Governor’s Island is just yards away from downtown Manhattan. The island, however, doesn’t have people in residence. In fact, it’s only open to the public from May 1 – October 31.
What to do at Governor’s Island
- During the summer, there are arts festivals, concerts, performances and guided tours.
- You can rent a bike and go around the island.
- If you’re up for walking, you can also do it, too. You should be done strolling in two hours or less, depends how long you’d stop for selfies.
- The island also has food carts. Don’t worry about getting hungry there. And oh yeah, you can do your picnic there, too!
- Visit museums and castles.
- Get a drink at Oyster Bar where the view of New York Skyline is right before you, unobstructed.
How to get to Governor’s Island. The easiest way to get there is to take a ferry from Maritime Building on 10 South Street. It’s right next to (on the left) the South Ferry Terminal. You can’t miss it.
By Alain – Full Story at KepmCalm and Wander
New York City Gay Travel Resources
After returning from Israel, I only had a few short days in Germany before I boarded a flight back to New York – just enough time to pack up my clothes and a few other belongings I wanted to bring to New York with me and hug my friends and family goodbye.
When I arrived in New York, I learned that I’d been lucky – had I flown a day later, I wouldn’t have made it to New York, because a massive blizzard hit the city, causing over 1,700 flights across all three airports to get canceled. That blizzard was the first real snowstorm I’ve ever witnessed! Yes, of course we get snow in Germany, but not like this.
Seeing the city get covered in 10 inches (30 centimeters) of snow in the span of a few short hours was an incredible experience for me – I was amazed to see how quickly New York transformed into a winter wonderland. I watched the spectacle from the inside of a warm coffee shop while I was working and couldn’t resist taking a couple of walks through the snow, even though I decided NOT to bring my winter jacket with me to New York (I brought a vest because I figured it’d be enough for my last few days of winter).
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:
Located 75 miles north of Manhattan, Hudson Valley Rose B&B is set in a picturesque and elegant 1847 Georgian stone house romantically nestled on 66 acres of farm, pasture and woodland.
Prepare to be transported back in time as you make your way around the charming paths and fields.
Experience the tranquility and restorative powers that nature affords.
My last week in New York (for now) rolled around, and so I decided to take some time off and not hide behind my laptop the whole time, which is what I had done pretty much all month. Instead, I made time to hang out with friends and enjoyed a few more of my favorite summer activities in New York – cycling, sunset picnics, food markets and al fresco dinners (on a rooftop no less!).
This year, I also got to kayak on the East River, something I’d been wanting to do for the past two summers. It was just as awesome as I expected it to be, and was a good reminder that I need to get into a kayak more often (the last time I was in a kayak was in May in Austin).
And I went on a street art walk in Williamsburg, hunting down some new graffiti pieces and murals, which I love doing, no matter if I’m in New York or in Bangkok or Buenos Aires. A highlight of that day was stumbling upon a Gregos face – exactly a month after stumbling upon one in Berlin.
This past week was all about Central Park! I was staying a couple of blocks away from New York’s largest (and most famous) park, and so I ended up there for one reason or another every single day.
There were runs in the park (it was Central Park, by the way, where I became a serious runner and finished my first race in 2010), several writing sessions on a blanket in the sun (those are the times when I love being a freelancer), a picnic and tour of the park which I shared on Snapchat (my ID is mariposa2711) and, pictured above, an epic sunset session with cheese and wine, a game of boule and a catch-up with my fellow travel bloggers Caroline and Kristin.
As much as I love Prospect Park, Brooklyn’s answer to Central Park, close to which I’m usually staying, the majestic feel of Central Park is just unrivaled.