Governor's Island

Every time I adore NYC, it's usually when it reminds me of San Francisco. Is that so wrong? This happened to me on Saturday when we took a trip to Governors Island. It reminded me of the Presidio in San Francisco. Only, I think I like Governors Island more. Here's some reasons why:

The only way to get there is by boat! And it's free! You can either take a ferry from Manhattan or Brooklyn. It took about five minutes to get to the island. We didn't have to wait in a long line, and the kids felt like they were going on a true adventure.  Click here for directions and ferry schedule. 

On the island: No cars. Only kick scooters, bikes, and I suppose these roller skates if you wanted. The island felt massive. And like my trip to the NY Botanical Gardens, I didn't feel like I was fighting for my space. I knew a lot of people were on the island, but I didn't feel them. Or hear them. It was so nice to be away from all the racket. And see some new things. FYI: Free bike rentals on Fridays!

What really made me fall in love with the island was the free events. And not the kind of lame activities that you have to wait in line a million hours for a turn. There's sooo many really good ones for kids and adults that we didn't get to everything. Click here to see all of the free events this summer. 

The Big Apple Circus is there every Saturday and Sunday for juggling lessons. Not like Owen needs any, he's a natural juggler. The most serious juggler you'll ever meet.  Look how easily he caught all those balls. Such an amazing child that Owen. 

(red shorts day 6)

The Children's Museum of the Arts will be there every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Check out some of their stations below in the pictures. My favorite activity the CMA provided was the art rental kits (I forgot to take a picture of this). Here's how it works: Parents leave their ID, and they can borrow an art kit for their kids to draw around the island. It's filled with charcoals, water colors, paper, pencils etc. Such a great idea! Adults can join in on this activity too. 

We decided to take the ferry back to Brooklyn. On our walk to the subway, we stopped in at a perfect restaurant. I'll post about it tomorrow.  Until then, start planning your trip to Governors Island.  You won't be disappointed.