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Unfurling like an eel in New York City’s East River, Roosevelt Island is a full 2 miles long yet a mere 800ft across at its widest point.

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This long sliver of prime real estate has a fascinating history: for almost 150 years, it was the site of numerous hospitals, prisons, asylums and other grim institutions to which “undesirable” patients and inmates were banished. Over the last half-century, however, a remarkable planned community has taken root, with some 12,000 New Yorkers who live a uniquely low-key version of big-city life now calling the redeveloped island home.

In recent years, further grand projects – including a mighty memorial park and a cutting-edge tech campus – have continued to put space between the island’s troubled history and its lovely present, drawing visitors from all over. And the preferred way to get to the island may be the most exciting part of any excursion here.

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Intrigued yet? Here’s how to get to know Roosevelt Island, in six ways.

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