we had many questions. As New Yorkers born and raised, we had thought you couldn’t get to the Island by car, but then why were there many vehicles on the Island? And why were there two hospitals located on each end of the Island?
As we continued our walk, we noticed that only two small historical landmarks, an uninhabited colonial style house, and a late 19th century Church. The Island was otherwise populated by relatively modern buildings, such as different styled apartments and small little shops. The Main St itself did not have many shops, only places such as a Starbucks, Gristedes, Public Library, and few others. The Island did, though, have a few schools, including an International Nursery Center for infants and toddlers. All the playgrounds, which there were many, were clean and seemed relatively new. We finally saw an answer to our first question, which was a large parking lot that bridged a connection by car to the Island and Queens. New buildings and public areas, such as a large park, are in the process of being constructed, showing how there is an expected growth in the Island’s small population.
On our way back, we stopped on the famous Tramway, which cost us the same as a one way subway ride. Only few minutes, it felt completely new and different than riding on the crowded, dirty subways. We made a video of us riding the Tramway, but it needs editing so we will not include it in this post.
We plan on visiting the Island again to inquire more about the hospitals, including the past Insane Asylum. We also plan on interviewing residents to hear their different perspectives on the racial diversity on the Island. Roosevelt Island is New York City’s most racially and economically diverse neighborhood, which was it’s original goal when being planned. We are proud to have chosen such a unique neighborhood and look forward to unearthing the lives between residents.
(The bottom right puts emphasis on the bridge used by cars connected the Island to Queens)
These are a sampling of the many photos we took.
Nicole-Amanda Merchan and Nicolette Belitsis
Roosevelt Island- I’ve always wanted to explore this part of New York City, as it seems like an often forgotten part because of it’s location and size. I would want to learn more about it’s history and what the architects/business men had in mind when deciding to populate this very small island. With this, I plan to find out more about the first race(s) to live on the island and how that’s changed to present day. I also would like to show how this is connected, if at all, to the changes in Manhattan, especially since Roosevelt Island began to populate after the main city. Though small, I believe it holds interesting and significant history, especially through the opening and closing of the insane asylum many years ago.
Greenwich Village- This neighborhood is one of my favorites to explore, and after reading more about it from our reading of Sidewalks, I want to discover more about the role race has played in growing this neighborhood into one of the most popular and unique ones in Manhattan. It’s changed greatly over the years, especially with the presence of New York University bringing in many international students. I also want to learn if the architecture has to do with the presence of certain races, as there are much less larger apartments in this neighborhood than others, and more brownstones and small houses.
Hi everyone!
My name is Nicole-Amanda Merchan, or Nicole for short. I was born in Jersey City, NJ, only about 20 minutes from where the SuperBowl is taking place. I moved to New York for high school and now currently reside at the dorms on 97th street. I have only one sibling, a younger brother who turned 2 this past November. While it was nice to be an only child for many years, I absolutely love having a baby brother!
I really look forward to this second semester here at Baruch as I discover what really interests me. I am currently pursuing a major in Math with a possible minor in East Asian Studies. It’s great going to school in NYC, the best city in the world!
I chose Baruch because I wanted to go to school in New York while also having a truly unique education. Baruch is diverse, interesting, and above all, fun! I look forward to the many more experiences I will have here, including studying abroad.
I look forward to having a great class with everyone!
