My love for America started at an early age, when I pinched a book from my older brother: Pietje Bell in Amerika. I still remember the cover: a jolly Dutch newspaper boy with the skyline of New York City in the background. It pointed to the idea the book conveyed: the land of limitless opportunities, from paperboy to billionaire, a new start, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.
To a shy and withdrawn teenage girl, stuck in a bleak provincial town in the north of the Netherlands, with a lot of rain and not much action, that image was utterly irresistible. This was the stuff that dreams were made of. J.R.R. Tolkien posited that everything you read and every experience you have in your mind turns into a layer of fertile soil, from which new notions may arise.
It was no coincidence then that the very first flight I ever made, straight after graduating from high school, was to the city of skyscrapers. During that trip I decided to follow in Pietje’s footsteps and become a journalist.
After a few years at university I succeeded in landing my much-desired job as a reporter, not in New York but at the editorial offices of a weekly magazine in Amsterdam. But even during my days as a journalist, America remained my shining city on a hill.
Journalist
I had the good fortune to be among colleagues who strove to emulate American New Journalism: a style of journalism from the 1960s and 70s made great by Hunter S. Thompson and Truman Capote. The office abounded with copies of American magazines such as Vogue, Playboy, and especially Vanity Fair, a monthly magazine that excelled in long, deeply researched and beautifully written portraits and historical reconstructions.
After a few months I wrote a large story inspired by such examples. Using archival research and interviews, I aimed to figure out what had actually happened during the Amsterdam coronation riots on April 30, 1980, the day of Queen Beatrix’s accession to the Dutch throne. “Truth is the daughter of time” became my motto.
In hindsight I was already moving from journalism to writing history and it is a small miracle that I worked for a weekly magazine for such a long time. Perhaps it helped that I was engaged to be married to one of the editors. His twin brother was a lawyer in New York and that meant that I could easily visit the U.S. while continuing to write articles.
I actually felt much more at home among the archival boxes and friendly archivists at the National Archives in The Hague however, than among the hectic hunters of daily news. It was only a matter of time before I would leave my job as a journalist.
When in 2010 I received my PhD in history at the University of Amsterdam on a dissertation on the German years of prince consort Bernhard, Queen Beatrix’s father, I officially became the historian that I had always been.
Historian
My transition to writing books came with a big drawback: America drifted beyond the horizon. The engagement had been broken off and traveling to the U.S. was too expensive for a beginning writer struggling to make book deadlines and dependent on savings and a few subsidies. It didn’t stop me from reading the International Herald Tribune and imbibe the best essays and historical nonfiction that America had to offer: the publications of writers like Joan Didion and Laura Hillenbrand, for instance.
And I kept on dreaming. The power to imagine a better future, to remain optimistic no matter what, is the essence of the American spirit. To me, it is what makes the country so fascinating and enticing.
The siren that lured me back to America was Allene Tew, previously completely unknown to me. Born in 1872, this so-called “American aunt” of Prince Bernhard played a significant role during his engagement with crown princess Juliana, which is why she was subsequently chosen as one of the godmothers of Princess Beatrix.
Following a suggestion of one of Bernhard’s cousins, I went to the villa on the Cote d’ Azur where Allene died in 1955, in search of letters by Bernhard. No letters were extant, but I did find the subject for my next book. At the time, I knew little about Allene, except for her American background and the fact that she had had no less than five husbands, including a German prince and a Russian count.
Those few details displayed a strong optimism and an enterprising spirit: something typically American that drew me to her as the subject of a biography. And it was a good decision as researching her turned out to be an exciting adventure.
For months I traced her footsteps, from a crumbling industrial city in the hills near Chautauqua Lake in Western New York, where she grew up, via Pittsburgh and Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where she lived with her first and second husband, to Long Island and the glamorous summer resort of Newport where she and her Russian count (husband #5) entertained lavishly.
In every place I visited local historians were extremely helpful. That is a feature of the United States as well: open to newcomers and interested in history, perhaps because it is a young country. The life of Allene Tew allowed me to get in touch with many historical developments and events that until then had been distant abstractions to me: the Industrial Revolution, the Gilded Age, the First World War, and the Great Depression.
Allene’s life exemplifies the country that spawned her. It was the rags-to-riches story of a liveryman’s daughter who rises to become one of the richest women of America and who even after devastating setbacks finds the strength to get up and keep going. The motto iterated over and over again in the letters she wrote on her small typewriter at an advanced age was: “Courage all the time!” It’s all-American!
Bestsellers
In line with the ideology of Allene’s country of birth — courage and perseverance will prevail—An American Princess became a bestseller. And not just in the Netherlands, but also, to my surprise, in the United States. It was scouted by Amazon Publishing, the publishing unit of the eponymous concern. The blown-up cover of my book was the centerpiece of a launch party on Times Square in New York. Move over, Pietje Bell! And then I incredulously watched as my name appeared in the list of Wall Street Journal Best-Sellers.
I may not have become a millionaire, but this was beyond the wildest dreams of that teenage girl from a provincial town long ago. For a brief moment I thought I was Snoopy, the world-famous writer. All this just could not be true! Within a short time, over a hundred thousand copies of my book had been sold, the internet burst with enthusiastic remarks from readers, and the publisher decided to publish another one of my books in translation as well.
