Thursday, March 26th, at 8:36 a.m. at Darien Metro-North Station or 8:39 a.m. at Noroton Heights Metro-North Station

Next Thursday the Wanderers will travel to Roosevelt Island in Manhattan. We will take the Metro North train to Grand Central that leaves the Darien train station at 8:36 a.m. and the Noroton Heights train at 8:39 a.m. As usual, we will gather at the Information Booth on the main floor of Grand Central and proceed together by Subway and Tramway to Roosevelt Island.

After enjoying the overhead views of the East River and Roosevelt Island from the Tramway, we will wander three or so miles around Roosevelt Island and enjoy its unique views of New York City.    Our Wandering will take us to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park at the southern end of the island, past three modern Cornell Tech Center buildings – the Bloomberg Center, the Tata Innovation Center and the House – that have attracted students, professors and technology research to the island, and past historic structures including the Smallpox Hospital ruins, the Strecker Memorial Laboratory, the Blackwell House, and if time permits, the Octagon Tower and the Lighthouse.

The Wanderers plan to have lunch at Granny Annie’s Bar & Kitchen at 425 Main Street on Roosevelt Island.  After lunch, we will complete our Wandering and enjoy a few more vistas from Roosevelt Island before returning to Grand Central and home via the Subway and Metro-North.

Contact:  Chet Cobb  or Harry Bergen

Summary:

“On March 25, eighteen Wanderers were happy to experience comfortable and sunny weather while enjoying overhead views of the East River and Roosevelt Island from the Tramway and unique views of Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx afforded by a wandering from one end of Roosevelt Island to the other.
A highlight of the wandering was a memorable visit to the well-designed Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park at the southern end of Roosevelt Island.  The well-landscaped park contains numerous open spaces culminating in a large plaza surrounded by large granite blocks and contains an impressive bust of President Roosevelt and a wall containing excerpts from Roosevelt’s famous Four Freedoms speech.
The wandering also included viewings of the Cornell Tech Center buildings with a stop in the cafe at the Bloomberg Center, viewings of historic structures such as the Smallpox Hospital ruins, the Strecker Memorial Laboratory, the Blackwell House and the Octagon Tower, a well-deserved lunch at Granny Annie’s Bar & Kitchen and a final stop at the Lighthouse on the northern end of the island before taking the Subway and Metro-North home.”
(1) photo of Chet Cobb, David Mace, Tom Igoe and Joe Spain standing in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms Park in front of the wall containing excerpts from President Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech and (2) photo of the Happy Wanderers at the Lighthouse on the northern end of Roosevelt Island.