More ‘Urban Backyard’ Events Ahead for LES
Why have nightlife when you can have DayLife? Those who enjoyed DayLife’s first event, which brought over 10,000 people to a closed-off Orchard Street in the Lower East Side for a day of pushcart vendors, live music and games, won’t want to miss their fall series.

On Sept. 23, DayLife will partake in “Imagining the Lowline,” a showcase on the solar technology for the proposed Lowline, an underground park. Then on Sept. 30, DayLife is back on Orchard Street, with Twister, badminton, DJs and a taste of the area’s local food and fashion.

DayLife events are sponsored and designed by the Lower East Side’s Business Improvement District.

NYPD Warns New Yorkers About Identity Thefts
The NYPD Community Affairs Bureau issued a written statement Sept. 12 urging citizens to be on the lookout for online scams that can result in identity theft. A common form of identity theft is executed via email, in a tactic known as “phishing.”

Phishing entails an email in which the sender poses as a legitimate institution, like a bank or insurance company, and requests log-in credentials. Often the email will have a link to a website that looks identical to the institution’s actual site, and the user then logs in, granting the criminals access to their username and password.

The best way to avoid this scam is to go to any official site directly, never through an emailed link. Also, the NYPD recommends having different passwords for each site. Sometimes a similar scam is carried out through a phone call using a fake caller ID, in which the caller poses as an employee asking for information. In such scenarios, decline to give any information before you have called the fraud department of the alleged business, and verified that they have contacted you.

In 2010 about 8.6 million families experienced some form of identity theft, a sharp increase from just five years ago.

Pedestrian Bridge Planned for West Street
On Sept. 13, Assemblyman Sheldon Silver announced the planned construction of a pedestrian bridge above West Street at West Thames Street. The bridge will make it safe and easy for Battery Park City residents to cross West Street, along with “students, faculty and parents of PS 276,” Silver said in a statement. He called the bridge, which will lead pedestrians to and from the Financial District, a “top priority.” The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation agreed to allocate $20 million to the bridge’s construction.

Delays Continue on MTA’s Broadway/Bleecker Street Project
The Broadway-Bleecker Street transfer is now taking longer to build than all of the first part of the IRT in the early 1900s. After rumors of openings in June, then July, then mid-August, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is remaining mum on a final date of completion for the Broadway-Bleecker Street Station.

The project, over budget at $135 million, will move Bleecker Street’s uptown 6 platform 300 feet south, as well as provide full ADA accessibility with five elevators and a new escalator. The MTA started designs in 2002 and construction in 2008.

Subway forums have been abuzz over when their commutes will finally be streamlined. The MTA installed, covered and uncovered signs since March and unveiled digital artwork in the station in July.

The delays are blamed on unforeseen construction difficulties like utilityinterferences and procurement issues.

Once completed, the new platform, designed by Weidlinger Associates and Lee Harris Pomeroy Architects, will offer access to Crosby, Houston and Mulberry streets.
2012 Vendy Awards Hits Governors Island with Proud Chefs and Drooling Mouths
About 1,500 food lovers swarmed Governors Island last Saturday to sample two dozen food trucks for the eighth annual Vendy Awards. The grand prize went to the Piaztlan Authentic Mexican food truck based in Red Hook, Brooklyn, which served beef, pork and goat tacos to excited attendees.

The People’s Taste Award went to Cinnamon Snail, a vegetarian organic truck serving such delicacies as smoked portobello mushroom carpaccio and raw jalapeño brownies. The owner, Adam Sobel, saw the publicly voted on award as a big victory for the vegetarian and organic food movement.

The “Most Heroic Vendor” honor went to Sammy Kassem, who cooks halal food in Bay Ridge and withstood persecution from neighboring restaurants in recent months. According to the New York Times, local restaurant owners organized to give Kassem the boot, claiming he was dirtying their streets and ruining business with his cart; his lawyer alleges Kassem faced discrimination because he is Middle Eastern.

The Vendy Awards are hosted annually by the Street Vendor Project, which provides legal and business services to vendors.

