• The Dutch House
    News

    Governors Island Alliance Changes Name, Rebrands, as Friends of Governors Island

    Are you a friend of Governors Island? The Governors Island Alliance announced today that it is rebranding, and has changed its name to the Friends of Governors Island. In anticipation of the fourteenth public season on the Island, the organization is getting ready for the public opening on May 28. With a little more than fifty days until the Island opens, the Friends are planning public activities and fundraisers (more information coming soon). Congratulations to the team, led by Merritt Birnbaum. From their news release: Today we are announcing an exciting new development for our organization. Going forward, Governors Island Alliance will be known as the Friends of Governors Island.…

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  • The Hills
    News

    New York Post: The Hills Open in 2016

    The New York Post today has a good story about the progress of The Hills. While The Trust For Governors Island was always planning to have The Hills ready to use in 2016, this story confirms it. The development on the South end of the Island has been coming to a big milestone with The Hills being prepared for visitors. The other salient point in the article is that 1,000 more trees are being planted this spring, which is on top of the more than 2,000 that have been planted in the past three years. The story says: Governors Island is on the fast-track to getting a lot greener, with…

  • Commanding Officer's House
    Book

    Guidebook Publishing Date Today

    Today is the publication date of The Governors Island Explorer’s Guide. I started thinking about the book in 2006, and began the research soon after. However, with all of the changes taking place on the Island, it seemed to me to wait until 2016 to release it. If the book had been published just recently it would not have included The Hills or the South Island development. The Island has had so many development changes that the book would have been outdated almost immediately. (I’m already thinking about the next edition!) A full description of the book is here, along with ordering information. The plan for the book was simple:…

  • Mayor Bill de Blasio
    News

    Mayor Bill de Blasio Eyes Economic Growth and Development on Island

    On February 4, 2016, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city is going to make economic development on Governors Island a high priority. He made the announcement during his State of the City speech. While he offered no specifics or timelines, he said that preserving the Historic District was paramount, but hinted that the two Development Zones on both sides of the Island will now be getting more attention. The statement by de Blasio said in full: Governors is a 172-acre oasis in New York Harbor that has a history as long as New York City itself. It was a fishing camp for the very first…

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  • The Hills hardhat tour with the Trust For Governors Island.
    News

    Photo Tour of The Hills Reveals Dynamic Change on Island

    Getting a sneak peek at The Hills was a real treat. The Trust for Governors Island is hosting monthly hardhat tours. I attended the most recent one with more than a dozen other fans of the island, and what we saw was impressive. After getting our official reflective vests and hardhats at Liggett Hall, we were on our way. Our guide was Stephanie Shaw, a project manager with The Trust. She gave us a lot of information as we were on our tour. The highlights: The four hills are all underway and look to be finished by the 2016 season: Grassy, Slide, Outlook, and Discovery. They will range in size…

  • News

    2014 Schedule Announced; Island Open 7 Days A Week

    The Trust for Governors Island today announced its 2014 public season. Visitors to Governors Island will enjoy 30 new acres of extraordinary park that open for the first time. Additionally this season, visitors will enjoy more arts, cultural, recreational and educational programs than ever before. Governors Island opens to the public on Saturday, May 24 and will be open every day through September 28. “We want every New Yorker to feel like they are personally invited to enjoy the 2014 season on Governors Island,” said Leslie Koch, President of The Trust for Governors Island. “Governors Island is the shared place for art and play for the entire City.” The new…

  • Quarters 112
    News

    New Chapter in Island Transformation, New Tenants Designated

    The Trust for Governors Island (The Trust) today announced the next chapter in the transformation of Governors Island into a year-round vibrant destination in New York Harbor. The Trust announced at a meeting of its Board of Directors that it has designated three tenants for its historic buildings. The new tenant announced today is a day spa that will be open year-round to the public. In addition, the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Art Center at Governors Island, two existing Island tenants, will expand. The Trust also announced that for the first time, Governors Island will be open seven days a week in…

  • Michael Arenella
    News

    Full 2013 Island Schedule Announced

    The Trust for Governors Island today announced the wide range of festivals, events and performances in its 2013 public access season. Programming will take place throughout the Island’s Historic District. Ferries will once again bring visitors from Manhattan and Brooklyn and visitors can also take the East River Ferry to the Island. Governors Island is open every Saturday, Sunday and Holiday Monday (Memorial Day and Labor Day) from May 25 through September 29. New exhibitions and programs include WW II & NYC: Photography and Propaganda, presented by the New York Historical Society, which will paint a vivid picture of life in war-mobilized New York through photographs, posters and a Victory Garden. In conjunction with the…