Two questions for whoever is running Hillary’s campaign:
If her campaign was announced in April, then, what the heck is a June “re-launch?”
And, how do you get to Roosevelt Island?
Via Washington Post: Hillary Clinton to launch campaign from one of New York’s least-accessible public places
There is only one heavily inhabited island in New York City harder to get to than Roosevelt Island, where Hillary Clinton will hold her campaign kickoff….That island is Rikers Island….
First of all: Roosevelt Island is a cool place to visit. It used to house a smallpox quarantine center at its southern end, which is still in the process of being restored (after partially collapsing a few years back). It’s got a bunch of new housing and a spectacularly painted public pool. But it is about as inconvenient a place to get to in New York as is conceivable.
There are three ways onto the island.
Three ways? Who knew?
By car: You have to get to Queens and make your way through back streets in an industrial area to do so. The Queensboro Bridge (or whatever it is called now that New Yorkers ignore) passes over the island, but has no outlets onto it….
So, if you live in Manhattan, and probably don’t have a car (because, well, you live in Manhattan), you can rent a car, drive over the Queensboro Bridge, (also known as the 59th St. Bridge, also known as the Ed Koch Bridge) and then you will probably get lost in Queens.
By train: … here is a secret about taking the subway to Roosevelt Island: It is terrible.
In order to get under the East River, the train tunnel is very deep underground, meaning you have to take about six escalators up to get to the surface. Maybe more, I haven’t counted. I tried to take the stairs once, instead, and actually almost passed out. I’m not an athlete. But still.
By tram: The cool way to get to the island, the way that’s mentioned inHollywood Movies, is to take the newly refurbished tram….
It holds maybe 20 people at a time and takes probably 10 minutes. It’s beautiful! I recommend it to visitors. However, it is not mass transit in the sense of accommodating masses of people for rapid transit….
Related:
NY Post: ‘Tone-deaf’ Clinton campaign causes headaches for Roosevelt Island residents
Bloomberg Politics: Reminder: Hillary Clinton Officially Launched Her Campaign Six Weeks Ago
Renaming the “scooby van” to “brew canoe”.
I know–Maybe she’s trying for a comedy show?
The Octagon Tower on the island has a corkscrew staircase. She’s probably thinking that there’ll be sniper fire.
(“…By 1839, the New York City Lunatic Asylum opened, including the Octagon Tower, which still stands but as a residential building; it was renovated and reopened in April 2006….” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roosevelt_Island)
Previous island names were, Minnehanonck, Hog Island, Blackwell’s Island, and Welfare Island.
Yes, I’m glad you mentioned the Welfare Island name. Seems perfectly appropriate. Maybe she’s just giving us a tour of where she’ll be relocating us.
She belongs on Fantasy Island, not Roosevelt Island.
True, Rob, although someone on Twitter suggested “Alcatraz” 🙂
No doubt that Hillary will arrive by helicopter with a corkscrew landing while her minions throw money at her.
LOL!
I’m not a New Yorker, but this note prompted a moment’s Internet querying. On the Google map, Roosevelt Island looks like a (relatively) idyllic escape from the adjacent Manhattan madhouse. I saw the Roosevelt Landing Apartments, and wondered if this was a haven for a few fortunate New Yorkers. But a quick glance at the apartment ratings indicates another hell-on-Earth, thanks to criminals and absent management and bureaucrats that do nothing but collect money. Or maybe it really is great, and New Yorkers just like to complain.
I guess New York must be an interesting city, and I’ve even had occasion to visit it in my day. But you probably can’t really understand it unless you were born there.
Sounds like it would fit right in if plopped down into that Maryland mess Maynard.