Travel Tip: Govenors Island // New York

Finally I found the time to start blogging about some travel tips from New York! After almost six months back in Europe, it’s about time! The first post about travel tips New York is going to be about Govenors Island – and more are about to follow.

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Govenors Island

Until 1997, Govenors Island was used as a military basis before it was transferred to the state of New York. In 2003, the state opened the little island south of Manhattan for the public and soon, it got popular. Day trips to the island are relatively cheap, it’s an escape of the busy city and you have great views! Which was certainly one of the reasons why I wanted to see Govenors Island myself in the first place.

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How to get there

As Govenors Island is an island (Ha! No kidding!), you can only get there by boat. But the tour is relatively cheap, a roundtrip (which is basically the only possibility if you don’t want to get a season pass) only costs $2 per person. The boat leaves either in Manhattan (Battery Maritime Building close to Battery Park) or Brooklyn (Manhattan Bridge Park Pier 6). Try to get a good seat on the boat as the views are awesome!

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A day on Govenors Island

Technically, there is not much to do on Govenors Island – there are no cars at all, which is great after having spend some time in the city. You could rent a bike and discover the island or just enjoy the sun, the wind and the atmosphere. There is also a little food market, the prices are average for New York street food. Make sure to walk around the island as the views are great! And even in the weekends, there are not too many people there, I’m sure you never had such an not-at-all-busy view on lower Manhattan or the Statue of Liberty!

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Sometimes, there are also festivals on Govenors Island. People come dressed up, which is nice to see. Make sure to get to know about the occasions before going to the island so you could dress up accordingly!

Is it worth the time?

To be honest: it depends. For residents of New York, it definitely is. Getting away from the busy city, relaxing in the sun, enjoying the view…yes, please! However, if you are only in the city for a few days and don’t know if you’ll come back any time soon? Not sure if it’s worth the trip. If you are going to Liberty Island anyways, you’ll have almost the same views from the boat. And relaxing in Central Park is way more convenient while shopping on 5th Avenue. When you have the time and don’t know what to do – try Govenors Island. Just don’t expect to much. Is pretty much the opposite of Manhattan, in everything.

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