Off-limits to the public for 200 years, former military outpost Governors Island is now one of New York's most popular seasonal playgrounds. Each summer, free ferries make the seven-minute trip from Lower Manhattan to the 172-acre oasis. Thirty new acres of island parkland recently opened, with features including 6-acre, art-studded Liggett Terrace; 10-acre Hammock Grove (complete with 50 hammocks); and 14-acre Play Lawn, with natural turf ball fields for adult softball and Little League baseball.
Things get even better in 2017, with the completion of The Hills, an ambitious quartet of man-made hills offering spectacular city and harbor views. Inspiring views are also on tap along the Great Promenade. Running for 2.2 miles along the island's perimeter, the path takes in everything from Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, to Staten Island and New Jersey. Bike rental is available on the island.
Besides serving as a successful military fort in the Revolutionary War, the Union Army’s central recruiting station during the Civil War, and the take-off point for Wilbur Wright’s famous 1909 flight around the Statue of Liberty, Governors Island is where the 1988 Reagan-Gorbachev summit signaled the beginning of the end of the Cold War. You can visit the spot where that famous summit took place at the Admiral’s House, a grand, colonnaded, 1843 military residence that’s part of the elegant ghost-town area of Nolan Park.
Other historic spots include Fort Jay, fortified in 1776 for what became a failed attempt to prevent the Brits from invading Manhattan; Colonel’s Row, a collection of lovely, 19th-century brick officers’ quarters; and the creepy Castle Williams, a 19th-century fort that was eventually used as a military penitentiary. The best way to explore it all is with the National Park Service (www.nps.gov/gois), whose rangers conduct guided tours of the historic district. See the website for specific days and times.
For one weekend in June art is in focus as Figment (www.figmentproject.org), an interactive art festival, takes over the island.
