Governor’s Island Food Crawl
What this foodstroll is
The perfect day trip to Governor’s Island, NYC.
Why this foodstroll works
Governor’s Island is one of several neighborhoods in NYC owned and developed by a single entity. However unlike those other planned communities, the owner and developer in this case was the United States Army, making for some pretty interesting history. It also happens to be less than a mile from both Manhattan and Brooklyn, and bikeable (or even walkable) in just a few hours. The views of NYC, the Statue of Liberty, and New York Harbor are incredible. Multiple ferries serve the Island year round, and bikes are easily brought or rented. Sprinkle in a variety of seasonal food vendors, restaurants, and outdoor bars, and Governor’s Island makes for a very low risk, high reward day trip!
Strolling
Governor’s Island is reachable only by ferry from Manhattan of Brooklyn. Ferry rides are just a few minutes long. On Summer weekends, you take the Governor’s Island Ferry from either 10 South Street in Manhattan, Pier 6 in Brooklyn, or Atlantic Basin in Brooklyn. All other days and year round you can take the NYC Ferry. Governor’s Island is on the South Brooklyn route.
The entire island from end to end is barely a mile long. It is easily explorable on foot, and navigable several times over on a bike. The northern end has all the historic military barracks and forts, whereas the southern end has a ton of open space, views of the Statue of Liberty, and things to do with kids.
Although the military history of Governor’s Island dates back to the American Revolution, most of the barracks you’ll find were built in the 1930s. If they appear to be very upscale versions of dormitories, that’s because the venerable architectural firm McKim, Mead, and White (Brooklyn Museum, Old Penn Station, Manhattan Municipal Building, Harvard Club) were enlisted as part of the “Island Beautification” effort of this era. Liggett Hall, conveniently located next to the Liggett Terrace Food Court, was built in 1930 and was the largest military building in the world at the time.
The Yard is a slightly off the beaten path area great for kids. It’s an open play space where children are supervised by professionals and provided with tools to build (or destroy) random items accumulated in the area over time. It’s somewhat hidden on Barry Road around the corner from the South Battery. It is open weekends 12-4pm April through November.
Although most buildings are from the 20th century, many private officer’s residences date back to the 19th century. The homes along Regimental Row are examples, as are the Post Hospital and Guard House. This 1843 Greek Revival mansion very obviously belonged to an important person, and indeed was the Commanding Officer’s quarters from 1843 until 1966, when the Island stopped hosting a US Military Division.
This road runs along the perimeter of the island, and has several names depending on where you are. A full circle is exactly two miles, and each section offers a different view. Lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, Jersey City, the Verrazano Bridge, Downtown Brooklyn, and the Brooklyn Bridge are all visible at different times. The Staten Island Ferry (pictured) and several cruise ships regularly pass the Western shoreline. You can rent bikes at Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals, although we always bring our own.
The oldest fortification on Governor’s Island is Fort Jay (1809), which itself succeeded a previous fort build in the 1790s. Set on the high point of the Island with five bastions (multi-sided projections meant to offer better range for cannon fire), it could mount 104 large guns with range that could reach Manhattan and Brooklyn. The dry moat along the perimeter reminds you of a medieval castle. Occasionally you can go inside to see the officer’s barracks, but last we visited it was closed for restoration.
If you’ve followed food strolls for a while, you know we love a good war memorial. This one is dedicated to American soldiers in the very deadly and decisive WW1 Meuse–Argonne offensive. It occupies some prime real estate, just steps away from Taco Vista and with great views of lower Manhattan. If we were to die and be reincarnated as a war memorial, being placed here wouldn’t be so bad!
Castle Williams (1811) is one of three fortifications constructed on Governor’s Island in anticipation of the War of 1812. It is a quintessential example of a seaside fort, with holes allowing a wide range of cannon fire to rain all over New York Harbor. These cannons had a range that could reach Manhattan at the time, and if you gaze across the Harbor to Battery Park, you’ll notice a similar fort, Castle Clinton, staring right back at you. With the waterway so heavily defended, it’s no wonder New York was never again invaded after the Revolution. P.S. if you’d like to see some cannons, two are perched outside the South Battery, another of the three fortification built prior to 1812.
The southern half of Governor’s Island was entirely created from landfill dug up during the construction of NYC’s subway system from 1902-1912. There are few historic structures at this end, but more open spaces. There are several man made hills, including Governor’s Island Outlook Hill, which are great places to hike up and take pictures. Slide Hill Playground rests on the south side of one of these hills, and has some of the longest and fastest slides in NYC. Pro tip: they are fastest during rain storms!
Food Spots
The food spots on Governor’s Island can be found in two main areas - Liggett Terrace and Carder Road. Many places are open weekends only, but some are daily.
Our single favorite food item on GI is probably the Fish Taco at Little Eva’s. If you tend to scoff at $16 tacos, we sympathize, but this one really is a full meal. It comes with two large beer battered cod fillets over mangos, slaw, salsa, and guac. Little Eva’s is also open daily, although they tend to close earlier than advertised during the week (3:30pm ish versus 5pm).
Tokyo Drumstick, which misleadingly sells Korean Corn Dogs, is a family favorite. If you give our kids the choice between a corn dog and anything else on the Island, they will reliably choose a corn dog. The Korean menu makes more sense considering the owners also run the famous Kimchi Taco Truck in Brooklyn.
Fauzia’s Heavenly Delights is a long standing Jamaican food cart preparing staples like Curry Chicken, Jerk Chicken, and Grilled Lamb. Their platters come with two sides, and are very economical by Governor’s Island’s standards.
Brooklyn’s well known Threes Brewing has a spot on Liggett Terrace where it sells a variety of delicious beers by the can, as well as a few taps. You can try Public Property, a beer they only sell on GI. FYI, they’re weekends only.
Another beloved Brooklyn institution, The Meat Hook, has an outpost on Liggett Terrace. The butcher shop famous for its grass fed beef now has two burger shops, and the one on GI is open Fri-Sun. Their signature burger comes with special sauce, shredduce, and pickles. It can be ordered as a single or double, the ladder of which our 3 year old finds challenging.
The excellent Empire BBQ truck occasionally graces Liggett Terrace with its smoked meats, fried chicken sandwiches, and baked beans. The truck travels all over the city and there’s no guarantee it will visit GI on a given day, but if it happens to be there during your visit, it’s very worth a try.
Moving on from Liggett Terrace, several bars and restaurants line the northern banks of GI near Soissons Landing along Carder Road, and range from taco stands to upscale cocktail lounges. We tend to stick to the low key places like Taco Vista, where $15 can get you a massive Carnitas Burrito. Also the views aren’t bad.
Dropping $27 on a sandwich is very out of character for us, but occasionally we’ll make an exception. The Lobster BLT at Island Oyster is worth a splurge if you’re feeling festive, and the location is top notch. But you don’t have to swing for the fences here. They have pitchers of beer and a nice kids menu if all you want to do is relax and enjoy the views.
Transportation
Governor’s Island is accessible by ferry only. The Trust For Governor’s Island operates daily ferries from Manhattan, which depart from 10 South Street. The Trust also operates ferries from Brooklyn’s Pier 6 and Red Hook/Atlantic Basin on Summer weekends and holidays through September. Schedules are here.
All other times, the Island is served by the NYC Ferry along their South Brooklyn route. It is free to bring your bikes. Renting bikes on the Island can be done at Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals.
