Governors Island, New York

The 172-acre, car-free Governors Island is located in the middle of New York Harbor, about 800 yards from lower Manhattan. The Lenape, who established the island in 1524 and utilized it annually as a fishing camp, used it until the US Coast Guard began using it in the middle of the 20th century. The island is now managed by the organization The Trust for Governors Island, which was established by the City of New York to oversee the island's management when the Coast Guard left in 1996. Visitors can now go by passenger ferry from lower Manhattan and Brooklyn for day trips that include picnicking, catch-and-release fishing, and attendance at seasonal activities for the arts, culture, and community.

Between buildings 406 and 407, you may witness the Monumental Setting for Bronze Plaque, a brick monumental bench with stone trim, which was constructed in 1938 by the WPA. In addition, the Early Birds Monument south of Liggett Hall honors early flying on the island with a bronze cast of a Wright Brothers plane's propeller on a granite foundation. It was first dedicated in 1954.

Location: Governors Island, New York