Photo Credit: BrightView Landscaping Service
A once-abandoned island in the harbor of New York City has become one of the city’s most intriguing tourist destinations with miles of paved pathways, baseball fields, natural space, and historic buildings.
Governors Island is only a few hundred yards from both Manhattan and Brooklyn, and is still in the midst of a long transformation process to complete the city’s vision of becoming a year-round destination for recreation, arts, and culture with commercial, nonprofit, and educational facilities.
Originally serving in various military roles, Governors Island was home to the U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard before closing in 1996. The 172-acre park is filled with two National Parks Service-run forts that served as the original fortification system protecting New York Harbor, and more than 50 historic buildings ready for their next chapter.