Enthusiast Photo Confessions: Governor's Island

A photo of the Statue of Liberty from Governor's Island.

  I recently stumbled upon this old picture while going through my files and it reminded me of a wonderful trip I took with my friends to Governor's Island.

Governor's Island may be a mystery to you whether you are a visitor to the city or a native New Yorker. The island is located between Manhattan and Brooklyn and has an interesting history. Governor's Island was originally discovered by a Dutch explorer in 1611 and named "Noyten Eylant," or Nut Island, because the island was covered with hickery, oak and chestnut trees. However, the island's current name stems from colonial times when the British attempted to reserve the island for the Royal Governor's use alone. For approximately the last 200 years, the island has been used for defense projects by the U.S. military. In fact, Governor's Island was used as a fortification to attack British ships during the American Revolutionary War. Today, much of the island is open to the public as a historical park.

What brought me to Governor's Island? I stopped by for the annual 1920s Jazz Lawn Party where visitors dress in 1920's style clothes, picnic on the lawn and listen to big band style jazz. I hope to see you there this year!

Cheers!