The cliche is, once Memorial Day hits, New Yorkers escape the city for the Hamptons as much as humanly possible.

But what about those of us who hate three hours of bumper to bumper traffic?

Those of us who have panic attacks when packed like sardines on an LIRR train?

New Yorkers who can’t tell you the rules of tennis if you threatened us with a weed whacker to our throats?

We who feel we are performing a part in a play if we put on a polo shirt?

What about the New Yorkers who can’t afford multi-million dollar summer mansions the size of our hometown elementary schools?

I’ll be honest, I get separation anxiety if I go more than a couple days with out seeing a skyscraper.

That’s why I’ll take an escape to Governor’s Island over the Hamptons any weekend of the summer.

Sure there’s no swimming, but I have little to no desire to worry about my “beach bod” anyway. Governor’s Island opened for the season Memorial Day weekend. I made the trip this past weekend and enjoyed the whimsical Figment Art Festival.

There’s always something fun happening on Governor’s Island, always a new area to explore (their opening a whole new section later this summer!) If you go this coming weekend, June 11th and 12th, you’ll be transported back to the roaring 20s with the delightful Jazz Age Lawn Party. One of NYC’s best summer events- I dare you to check out my coverage from 2015 and 2014 and not want to go! If you can’t go this weekend, they host another weekend in August too!

Governor’s Island is a 10 minute ferry ride from Manhattan of Brooklyn. Yep. You can only get there by ferry. It has perfect lawns for picnics, an awesome selection of food trucks, bicycles for rent, no cars, a hammock grove, awesome events every weekend, and killer views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

 

It’s the perfect day trip, the perfect NYC summer activity. The ferry costs $2 and leaves every half hour. You catch it at the bottom of Manhattan, just east of the Staten Island Ferry.

No one lives on Governor’s Island. There is a cluster of houses that were once occupied by military officers. Now some of them sell jewelry and other crafty things, others are performance spaces and art galleries.

It’s a magical island where everything is 80% more chill than they are in any other corner of the city.

I’m flabbergasted whenever I meet a New Yorker who has never been! I don’t take the information well: “WHAT!? You’ve never been to Governor’s Island!? YOU HAVE TO GO! Nothing in this town is more delightful! GOOO!!!” Seriously, go. It’s great.