Cherry Blossoms on Roosevelt Island

Hundreds of cherry trees in full bloom on Roosevelt Island

Roosevelt Island Autumn Hues

The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge

Trees at the FDR Four Freedoms Park with the United Nations Building (across the East River) in the background

Autumn leaves at the Roosevelt Island Tram Station

The Queensboro/Ed Koch Bridge

Autumn leaves with the Smallpox Hospital (Renwick Ruin) in the background

Roosevelt Island, a narrow island in the East River of New York City, lies between Manhattan to its west and the borough of Queens to its east. The parks on this island, especially the FDR Four Freedoms Park are beautiful and serene all throughout the year. Autumn is a magical time to visit the island and enjoy fall foliage.  

Cherry Blossoms on Roosevelt Island

The United Nations Building in the background (right)

Located under the Ed Koch Queensboro or 59th Street Bridge, across from the United Nations, Roosevelt Island has 600 incredible cherry trees. They are in full bloom. The annual cherry blossoms festival took place last Saturday at the East River Promenade featuring Japanese culture, food, spring wine tasting and other activities.

Renwick Ruin (Smallpox Hospital)

The Renwick Ruin is the picturesque ruin of the Smallpox Hospital located at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island. It was the only hospital for small pox in New York City for many years. The hospital was built in 1854-56 with a fine Gothic Revival architecture designed by James Renwick, Jr. The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the structure as a Landmark.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park Grand Opening Today on Roosevelt Island

Today, the new Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park, located on the southern tip of 2-mile-long Roosevelt Island between the boroughs of Manhattan and Queens, opened to the public. The park is named after Roosevelt's State of the Union address in 1941, known as the Four Freedoms Speech. The speech was delivered before the United States got involved in World War II. Roosevelt said the way to justify the enormous sacrifice of war was to create a world centered on four essential human freedoms: freedom of speech and expression; freedom of worship; freedom from want; and freedom from fear. The words were later incorporated into the charter of the United Nations, which Roosevelt helped create.

The park consists of a 4-acre triangular expanse of green, flanked by 120 littleleaf Linden trees leading to a colossal bronze bust of Roosevelt at the threshold of a square white-granite open-air plaza.

The statue is a larger version of a 28-inch bust of Roosevelt, also a New York governor, created by American sculptor Jo Davidson. It sits in a stone niche on the back of which a passage from the Four Freedoms speech is carved. The statue sits a mere 300 yards across the river from the United Nations headquarters. (Information from the FDR Four Freedoms Park website).

Park With A View - Roosevelt Island's Southpoint Park

Strecker Memorial Laboratory

Ruins of the Smallpox Hospital

Southpoint Park opened last year on Roosevelt Island's south end. The park is approximately 7 acres and is located between the Goldwater Hospital and the ruins of the Smallpox Hospital. The FDR Four Freedoms Park site is south of Southpoint Park and will open very soon. The park offers a great view of midtown Manhattan's skyline. There are cast iron columns salvaged from the City Hospital, as well as colorful paintings. The park also features the newly restored Strecker Memorial Laboratory. Separating the Southpoint Park from the new FDR Four Freedoms Park is the landmark Smallpox Hospital which is surrounded by a high fence. The hospital, New York's only institution for smallpox treatment for many years closed in 1957.