A five-minute ferry ride from Lower Manhattan, Governors Island feels like the city’s backyard – 172 acres with no cars, just lawns, hammocks, bikes and room to run. Families come for The Hills, four grassy peaks with sweeping harbor views, and Slide Hill, home to the longest slide in New York City at 57 feet, which kids happily ride again and again.
Playgrounds, a colorful play maze, art installations and the Urban Farm’s goats and teaching garden fill out the day, and the Statue of Liberty photobombs nearly every picnic. Pack snacks, rent bikes by the hour and let the skyline do the rest – it’s the easiest ‘getaway’ a New York family can take without leaving New York.
