Governors Island was a major military base in the 1800′s through the 1960′s. I’ve looked at it from afar while growing up in NYC but never thought I’d get the chance to be on it. Somehow in my crazed busy life I haven’t made it out there until now.   I’d thought that it was complicated to get there but found out it was super easy.

This year I decided to go and made it to the ferry station. I met a sweet conservative Jewish couple from Australia with their 6 kids. The dad was wearing orange socks, Birkenstocks, and a multi color yamaka… very chic!

The island itself is quite bizarre, but in a good way. It feels like you’re looking in on a string of other eras. The houses are all intact, built from the late 1700′s-1960′s, and look like they’ve been frozen in time.   The captains house, the old Theater from the 1930′s, the naval hospital, etc…

You feel like you’re in a dream,  removed from the manic energy of NYC. There are amazing art installations sprinkled throughout the island which bridge the present to the past.

The views are incredible! It was remarkable because for as long as I have lived here I have never seen these perspectives of Brooklyn and Manhattan. The other amazing thing is no one has commercialized it… yet.   No Governors Island Tee Shirts or key chains, no hip restaurants with loud people, no Shake Shack…. nothing!!

What more could you want!