Tag Archives: governors island

Pig Island

Pig Out this Weekend at Pig Island

Pig Island
Governors Island will be transformed into a pork-lover's paradise this Saturday. (Photo: pigisland.com)

Yes, that’s what I said.  Pig Island.  It’s exactly what it sounds like: every Vegan’s nightmare, and every fatass’ food fest fantasy!

Tomorrow, October 2nd,  from 11:30 AM- 4:30 PM, Governor’s Island will be transformed into a “pork-lover’s paradise.”  20 + chefs will be entertaining your senses and your stomach with both innovative and traditional pork dishes, ranging from bbq and porchetta sandwiches to Vietnamese pork soup and Maple Bacon sticky buns.

Tickets to the main event cost $85, although there is a group rate of $80 for groups of 4 or more people.  Although the price seems steep, this ticket gives you unlimited access to the pig feast, as well as Sixpoint Craft Ales and NY State Wines.

For those of you who don’t think an all you can eat and drink pork festival is worth $80, there will be a public area with snacks and drinks available for purchase.

As always, transportation to Governor’s Island is free via ferry, departing from the Battery Maritime building at 10 South Street.

Concert Alert: Rock the Bells Comes to Governor’s Island

Lauryn Hill performing at Rock the Bells (Credit: Sway Calloway)

The Battery will not be the most electric spot this weekend.
The Rock the Bells tour will call upon some of hip hop music’s greatest will converge to perform it’s second to last show on Governor’s Island this weekend.

Musical legend and R&B recluse Lauryn Hill has come out of hiding to perform on this tour to fantastic reviews. Her performance in Governor’s Island is only a couple days after the 12 year anniversary of  ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.’

Other artists set to perform include, Snoop Dogg, A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, Slick Rick, KRS-One and many others.

Tickets can be purchased at Rock the Bells official website.

Governor’s Island has had record attendance for the 2010 season, based in part of kicking off many high profile concerts.

Find out more about other Governor’s Island events at their official website.

Governor's Island

2010 Summer Attendance at Governor’s Island Breaks Records

Governor's Island
Governor's Island marks record summer attendance for the 2010 season

Governor’s Island marked record attendance for its summer events this year.

275,000 people visited the former Coast Guard facility this year so far. The season has 8-weeks left and has surpassed 2009’s attendance so far, according to the New York Daily News.

Governor Bloomberg made a statement over the weekend promising the city’s commitment to extended free resources on the island, “We’re committed to building on the momentum we’ve generated on the island by continuing to expand the programming and creating one of the world’s great waterfront parks.”

The island which only 800 yards off The Battery, has seen its popularity increase with a series of summer concerts and free events on the island. Free ferry service is available from the South Street Seaport and Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Some other free events still available for the next eight weeks are free bike rides, kayaking, public art and concerts.

To find out more about how to visit Governor’s Island, visit the official website here.

Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth Visit New York

Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth to Visit NYC

Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth Visit New York
Why are Harry and Liz taking a bite out of the Big Apple? (photo courtesy of globalnational.com)

The British are coming! The British are coming! But this time it’s a very good thing. Both Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth will visit New York City over the course of the next month, but for decidedly different reasons.

Twenty-five-year-old Harry is set to once again face off against Argentine polo stud — and Ralph Lauren model — Nacho Figueras in the third Annual Veuve Cliquot Polo Classic. The event, slated for June 27 on New York Harbor’s Governors Island, will benefit American Friends of Sentebale, the U.S. arm of a global charity founded by Harry to aid the impoverished children of Lesotho in southern Africa. Celebs such as Madonna and Kate Hudson attended last year’s match, so be sure to bring binoculars and your star-stalking A-game.

Sadly, Queen Elizabeth won’t be playing any polo during her stint in the States. Instead, on July 6, Britain’s 84-year-old monarch will make her first trip to America since 1976 (when she was here for the Bicentennial) to tour Ground Zero and pay her respects to the 3,000 innocent people who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks.

According to the New York Daily News, the Queen will officially open the British Garden of Remembrance in Hanover Square, not far from the World Trade Center site, to honor the 67 British citizens killed that September day.

Governors Island Concert Series

Free Governors Island Shows All Summer

Governors Island Concert Series
Free concerts? We're there! (photo courtesy of She&Him.com)

You know what’s awesome? Free concerts. What’s even better? Free concerts on Governors Island, in the middle of the beautiful (but let’s face it, unswimmable) Hudson River. And what’s even better than that? Free ferry transport to the shows so you don’t have to swim across the Hudson (you can if you want to, of course — that’s your prerogative).

You’ll get everything described above thanks to this summer’s Converse-sponsored Gone to Governors live music series — held, as always, on the Beach at Governors Island — and kicking off on June 5 with a performance by alt-rock darlings Yeasayer. Things get even better from there, with a lineup that features an array of musical talent, from the indie-rock awesomeness of She & Him (featuring actress Zooey Deschanel) to the psychedelic stylings of Dr. Dog.

Continue reading Free Governors Island Shows All Summer

Mayor Bloomberg

After Governors Island, Mayor Now Seeks Battery Park City

Mayor Bloomberg in a land grab for Battery Park City
Mayor Bloomberg in a land grab for Battery Park City

After successfully seeking control over Governors Island and Brooklyn Bridge Park, Mayor Bloomberg continues his game of Monopoly with his piece set on buying Battery Park City.

Comptroller John Liu is tasked with determining whether the takeover of Battery Park City from New York State makes sense for New York City. In a bid to help close the city’s budget deficit, acquiring Battery Park City would mean a constant flow of revenue from ground lease revenue and property taxes.

Although the city has had a longstanding option to acquire Battery Park City for a mere $1 dollar, tacked along with the purchase would be nearly $1 billion dollars in debt and high maintenance costs for the area.

The comptroller is also considering Battery Park City residents and commercial tenants opinions on the acquisition.

Whether or not the acquisition would follow through has yet to be seen, although it’s quite obvious that the plan has kicked in. Especially in light of Governor Patterson’s recent nomination of William Thompson as Battery Park City Authority’s new chairman.

New York Magazine’s Intelligencer has an interesting take on what this means, also mentioning that if the deal does not go through before September’s political primary — the likelihood that it deal would go through at all would be all but nullified.

How do you feel about about the possible acquisition of Battery Park City by the city and do you think this is a step in the right or wrong direction?