Visiting Governors Island for an Afternoon

Governors Island isn't the only way for New Yorkers to while away an afternoon, but it's one of the most unique.

A former military facility -- first for the Army and then the Coast Guard -- Governors Island in recent years has turned into the city's playground, with picnic grounds, bike rentals and beautiful views of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

And the most unique thing about Governors Island? Despite its proximity, the only way to get there is by ferry. It's a short (and free) 10 minute-or-so trip from either Manhattan (near the Staten Island Ferry terminal) or Brooklyn. However, the island is open to the public only on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays from the end of May to the end of September.

Despite its popularity as a day trip, Paul and I visited for the first time at the end of August. Since we had already eaten and I wasn't up for riding a bike, we mostly took in the views and rode the free tram to the picnic grounds at the far tip of the island to take a look at the scenery and statues.

The walk back to the ferry was pleasant -- Governors Island often holds special events, and the weekend we were there it was host to a bocce ball tournament. We also passed a mini golf course and went into one of the handful of shops open to visitors.

Much of the island still hasn't yet been developed. Much of it, frankly, looks and is abandoned. It's difficult to believe that it was once home to about 3,500 people.

I wouldn't visit Governors Island every weekend, but it was a pleasant way to lounge around for a couple of hours on a lovely Saturday afternoon. Next time: bikes!

Canstruction Constructions in Lower Manhattan

It's practically an everyday occurrence to hear about some exhibit opening somewhere in town.

There's the museums, of course. But then there are the out-of-the-ordinary exhibits that pop up and take you by surprise, like those revolving around peanut butter or giant balloons.

Canstruction falls into the latter category. It shouldn't have really come out of the blue, however -- this is New York's 19th annual competition to design and create something, anything out of cans. Afterword, nearly 60,000 New Yorkers will be fed by the art supplies.

The 25 creations are deconstructed today, but Paul and I went to the World Financial Center (basically a shopping mall-lite) in Lower Manhattan to take a peek a couple of weekends ago. Here are a few of my favorites.

One World Trade Center Takes Shape

As I exit the subway station a couple of blocks from work, it's extremely common to see a camera or two pointed in my direction. They're not aimed at me, but rather what's over my shoulder: One World Trade Center.

Nowadays it seems that the Ground Zero site is changing on an almost daily basis. It probably always was, except now those changes are easy to see. The glass panels are higher, the footprint is bigger. According to Wikipedia (not my favorite source, but it's hard to beat for up-to-the-minute information), One World Trade Center's "steel has risen to the 90th floor (1,118 ft), with glass panels reaching the 62nd floor, and concrete flooring rising to the 80th floor" as of Sunday. When it's supposedly done in 2013, Wikipedia says it will be the tallest building in the U.S. at 1,776 feet (get it?).

With stats like those, it's hard to miss. And, with Century 21 practically across the street, the Occupy Wall Street gang just a few blocks away and, of course, the new 9/11 Memorial nearby, both New York City tourists and residents have more reasons than ever to visit Lower Manhattan ... and they do.

An Afternoon at the Peck Slip Pickle Fest

A Sunday afternoon spent in the company of pickles was a highlight of last fall. So when the days began to get shorter, my mind once again turned toward cucumbers and I found out when the next pickling festival was to be held. That's how we ended up at the New Amsterdam Market on Sunday for the Peck Slip Pickle Fest.

Last year's pickle festival was on the Lower East Side, in the heart of the city's pickle district. This year it was incorporated into the aforementioned New Amsterdam Market, a farmer's market near the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan, in the shadow of the old Fulton Fish Market.

The pros: In addition to all the pickled goodies, there was the typical farmer's market fare of vegetables, meats and other treats.

The cons: There was less space for the pickle purveyors, or else they were cramped so closely together it just felt smaller. Some of our favorites from last year didn't seem to be there -- was this because of space constraints, lack of interest or the distance from their brick-and-mortar stores?

Still, we managed to sample enough pickled cucumbers, beets and even carrots to keep me satisfied for at least another year. Not so for Paul. He walked away with his own jar of pickles.

Paul's lunch of a hot dog topped with relish and spicy mustard kept with the pickling theme, but I went to the other side of the market and picked out a cheese-and-onion bialy. Turns out a bialy is just a bagel that's not boiled, topped with condiments where the hole in the middle normally would be. It kind of looked like a cheese danish.

The most interesting item I ate, however, was this: a whole pickled green tomato. You eat it just like an apple, except not even a core remains. It wasn't my favorite thing in the world -- a little too sour for my taste -- but I did feel thoroughly brined after my last bite.

The Old Fulton Fish Market

Former Fulton Fish Market building. Brooklyn Bridge in background.

Lower Manhattan's Fulton Fish Market closed in 2005. Although I work just a few blocks away from its long-time location, I never knew where exactly it was until mid-October.

Paul and I were walking along the East River, from the Lower East Site all the way to Battery Park. When we got to the South Street Seaport, we slowed down to wander through an outdoor market. All of a sudden, just a few feet from the stalls, there it was -- the Fulton Fish Market.

The New Fulton Fish Market is in the Bronx, and according to its website, the former market relocated five years ago this Sunday, November 14, after 180 years in South Manhattan. About 5 percent of the country's seafood sales reportedly came through the market, and I would have liked to have visited. Truthfully, I probably never would have -- it's hours were 3 to 9 a.m. Monday and Thursday, and 4 to 9 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Not exactly prime hours for sightseeing.

My Favorite Street Name in Lower Manhattan

So far it's my favorite, anyway.