It was earlier named Blackwell's Island, then renamed Welfare Island and devoted to hospitals and asylums.
In recent years the island has been developed as a residential community with a number of high-rise apartment buildings; the long-term care facilities remain at both the northern (Coler Hospital) and southern (Goldwater Hospital) ends of the island.
Roosevelt Island is connected to Manhattan by subway and aerial tramway, and to Long Island City in Queens by a short bridge and by subway.
The Roosevelt Island Tramway, although also interesting for tourists, is claimed to be the only aerial tramway in North America directed mainly at commuters.