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May­or de Bla­sio, Trust for Gov­er­nors Island Announce Gov­er­nors Island to Reopen on May 1^st

Apr 1, 2021 11:55 am

NEW YORK — May­or de Bla­sio and The Trust for Gov­er­nors Island (The Trust) today announced the sea­son­al reopen­ing of Gov­er­nors Island on May 1^st, 2021. Gov­er­nors Island will return to its pre-pan­dem­ic sea­son cal­en­dar, open to vis­i­tors every day from May 1 through Octo­ber 31. In addi­tion to dai­ly Man­hat­tan fer­ry ser­vice, for the first time Gov­er­nors Island fer­ries will serve two Brook­lyn loca­tions for week­end ser­vice at Pier 6 in Brook­lyn Bridge Park and Atlantic Basin in Red Hook, allow­ing easy access to the Island for a wider range of Brook­lyn res­i­dents than ever before. 

New York­ers can vis­it the island to enjoy open space and car-free nat­ur­al sur­round­ings, unmatched views of New York Har­bor and sur­round­ing sky­lines, his­toric set­tings, dozens of free pub­lic art exhi­bi­tions, cul­tur­al pro­grams and activ­i­ties, and diverse selec­tion of food and bev­er­age vendors. 

“Gov­er­nors Island is one of New York City’s crown jew­els. It’s the kind of beau­ti­ful, open pub­lic space that we will rely on to dri­ve our recov­ery this spring and sum­mer,” said May­or Bill de Bla­sio. ​“I’m grate­ful to the Trust for mak­ing the Island more acces­si­ble than ever this year, and the return of their full sea­son will give more New York­ers than ever a chance to enjoy every­thing the island has to offer.” 

“We are thrilled to be able to open Gov­er­nors Island for its full, six-month pub­lic sea­son again this year, and with more access from Brook­lyn than ever before,” said Clare New­man, Pres­i­dent and CEO of the Trust for Gov­er­nors Island. ​“As the City reopens, Gov­er­nors Island will pro­vide an afford­able des­ti­na­tion for New York­ers to enjoy open space, arts and cul­ture, and every­thing that makes it such a remark­able place. One of the Trust’s main goals is to pro­vide equi­table access to the Island, and we’re proud to con­tin­ue to deliv­er on that mis­sion this year. We can’t wait to see every­one on the ferry.” 

“The begin­ning of the Gov­er­nors Island sea­son is a great day for New York­ers to play, explore and relax in what is tru­ly one of our City’s hid­den gems,” said Con­gress­man Jer­ry Nadler. ​“And I’m pleased that start­ing on May 1^st there will be fer­ry ser­vice between Pier 6 and Red Hook to Gov­er­nors Island, which will open up the Island to more and more vis­i­tors, who will have the oppor­tu­ni­ty to enjoy this great New York attraction.” 

“It is won­der­ful that Gov­er­nors Island will soon open for the sea­son, pro­vid­ing New York­ers with an afford­able option to enjoy the out­doors safe­ly as we embark on the sum­mer sea­son,” said Con­gress­woman Nydia M. Velázquez. ​“I am even more thrilled that week­end fer­ry ser­vice will be pro­vid­ed at two key Brook­lyn loca­tions, Pier 6/​Atlantic Avenue and Red Hook/​Atlantic Basin, and that NYCHA res­i­dents, IDNYC hold­ers, vets, seniors and chil­dren and local com­mu­ni­ty groups ride free, allow­ing more Brook­lynites than ever quick access to all that Gov­er­nors Island has to offer. I salute the May­or and the Trust for Gov­er­nors Island for their hard work in mak­ing this return a reality.” 

“Gov­er­nors Island is home to one of our city’s most cher­ished parks, and an afford­able place to expe­ri­ence free art, recre­ation­al activ­i­ties and his­to­ry,” said Man­hat­tan Bor­ough Pres­i­dent Gale A. Brew­er. ​“I encour­age all New York­ers to take a fer­ry, free for seniors, res­i­dents of NYCHA, IDNYC hold­ers and com­mu­ni­ty groups across the city, and enjoy this spe­cial place start­ing on May 1.” 

