Manhattan’s Roosevelt Island, (once named “Hog Island” for the prevailing export of the day) was once so dreary a destination that Charles Dickens (no stranger to gloom, himself) confined his stays to “within the shortest limits.” But times have changed, and the two-mile-strip off the East side now envisions a bright, sustainable-minded future.

It boasts a luxurious residential community — befitting of “island-life” — that simultaneously recreates the architectural grandeur of an historic landmark while thoughtfully incorporating eco-friendly elements; a perfect marriage of the past and the future.

Lead architect Bruce Becker, of Becker & Becker Associates, is no stranger to breathing new life into old spaces and has worked notably with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and Times Square Hotel. For the Roosevelt Island project, he started with eight walls — all that remained of a charming octagonal building that historically served in various capacities as asylum and hospital. Locally produced materials were utilized in the construction of a new complex, free of volatile compounds, that promises to be 35% more efficient than traditional new buildings. Not only has “The Octagon” created a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, complete with 2-acre ecological park, but it also promises more “green” of another kind — extra money in residents’ pockets from energy and rental savings.

According to promotional materials, the community is “a place where people who care about the environment will be proud to live.” A place Charles Dickens might even find unreasonably sunny and charming.

For more information: www.octagonnyc.com