When my parents visited in mid-July, we made the long train ride and surprisingly quick ferry voyage to Governors Island, New York City’s little oasis. As it turns out, the island is my little oasis as well.
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| Manhattan Skyline from the Governors Island Ferry - Chelsea Pathiakis |
We spent a few hours walking around the island. My favorite area is Colonel’s Row – eight very old brick buildings once home to military officers and currently used as studio space for local artists. Since there was no one telling me I couldn’t, I spent some time in two of the houses photographing the empty upper floors. This was the first time I felt photographically inspired in months. The sweltering, stagnant heat inside normally would have been unbearable but my mind was whirring and I barely noticed.
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| Chelsea Pathiakis |
I returned two weeks later on my own to discover we had missed an entire half of the island. I found Nolan Park and the Admiral’s House, where I camped out in a rocking chair on the porch for a couple of hours writing. It was a blissful day of self-reflection.
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| Chelsea Pathiakis |
This past weekend I took the ferry with a friend, from Long Island City all the way down the coast of Brooklyn, to the island once more. The ferry ride gave me a chance to view Manhattan and Brooklyn from a distinct perspective, and I have added a few places to my list of areas to see. It was a gorgeous, cool Labor Day weekend and we laid in the grass in front of Colonel’s Row. The annual art fair was going on, with some unusual pieces on display.
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| Chelsea Pathiakis |
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| Art Fair Installation - Chelsea Pathiakis |
I hope to return in late October to see the Night of 1,000 Jack-O’-Lanterns.