Us? We’re going to spend Saturday afternoon in a waterfront paradise, all quaint architecture and rolling lawns, with live music, good beer and 25 of New York’s best chefs at our beck and call. Oh, and pigs. Did we mention the pigs?

It’s called Pig Island. And you want to go to there.

Governors Island has played host to a number of food-focused events over the summer, and it’s all been leading up to this. Actually, we think our whole lives have been leading up to this. Those chefs (from Hecho en Dumbo, John Brown Smokehouse, Casa Mono and Talde, to name a few) have been supplied with 80 locally, happily raised hogs with which to do whatever they can dream up—think maple bacon sticky buns, Filipino-style roasted lechon, pork terrines and good ol’ fashioned BBQ ribs. Sixpoint is providing the beer, and there’s even a vegetarian pavilion you’d be proud to bring a vegetarian to—if they can get past the roasting pigs without caving, that is.

Most importantly, it’s run by people who know what they’re doing, who have a mission and a worthy cause to support. The day, organized by Food Karma Projects (of Cook Out NYC and Good Beer Month fame) will highlight sustainable New York State products, and proceeds from the all-inclusive tickets will go to help strengthen local food systems. This is no Great Googa Mooga, people. If their past events are any indication, all of the stations will actually have enough food for the people who show up, and there’ll be no Woodstock ’94-style riots over the last bottle of water.

And if you just can’t get enough outdoor eatin’-and-drinkin’ action, come back and do it all over again on Sunday, when Food Karma hosts the summer’s second 5 Boro PicNYC, with more music, more Sixpoint, and a completely different lineup of vendors working without the single-animal restriction. Hell, we’re so excited we’ll probably just camp out under a picnic table overnight so as not to miss a minute of the fun. If you see us, just ignore the grass stains, OK?

Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons

The end of the summer’s nearly upon us New Yorkers, and you don’t want to be caught at home on the couch, or futon, or…seat cushion on the floor. Don’t forget the City’s beaches close after Labor Day, so you might just want to take this time off from the rat race to relax and soak up a little Labor Day weekend sunshine. If you’re looking for a little more action though, check out a couple of these exciting Labor Day festivities going down around New York City:

-Labor Day 5k and 10k On Roosevelt Island

If you want to get moving this Labor Day, in a different kind of race, NYCRUNS will be hosting a 5k and 10k race on Roosevelt Island, complete with post-race breakfast. The action begins Monday morning at 10 a.m, and pre-registration is available on the NYCRUNS website.

-Unicycle Festival on Governor’s Island

Yes, you heard that right. Unicyclists will unite this Labor Day weekend on Governor’s Island to show of their wheel(s). All sorts of spectacles guaranteed to transpire. Helmets are strongly encouraged.

-Electric Zoo Festival

The Electric Zoo music festival is happening all Labor Day weekend in Randall’s Island Park. Featured acts include David Guetta, Benny Benassi, Skrillex, Knife Party, the Bloody Beetroots and tons more. Electric Zoo is an all-ages electronica festival, guaranteed to get you dancing so hard you’ll need Monday just to recuperate.

-Wasabassco Burlesque

On Friday, The Bell House in Brooklyn is celebrating Labor Day with “Take This Job & Shove It,” which includes “work-related burlesque and go-go.” Admission is $12, but the show is free if you dress all in white. There will be pickleback drink specials and burgers on the grill. We’re thinking this sounds too good to pass up!

-Improv Show Ft. 30 Rock Comedians 

Scott Adsit and John Lutz, of 30 Rock fame, are going to combine their improv chops for the first time ever this coming Labor Day. It’s going down at the Upright Citizens Brigade  comedy club in Chelsea. Head over to the UCB to get your laugh on before/after checking out…

-Food & Drink Specials All Around Town 

NY Mag has provided an extensive list of food and drink specials around the City, including everything from Oyster eating competitions to deep fried Oreos. They’re even making it easy and giving you a map, in case you’re stumbling around in a food coma come Labor Day weekend.  Check it out here.

