Governors Island Blog

Announcing the 2013 Season on Governors Island

Posted on May 16, 2013 by sarahpelosidunn

Governors Island’s summer season is right around the corner.

This year, programming will take place throughout the Historic District while we continue construction on the southern end of the Island. Ferries will once again bring visitors from Manhattan and Brooklyn, or you can also take the East River Ferry to the Island. Governors Island is open every Saturday, Sunday and holiday Monday (Memorial Day and Labor Day) from May 25 through September 29.

As always, you can bring your own bike to the Island or they can rent one here. We will again be hosting a variety of food vendors each weekend, located in the King Avenue Food Court in the Historic District.

New Programs and Exhibits!

We’re welcoming several new programs to the Island this year, including the New York Historical Society’s WWII & NYC: Photography and Propaganda, which will paint a vivid picture of New York City life in wartime through photographs, posters, a Victory Garden hands-on activities for all ages beginning July 13th.

The Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library, and Queens Library are partnering with the Uni Project, New York City’s portable outdoor reading room, to provide books, learning activities, and children’s programs throughout the summer. Visitors will be able to borrow books “in house”, register for library cards, sign up for summer reading, learn more about the Uni, and find out about what’s happening in each of the three New York City public library systems.

Bike New York will also offer classes where visitors can learn to ride and brush up on their bike skills.

The highlight of the 2013 season will be a French festival of vintage carnival rides and carousels, opening in mid-July. The festival will take place in Nolan Park. More details about the festival will be released later this season.

Jazz Age Festival

Your Favorites Return!

This year we’re welcoming back some of our favorites including the Jazz Age Lawn Party, FIGMENT’s mini-golf, Tree House and City of Dreams Pavilion, and the Unicycle Festival. The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council will host a series of exhibits and open artist studios throughout the season. Visitors can also enjoy guided programs with the National Park Service, explore Castle Williams and Fort Jay and experience special youth programs.

Summer 2013 in the Historic District

All programming this summer will take place in the National Historic District. The southern half of the Island, including Picnic Point, will be closed (with the exception of hard hat tours). This will allow us to continue our construction of 30 new acres of park and public spaces, work on the Island’s seawall and potable water pipe, and demolition of non-historic buildings. The closure of the southern portion is necessary to ensure the safety of the public and an on-time completion of these projects, allowing us to improve the island for the next generation.

New Ways to View Construction Progress!

Those who would like to check in on our construction progress are in luck! There will be a Viewing Platform at Liggett Arch where visitors will be able to see the entire 30 acre construction site. The park and public spaces under construction include lively plazas, a shady botanic forest, two ball fields and expansive lawns. In addition, we will be offering free hard hat tours for the public on the last full weekend of each month.

For a full schedule of events and programs, up-to-date ferry schedules, information on our construction tour program, and downloadable maps, please visit www.govisland.com.

Looking forward to seeing you on the Island!

Images courtesy Arsenic & Old Lace (by Patrick Michael Hughes), the Governors Island Alliance, and istolethetv.

Filed under: Announcements, Art on the Island, Bikes, Construction, Governors Island 101, Upcoming Events, What's New? | 3 Comments »

Field Report: So Dirty (Part 2)

Posted on May 8, 2013 by sarahpelosidunn

In February, we showed you some of the machinery we’re using to combine the different components of our own mud right here on the Island. Now, we’re finally ready to begin using it. Below is our construction crew delivering, pouring, and installing our brand-new dirt at Soissons Landing. This new, high-quality topsoil will nurture our new plantings, flowers, and trees, as well as provide a foundation for the landscaped features on the new 30-acres of parkland currently under construction on the Island. All images courtesy of West 8.

Read our earlier “dirt report”.

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Filed under: Construction | Tagged: dirt, soil | Leave a Comment »

New Signs on Governors Island

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Ellen

This past weekend, workers installed a *HUGE* sign across on our big red gantries. The new sign says “Governors Island” and is part of the construction underway on the first phase of our park and public space master plan.

The new signs are visible from as far away as the bike/ped path of the Brooklyn Bridge. Where else can you see it? Let us know in the comments below!

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Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Nesting Platform Built at Yankee Pier to Draw Osprey back to the NYC Harbor

Posted on May 1, 2013 by sarahpelosidunn

Osprey Platform

Governors Island is hoping to welcome back more than just visitors this season. . .

The New York Harbor Osprey Initiative builds platforms for osprey nesting and breeding to encourage the birds to return to the waterfront as part of their natural migration patterns. The group has just installed a new twenty foot tall nesting platform on the southern arm of Governors Island’s own Yankee Pier. The building of these osprey platforms marks the culmination of two years of effort by Bart Chezer and the New York Harbor Osprey Initiative.