“Gov­er­nors Island is a great des­ti­na­tion for Brook­lynites and New York­ers look­ing to spend time in nature, take in great arts and cul­ture, or sim­ply enjoy a beau­ti­ful day with friends and fam­i­ly. The new week­end fer­ry ser­vice at Pier 6 and Red Hook will ensure Brook­lynites of all back­grounds can take advan­tage of our prox­im­i­ty to this nat­ur­al jew­el. I applaud the Trust for Gov­er­nors Island for their com­mit­ment to equi­table access, and can’t wait to plan my vis­it!” said Brook­lyn Bor­ough Pres­i­dent Eric Adams.

“The reopen­ing of Gov­er­nors Island is one of New York’s great rites of spring,” said Sen­a­tor Bri­an Kavanagh. ​“This past year, we have been more aware than ever of just how impor­tant pub­lic open space is for New York­ers. The wide range of arts pro­gram­ming and cul­tur­al events for peo­ple of all ages and the Island’s expans­es of park­land will be a wel­come reprieve after the time we’ve spent indoors and dis­tanced from what makes New York great. I have advo­cat­ed for more fer­ry ser­vice for years, so I’m par­tic­u­lar­ly hap­py that there will now be two depar­ture points from Brook­lyn, and ser­vice start­ing ear­li­er on week­end morn­ings, allow­ing more New York­ers to make the trip and to stay longer. As we con­tin­ue to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pan­dem­ic, it’s vital that we keep invest­ing in equi­table access to park­land in gen­er­al and espe­cial­ly to the great resources Gov­er­nors Island offers.” 

“Reopen­ing Gov­er­nors Island is a much-need­ed vic­to­ry for New York­ers, espe­cial­ly many in low­er Man­hat­tan where Gov­er­nors Island rep­re­sents their only green space,” said New York State Assem­bly­mem­ber Yuh-Line Niou. ​“Gov­er­nors Island is one of my favorite places, and for many in our com­mu­ni­ty this is like hav­ing our own back­yard back. This reopen­ing marks an incred­i­ble oppor­tu­ni­ty for our city to begin heal­ing after the dis­rup­tions brought on by the pandemic.” 

“Gov­er­nors Island is one of our city’s top sum­mer des­ti­na­tions, and I’m so excit­ed to vis­it the island again in cel­e­bra­tion for its reopen­ing,” said Coun­cil Mem­ber Mar­garet Chin. ​“I encour­age every­one to expe­ri­ence its beau­ti­ful green open spaces and take advan­tage of its car-free path­ways to walk or bike around with friends and fam­i­ly. There are so many won­der­ful things to do and see on Gov­er­nors Island, and tak­ing the fer­ry is a fun and relax­ing way to get there!” 

“I vis­it­ed Gov­er­nors Island last year when it reopened on a mod­i­fied sched­ule to give New York­ers access to one of our safest and largest open park spaces. That year, the Island pre­viewed what is now per­ma­nent: a fer­ry stop at Atlantic Basin in Red Hook, which will run Sat­ur­days and Sun­days. This will not only pro­vide free fer­ries for NYCHA res­i­dents — in Red Hook, one of the largest in the bor­ough — but will also bring New York­ers to Red Hook and sup­port local busi­ness­es on the week­ends. I believe that the Trust for Gov­er­nors Island cares about serv­ing all New York­ers and look for­ward to the pro­gram­ming again this year,” said Coun­cil Mem­ber Car­los Men­cha­ca.

“It’s great that there will be two fer­ry stops that will allow our com­mu­ni­ty res­i­dents quick access to Gov­er­nors Island this year,” said Brook­lyn Com­mu­ni­ty Board 6 Dis­trict Man­ag­er Michael Raciop­po. ​“If res­i­dents haven’t been, I rec­om­mend jump­ing on a fer­ry from Red Hook or Pier 6 and chang­ing that ASAP.” 

“I’m pleased to wel­come vis­i­tors back to Gov­er­nors this sea­son,” said Nation­al Park Ser­vice Man­hat­tan Sites Super­in­ten­dent Shirley McK­in­ney. ​“We will con­tin­ue to allow self-guid­ed pub­lic tours of the his­toric forts. Park Rangers will be on site to answer ques­tions and pro­vide infor­ma­tion to our guests.” 