Sonny Boy, in translation retitled The Boy between Worlds, also became a bestseller. I was as proud as a peacock and was particularly pleased when my Charleston-born translator, somewhat bemused, remarked that my Dutch was remarkably easy to translate into English. It must have been the result of a decades-long focus on American journalism and literature.
My American fame gave me the courage to try my hand at the reconstruction of the exceptional love story of the Dutch fortune-seeker Leon Herkenrath (1800-1861) and Juliette Magnan (ca, 1809-1856), a black girl born in slavery in Charleston, South Carolina. The result was Leon & Juliette, published as the annual freebie in the Dutch week devoted to books and reading.
My American editor was wildly enthusiastic and invited me to Seattle for a breakfast meeting to discuss the follow-up. In high spirits I started to work on Fortune’s Children, an extension of the story of Leon and Juliette, and the first book I specifically wrote for the American market. As well as the last, because then my promising career as a writer of bestsellers came to a screeching halt.
Unexpected Events One of the favorite themes in my books is how the lives of my protagonists are deeply impacted by world events on which they have no control whatsoever. And now it happened to me. In May 2020, when I had just submitted my manuscript, George Floyd fell victim to police violence in Minneapolis. The Black Lives Matter movement arose and the public mood quickly changed.Amazon replaced my editor and her successor was not enthusiastic about my project. She consulted an anonymous cultural research editor who asked for changes to be made to my book. Could I turn my female protagonist into a completely different kind of person? Could I make explicit that true love between whites and blacks under a system of slavery was an impossibility? And, while on the subject, was it not a bit presumptuous of me as a white woman to write about a black slave girl?After I repeatedly explained that as a historian I could not tamper with or change verifiable historical facts — nor the color of my skin — communications stalled. Then the whole project was cancelled.This was a sober awakening from my American dream, having run out of my fifteen minutes of fame. Briefly you’re the toast of the town, feted with oysters and champagne, and next, you’re yesterday’s news and your emails are not considered worthy of a reply anymore.Fortunately I could still rely on my own country. In the Netherlands Fortuna’s kinderen became a bestseller. The book received widespread plaudits and approval, including from the black community.One might expect this experience to finally cure me of my fascination for all things American. But that is not how Great Loves work. I still read American newspapers every day and still keep a close eye on political developments in Washington. When I needed a break to reconsider what direction I had to take as a writer, I immediately booked a flight to friends on the other side of the ocean, fully confident that I would find the answer there. I returned refreshed, full of optimism and reinvigorated by America’s plentiful natural and cultural splendors. And with a much clearer idea as to what my priorities really are.Something else was in my bags too when I returned to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport: a dose of the optimism that fuels the American can-do attitude. I decided to reach out to my publisher in Seattle. Who knows, another editor may be in place and perhaps publishing the book I wrote is now feasible. A new beginning — very American!—might be on the cards.No reply has been forthcoming as yet, but I will try again in six months or so. There is a single country on earth where giving it a second or third try is possible, it is the United States. As Allene Tew said: “Courage all the time!”Annejet van der Zijl (PhD Amsterdam, 2010) is one of the best-known writers of literary nonfiction in the Netherlands. She has won numerous prizes for her work. Her bestsellers in English include The Boy Between Worlds and An American Princess.This is the seventeenth installment in a monthly series of blogs telling stories about the rich history shared by the American and the Dutch peoples. Authors from both countries present accounts of their own choosing, from a wide variety of perspectives, in order to give as full a picture as possible of the triumphs and heartbreaks, delights and disappointments that happened place over hundreds of years of shared history.Not all these stories are “feel-good history’, however. While the relations between the Dutch and the Americans have for the most part been stable and peaceful, their shared history contains darker moments as well. Acknowledging that errors have been made in the past does not diminish this friendship but, rather, deepens it.
NOW IN EFFECT
THE SHUTTLE OPERATES 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT DAILY
The “F”SHUTTLE TRAIN WILL ONLY RUN BETWEEN 21 ST/QUEENSBRIDGE, ROOSEVELT ISLAND TO LEXINGTON AVE./63 ST. STATIONS. THERE IS ONE “F” SHUTTLE TRAIN ON ONE TRACK GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT DURING THE WEEK.
TIMES TO REMEMBER: F SHUTTLE DEPARTS ROOSEVELT ISLAND STATION EVERY HOUR ON THE: :02 PAST THE HOUR :22 PAST THE HOUR :42 PAST THE HOUR
RETURNING F SHUTTLE DEPARTS 63 ST/ LEX STATION EVERY HOUR ON THE: .10 PAST THE HOUR .30 PAST THE HOUR .50 PAST THE HOUR
THERE ARE NO TRAINS GOING EAST TO QUEENS AFTER QUEENSBRIDGE. THERE ARE BUS CONNECTIONS FROM THAT STATION OPERATED BY THE MTA.
Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION SOUTHBOUND Q TRAIN TO 57 STREET & 7 AVENUE Q TRAIN TO 42 STREET TIMES SQUARE (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN VIA PASSAGE) Q TRAIN TO 34 STREET (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN) Q TRAIN TO 14 STREET UNION SQUARE Q TRAIN TO CANAL STREET (OVER MANHATTAN BRIDGE TO BROOKLYN) Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION NORTHBOUND (72 ST., 86 ST., 96 ST AT SECOND AVENUE)
Overnights between midnight and 5 a.m., F shuttle train service is suspended and free Q94 shuttle buses will connect the Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza stations. These are MTA buses.