The osprey, also knows as the “sea hawk”, used to be prevalent in New York’s Harbor when it was largely marsh and woodland. The osprey is the second-largest raptor currently in existence. Its wingspan can stretch up to two feet. Osprey were driven to near-extinction due to the prevalence of chemicals such as DDT. Since they were banned in the United States in 1971, osprey numbers are only just now starting to recover.

The New York Harbor Osprey Initiative is the result of a collaboration between the following organizations. SCAPE, NY/NJ Baykeeper, NY Harbor School, NYC Economic Development Corporation, the Brooklyn Bird Club, Cambium Studio, Daskam & Dworkis, AECOM, COSTCO, American Express, Horizon Wood Products, Phoenix Marine, and SIMS Metal Management.

Filed under: Announcements, What's New? | Tagged: New York Harbor Osprey Initiative, osprey, raptor | Leave a Comment »

Use Kickstarter to Bring Your Project to Governors Island

Posted on April 24, 2013 by sarahpelosidunn

Zachary Landsberg’s Face of Liberty. Image Courtesy Shaun Hoke

We welcome a wide range of projects to Governors Island so we can create unique experiences for our visitors each season. To help expand the projects on Governors Island for the 2013 season and beyond, we have joined forces with Kickstarter! Kickstarter is the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects. Creators who use Kickstarter are able to make their ideas reality, while maintaining complete creative control of their work. We are committed to hosting any project that gets funding and fulfills our permit requirements. For more information on bringing projects to Governors Island and to download permit requirements, visit our website.

Some of our favorite events were brought to Governors Island using Kickstarter. The Face of Liberty, a replica of the Statue of Liberty’s face, built to scale, sinking into the grass at Governors Island was fundraised through Kickstarter. The Face of Liberty was featured on Governors Island as part of the Figment Festival’s Interactive Sculpture Garden in 2012.

Head In the Clouds Construction Day 3. Image courtesy of FIGMENT

This year, STUDIOKCA exceeded their $9,000 Kickstarter goal to raise money for the Head in the Clouds Pavilion that will be featured as part of the FIGMENT Festival this summer on Governors Island. The architectural pavilion will be made from 53,780 recycled and re-purposed plastic bottles—the same number that is thrown away in New York City in one hour.

Filed under: Art on the Island | Tagged: Figment, Head in the Clouds, Kickstarter, sculpture, STUDIOKCA | Leave a Comment »

The First New Trees Arrive on Governors Island

Posted on April 23, 2013 by sarahpelosidunn

New Trees for Governors Island – Image Courtesy of West 8

The first of what will eventually be 1,500 new trees in the new park and public spaces arrived on Governors Island last week. For now they’re potted up in “Liberty Village”, along the Buttermilk Channel, but eventually they’ll find new homes in Hammock Grove, Liggett Terrace, the Play Lawn, and even at Soissions Landing where we’re creating a new green welcoming area.

g 2013-04-19 first bare root trees up close

Bare root trees will live in pots while they acclimate to the Island.

Hammock Grove in particular will feature a mix of native and locally-adapted species including oaks, sassafras and magnolia. The new plantings for Phase One of the park and public spaces (currently under construction) are detailed here.

Filed under: Construction, Park and Public Space Master Plan | Tagged: trees | 2 Comments »

Trust for Governors Island President Speaks at the 2013 Gel Conference

Posted on April 18, 2013 by sarahpelosidunn

All staff members at the Trust sat on mock-ups of the new curb-style seating to determine what the ideal height and seat design is for maximum comfort.

Trust for Governors Island President Leslie Koch will be speaking at the 10^th Anniversary Gel Conference today in Manhattan. Gel spotlights the leaders in “good experience”: in tech, business, society, and art. Leslie will be sharing the story of how she and her colleagues at the Trust for Governors Island programmed and planned the new park improvements by watching how people chose to enjoy the Island’s unique offerings.

The new park was designed with our visitors’ experience in mind. All new features that will be used by the public when the park opens went through rigorous testing before final approval.

As a featured speaker at Gel, Leslie is in excellent company. Gel convenes innovators, influencers, and thought leaders across disciplines and functions that are interested in experience design. Gel is known for finding new voices and putting them on a major conference stage for the first time. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, performance artist Ze Frank, and many others debuted at Gel before speaking at other top events.

Filed under: Park and Public Space Master Plan, Things people do in parks, Upcoming Events | Tagged: experience design, Gel | 1 Comment »