“This year made clear how crit­i­cal green spaces like Gov­er­nors Island are to the health and well-being of our city,” said Mer­ritt Birn­baum, Exec­u­tive Direc­tor of the Friends of Gov­er­nors Island. ​“Every­one needs the abil­i­ty to escape the con­crete jun­gle and recharge after such a hard win­ter, and we can’t wait to wel­come New York­ers back to enjoy the spring blooms, fresh Har­bor breezes and plen­ty of room to bike, stroll, pic­nic and relax. We’re espe­cial­ly grate­ful to our vol­un­teers and sup­port­ers who stepped up in big ways over the past year to ensure Gov­er­nors Island remains a beau­ti­ful and wel­com­ing place for everyone.” 

VIS­I­TOR INFOR­MA­TION & FERRIES

Gov­er­nors Island will be open dai­ly between May 1‑October 31 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on week­days and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on week­ends and hol­i­day Mon­days includ­ing Memo­r­i­al Day, July 5, Labor Day, and Indige­nous Peo­ples’ Day. Gov­er­nors Island fer­ries will run dai­ly between the Bat­tery Mar­itime Build­ing at 10 South Street in Man­hat­tan and Sois­sons Land­ing on the Island. 

For the first time, Gov­er­nors Island fer­ries will serve two Brook­lyn loca­tions this year: Pier 6 in Brook­lyn Bridge Park and Atlantic Basin in Red Hook. These routes will run direct­ly to Gov­er­nors Island from each loca­tion every Sat­ur­day, Sun­day and hol­i­day Mon­day all sea­son long. 

Vis­i­tors must reserve fer­ry tick­ets in advance of their trip to Gov­er­nors Island, and face cov­er­ings are required. Tick­ets will be avail­able soon through an online reser­va­tion sys­tem at www​.gov​is​land​.org. Round-trip fer­ry tick­ets will cost $3 for adults. Gov­er­nors Island fer­ries are always free for chil­dren 12 and under, seniors 65 and up, res­i­dents of NYCHA, IDNYC hold­ers, cur­rent and for­mer mil­i­tary ser­vice­mem­bers and Gov­er­nors Island mem­bers. Fer­ries before noon on Sat­ur­days and Sun­days are free for all. There is no sur­charge for bicy­cles or strollers at any time. The Trust will also offer waived fares for non-prof­it com­mu­ni­ty-based orga­ni­za­tions, youth camps, and senior cen­ters through­out New York City. To inquire about group vis­its, orga­ni­za­tions may email groupvisits@​govisland.​org.

NYC Fer­ry will offer addi­tion­al con­nec­tions to Gov­er­nors Island’s Yan­kee Pier via a ded­i­cat­ed week­end shut­tle from Wall Street/​Pier 11. Tick­et­ing infor­ma­tion and full sched­ules will be avail­able soon at www.ferry.nyc.

The Island’s food and bev­er­age ven­dors will return on May 1. For a full list of ven­dors, please vis­it gov​is​land​.org/​v​i​s​i​t​-​t​h​e​-​i​s​l​a​n​d​/food.

OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION

Vis­i­tors can enjoy Gov­er­nors Island’s over 120 acres of award-win­ning open space. The Island’s park offers rolling lawns and plen­ty of room for New York­ers to spread out for pic­nick­ing and recre­ation, includ­ing over 7 miles of car-free bike paths. Ham­mock Grove’s 40+ pub­lic ham­mocks nes­tled into the foliage pro­vide a relax­ing retreat. The Hills fea­ture unpar­al­leled views of the Har­bor and land­marks like the Stat­ue of Lib­er­ty as well as the sur­round­ing Low­er Man­hat­tan and Brook­lyn skylines. 

