News
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The Billion Oyster Project
Students at Harbor School, a public high school on Governors Island, are in the process of seeding our harbor with a billion oysters. Rachel Nuwer details their efforts in a recent Edible Brooklyn post: Now, a team of determined New Yorkers wants to bring those bivalves back, albeit for something other than eating. Last April they launched an initiative called the Billion Oyster Project, which largely relies on the efforts of students at the New York Harbor School on Governors Island, within casting distance of the Statue of Liberty. As its name implies, that public school sits smack dab on the NYC harbor, a boon for its water-heavy curriculum whose topics…
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Brooklyn Wants More Ferries to Governors Island
The Borough of Churches has spoken. Brooklyn wants more ferries to serve the Borough to take residents to the island. Dana Rubinstein writes in Capital New York that when MayorBill de Blasio said the city would increase ferry service in Gotham, he forgot to include Governors Island. “Unfortunately, access is dramatically limited for Brooklyn residents, while Manhattan residents have daily access five days in the off-season and seven in the summer,” said Councilman Brad Lander, who represents Park Slope. Last week, Lander, along with Rep. Nydia Velazquez, Assembywoman Jo Anne Simon, State Senator Daniel Squadron and Council members Steve Levin and Margaret Chin sent a letter to the mayor urging him to…
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First News of 2015 About Governors Island: new pavillions
I was happy to read about the new pavillions coming to the island for the 2015 season. The massive, eco-friendly canopies are the winners of FIGMENT art festival’s annual City of Dreams Pavilion Design Competition. The massive, eco-friendly canopies are the winners of FIGMENT art festival’s annual City of Dreams Pavilion Design Competition, the organization announced Tuesday. According to DNAinfo: It’s the first time the competition, in its fifth year, has picked two winners: a structure called the Billion Oyster Pavilion, constructed by New York designers from BanG Studio, and Organic Growth, a pavilion designed by Izaskun Chinchilla Architects from Madrid and London. It makes me want to get back onto the…
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Bill Clinton Visits Harbor School on Island
One of President Bill Clinton’s last acts in office was to add Governors Island to the list of national monuments, which paved the way for the island to be returned to the people of New York. Thirteen years later, the former president came back to the island and delivered a stirring speech to students of the island’s Harbor School. “There is no place in America that better exemplifies the world I want to leave to our children and grandchildren than this school and its partner,” said Clinton, as reported in the Daily News: “If you pick up the paper any day, or you watch the evening news, you know all…
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NYC Volkswagen Traffic Jam Spectacular
The annual NYC Volkswagen Traffic Jam was held August 24 and was a huge success. There is something special about seeing these unique cars–and so many of them–lined up on Governors Island. The owners are so enthusiastic and love showing off their detailed and lovingly-restored vehicles. It’s a free exhibit and open to the public. The NYC Volkswagen Traffic Jam is a spectator-judged vintage Volkswagen car show and picnic with a vibrant line-up of nearly 100 Beetles, buses, dune buggies, Things, and other original VW’s circa 1950s – 1970s. This car show is a one-of-a-kind event for both the casual spectator and classic VW enthusiast. If you own an air-cooled VW and…
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Photos from August Jazz Age Lawn Party
My favorite photographer in New York? No doubt it’s Don Spiro. The guy can take photos like nobody else. He’s plugged into three of my favorite scenes too: vintage, classic cocktails, and burlesque. Don and Gin Minsky run Zelda Magazine, which is the #1 publication for the vintage lifestyle. Every year he and his friends have a booth at the Jazz Age Lawn Party, and it’s kind of the go-to spot for the fashionable and fun crowd. Among those gathering this August (just a few names for you) were Grace Gotham who runs the Court of Pies competition; Lily Faye and Christian, the charming vintage-loving couple; The Minsky Sisters, Gin…
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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…
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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…
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WWII & NYC: Photography and Propaganda, Presented by the New-York Historical Society
Based on the blockbuster exhibition WWII & NYC, the New-York Historical Society will be displaying a selection of reproductions in Nolan Park on Governors Island, with help from their Student Historians. This exhibition paints a vivid picture of life in war-mobilized New York, when virtually every industry, institution and home was transformed into a venture to support Allied victory. Through moving black-and-white photos, iconic propaganda posters and an authentic Victory Garden, experience what total war meant for New Yorkers. Hands-on activities for all ages will be offered beginning July 13th. About The Exhibit The Second World War (1939–1945) was the most widespread, destructive, and consequential conflict in history. WWII &…
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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…