Top deck passengers aboard the Cabrio during his inauguration trip on the Stanserhorn mountain, near LucerneCredit: REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
The Swiss have taken cable cars to new heights with the launch of the world’s first open-air doubledecker cable car system, offering spectacular views of the Swiss Alps.
The Cabrio, which soars up the Stanserhorn mountain near the city of Lucerne at a 1.9km (1.2mile) height, can carry 60 passengers at a time, with room for 30 on the open-air top deck.
It comes in the same week that London launched the Emirates Air Line cable car which can carry up to 2,500 people an hour from the Greenwich Peninsula, on the south side of the river, to the Royal Docks on the north. APOLGIES FOR NOT LISTING CORRECT PERSONS…
Text by Judith Berdy Thanks to Bobbie Slonevsky for her dedication to Blackwell’s Almanac and the RIHS
NEW YORK ALMANACK JUDITH BERDY
RIHS
This is the seventeenth installment in a monthly series of blogs telling stories about the rich history shared by the American and the Dutch peoples. Authors from both countries present accounts of their own choosing, from a wide variety of perspectives, in order to give as full a picture as possible of the triumphs and heartbreaks, delights and disappointments that happened place over hundreds of years of shared history.
Not all these stories are “feel-good history’, however. While the relations between the Dutch and the Americans have for the most part been stable and peaceful, their shared history contains darker moments as well. Acknowledging that errors have been made in the past does not diminish this friendship but, rather, deepens it.
This story was first published on the website of the National Archives of the Netherlands.
Illustrations, from above: Cover of the first edition of Pietje Bell in Amerika, 1929; Coronation riots, April 30 1980 (Photo by Hans van Dijk/Anefo (National Archives of the Netherlands); Photo by Franz Ziegler of the baptism of Princess Beatrix, 12 May 12, 1938 with Allene Tew at the far left (National Archives of the Netherlands); and Virginie Herckenrath, daughter of Leon Herckenrath and Juliette Magnan (Virginie married James de Fremery and the pair moved to San Francisco).
Thanks to Deborah Dorff for maintaining our website Edited by Melanie Colter and Deborah Dorff
MAYA LEVANON-PHOTOS TIK TOK & INSTAGRAM
All image are copyrighted (c) Roosevelt Island Historical Society unless otherwise indicated
The city of Brooklyn came of age in the 19th century, and its houses across this booming metropolis reflect the prevailing design styles of the 1800s—from Federal-style homes with dormer windows to brownstone rows with Italianate and Romanesque Revival touches.
But sometimes you come across a stretch of unusually splendid residences that defy categorization and make you feel like you’ve stepped in an architectural time machine.
That’s what happened when I turned a leafy corner in Park Slope and found myself facing six brightly painted attached houses—each with tall parlor floor windows, fancifully painted cornices, and wide columned front porches that seem more Charleston than the City of Churches.
These country-like houses are on Webster Place, a one-block lane hidden inside 16th Street and Prospect Place and Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Shrouded by billowy tree tops and beautifully symmetric, they’re remnants of a post-Civil War building frenzy that remade many of the rural-ish neighborhoods collectively known as South Brooklyn into sought-after residential enclaves.
The homes are treasures in modern-day Park Slope—a unique blend of Queen Anne style because of the porches and wood trim, as well as Classical thanks to the wood columns. But the story of Webster Place and these six houses also offers a glimpse into what life was like in the rapidly urbanizing Brooklyn of the late 19th and early 20th century.
Numbers 21-31 Webster Place were likely built in the 1870s. Notices in Brooklyn newspapers announcing the sale of land lots on the tiny street began appearing in the late 1860s.
The name of the street is a mystery—why Webster? It could have been the name of a developer; perhaps it was in honor of well-respected New England statesman Daniel Webster, whose 1850 death was commemorated in New York by the closing of businesses on the day of his funeral.
In any case, at about the same time the houses (above, in 1940) were being planned and constructed, Webster Place was joining the cityscape. The secluded lane was paved and graded in the late 1860s. In 1871, the Brooklyn Common Council passed an ordinance that put gas street lamps on Webster Place. A year later, the street was officially opened.
Bits of information on the continuing development of the street emerged from newspaper archives. In the 1880s and 1890s, a grocery store popped up on the corner at 16th Street. Houses traded hands; the going price was around $3000.
But a 1943 Brooklyn Daily Eagle column on the remembrances of the borough’s “old timers” turned up some details that fill in the blanks of daily life on this slender lane at the turn of the century.
“Yes, Webster Place was a fine and clean little street with shade trees on both sides,” recalls a man named George Chevalier, who also mentioned the grocery store and a feed store on the block.
Chevalier remembered Webster Street neighbors who “had a team of billy goats and a patrol wagon and gave us a ride in it. Boy, how us kids did enjoy it!” The owner of the grocery store “would leave his horse sleigh on the sidewalk in front of the store and we would play in it, and I used to go for a ride with him when he would be delivering orders in the neighborhood.”