Summer’s wrapping up, so don’t miss this exciting action! Let’s face it, New Yorkers, we could all use it.

—Compiled by Alissa Fleck

Photo Courtesy of Michael Geffner

Where could you go to find parasols, corsets, a homemade merry-go-round plus bubble machine and a kimchi taco truck this weekend? That would be the second annual NYC Poetry Festival, just a quaint ferry ride away, on Governor’s Island. The festival featured several outdoor, makeshift stages scattered throughout a fenced-off, grassy area, where poets and other artists took to amped microphones and let loose, literarily-speaking. Prosody emanated nonstop from all corners of the space all weekend, while poetry-lovers lounged on blankets and sipped icy beverages. Throw in a ferry ride and you have the makings of a whimsical weekend retreat, which unfortunately happens only once a year.

(by Alissa Fleck)

The festival—or poetry bender, if you will—sponsored by the Poetry Society of New York, featured recent MFA graduates and emerging talent alongside more established poets like Thomas Sayers Ellis, Amber Tamblyn and Jennifer L. Knox. It was a diverse showing of the, particularly local, poetry community. Numerous organizations were represented as well, promoting and selling their literary wares. And yes, there was even a homemade merry-go-round, with multiple ride speeds, its maker offering up free rides to festival-goers. (Future festival attendees take note: sun, tacos, beer and a merry-go-round at “make it faster, make it faster” speed can be a recipe for disaster.)

Stephanie Berger, co-founder of the New York Poetry Society and mastermind behind the festival, said, of similar events: “It’s really fun to conjure up that young, artistic DIY spirit.” And that was the spirit of the weekend indeed, though it was by no means limited to the young…but maybe just the young at heart.

Berger and other Poetry Society members were responsible for bringing 50 reading series on board, to curate over 200 poets in the intimate, sunny setting. The festival also featured a variety of other artists, and even a kids’ space (some poetry is not for the young, faint-hearted or modest).

The spirit of the day—artsy, very chill—was encapsulated by Knox prior to her reading at the end of Saturday: “If you’re still here, like me you’re probably tripping balls,” she said into the mic. “Come on, don’t lie,” she urged, when only a few hands shot into the air in agreement. The mood and setup encouraged a respectful and jovial dialogue between poet and audience.

When Saturday’s events were drawing to a close, spectators could be overheard lamenting the inability to camp out all night on the island in anticipation of the next day’s events, their dismay indicating, of course, the festival was a rousing success for all involved.

Photographer Michael Geffner produces the Inspired Word. 

Key local and state officials and prominent waterfront activists got a splash as they celebrated the fifth annual City of Water Day Festival on Governors Island this past Saturday.

The festival included a dockside press conference at South Street Seaport’s Pier 17, followed by a launch event on Manhattan by Sail’s Clipper City where Council member Margaret Chin presented a city Proclamation to the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance (MWA) in honor of the festival. Many adventurous attendees chose to reach Governers Island using human-powered water vessels, like the New York City Downtown boathouse which used a series of kayaks. While others already on the island were treated to a tour of an historic tugboat and paddleboarding demonstrations.

For the past five years, the festival has drawn over 20,000 people. Past celebrations have taken place at Liberty State Park and other sites around the harbor. Organizers of the festival, MWA, would like to show residents and officials alike the potential increased uses of the harbor. The festival is also part of the growing “Blue Movement” to revitalize the waterfront so it may be accessible to all.

Council member Margaret Chin presents a representative
from the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance with a
proclamation honoring the City of Water Day festival
aboard Clipper City.The historic tugboat Urger.

FDNY fireboat Bravest.

The historic tugboat Urger.

Not sure which street vendor to eat at? Head to Governor’s Island on September 15 for the 2012 Vendy Awards and you’ll never go hungry again! Ok, maybe.

Mimi & Coco's Teriyaki Balls - photo courtesy of Mimi & Coco's

The event, which travels throughout the country, sets out to determine which vendors you pass that are worth paying attention to.

