Governors Island

I took a trip to Governors Island, courtesy of B. and the New Globe project. We toured the island, then were were allowed into Castle Williams. I had been in the courtyard before, but this time our guide unlocked the towers and ushered us onto the roof. The views from all sides are spectacular. The tip of Manhattan rises to the north, the island spreads out to the south, and the views into the crumbling cells made me shudder. Our guide then took us back into the castle, allowing us passage through the semi-circular hallway. At one end he led us into another tower, but the light failed and the door was locked. We backtracked to where we entered.

A high school friend of mine grew up on Governors Island. I was enthralled when I heard. To grow up on an island seemed a dream. The island now is oddly preserved, awaiting its future. The lawns and buildings sit uninhabited. Playgrounds stand empty. There is activity on the island, but nothing like what has been or what will be to come. Walking upon it, not yet public, not wholly private, is like inhabiting a caesura. Posted by eku at March 1, 2004 8:40 PM