Another old-timer said his family has lived at 22 Webster Place (across the street from the splendid row of houses) since 1878. “I still remember the white houses with their green shutters and the tall trees lining both sides of the street, forming an arch over the roadway.”
This Webster Street resident recalled the families who lived on the block when he did; he listed a mix of English, Irish, and German last names. He also mentioned that the street was paved with cobblestones, “for I was one of those who swept them off every morning.”
Around the corner was a dairy that offered fresh milk from grazing cows. He further noted the nightly occurrence of “the lamplighter coming along with his ladder and taper to light the gas lamps.”
The cows are long gone, the lamplighter departed for good, and I doubt very much that any of the residents of 21-31 Webster Place get around by horse-drawn sleigh.
But these spectacular houses—with their welcoming stoops and porches, now slightly modified and not always matching their neighbors—reflect the sensibilities of 19th century Brooklyn as the city transitioned from rural county to urban metropolis, and then a borough of the city of New York.
The “F”SHUTTLE TRAIN WILL ONLY RUN BETWEEN 21 ST/QUEENSBRIDGE, ROOSEVELT ISLAND TO LEXINGTON AVE./63 ST. STATIONS. THERE IS ONE “F” SHUTTLE TRAIN ON ONE TRACK GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT DURING THE WEEK.
TIMES TO REMEMBER: F SHUTTLE DEPARTS ROOSEVELT ISLAND STATION EVERY HOUR ON THE: :02 PAST THE HOUR :22 PAST THE HOUR :42 PAST THE HOUR
RETURNING F SHUTTLE DEPARTS 63 ST/ LEX STATION EVERY HOUR ON THE: .10 PAST THE HOUR .30 PAST THE HOUR .50 PAST THE HOUR
THERE ARE NO TRAINS GOING EAST TO QUEENS AFTER QUEENSBRIDGE. THERE ARE BUS CONNECTIONS FROM THAT STATION OPERATED BY THE MTA.
Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION SOUTHBOUND
Q TRAIN TO 57 STREET & 7 AVENUE Q TRAIN TO 42 STREET TIMES SQUARE (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN VIA PASSAGE) Q TRAIN TO 34 STREET (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN) Q TRAIN TO 14 STREET UNION SQUARE Q TRAIN TO CANAL STREET (OVER MANHATTAN BRIDGE TO BROOKLYN) Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION NORTHBOUND (72 ST., 86 ST., 96 ST AT SECOND AVENUE)
Overnights between midnight and 5 a.m., F shuttle train service is suspended and free Q94 shuttle buses will connect the Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza stations. These are MTA buses.
THANKS OR COMING TO MEET US AND THE NEW RIOC BOARD MEMBERS AT THE FARMER’S MARKET SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS WE TRIED TO ANSWERED YOUR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSS TRAVEL OPTIONS, FOR THE UPCOMING SUBWAY SHUTDOWN.
STARTING TODAY
THE SHUTTLE OPERATES 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT DAILY
The “F”SHUTTLE TRAIN WILL ONLY RUN BETWEEN 21 ST/QUEENSBRIDGE, ROOSEVELT ISLAND TO LEXINGTON AVE./63 ST. STATIONS. THERE IS ONE “F” SHUTTLE TRAIN ON ONE TRACK GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT DURING THE WEEK.
TIMES TO REMEMBER: F SHUTTLE DEPARTS ROOSEVELT ISLAND STATION EVERY HOUR ON THE: :02 PAST THE HOUR :22 PAST THE HOUR :42 PAST THE HOUR
RETURNING F SHUTTLE DEPARTS 63 ST/ LEX STATION EVERY HOUR ON THE: .10 PAST THE HOUR .30 PAST THE HOUR .50 PAST THE HOUR
THERE ARE NO TRAINS GOING EAST TO QUEENS AFTER QUEENSBRIDGE. THERE ARE BUS CONNECTIONS FROM THAT STATION OPERATED BY THE MTA.
Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION SOUTHBOUND Q TRAIN TO 57 STREET & 7 AVENUE Q TRAIN TO 42 STREET TIMES SQUARE (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN VIA PASSAGE) Q TRAIN TO 34 STREET (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN) Q TRAIN TO 14 STREET UNION SQUARE Q TRAIN TO CANAL STREET (OVER MANHATTAN BRIDGE TO BROOKLYN) Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION NORTHBOUND (72 ST., 86 ST., 96 ST AT SECOND AVENUE)
Overnights between midnight and 5 a.m., F shuttle train service is suspended and free Q94 shuttle buses will connect the Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza stations. These are MTA buses.
I did not wander off the island this weekend and did not want to get involved with any incidents.
As I saw no staff from RIOC this weekend. tell me your travel experiences.
Lets see if RIOC can up their response to the community.
We await RIOC’s response.
Judith Berdy
WEEKEND PHOTO
GREG OUR FAVORITE TRAM OPERATOR, FOR OVER 46 YEARS.
FROM OUR READERS: Greg one of the nicest tram workers! Alexis Villafane
The One & Only Greg Parvati (sorry about misspelling) — Longest-Serving Tram Staff Person … Remember when He Was in The Booth…Nina Lublin
Good morning Judy, this is Andy Sparberg.
