Roosevelt Island lies in the East River between Manhattan and Queens, accessible by bridge, subway, and tram. People live there (it’s idyllic in many ways), but it’s not a place you pass through by chance.
But if you do venture there, and wander towards the southern end of the island, you’ll find a low knoll surrounded by tall grass and a few rough footpaths. It’s not quite a park, and has no name that I know of. But if you manage to haul your telescope gear up the rutted dirt path to the top of the knoll, you’ll find one of NYC’s best locations for astronomy.
The view is clear all around, or at least clear by urban standards. There are no streetlights in your line of sight. The knoll rises above the surrounding streets: no headlights blind you.
And it’s a peaceful place. A few quiet passersby might walk by on the paths below the knoll. There’s an occasional car on the street. You can see nearby apartment buildings. But the knoll feels private. So when I want to have the telescope to myself, as opposed to my usual busy sidewalk outreach, this is a good place to go.
I discovered this location when my friend Chris lived on Roosevelt Island. He was interested in astronomy but his work schedule prevented him from ever joining my events in upper Manhattan. So I decided to bring the telescope to him. While studying Google Maps for a good observing location on the island, this spot jumped out at me. It’s always a risk to bring a telescope to a location I haven’t scouted in advance, but this was a great success.
I’ve returned twice since then. On this night Chris brought his new telescope to set up beside mine; his partner Madison, also keenly interested in astronomy, joined us. It was a fine clear night to observe Saturn, its rings, and its moon Titan.
