GOVENORS ISLAND

Description

Essentials about Governors Island in brief

If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of New York City, you don’t have to go far. All it takes is a three-minute ferry ride from the southern tip of Manhattan and you’re in another world, on Governors Island. The approximately 70-hectare island in Upper New York Bay is only about 800 meters off the coast of Manhattan and 400 meters off Brooklyn. Today, the former military base Govenors Island is a very popular recreation area for New Yorkers. During a picnic on the island you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the southern tip of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It doesn’t get boring on Govenors Island either because cultural, musical and gastronomic events take place regularly on the island.

Governors Island as a destination for excursions

Governors Island is a mixture of dilapidated military base and recreational area. Due to its quick accessibility from Manhattan and Brooklyn, the island is a popular destination especially among locals. Especially a picnic in front of the breathtaking scenery, which is offered from Governors Island, is a very popular pastime. From here, you can enjoy a magnificent view of the southern tip of Manhattan with the skyscrapers of the Financial District, Liberty Island with the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the docks of Brooklyn and neighboring New Jersey.

If you haven’t packed your own picnic basket, you can get something for your physical well-being at a café, food trucks or several ice cream trucks. And for families with children, there are several playgrounds in the middle of the island. Governors Island even has a small beach including a beach club. Concerts, festivals and parties with popular DJs take place here regularly. The best way to explore the island is by bike. Either bring your own bike on the ferry or rent one on site.

The history of Governors Island

From the beginning of the American War of Independence until the 1990s, Governors Island served as a base for the U.S. Army. George Washington had the island fortified with earthworks in 1776, and the artillery posted on the island actually saved the U.S. Army from a crushing defeat at the hands of the British. After independence, New York and the new nation were determined to prevent future enemy occupations of the city and its strategically important waterways, so two forts were built on Governors Island. The first fort, Fort Jay, has a square plan with five bastions. It was built in the 1790s on the site of the original earthworks. The second fort, Castle Williams, completed in 1811, has a circular plan with casemates. The two forts are among the best surviving examples of U.S. coastal fortifications consisting of systems.

During the War of Secession (1861-1865), Fort Jay and Castle Williams served as prison camps for Confederate soldiers and officers captured in the war. After the war, Castle Williams continued to be used as a military prison. In the 1880s, the military installations on the island became a major center of Army administration. In 1939, it became the headquarters of the 1st U.S. Army. In this capacity, the island served as an authoritative base in the embarkation of soldiers for the European Fronts during World War II.

When the military left Governors Island in 1966, the island was rededicated as the largest base of the U.S. Coast Guard. For the dependents, the island developed its own infrastructure with schools, churches and a theater. The 1997 closure of this base ended more than two centuries of the island’s use as a federal facility.

In 2003, control of much of the island was transferred to New York State. The northern portion of the island, with its historic buildings, has since been open to the public. Since the old military installations are abandoned and dilapidated, the whole thing has a rather morbid charm. For the larger, southern part, a landscape architecture competition was held, on the basis of which Govenors Island was turned into a new leisure and recreation park in the heart of New York City.