Wender·Vista
Roosevelt Island
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUnited States
a narrow island in the East River

Roosevelt Island

— — the city seen from the side.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“A two-mile sliver of granite in the East River, between Manhattan and Queens. The tram still runs every fifteen minutes from 60th Street, and the F train comes up under the water. At the south tip the Louis Kahn memorial sits open to the sky, the Manhattan skyline a wall to the west. People walk dogs along the promenade.

from the studio
Roosevelt Island
— bring it home

Roosevelt Island, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Roosevelt Island

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Roosevelt Island sits in the East River between Manhattan and Queens, a narrow strip about two miles long and barely 800 feet across at its widest. It was Blackwell's Island, then Welfare Island, then renamed for Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1973. About 12,000 people live here, mostly in the planned community laid out by Philip Johnson and John Burgee in the 1970s. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, opened in 1976, still crosses from 60th Street and Second Avenue.

— the stone

Three structures anchor the island's south end. The Renwick Smallpox Hospital, designed by James Renwick Jr. in 1856, stands as a stabilised Gothic Revival ruin behind a fence. Just north of it, Four Freedoms Park opened in 2012, the only built work of Louis Kahn completed after his death, a triangular granite plaza pointing south down the river. The Blackwell House of 1796 and the Octagon of 1841, originally the New York City Lunatic Asylum, remain in use today as island landmarks.

— the visit

The Roosevelt Island Tramway departs from 60th Street and Second Avenue every seven to fifteen minutes; a single ride uses the standard MetroCard or OMNY fare. The F train stops at Roosevelt Island station mid-island. NYC Ferry's Astoria route also calls here. Four Freedoms Park is open Wednesday through Monday, generally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in summer with shorter winter hours. Cars cross via the Roosevelt Island Bridge from Queens; there is no direct road access from Manhattan.

— where
United States · Manhattan, New York City
— elevation
3 m · 10 ft
— position
40.7616° N · 73.9509° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
1 km W
Queensboro Bridge
cantilever bridge
1 km E
Long Island City
Queens neighborhood
1 km W
Sutton Place
Manhattan neighborhood
3 km N
Astoria Park
city park
N
Roosevelt Island
Queensboro Bridge
Long Island City
Sutton Place
Astoria Park
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Roosevelt Island — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Renamed in 1973 for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in anticipation of the memorial that became Four Freedoms Park. Earlier names include Blackwell's Island and Welfare Island, reflecting its history of hospitals and asylums.

Three ways: the Roosevelt Island Tramway from 60th Street in Manhattan, the F train at Roosevelt Island station, or NYC Ferry on the Astoria route. Cars enter from Queens via the Roosevelt Island Bridge.

A four-acre memorial to FDR at the island's southern tip, opened in 2012. It is the only built design by architect Louis Kahn completed after his death in 1974, a triangular granite plaza pointing down the river.

The Renwick Smallpox Hospital, designed by James Renwick Jr. and completed in 1856. It served until 1875 and now stands as a stabilised Gothic Revival ruin behind a fence.

About three minutes from station to station. The cabins cross at roughly 250 feet above the East River, giving a clear view down toward the Queensboro Bridge and the Manhattan skyline.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The island has a tight resident community of about 12,000, and former tenants often carry the tram view with them. A Small or Medium with a studio note travels well.

The piece holds the river-grey and sodium-amber palette of the New York skyline at dusk. It sits in Industrial-modern, Mid-century, and Urban-loft interiors with brick, blackened steel, or warm walnut.

Yes. Curated New York wall sets that go beyond the standard Manhattan icons, with bridges, ferry stops, and lesser-photographed boroughs, have moved steadily in the last three years among collectors.

A single Large reads well above a standard sofa. For longer walls, a 4-tile Mural extends the skyline horizontally; a 9-tile Mural carries an open loft wall.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. The colour is fully infused into the ceramic surface and the finish resists steam, splashes, and routine cleaning.

A soft microfibre cloth and water handles routine dust. For stubborn marks, a drop of mild dish soap on the cloth. No abrasive pads, no ammonia-based sprays.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is drawn by the studio's eye in Knoxville, Tennessee, and produced in-house. The image is not licensed from stock and the tile is finished under our roof.

— if this one stayed with you

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