Roosevelt Island, Noguchi museum, & outdoor sculpture show

Roosevelt Island was once a shelter for paupers, convicts, and the insane--so it's perfect for our group! We'll take the aerial tramway (using Metrocards) to the island, where we'll visit the new Four Freedoms Park, designed by famed architect Louis Kahn; see the ghostly ruins of a smallpox hospital created by the designer of St. Patrick's Cathedral; view a beautifully preserved mansion from 1796 as well as the Eastside skyline; and see other oddities on the former Welfare Island, now a strikingly quiet residential neighborhood in the middle of the East River. After lunch (bring your own), we'll explore the rest of the island, cross a bridge to Astoria, and walk to a beautiful museum devoted to renowned Japanese-American sculptor, landscape architect, and designer Isamu Noguchhi. We'll end the day at the annual spring show at nearby Socrates Sculpture Park, featuring contemporary outdoor artworks.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING DETAILS SO YOU'RE PROPERLY PREPARED.

PACE: Moderate (about 2 mph), NOT SLOW. PLEASE, IF YOU PREFER TO WALK SLOWLY, THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT EVENT FOR YOU.

DISTANCE: About 4 miles. We'll finish at around 5:30 PM, but you can leave earlier, of course.

LUNCH: Bring your own; we'll eat at around 2 PM.

COST: $1 for me (in part to cover Meetup's organizer fee), and $10 ($5 seniors and students) for the museum, which we will probably reach by around 3:30 PM.

TRANSPORTATION: 6 train Lexington/59th St. or F train to Lexington/63rd St. For more details, consult hopstop.com, tripplanner.mta.info, or both, since each is occasionally inaccurate.

WAITING LIST: Be patient. If you're in the top 20 on the list (shown below the main list on the right side of this page) at any time before the walk starts you can come.

IF YOU CAN'T COME: No need to let me know. But please change your RSVP online if you previously said yes.