Sunday, July 16, 2006 - hello g'vner

I went to Governors Island with Red yesterday, and our time spent there was a totally carefree two and a half hours away from new york city!

Like field trip from the grind. The free ferry ride (which thanks to the MTA, I almost missed, and had to run down South Street to catch) lands you in this weird antiquated land, where an entire subculture actually several entire subcultures thrived.

Seven minutes from Manhattan by boat. This former navel base, army base, prison, coast guard unit, is in a state of flux once again. Its next identity is currently being decided. As it stands now, literally, there is an entire town, and I am talking fancy college/military town, built on this island. Apartments, houses, mansions, hospital, football fields, a church, playgrounds, an ice-skating rink, two castles, prison cells, and even a mayors house -- all available and looking pretty un-dilapidated to be out of use. And out of this entire island, us city dwellers (non-park ranger/military types) are allowed to visit only 1/4 of it. Yet the entire island is supposed to be unpopulated. Red thinks this is purposively and they are doing secret government work there and only *say* no one is there (wink wink). Its kinda eerie, in a Disneyworld ghost town kinda way (maybe thats why Red and I were talking about the Magic Kingdom). We walked up and looked in the window of one of the smaller houses, which in Queens, would be the biggest house in a five-block radius and cost over a million dollars. What we could see in the inside of the house through the window, looked preserved, nice and kinda historical. There was not a single thing in it but the walls had really nice work and the wood floors were better then the ones in my apartment. The entire landscaping of the island, including the unused houses and buildings, was gorgeous with lush grass and flowers.

It alarmed me that all these beautiful places exist but werent used for anything, and we ruminated about what functions they could fulfill. This place would make a great summer camp, or science retreat. It would actually make a ridiculously amazing college. Even in its present state, it makes an awesome accessible place to hold a large, fun picnic. Currently, the city wants to knock down almost all of the unused (in better shape, mind you, then at least 1/2 of the apartment buildings in the poorer parts of new york city) buildings and make the island into a large, unblemished sea of green grass. Larger then central park, a place where you can hang out and not be right on top of people near you.

As we strolled through the sprawling grounds, we passed the band (they apparently have live free music every weekend too) and we surprised that the electric violin foursome didnt suck. It actually kind of added to the mood, and we were both pretty psyched it wasnt just Americana (which Red heard the band would be). But as we tried to decide our next move on the map, the bass guitar started playing this familiar beat. Bah bam-bam, bah, ba-bump bump.. I mused out loud, that sounds like a violent femms song as the park rangers nodded along and the families happily ate their picnics. Then the singer starts singing, just last night, I was reminded of, just how bad, it had gotten, and just how sick, I had become.

Holy shit.

They were singing a violent femms song! Of course they censored the word shit to load or something pg-13 but otherwise, it was, "prove my love," the same song I had been rocking out to since I was 13. I sung along (inaudibly, of course, since my voice sucks) and smiled at the significance.

Although I wouldnt feel comfortable if New York City spent my tax dollars to build an unsightly gondola to bring people across to Governors Island from both Manhattan and Brooklyn, as has been proposed, I still will be curious to follow what the next life of this island will be. And what the next major band of my life will be covered there. Hopefully gigantic, with electric violin.


PS. One of the sillier points of the day, right after we missed the ferry we wanted to take back to NYC (which wound up being awesome, we killed time chillin on the grass) and on our way to find a place to pop a squat, we walked by a group of junior high kids taking pictures in front of a flowered hedge in bloom. One girl was lying on her side - elbow cocked, head in hand posing for her friend taking the picture, yelling, this could be my myspace picture! As she tried to pose, one of the guys with them was purposely messing around with her pose, sitting in the shot, leaning on her legs, which caused her to dramatically yell and make a fuss totally necessary when you are 14 and believe you are acting cool.

Amusing to witness, speaking volumes, cracking us up, this sun-drenched moment referenced something that made me think about our own friends and smile. And I am more then happy to report, this girl actually dressed for her age, instead of say, Christina Aguilera. Governors Island = a good thing.