Using a cook-off, it awards the winners of the Vendy Cup (the Lombardi Trophy for venders), the Rookie of the Year, Best Dessert, Heroic Vendor of the Year, and the People’s Taste Award.

Also, to give you an even better idea of what’s what, a new “Best Market Vendor” award will be determined. This new trophy “honors a new breed of mobile vendor popping up at local street fairs and outdoor markets.”

“Each, year the Vendy Awards shine a spotlight on New York City’s most talented sidewalk chefs,” said Director of the Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center, Sean Basinki, according to the event’s release.

“Only on this day do the best of the best – our concrete elite from across the city – unite for a fantastic food fight.”

Among this year’s judges are Food & Wine Mag’s Restaurant Editor Kate Krader, chef and owner of BaoHaus Eddie Huang, and, surprisingly, the NY-based rap group Das Racist.

The event has gained popularity of the past couple years, and saw 1,500 attendees last year.

Ticket prices are from $80-95, which seems relatively steep, but you’ve probably wasted that much on ill-advised, uneatable food purchases around the city.

–Nick Gallinelli

P.S. Vendors, applications are currently being accepted.

By Meghan Gearino

And a Happy Memorial Day Weekend to you all! If you’re packin’ up the car and road tripping somewhere upstate and/or sunshine-filled, perhaps you need a little entertainment for the little ones while you’re on the move. And for those of you who are staying borough-side, there is so much to do from Governors Island’s grand opening to Fleet Week fun at The Intrepid. (Just be sure to slather on the SPF no matter where the three-dayer takes you!)

FRIDAY-MONDAY 

The popular exhibitThe Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter flutters away from the American Museum of Natural History this weekend. View over 500 stunning creatures in tropic-like heat, along with other exotic foliage.

The famed Fleet Week continues at The Intrepid with a jam-packed schedule of ship tours, movies on the Flight Deck, fireworks, tug-of-war and musical performances. 

Wizards aged six and up should head to The Little Shubert Theatre for a preview of Potted Potter—a two-man, 70-minute show covering all seven Harry Potter books! P.S. They’re also appearing at The Intrepid on Friday at 2pm for a special Fleet Week performance. 

SATURDAY-MONDAY

Merry-go-round this Memorial Day. Two historic carousels reopen just in time for the holiday weekend. Make your way to Queens’ Forest Park and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park to take a spin on either (or both!) of these classic rides. 

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

GOVERNORS ISLAND OPENS:It’s that time of year again (thank goodness)! And if you’re keeping it local this Memorial Day, there’s plenty to do just a short ferry ride over. Saturday features the Botanical Arts & Stop Motion Explosion promising art projects with both natural materials and clay at The Free Arts Island Outpost. While you’re there, be sure and stop by the Governors Island Alliance Family Festival in Nolan Park for face painting, arts & crafts, free bike helmet fittings and performances by Astrograss and The Maybelles. Last but not least, stop by the two-day 5 Boro PicNYC where kids receive free admission for great eats (like shaved ice), drinks and music for the entire family.

To most New Yorkers, Manhattan-based cyclists seemed to be faced with their own unique set of obstacles: screeching cabs, distracted pedestrians, drivers unexpectedly opening their car doors in the bike lane during rush hour. The island, however, is also home to some of the best cycling routes in the city, which offer some much needed respite for city-dwellers on two wheels.

Hudson River Greenway
The gently sloping Hudson River Greenway is more than just the largest green space in the city, it’s also one of the busiest, attracting over 7,000 cyclists a day, according to the DOT. You might wonder what all the fuss is about until you realize that the Greenway, which is the longest in the city and extends from Battery Park to Inwood, is one of the quickest ways to get around Manhattan. While the gentle slopes make it a cinch to ride, the Greenway’s calling card is its proximity to the water and notable sights, making this a must for any city cyclist.

