Roosevelt Island: New York’s most spectacular cable car ride

There are several ways to get to Roosevelt Island. I was traveling by public transport and had to decide: the underground approach by metro or the ride with the Roosevelt Island Tramway, an aerial cable car over the East River.

For me, it was absolutely clear that it had to be the cable car ride.

The Journey: Spectacular View with the Tramway

The mainland station is located at the intersection of 59th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan. It is easy to reach by metro. First, I stood on the street for a while and watched the moving cable car cabins.

Actually, this connection was only intended as a temporary solution when it opened in 1976. In the 1970s, Roosevelt Island was transformed from a pure hospital island (with institutions and clinics) into a modern residential neighborhood with ambitious housing projects. The problem: There was no direct connection for pedestrians or cars from Manhattan. The only road connection was via a bridge from Queens (Long Island City).

The planned subway connection (today’s F line) was repeatedly delayed due to the New York financial crisis and was not in sight for years. There was an urgent need for a means of transport that could bring the new residents quickly and efficiently directly to Midtown Manhattan. The tramway was designed and built by one of the world’s leading companies for cable car construction from Switzerland at the time. It was the first aerial tramway for commuter transit in the USA.

A Landmark That Was Allowed to Stay

The original plan stipulated that as soon as the subway station on the island was completed, the tramway would be dismantled again. However, when the subway finally opened in 1989, the cable car was already so popular with residents and tourists that it was decided to keep it. It became an integral part of the New York skyline and a landmark of the city (also made famous by movies like Spider-Man or King Kong).

The Experience: Pure Cinema During the Ride

Taking the elevator, I reach the platform from which the ride starts. The gondolas run extremely frequently – usually every 7 to 15 minutes. From early morning until deep into the night (until 2:00 AM on weekdays, until 3:30 AM on weekends). So you really don’t have to wait long.

As soon as the doors of the distinctive red cabins close and the gondola glides gently out of the station, the perspective changes. While the yellow stream of taxis remains stuck in traffic below, you ascend silently. The ride only takes about four minutes, but this time is pure cinema: to the right, the steel construction of the Queensboro Bridge looms so close that you think you can count the rivets. To the left, the panorama of Midtown Manhattan opens up with the Chrysler Building and the UN Headquarters.

My tip: Try to stand on the left side facing the direction of travel to Roosevelt Island, or at the very front/back by the windows, to enjoy an unobstructed view of the skyline. However, you have to be quick when boarding for this, as it feels like everyone would like to have a window seat.

The ride was over far too quickly, and I had arrived on Roosevelt Island.

The Island: An Oasis of Calm

As soon as you leave the tramway station, something strange happens: the typical New York background noise that accompanies you all day falls silent. It is as if someone had put the city on “mute”.

You stroll along Main Street, which with its brick houses and small shops is more reminiscent of a tranquil small town in New England than the most populous metropolis in the USA. The contrast couldn’t be greater. On the other side of the river, you look up at the monumental backdrop of Midtown Manhattan. You can see the UN Headquarters and the Chrysler Building.

The Smallpox Hospital: A Ruin with History

I was drawn to the southern tip of the island. Here you will find the Smallpox Hospital and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park. Two places that could not be more different. The Smallpox Hospital (also known as the Renwick Ruin) is one of the most mysterious places in all of New York. It is the only ruin in the city listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In the mid-19th century (opened in 1856), smallpox was a devastating epidemic in New York. Since the disease was highly contagious, a place was sought to isolate the patients. Roosevelt Island (then still Blackwell’s Island) was ideal because the sick could be brought to the island by boat and safely separated from the rest of the population there. After smallpox was pushed back by vaccinations, the building served as a nursing school before it was finally abandoned in the 1950s and fell into disrepair.

I reach the ruins of the building. The gray granite walls are still standing, but the roof and interior floors collapsed long ago. The empty, pointed-arch window cavities let the sky shine through. Ivy and wild plants twine around the stone. Had there been fog instead of the bright blue sky, this place could easily have been sold to me as a horror movie set.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park

I walk further to the southern tip of Roosevelt Island and the picture changes. The park transforms into a world of strict geometry and radiant white. The tapering terrain inevitably leads me forward, towards the open water. Since it is quite warm, I am happy about the two rows of perfectly trimmed linden trees along the path. They do provide some shade.

The centerpiece is the so-called “Room” at the extreme tip. It is a square, roofless plaza enclosed by massive 36-ton granite blocks from North Carolina. Engraved in the granite are the words that gave the park its name. They are excerpts from Roosevelt’s famous 1941 speech, in which he invoked the four fundamental human rights:

1. Freedom of speech
2. Freedom of worship
3. Freedom from want
4. Freedom from fear

While this was already impressive to me, when I finally stand right at the front at the tip of the park, the view of the UN Headquarters directly opposite and the glittering skyline of Long Island City on the other side is simply indescribably beautiful.

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Published 30 August 2026