My inspiration for this post came from my dear, longtime blogging friend, Debbie @ Musings by an ND Domer's Mom, who is not only a gifted...
I clearly remember riding the Roosevelt Island Tramway when it first opened in 1976. In fact, I rode it with my partner at the time. He and I lived on East 65th Street and Madison Avenue; therefore, all we had to do was walk over to East 59th and 2nd Avenue, which is where the tramway station is in Manhattan. The tramway goes from Manhattan over to Roosevelt Island, parallel with the Queensboro Bridge.
For those of you who are not familiar with Roosevelt Island, it is a narrow island (rich in history) on the East River. It is part of Manhattan, but apart from it.
I would like to interject here by sharing comparison photographs of one of my favorite Woody Allen films, Manhattan, and the scene in which he and Diane Keaton are sitting on a bench next to the Queensboro Bridge. The top photo in the collage is mine (edited in black and white) and the photo below is from the movie. The only difference is that my photograph is shot from the Roosevelt Island side, while the movie photograph is shot from the Manhattan side. But it's the same bridge.
It's been years since I've seen Roosevelt Island, so I didn't know what to expect. Well, let's just say that I was VERY impressed by how attractive and cozy it was. I didn't take a lot of photos while I was there because I was mainly focused on the Queensboro Bridge and the tramway. Next time I go back, I'll focus on the island itself.
A view looking over at Manhattan. And as you can see, the weather was flawless that day. Sunny and cool without a single drop of humidity...
Before I share my photographs, I thought I'd show you what the Roosevelt Island Tramway looked like back in the 1970's...
Please notice how the original cabins were suspended by only a single hanger, which caused them to sway if it was a particularly windy day. Back in 2010, when the tramway received a 9-month complete makeover, they built new cabins with a double hanger, which now gives them more stability for a smoother ride.
And not to freak you out or anything, but back in 2005 and 2006 the tramway had several technical breakdowns in which passengers were trapped in a cabin at one time for SEVEN hours, and another time for over NINETY minutes. They had to use rescue baskets to get all the passengers out and down to the ground. YIKES!
That's one of the primary reasons they shut the tramway down for nine months. It desperately needed a safety upgrade.
Oddly enough though, when I rode the tramway most recently, I didn't feel the slightest bit apprehensive or scared. And this is coming from someone who does NOT like high heights.
I actually found the whole experience fun and exciting!
Here are the photographs I took on that day. Some of these were taken with my camera, others with my cell phone.
Please enjoy...
(For some idiotic reason, I didn't think to take pictures of the tramway station on the Manhattan side. So here's what it looks like on the Roosevelt Island side)
And not to freak you out or anything, but back in 2005 and 2006 the tramway had several technical breakdowns in which passengers were trapped in a cabin at one time for SEVEN hours, and another time for over NINETY minutes. They had to use rescue baskets to get all the passengers out and down to the ground. YIKES!
That's one of the primary reasons they shut the tramway down for nine months. It desperately needed a safety upgrade.
Oddly enough though, when I rode the tramway most recently, I didn't feel the slightest bit apprehensive or scared. And this is coming from someone who does NOT like high heights.
I actually found the whole experience fun and exciting!
Here are the photographs I took on that day. Some of these were taken with my camera, others with my cell phone.
Please enjoy...
(For some idiotic reason, I didn't think to take pictures of the tramway station on the Manhattan side. So here's what it looks like on the Roosevelt Island side)
I was standing directly in the front of the cabin as I took these shots.
Here we are as the cabin lifted off...
Here we are as the cabin lifted off...
As we ascended...
Here we are as we approached the peak of the tramway...
Glorious!
At this point, the cabin started to descend rather quickly, which made a large group of children start to scream. Yes, I kid you not, they literally SCREAMED, as if they were plunging to their deaths!
I felt like turning around as Cruella DeVille and spurting, "Oh for crying out loud, cut the shit and stop being so damn DRAMATIC!!" But alas...I did not.
Once on Roosevelt Island, I took these next several photographs...
I would like to interject here by sharing comparison photographs of one of my favorite Woody Allen films, Manhattan, and the scene in which he and Diane Keaton are sitting on a bench next to the Queensboro Bridge. The top photo in the collage is mine (edited in black and white) and the photo below is from the movie. The only difference is that my photograph is shot from the Roosevelt Island side, while the movie photograph is shot from the Manhattan side. But it's the same bridge.
It's been years since I've seen Roosevelt Island, so I didn't know what to expect. Well, let's just say that I was VERY impressed by how attractive and cozy it was. I didn't take a lot of photos while I was there because I was mainly focused on the Queensboro Bridge and the tramway. Next time I go back, I'll focus on the island itself.
A view looking over at Manhattan. And as you can see, the weather was flawless that day. Sunny and cool without a single drop of humidity...
This is a view of the bridge looking in the direction of Queens...
This final photograph is a view from beneath the Queensboro Bridge. I love how rusty, gritty, and raw it looks...
Have a grrrrrrreat week, everyone!
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*In case you're interested, here is a link to a wonderful PBS short video about the Roosevelt Island Tramway. Enjoy!
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