May I suggest a correction to part of this morning’s (Sat. 8/26) posting? The caption for the photo that appeared on Friday, which I answered correctly, says “way before OMNY there were turnstiles in subway stations with pot belly stoves.” Please replace “subway” with “elevated” in the caption. The station shown is a Ninth Avenue Elevated stop at 72nd St. and Columbus Ave., built about 1880 and closed in 1940. Pot belly coal stoves were installed in elevated stations to provide heat for passengers, because the stations were outside, allowing the coal fumes to vent. Underground subway stations never had such stoves, because coal smoke would be dangerous in an indoor environment.
Text by Judith Berdy Thanks to Bobbie Slonevsky for her dedication to Blackwell’s Almanac and the RIHS
JUDITH BERDY
RIHS
Thanks to Deborah Dorff for maintaining our website Edited by Melanie Colter and Deborah Dorff
MAYA LEVANON-PHOTOS TIK TOK & INSTAGRAM
All image are copyrighted (c) Roosevelt Island Historical Society unless otherwise indicated
WE WILL BE AT THE FARMER’S MARKET SATURDAY 11 A.M. TO 3 P..M. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSS TRAVEL OPTIONS, WITH RIOC BOARD MEMBERS.
STARTING AUGUST 28
THE F TRAIN SHUTTLE IS A TRAIN. THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSION BETWEEN BUS AND TRAIN SHUTTLES
DURING THE WEEK FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT THERE IS A TRAIN SHUTTLE FROM OUR STATION
The “F”SHUTTLE TRAIN WILL ONLY RUN BETWEEN 21 ST/QUEENSBRIDGE, ROOSEVELT ISLAND TO LEXINGTON AVE./63 ST. STATIONS. THERE IS ONE “F” SHUTTLE TRAIN ON ONE TRACK GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT DURING THE WEEK.
THERE ARE NO TRAINS GOING EAST TO QUEENS AFTER QUEENSBRIDGE. THERE ARE BUS CONNECTIONS FROM THAT STATION OPERATED BY THE MTA.
Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION SOUTHBOUND Q TRAIN TO 57 STREET & 7 AVENUE Q TRAIN TO 42 STREET TIMES SQUARE (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN VIA PASSAGE) Q TRAIN TO 34 STREET (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN) Q TRAIN TO 14 STREET UNION SQUARE Q TRAIN TO CANAL STREET (OVER MANHATTAN BRIDGE TO BROOKLYN) Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION NORTHBOUND (72 ST., 86 ST., 96 ST AT SECOND AVENUE)
Overnights between midnight and 5 a.m., F shuttle train service is suspended and free Q94 shuttle buses will connect the Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza stations. These are MTA buses.
THIS RED SHUTTLE BUS ONLY OPERATES ON WEEKENDS
THAT DETAIL IS NOT ON THIS VERSION
FROM THE ARCHIVES
WEEKEND AUGUST 26-27, 2023
ISSUE# 1071
THE TRAM IS NOW ON OMNY
GUESS WHO WAS NOT INVITED
TO THE CEREMONY?
WHAT IS MISSING? WHO WAS MISSING?
Why didn’t RIOC and the MTA acknowledge the tram operator, POMA? Their staff and expertise keep the system operating in a very reliable way day in day out and for over 13 years now.
It would be nice to hear an acknowledgement to the operators by RIOC.
RIOC staff ignores this community by not acknowledging the people who live here, work here and struggle with the mandates of a political appointed organization.
Time to step up and acknowledge the 14,000 folks who live & work here and make this shutdown a positive experience.
THE F TRAIN SHUTTLE IS A TRAIN. THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSION BETWEEN BUS AND TRAIN SHUTTLES
DURING THE WEEK FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT THERE IS A TRAIN SHUTTLE FROM OUR STATION
The “F”SHUTTLE TRAIN WILL ONLY RUN BETWEEN 21 ST/QUEENSBRIDGE, ROOSEVELT ISLAND TO LEXINGTON AVE./63 ST. STATIONS. THERE IS ONE “F” SHUTTLE TRAIN ON ONE TRACK GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT DURING THE WEEK.
THERE ARE NO TRAINS GOING EAST TO QUEENS AFTER QUEENSBRIDGE. THERE ARE BUS CONNECTIONS FROM THAT STATION OPERATED BY THE MTA.
Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION SOUTHBOUND Q TRAIN TO 57 STREET & 7 AVENUE Q TRAIN TO 42 STREET TIMES SQUARE (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN VIA PASSAGE) Q TRAIN TO 34 STREET (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN) Q TRAIN TO 14 STREET UNION SQUARE Q TRAIN TO CANAL STREET (OVER MANHATTAN BRIDGE TO BROOKLYN) Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION NORTHBOUND (72 ST., 86 ST., 96 ST AT SECOND AVENUE)
Overnights between midnight and 5 a.m., F shuttle train service is suspended and free Q94 shuttle buses will connect the Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza stations. These are MTA buses.
THE ABOVE IS ALL THAT RIOC HAS PUT OUT ABOUT THE WEEKEND BUS SERVICE. NOW SERVICE IS NOT UNTIL 8 P.M., AND ENDS EARLIER AT 7 P.M.
