The island had a population of 1,648 living on in 2010. Most of the island is parkland, spanning a total of , and managed by Randall's Island Park Alliance. The park offers athletic fields, a driving range, greenways, playgrounds and picnic grounds. The island also has a history of being used for political asylums, hospitals, and cemeteries, and is currently home to several public facilities, including two psychiatric hospitals, a state police station, a fire academy, a wastewater treatment plant, and several homeless shelters. Outside of these institutions, there is no residential housing for the general public on the island.