Our excursion could be considered "island hopping": Long Island to Manhattan Island to Governors Island. Ha ha!
Governors Island (no apostrophe) is a picturesque place, just offshore from the southern tip of Manhattan.
No cars are allowed. It's reachable via 2-minute ferry rides: free today until noon, then it costs $2 roundtrip. The ferry terminal sits at the intersection of South Street and Whitehall Street--which is one of the oldest in Manhattan. Created in 1626, it was named for England's area of government in London: Whitehall. Built in 1909, the terminal is an amazing piece of preserved Beaux-Arts iron architecture.
After getting aboard the ferry, we crossed the water and got ashore within ten minutes. The ferry is quite old (built in 1956) and still retains a prominence for vehicles, even thought the island prohibits traffic (except for catering and maintenance). So, with a lack of seats, most passengers stand in the areas that were made for cars.
The island hosts 2 Jazz Age Lawn Parties: this weekend and again in August. They are GREAT events! The bike/surrey rentals, food trucks, art galleries and gift shops are cool, too. Due to antiquated infrastructure (the piers haven't been updated since 1947) and old ferries, docking at the island takes longer than the river-crossing to get there.
Getting off the ferry has a feeling of the "American Gold Rush", or "last day of school", as folks stream onto the island, headed for fun. Stepping ashore, Lewis and I were excited.
If you wore regular clothes to the island during these themed events, you can buy accessories from vendors (above and below pix), or "rub elbows" just as you are.
Walking through one of the former-military buildings (attesting to the island's history), you hear the echo of 1920s jazz orchestras.
We heard Michael Arenella & his Dreamland Orchestra providing swingy music for the occasion. People were creatively attired for the ambiance...
Above, the always-debonair Gregory Moore crooned alongside back-up singers who were dressed as feather-festooned flappers.
Seen above, a Brooklynite named Michael Arenella--who loves all things 1920s & 30s--stood in his custom vintage attire and sang. His orchestra is marvelous--especially the saxophone section. He transcribed the orchestrations by hand.
I asked these fellows to pose for me because they looked so snappy!
Dancers and "flappers" kept cool because half of the island is shaded by tall trees that line the "traffic-free" roads. Their leafy canopy covered the bandstand and dance floor, too.
The guys below--a handsome couple--also noticed the eye-catching bartender (above).
Below, the creatively-dapper Voon Chew surprised me by cross-dressing. He danced magnificently, as usual--even in his heels.
The food purveyors are pretty cool. A vintage Good Humor ice cream truck stood out amongst the other food trucks.
Little Eva's (below) serves bratwursts, Cuban sandwiches, lobster rolls, and frozen rum drinks. While I snagged two seats on the lawn, Lewis stood in the queue to order our food.
Our lobster roll had plenty of claw meat, and was a larger portion than Luke's Lobster (only $2 more).
Eva's offers the friendliest staff, and their stereo played Ben Webster and Count Basie tunes.
This half of the island has three sections of food trucks: BBQ, smoked meat, Vietnamese, Jamaican, non-dairy ice cream, and organic creamery-fresh ice cream.
Picnics appeared along the lawns of Colonial's Row: pre-war redbrick homes with porticos and front porches that were built in the 1840s for colonials and officers when the island was a military base. Symmetrically-planted London Plane trees grow tall and provide plenty of shade. Picturesque!
Seen above, the columned house is on the National Register of Historic Places because its interior was preserved from its origin in 1843 as the Admiral's home.
Nearby, rows of yellow wood-frame houses are used for gift shops: locally-sourced homemade foods and arts-and-crafts trinkets.
Some houses contain art installations. Most exhibits are galleried in buildings closer to Soissons Landing by the pier.
Lewis and I rented bikes ($15 for 2 hours, each) and rode around the entire island--whizzing past the jazz parties and cycling around both historic forts.
We liked the newly-paved bike trails, and we always enjoy the waterside paths that encircle the island with lovely views.
Above, notice the metal bass fiddle! That quintet played background music during the Vintage Swimsuit contest.
Lewis and I rented bikes ($15 for 2 hours, each) and rode around the entire island--whizzing past the jazz parties and cycling around both historic forts.
We liked the newly-paved bike trails, and we always enjoy the waterside paths that encircle the island with lovely views.
Other people rented 2 and 4-person surreys. On previous visits, Lewis and I used them, but their ungodly weight made them difficult to pedal forward. It felt like pushing a car! Their heft also made it hard to brake when going downhill.
Above, notice the metal bass fiddle! That quintet played background music during the Vintage Swimsuit contest.
Lewis remarked that some women wore dresses that were reminiscent of 1930s Shanghai. We complimented the drag queens, too!
As we returned to the ferry slip, Lewis encountered a friend who came to the island with his running buddies. They intended to jog around its perimeter and return home to Manhattan. As you can see, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the island! We hope you do, whilst summer lingers!
*To see our visit when the second half of the island opened, please use this link:
*To see when Lewis and I did real "island-hopping" in the fjords of Norway's capital, please use this link:
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