THIS IS PUBLISHED BY THE MTA AND IF YOU HAVE LOTS OF TIME, YOU CAN CONSULT IT AS TO ALTERNATE TRAVEL.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023
ISSUE# 1070
THE TRAM IS NOW ON OMNY
GUESS WHO WAS NOT INVITED
TO THE CEREMONY?
Tramway First Non-MTA Operating Entity to Join Tap and Go Fare Payment System Excerpt from MTA Press Release
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that the Authority’s tap and go fare payment system, OMNY, has now launched on the Roosevelt Island Tramway with stations located at 59 St and 2 Av in Manhattan and Tramway Plaza on Roosevelt Island. The Roosevelt Island Tramway represents the first non-MTA operated entity to begin accepting taps as a fare payment.
The OMNY readers, which were activated for customer use today, will allow Roosevelt Island Tramway riders to tap and go with their smart device with a digital wallet, such as phone or watch, or contactless credit or debit card, or OMNY card, and participate in the MTA’s “best fare,” seven-day fare capping program. Customers’ first tap into the system, whether it be on the subway, bus or tram, will start a seven-day period using the same payment method on any tap and go capable transit mode. Customers are charged $2.90 for their first 11 rides, $2.10 for their 12th ride and on the 13th ride, and for each subsequent ride, the ride is free for the rest of the seven-day period. Customers will never pay more than $34 to ride in a seven-day period.
“Tap-and-go is being adopted at warp speed by subway and bus riders, and we need to give that option to everyone who uses any type of transit – both New Yorkers and tourists alike,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “It’s good news that Roosevelt Island tramway customers are now able to take advantage of the fastest, most secure way to pay their fares.”
“This is another important step toward the full implementation of OMNY as the preferred fare payment method for the New York region,” said MTA President of Construction and Development Jamie Torres-Springer. “Now tram customers living on and visiting Roosevelt Island will be able to experience the ease, convenience, and reliability of OMNY.”
“Countless subway and bus customers have experienced the convenience of tap-and-go and I’m excited that Roosevelt Island Tram riders who live on the island and those visiting will now be able to use OMNY for better transfers onto the subway and buses to get to their destination faster,” said New York City Transit President Richard Davey. “Tram customers can now trust they will never miss their tram because, like subway and bus customers, they can simply tap to ride.”
“Bringing OMNY to the Roosevelt Island Tram has been an important initiative that we’ve worked on for some time,” said Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation President & CEO Shelton J. Haynes. “More and more island travelers are turning to OMNY for their everyday transit use, and as the world becomes increasingly digital, it’s important for our infrastructure to keep pace with those changing trends. I want to thank MTA Chair Lieber and his team for their close collaboration throughout this process, and our elected officials who advocated so passionately for bringing OMNY here to Roosevelt Island. Finally, I want to offer a huge thank you to the RIOC Legal Team, led by Gretchen Robinson, for their tireless work in bringing this initiative to fruition.”
WHAT IS MISSING? WHO WAS MISSING?
Shame on RIOC and the MTA for not acknowledging the tram operator, POMA, not RIOC.
Has RIOC no shame and not inviting the trram management to the ceremony just feet from the cabins.
This is a pathetic act of EGO and self aggrandizement by Haynes (who was here today) and his staff.
RiOC constantly insults this community by not acknowledging the people who live here, work here and struggle with the mandates of a self important organization.
THE F TRAIN SHUTTLE IS A TRAIN. THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSION BETWEEN BUS AND TRAIN SHUTTLES
DURING THE WEEK FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT THERE IS A TRAIN SHUTTLE FROM OUR STATION
The “F”SHUTTLE TRAIN WILL ONLY RUN BETWEEN 21 ST/QUEENSBRIDGE, ROOSEVELT ISLAND TO LEXINGTON AVE./63 ST. STATIONS. THERE IS ONE “F” SHUTTLE TRAIN ON ONE TRACK GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT DURING THE WEEK.
THERE ARE NO TRAINS GOING EAST TO QUEENS AFTER QUEENSBRIDGE. THERE ARE BUS CONNECTIONS FROM THAT STATION OPERATED BY THE MTA.
Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION SOUTHBOUND Q TRAIN TO 57 STREET & 7 AVENUE Q TRAIN TO 42 STREET TIMES SQUARE (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN VIA PASSAGE) Q TRAIN TO 34 STREET (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN) Q TRAIN TO 14 STREET UNION SQUARE Q TRAIN TO CANAL STREET (OVER MANHATTAN BRIDGE TO BROOKLYN) Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION NORTHBOUND (72 ST., 86 ST., 96 ST AT SECOND AVENUE)
Overnights between midnight and 5 a.m., F shuttle train service is suspended and free Q94 shuttle buses will connect the Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza stations. These are MTA buses.
Lily Furedi, Subway, 1934, oil on canvas, 39 x 48 1⁄4 in. (99.1 x 122.6 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1965.18.43
In this painting Lily Furedi boldly did something that few dare to do: she looked at people on the subway. She took the viewpoint of a seated rider gazing down the car at her fellow passengers. The Hungarian-born artist knew of the subway riders’ customary avoidance of staring at one’s fellow riders; most people in her painting keep to themselves by hiding behind a magazine or newspaper, or by sleeping. Those who violate the unwritten rule do so furtively. A woman takes a quiet sidelong glance at the newspaper read by the man next to her, while a man steals a peek at a young woman applying lipstick. Only two women in the foreground, who obviously know each other, dare to look directly at each other as they talk companionably.
