Greeters Go To Governors Island
It was a picture perfect day for our tour of Governors Island. Thank you to the Friends of Governors Island for hosting our group.
New Yorkers remember Governors Island, located in New York Harbor between Manhattan and Brooklyn, as a military base. It was used strategically during the American Revolution, and as an Army base for the next 200 years, then as a US Coast Guard base until 1996. In 2005, it opened to the public and now hosts year-round programing, including art installations, fairs, music, dance and much more. You can find food trucks to fine dining restaurants, historic buildings and fortifications, hammocks and playgrounds, and beautiful views of New York City.
Our guide, Lynn, brought the history of the island to life and shared lots of wonderful stories of its past. For a detailed history click here.
Fun Facts from our tour:
- Governors Island was originally an egg-shaped rock covered in nut trees and used for seasonal foraging and fishing by the Lanape tribe of Native Americans and early settlers. Its original name was Paggank (“nut island”).
- Governors Island played a role in the early days of aviation. Wilbur Wright took off from Governors Island in 1909 and circled the Statue of Liberty – this marked the first time an airplane flew over water.
- In the late 1940s, singer and composer Burt Bacharach played nightly in the Officers Club for a time during his enlistment in the United States Army.
- In 2003, 150 acres on Governors Island were transferred to the City and State of New York (the other 22-acres were landmarked and are managed by the National Park Service). The first phase of the park, 30 acres, opened in 2014. In 2016 the Hills on Governors Island opened and include the longest slide in NYC.
- In 2010 the Harbor School moved to Governors Island. Students come from all five boroughs and they learn to build and operate boats, work with the Billion Oyster Project to spawn and harvest oysters, conduct research and dive underwater.
- The New York Climate Exchange led by Stony Brook University will create a 400,000 square foot campus dedicated to researching and creating innovative climate solutions for New York City.