Posted on 02/17/2006 8:38:35 AM PST by presidio9
SEVEN minutes out of lower Manhattan, and I've landed in the downtown Twilight Zone. The clocks still run on Governors Island. The buildings appear recently painted.
A schedule still adorns a bus kiosk, announcing regular pickups and drop-offs. Signs announce the hours of a barber, a movie theater, a restaurant. A swing set looks as if a child has just run inside for lunch.
But there's no one alive here on this creepy and magnificent spit of land smack dab in the middle of New York Harbor's Upper Bay. Not if you don't count the Canadian geese who have full run of the place.
It's not just spooky. It's a crime.
I've taken a nearly empty ferry from the tip of Manhattan to this unsettling jewel that sits in the river, boasting spectacular views that no one can see.
The island that time forgot now presents a magical and unprecedented opportunity. Where else in New York can you find acres of virgin territory, ripe and available for development, observed Peter Fleischer, senior vice president of the Governors Island Preservation & Education Corp.
"We're very excited," he said.
We all should be.
Roaming the island yesterday, I was amazed to see the detritus of nearly 400 years in which the island was used as an Army base, an estate and, finally, as a Coast Guard base.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
You're right. Any proposed development brings out the "public access" crowd. There hasn't been public access in decades, why is it so important now? I thought we had a chance with Trump, but even he got fed up.
The city (New Rochelle) certainly can't do anything; there's no access and no money to build any causeway. As I recall they bought it back from Con Ed (to whom they had sold it for $2m?) for just a couple of dollars. That may have been a waste of two bucks.
Not sure if the county or city owns it now. At least its so overgrown that it was a nice backdrop for my wedding pictures 25 years ago. Looks the same for the current bridal photos.
Incidently, when I was a kid, we used to beach small boats on the island and walk around. The things I remember about the island were (a)that it was literally huge (much bigger than it looks from the shore), and (b) that there was pot growing EVERYWHERE during the summer. Apparently you wouldn't want to visit David's Island anymore. With all the rats, it is supposedly the Lime Disease capital of the world. BTW, nearby Hart Island has complete infrastructure in place (it formerly held missle silos) and is wasted as a potter's field for Riker's. Is there some reason we can't bury convicts somewhere upstate?
I lived there for 3 1/2 years in the 80's. You have no idea how nice the place is. Two forts in great shape, victorian homes, tree lined streets. Amazing place.
As to toxic waste, it didn't stop Reagan from hosting the Statue of Liberty celebration from there.
It is a great place, I'm just remembering the reason that the US Gov't couldn't sell the place to developers who wanted that great location. I think the golf course is still there and open.
I don't have an "official" NYC ping list... I just pinged a group of FRiends who live in the Tri-State area whom I thought might be interested in this thread. Thanks for posting it, btw... very interesting.
neverdem has the official NYC ping list to the best of my knowledge.
I live in CT, although right now we're in northern CT, near the Mass. border. I was born and partly raised in the Ft. Lee, NJ area across the Hudson, but admittedly that was a long time ago. In 2000 - due to highly unusual circumstances - I spent a fair amount of time in NYC volunteering for the ill-fated Rick Lazio campaign. It was during that time when I discovered FR and met a great bunch of NYC-area FReepers. :o)
The perfect site for a nice condo- apartment- hotel- entertainment district. Itwould pump a couple billion into the local economy.
I spent a month on the Island in 88 as part of my military ER residency while doing a 6 week rotation at Belview hospital. I remember jogging around the island an being greeted by a new spectacular view at every corner, Brooklyn Bridge, Verrazano Bridge, Statue of Libberty, the Battery and Financial district. I always felt like I had reached sanctuary the minute I reached the Gov Island Ferry terminal, and could let down my guard.
Great site for a prison.
"Great site for a prison."
Being held in reserve by the VRWC for the Progressive Internment Camp ( aka Guantanomo North Campus)when "the Day" finally comes....
NYC does not need another "entertainment district."
NYC DEFINITELY does not need another prison Island. We already have one. As for the idea of a federal prison island, that would be a tremendous waste of money. You are talking about potentially some of the most valuable real estate in the world. In addition, the city, no the federal government owns the island. The federal government sold it for $1 when they closed the USCG base there.
Then it should be a federal detention-center for illegals... so they can be processed the fu_k out'a here.
NYC already had an island that was used as a federal detention center for illegals. It became a waste of money when airplanes were invented. NY stopped being a major entry point for illegals, so they closed it. Now it's an immigration theme park.
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