Furedi takes a friendly interest in her fellow subway riders, portraying them sympathetically. She focuses particularly on a musician who has fallen asleep in his formal working clothes, holding his violin case. The artist would have identified with such a New York musician because her father, Samuel Furedi, was a professional cellist.
FROM A READER: With cane seats, an overhead circular fan, and almost all passengers wearing hats (other than baseball caps), this looks like an Edward Hopper painting of the NYC Subway in the 1930s….except that it has far more people than the Hopper pictures I know. Regards, Jay Jacobson
Text by Judith Berdy Thanks to Bobbie Slonevsky for her dedication to Blackwell’s Almanac and the RIHS
SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM JUDITH BERDY
RIHS
Thanks to Deborah Dorff for maintaining our website Edited by Melanie Colter and Deborah Dorff
MAYA LEVANON-PHOTOS TIK TOK & INSTAGRAM
All image are copyrighted (c) Roosevelt Island Historical Society unless otherwise indicated
No F service at 21 St-Queensbridge, Roosevelt Island, Lexington Av/63 St and 57 St
Aug 25 – 28, Fri 9:45 PM to Mon 5:00 AM
F trains run via the E in both directions between Jackson Hts-Roosevelt Av and 5 Av/53 St.
Shuttle Bus Free shuttle buses run between Roosevelt Island and Queens Plaza, stopping at 21 St-Queensbridge and Queensboro Plaza.
THE ABOVE IS FROM THE MTA.
STARTING AUGUST 28
THE F TRAIN SHUTTLE IS A TRAIN. THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSION BETWEEN BUS AND TRAIN SHUTTLES
DURING THE WEEK FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT THERE IS A TRAIN SHUTTLE FROM OUR STATION
The “F”SHUTTLE TRAIN WILL ONLY RUN BETWEEN 21 ST/QUEENSBRIDGE, ROOSEVELT ISLAND TO LEXINGTON AVE./63 ST. STATIONS. THERE IS ONE “F” SHUTTLE TRAIN ON ONE TRACK GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT DURING THE WEEK.
THERE ARE NO TRAINS GOING EAST TO QUEENS AFTER QUEENSBRIDGE. THERE ARE BUS CONNECTIONS FROM THAT STATION OPERATED BY THE MTA.
Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION SOUTHBOUND Q TRAIN TO 57 STREET & 7 AVENUE Q TRAIN TO 42 STREET TIMES SQUARE (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN VIA PASSAGE) Q TRAIN TO 34 STREET (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN) Q TRAIN TO 14 STREET UNION SQUARE Q TRAIN TO CANAL STREET (OVER MANHATTAN BRIDGE TO BROOKLYN) Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION NORTHBOUND (72 ST., 86 ST., 96 ST AT SECOND AVENUE)
Overnights between midnight and 5 a.m., F shuttle train service is suspended and free Q94 shuttle buses will connect the Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza stations. These are MTA buses.
Martin Lewis is the artist behind this film noir-like masterpiece of light and darkness, a drypoint etching simply titled “Glow of the City” and completed in 1929.
It’s a study in contrasts: the dark church steeple of 19th century New York against the illumination of a 20th century skyscraper—the Chanin Building, which would have recently opened on East 42nd Street. This cathedral of commerce radiates light and power amid the everyday dreariness of tenement backyards and laundry on clotheslines.
And what about the woman in the foreground? She may be clad in an ordinary top and skirt, but she’s styled like an Art Deco goddess. She’s looking at the skyscraper, her Art Deco counterpart casting a glow over her world.
More Martin Lewis works of Depression-era New York City can be seen on the Smithsonian American Art Museum website.
Many of our neighbors are very confused about the upcoming subway project. This is a simplified map and listings of the route of the Q train. The Q train operates from 63 St./Lexington Ave. on tracks just across from the F train. The Q train operates mostly on 7th Avenue and can easily accommodate our transportation needs. Please send your comments to:rooseveltislandhistory@gmail.com
WE WILL BE AT THE FARMER’S MARKET SATURDAY 11 A.M. TO 2 P.M. WITH MORE INFORMATION
STARTING AUGUST 28FROM THE ARCHIVES
THE F TRAIN SHUTTLE IS A TRAIN. THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSION BETWEEN BUS AND TRAIN SHUTTLES
DURING THE WEEK FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT THERE IS A TRAIN SHUTTLE FROM OUR STATION
The “F”SHUTTLE TRAIN WILL ONLY RUN BETWEEN 21 ST/QUEENSBRIDGE, ROOSEVELT ISLAND TO LEXINGTON AVE./63 ST. STATIONS. THERE IS ONE “F” SHUTTLE TRAIN ON ONE TRACK GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT DURING THE WEEK.
THERE ARE NO TRAINS GOING EAST TO QUEENS AFTER QUEENSBRIDGE. THERE ARE BUS CONNECTIONS FROM THAT STATION OPERATED BY THE MTA.
Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION SOUTHBOUND Q TRAIN TO 57 STREET & 7 AVENUE Q TRAIN TO 42 STREET TIMES SQUARE (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN VIA PASSAGE) Q TRAIN TO 34 STREET (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN) Q TRAIN TO 14 STREET UNION SQUARE Q TRAIN TO CANAL STREET (OVER MANHATTAN BRIDGE TO BROOKLYN) Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION NORTHBOUND (72 ST., 86 ST., 96 ST AT SECOND AVENUE)
Overnights between midnight and 5 a.m., F shuttle train service is suspended and free Q94 shuttle buses will connect the Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza stations. These are MTA buses.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
TUESDAY AUGUST 22, 2023
ISSUE# 1067
SCENES FROM THE SUBWAY
IN DAYS GONE BY
NYC MUNICIPAL ARCHIVES
Subway Construction: Breaking ground in Long Island City for IND Subway. Date: April 1927
(Yes the F train)
The F to Queens Plaza!!!!
IND Subway car showing Wrigley’s Doublemint chewing gum ad, urging riders to place gum in paper before discarding it.
Many of our neighbors are very confused about the upcoming subway project. This is a simplified map and listings of the route of the Q train. The Q train operates from 63 St./Lexington Ave. on tracks just across from the F train. The Q train operates mostly on 7th Avenue and can easily accommodate our transportation needs. Please send your comments to:rooseveltislandhistory@gmail.com
STARTING AUGUST 28
THE F TRAIN SHUTTLE IS A TRAIN. THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSSION BETWEEN BUS AND TRAIN SHUTTLES
DURING THE WEEK FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT THERE IS A TRAIN SHUTTLE FROM OUR STATION
The “F”SHUTTLE TRAIN WILL ONLY RUN BETWEEN 21 ST/QUEENSBRIDGE, ROOSEVELT ISLAND TO LEXINGTON AVE./63 ST. STATIONS. THERE IS ONE “F” SHUTTLE TRAIN ON ONE TRACK GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM 5 A.M. TO MIDNIGHT DURING THE WEEK.
THERE ARE NO TRAINS GOING EAST TO QUEENS AFTER QUEENSBRIDGE. THERE ARE BUS CONNECTIONS FROM THAT STATION OPERATED BY THE MTA.
Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION SOUTHBOUND
Q TRAIN TO 57 STREET & 7 AVENUE Q TRAIN TO 42 STREET TIMES SQUARE (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN VIA PASSAGE) Q TRAIN TO 34 STREET (CONNECT HERE TO F TRAIN) Q TRAIN TO 14 STREET UNION SQUARE Q TRAIN TO CANAL STREET (OVER MANHATTAN BRIDGE TO BROOKLYN) Q TRAIN CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE FROM 63/LEX STATION NORTHBOUND (72 ST., 86 ST., 96 ST AT SECOND AVENUE)
Overnights between midnight and 5 a.m., F shuttle train service is suspended and free Q94 shuttle buses will connect the Roosevelt Island, 21 St-Queensbridge, and Queens Plaza stations. These are MTA buses.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
MONDAY AUGUST 21, 2023
ISSUE# 1066
SECRETS OF
CENTRAL PARK
UNTAPPED NEW YORK
Even though Central Park is one of New York City’s most famous attractions, its 800+ acres of sprawling meadows, forests, rocky outcroppings, lawns, and bodies of water still hold many secrets waiting to be unveiled. We’ve covered the history of Central Park and its many hidden gems in a variety of different articles, from exploring what wasn’t in the original plan to shedding light on the work of the park’s overlooked architect.
Unless you’re obsessed with lamp posts, you probably haven’t noticed the embossed numbers that are on a metal plaque bolted on each of Central Park’s cast iron lampposts, designed by Henry Bacon. The plaques can be either on the base or on the post itself, oriented appropriately. The first two or three digits actually denote the nearest cross street, and the last digit tells you if you’re closer to the east or west side of the park. An even number means east, an odd number means west.
The Conservatory Garden is a quiet, lesser-traveled part of the park where you can enjoy a peaceful stroll through French, English, and Italian gardens. From 1898 until 1934, this area was covered by a massive glass conservatory (hence the name). Visitors enter the garden through massive wrought-iron gates. These gates were once part of the estate of Cornelius Vanderbilt II. Designed by George B. Post and forged in Paris in 1894, the gates survived the estate’s demolition in the 1920s. Bergdorf Goodman stands where the mansion once was on the corner of 57th Street and 5th Avenue. Vanderbilt‘s daughter, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney donated the gates to Central Park in 1939.
There are at least five waterfalls in Central Park, all completely man-made. Most of them are located in the Ravine. The water that flows here is actually New York City drinking water that comes from a 48-inch pipe hidden by the rocks at the Pool Grotto on West 100th Street.
When Central Park was built, the city planted more than 270,000 trees and shrubs and preserved a handful of trees that were original to the area. Today, only about 150 trees are left from the time of Olmsted and Vaux, but many of the trees acquired over the years have a unique story. These Yoshino Cherry trees along the east side of the Reservoir may be the original trees presented as a gift to the United States by Japan in 1912. They are among the first trees to bloom in the spring, before the Kwanzan Cherry. The delicate blossoms drop quickly before the trees green out, and stay leafy for the rest of the season.
