Through the sky

Our group decided to observe the Roosevelt Island Tram for our iMovie project. The easily identifiable red car, that seems to float seamlessly carrying its passengers between the island of Manhattan and the much smaller Roosevelt Island, was something that I had looked at from a distance countless times before. I would stare at it through the car window as I’d drive into Manhattan to visit my family, though I’d never actually been on it before. Even after all of those times that I’d watched from afar, I never stopped to consider that this was, just like the bus and the subway, a method of commuting for so many New Yorkers.

The view from the tram, as depicted here, is one of the major aspects of this space that sets it apart from the aforementioned methods. It provides a picturesque escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, allowing the passenger to admire the beauty of the skyline against the East River. The view is definitely worth the waiting for the tram to arrive (which for me was around 15 minutes). It is far quieter than the subway, which we can hear coming down the tracks from a distance away. It is a smoother ride than on the bus, as it does not stop every few hundred feet. The Roosevelt Island Tram seems to be a forgotten part of commuting, with the exception of those who take it regularly and know all about what it has to offer. The red car strays from the expectations that those who aren’t from New York have; have you ever seen a New York City postcard adorned with a photograph of this feature? I surely haven’t. Although this space does not receive much recognition, it certainly is an important part of the New York aesthetic, and deserves a visit.