Before Manhattan Park, the Octagon and Riverwalk buildings, there was a community on Roosevelt Island. A long time Roosevelt Island resident shares this photo of an ice skating rink in front of the Motorgate Garage from 1977

and reports:

This is when I first moved to Roosevelt Island and this was our man made ice skating rink! The residents all got together and made this happen. We had lots of open space then. This is what the island had always been about.

Here’s more on Roosevelt Island from the 1970 ‘s and 1980’s as well as an aerial view from the 1920 ‘s. Ah, memories of The Way We Were.