Battery Maritime Building

Last week my best friend was visiting from Guam and we went on MANY excursions, including taking the Governor's Island Ferry over to Governors Island for the Jazz Age lawn festival.

The Governor's Island Ferry leaves Manhattan from the Batter Maritime building which is a beautiful Beaux-Art building completed in 1906.  It's original use was for ferries traveling to Brooklyn.  The Brooklyn Ferry Service shut down in 1938, after which the building was used for various city agencies.  

The ferries to to Governor's Island first started leaving the Maritime building in 1956 when the U.S. Army used the terminal to provide serves to it's Army posts on Fort Jay and Governor's Island.  When the Army upgrades from ferries to steam powered boats, they needed a larger slips so the vacated the Maritime Building.  In 1966 the U.S. Coast Guard took over the Governor's Island and began to use the Maritime Building to provide transportation for Governor's Island 3000 residents to and from New York City.  It was used for this purpose until 1996 when the U.S. Coast Guard left Governor's Island.  

Governor's Island had to wait nearly 14 years for its new life.  In 2010 Mayor Bloomberg issues a new Governor's Island redevelopment plan.  But since 2003 the Governor's Island Ferry has been providing free transportation from the Battery Maritime Building to Governor's Island during the summer on weekends.  Today Governor's Island is an open public space with educational, not for profit, and commercial facilities.  22 acres of Governor's Island has been declared the "Governor's Island National Monument" overseen by the National Parks Service.  The remaining 150 acres belongs to "the people of New York."  

So why take the ferry from the Battery Maritime Building to Governor's Island?  Well first of all - it's a free boat ride and who doesn't love those?  Secondly, Governor's Island has all sort of fun events during the summer including City of Water Day,  the Jazz Age Lawn Party ,  and Fete Paradiso.   For a schedule of upcoming events check out http://www.govisland.com/html/visit/calendar.shtml

My friends and me on the Governor's Island Ferry on our way to the Jazz Age Lawn Party.