Activ­i­ties, includ­ing bike rentals with Blaz­ing Sad­dles and CitiBike, vis­its to the Gov­er­nors Island Nation­al Mon­u­ment, self-guid­ed his­to­ry tours, free kayak­ing, grill reser­va­tions and more will be avail­able for vis­i­tors begin­ning May 1. More infor­ma­tion on activ­i­ties can be found at gov​is​land​.org/​t​h​i​n​g​s​-​to-do.

ARTS, CUL­TURE AND EDUCATION

Ongo­ing Arts, Cul­ture and Sci­ence Pro­grams
Over two dozen arts, cul­ture and edu­ca­tion orga­ni­za­tions will uti­lize space inside the his­toric hous­es of Nolan Park and Colonels Row this year to present a robust slate of ongo­ing free pub­lic pro­grams, host artist res­i­den­cies, engage vis­i­tors in spe­cial activ­i­ties for all ages, and more. Ongo­ing pub­lic pro­grams will include indoor and out­door exhi­bi­tions, instal­la­tions and inter­ac­tive exhibits. The Urban Farm, home to GrowNYC’s Teach­ing Gar­den and Earth Mat­ter NY’s Com­post Learn­ing Cen­ter and Soil Start Farm will also be open week­ends from 12 – 4pm. Par­tic­i­pat­ing orga­ni­za­tions are list­ed at gov​is​land​.org/​t​h​i​n​g​s​-​to-do and pro­gram­ming sched­ules will be avail­able soon. 

Pub­lic Art Com­mis­sions and Instal­la­tions
Pub­lic art instal­la­tions includ­ing Rachel Whiteread’s Cab­in and Mark Handforth’s Yan­kee Hang­er will remain on view, as will Shantell Martin’s The May Room. The Trust will announce new com­mis­sioned pub­lic art instal­la­tions and projects to debut on the Island in 2021 through­out the season. 

LMCC’s Arts Cen­ter at Gov­er­nors Island
Curat­ed and pro­grammed by Low­er Man­hat­tan Cul­tur­al Coun­cil (LMCC), the Arts Cen­ter at Gov­er­nors Island will reopen to the pub­lic June 12 through Octo­ber 31 with two large-scale, site-spe­cif­ic solo exhi­bi­tions; a par­tic­i­pa­to­ry sculp­ture; and the return of the Take Care pub­lic pro­grams series. Appro­pri­ate COVID-19 health pro­to­cols will be in place for vis­i­tors enter­ing the Arts Cen­ter, with exhi­bi­tions and pre­sen­ta­tions free and open to all. More details about the 2021 sea­son at the Arts Cen­ter will be announced soon on LMC­C’s web­site, www​.LMCC​.net.

SPE­CIAL EVENTS

Gov­er­nors Island will host a lim­it­ed cal­en­dar of social­ly dis­tanced out­door events in 2021. Dates and more details on these and oth­er spe­cial events will be avail­able at gov​is​land​.org as they are announced over the com­ing weeks and months. All events will adhere to the lat­est local, state and fed­er­al health and safe­ty guidelines. 

About The Trust for Gov­er­nors Island

The Trust for Gov­er­nors Island is the non-prof­it cor­po­ra­tion cre­at­ed by the City of New York that is respon­si­ble for the rede­vel­op­ment and oper­a­tion of 150 acres of Gov­er­nors Island. The Trust’s mis­sion is to real­ize the full poten­tial of Gov­er­nors Island for the inspi­ra­tion and enjoy­ment of all New York­ers, demon­strat­ing a bold vision for pub­lic space. For more infor­ma­tion, vis­it www​.gov​is​land​.org.

About Gov­er­nors Island Nation­al Monument

The Nation­al Park Ser­vice man­ages Gov­er­nors Island Nation­al Mon­u­ment, which con­sists of twen­ty-two acres, includ­ing the his­toric for­ti­fi­ca­tions Cas­tle Williams and Fort Jay. The Mon­u­ment is one of twen­ty-two sites oper­at­ed by the Nation­al Park Ser­vice in the New York City area. Its pur­pose is to pre­serve and pro­tect Cas­tle Williams and Fort Jay, and to inter­pret them and the harbor’s rich his­to­ry and ecol­o­gy for the pub­lic. For more infor­ma­tion, vis­it www​.nps​.gov/gois.