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Roosevelt Island |
Originally known as
Blackwell's Island,
Roosevelt Island is the
largest of the East River
islands. It is located
between Queens and
Manhattan.
In the 19th
century, it became home to
most of New York City's
medical and penal
institutions, including the
penitentiary, workhouse,
smallpox hospital, City
Hospital, Metropolitan
Hospital and the New York
City Lunatic Asylum. It was
renamed Welfare Island and
then Roosevelt Island.
By
the middle of the 20th
century, most of the
institutions had been moved
or were obsolete, and the
island was mostly abandoned
except for Bird S. Coler
Hospital and Goldwater
Memorial Hospital.
The 1970's saw a renaissance
of the island when major
housing developments were
built, and the island took
on a residential tone
instead of the historical
institutional tone. Today,
the island is home to almost
10,000 people.
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