Stephen Quandt recently moved to Roosevelt Island. I asked him for his impressions of his new home here on Roosevelt Island.

He kindly agreed and reports:

Moving On Island

Soon after closing on our new apartment on Roosevelt Island this July (my
husband Thom and I lived in Chelsea for twenty-four years) we ran away to the
Maine coast for a week of stress relief and escape.

When we arrived on Little Cranberry Island, our twentieth summer there, we
were greeted by many old friends the same way over and over, “Welcome Home,
they said. Welcome home. And it was like coming home, to our magical
place. Little Cranberry has a year round population of around sixty
people, and in the summer the population swells to about four
hundred.Its roughly the size of Roosevelt, maybe a little wider, and
not as long.

There is one restaurant. One small grocery store about the size Roosevelts
Subway shop, a post office, a library not much bigger than a postage stamp, a
couple of art galleries and gift shops, a pottery shop and a couple of
churches. That’s it.

Tuesday is movie night (free) downstairs at the Neighborhood House (upstairs
they show kids movies, and in the morning there is yoga.) And if you’re
walking through “town” you often get delayed because you will invariably see a
friend and will want to stop and talk. If you see someone in a hurry they’re
probably trying to “make the boat” which means they’re trying to get to the
Tram, oops I mean the ferry before it leaves. People who wear helmets while
bicycling are definitely day-trippers.

Speaking of day-trippers, when they get off the boat and amble down the dock
they’ll walk into the dock shops not unlike going into the Historical Society
kiosk. They buy little island maps (one dollar, supports the historical
society) and tee shirts and stuffed lobster toys and homemade fudge. They ask
for directions and we happily give them. We bask in belonging but we are
glad they visit.

Sometimes when I’m on the boat returning to the island I can feel the
difference between us and them, the residents and the day-trippers. I know I’m
coming home, and they’re just visiting. They don’t yet know the joy of
belonging. They don’t know what it’s like when the last boat leaves for
the day and it’s just “us”. Unless of course someone misses the last boat and
then one of us will put them up for the night.

I’ll never forget one perfect July afternoon on island (dont ask me why,
but residents always drop the the before island, maybe its a part of
belonging). That glorious day the clouds were rushing by, the just warm sun on
our faces, what many of us call sailing weather. The annual Maypole dance
was being performed in the town field by the ocean with live music and a nice
crowd watching (it’s too chilly in May so we always wait until July to perform
it). And there was this Norwegian family, parents and two young kids, just off
the boat and who had wondered into the field. Maybe they heard the music
wafting towards the dock? Try to picture them. All four standing in a line
staring at the dance. All four, mouths agape. All four watching the kids and
grown ups weaving the maypole streamers to the notes of flutes and violins.
Perhaps wondering.”Where are we?”

Thom and I have always wanted something like this year round. Our own Little
Cranberry but close to the city. And weve realized we’ve found it here
on Roosevelt. Realized it when we told a Roosevelt Island friend of ours that
we had just closed on our new apartment on island — realized it when he
sweetly and innocently said just two magical words to us. He said, “Welcome
home.
Copyright 2017 Stephen Quandt

Another similarity between both places. At one time, Roosevelt Island was known as the ” Little Apple”. Let’s take a visit to Little Cranberry Island Maine and see what life is like. Meet some of the people. Affordable housing is an issue on Little Cranberry Island too.

The local fresh lobster business is trying hard to make it a success. The view from above and Little Cranberry Island’s version

https://youtube.com/watch?v=vHT5OTz5Ukk

of Jimmy Buffet. Welcome home on Roosevelt Island Stephen and Thom. UPDATE 8:10 PM – The NY Post reports today on another Island community, Newfoundland, Canada – also known as The Rock.

Roosevelt Island has also been known as The Rock.