Yesterday evening I relaxed on our balcony on the first balmy summer evening. The sun was setting over Manhattan and others were out on their balconies kicking back. A noisy game of baseball was in session in the southern end of the park in fron of our building. It was two hours in and the participants remained enthusistically and vocally engaged.

In the plaza between our building and the next one, younger children were practising hiting balls (right underneath the “Absolutely no ball games” sign) while others dodged their efforts while honing their skateboarding skills.

On the grassed lower level that faces the East River, an impromptu football game anchored one end of the lawn while couples and families relaxed on picnic blankets and chairs on the other. The silhouettes of bikers, a wheelchair, people sitting on benches and numerous strolling adults some with strollers (prams) created a live, lacelike effect on the riverside walk.

This space (both spacious apartments, and the sense of urban development space — the buildings are well spaced, with tons of green spaces, numerous playgrounds and sports parks, coupled with wide, truly pedestrian friendly pathways), and the associated calm and quiet are a perfect antidote to being smack in the middle of Manhattan every day.

And I had to conclude, that despite the appaling supermarket, inadequate retail, painful commuting options and acute isolation for those who work from home, Roosevelt Island is a pretty nice spot!

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