Roosevelt Island's biggest transportation attraction is the Roosevelt Island Tram. For the price of a MetroCard swipe, you can rise 250 feet above the East River and be transported between Roosevelt Island and Manhattan in just four minutes!
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Top ways to experience The Roosevelt Island Tramway and nearby attractions. 93% of travelers recommend this experience. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. 92% of travelers recommend this experience.
The Tram takes the MetroCard, which can be purchased from machines located at either Tram Station. 2. Do you have to pay for the Tram each way? Yes, you must pay each way (two MetroCard fares).
During weekdays, commuters use the tram to get to and from work in the mornings and evenings. As a result, you can expect these hours to be especially busy from Monday to Friday. Note that most New Yorkers are commuting from Roosevelt Island to Manhattan in the morning rush hour.
The island is only 2 miles (3.2 km) long and very walkable. From the south to the north, it's the equivalent of 35 city blocks. Touring the Island will take about 3 hours. It's best to go when the weather is pleasant as all the sights are outdoors.
The Roosevelt Island Tramway provides the most modern aerial tramway in the world, running every 7-15 minutes from 59th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan to Tramway Plaza on Roosevelt Island.
On Roosevelt Island, which was developed as a middle-class neighborhood from the ruins of prisons and hospitals, affordable housing was plentiful, thanks to state programs that awarded public subsidies to apartment buildings in exchange for keeping rents low.
Roosevelt Island has several methods for getting around without using your feet (too much). The Roosevelt Island Red Bus is quite convenient, stopping at both the subway and the Tram, and continuing along a loop around the island. A schedule and list of stops can be found HERE.
Roosevelt Island Tram TicketsFor adults, the ride costs just $2.90 each way. Those with an unlimited MetroCard won't have to pay anything. For a round-trip cost of just $5.80 for an adult, this is an awesome deal for an incredible view!
Blackwell's Island, now known as Roosevelt Island, has a deep connection to disability and incarceration. For much of the early 1900s, New Yorkers nicknamed the island Welfare Island after the asylums, prisons, and almshouses that were built there.
It's about 4 miles around the perimeter, with parks on each end. To access the island by foot you have to cross the Queensboro Bridge over the island to Queens and then double back — about 1.6 miles. More direct access is via tram or subway.
Affordable housing – With prices lower than those in Manhattan, find great deals on apartments and homes on Roosevelt Island. There's affordable housing as well as apartments and coops more spacious than most of Manhattan.