Harlem River Speedway
Calling this a speedway seems like some sort of cruel joke. This riverside getaway connects the Hudson River and East River Greenways via two access points—at Dyckman Street and 10th Avenue and Edgecomb Avenue and 155th Street. The leisurely two-mile ride, built upon an old riverside walkway and carriage path, is one of the few Class 1 paths in the city, allowing riders a chance to relax and not worry about getting hit by an errant cab door. Swindler’s Park, located by the western access, provides an excellent location to while away those summertime afternoons. While the Speedway provides a great, if momentary escape, from city life, the lack of access points makes this one of the more difficult paths to get to.

Central Park
Spanning over 50 city blocks, cycling is the best way to see much of Central Park in an afternoon. Park Drive, the main road, which stretches a winding six miles through the park, is about to get even friendlier to bikers, runners and skaters, as cross-park paths at 72nd and 96th streets gain an additional bike lane. Terrace Drive is also reportedly set to lose one of its car lanes in favor of a second bike lane. Tours and bike rentals of the park are available year-round. Rentals for the day, which include helmets, locks and maps, start at about $15, making Central Park a no-brainer bargain.

East River Greenway
Comprising the eastern half of the Waterfront Greenway, this bike path runs from the Battery up to East Harlem, where it connects with the Speedway. While the cycling lane provides fantastic views of Brooklyn and Queens skylines, cyclists are warned that this path is interrupted between 37th and 63rd streets. The detour, which goes through city traffic, allows riders to bypass the United Nations.

Governors Island
This is the hidden treasure trove of New York biking. While tantalizingly close to Manhattan, it is another world that offers unprecedented views of the city. Governors Island is accessible by a free, five-minute ferry ride from the Marine Battery Building, next to the Staten Island Ferry. The hidden retreat is seemingly made for biking, with five miles of car-free paths and plenty of parks and sequestered buildings. What makes Governors Island so ideal is that cyclists can either bring their bikes or rent them there from Bike and Roll. And, unlike with the new Bike Share program, you can finally ride that tandem bike you always dreamed of.

Entering its 82nd season, the annual Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit is one of those New York traditions that just never gets old. The art isn’t flagrantly modern, for the most part, but it doesn’t feel tired, either. The exhibitions run the gamut; the same block may feature landscape photographs from Southeast Asia, abstract paintings of electric guitars and clocks made from scrap metal. That’s the show’s beauty, really: Despite its large cast of regulars, you still never know what you’ll find. Everything is for sale—although it may cost you an arm and a leg—but it’s well worth the trip just to browse.
May 26-28, June 2-3, Sept. 1-3 &  8-9. University Place betw. 3rd & 12th Sts., wsoae.org.

DOWNTOWN
Hester Street Fair 

This annual street fair, an urban version of its country counterpart, is thankfully free of carnies and scary looking rides. Stroll through the outdoor market on the Lower East Side and support local artisans selling vintage threads and baubles, original art, handcrafted jewelry and homemade jams and pickles. Munch alfresco on summertime staples from Pies ‘n’ Thighs and Luke’s Lobster, then grab a gourmet ice pop from La Newyorkina or build your own gourmet gooey s’more at S’amore.
Saturdays through the summer,
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Hester St. at Essex St.,
hesterstreetfair.com. 

DOWNTOWN
HOWL! Festival 

Indulge your inner beat at the annual HOWL! Festival. Named after Allen Ginsberg’s celebrated poem, the festival kicks off with a group reading of “Howl” on Friday night. The rest of the weekend promises plenty of musical performances and dances. Be sure to check out one of the key attractions: 140 artists in action as they transform an 8-foot-high, 900-foot-long blank canvas into a mural of art encircling the park. HOWL! is kid-friendly, too, with carnival games, face-painting and story-telling.
June 1-3. Tomkins Square Park, 7th-10th Sts. betw. Aves. A & B, howlfestival.com. 

DOWNTOWN
Summer in the Square 

Union Square is the focal point every Thursday as the Union Square Partnership hosts its annual Summer in the Square, including a series of free activities and concerts in the park. “Fitness in the Square” starts at 7 a.m. and features yoga and cardio classes, while “Kids in the Square” begins at 10 a.m., offering activities for children. Starting at 6 p.m., local musicians regale listeners with everything from rock and jazz to folk and Latin music.
June 14-Aug. 9. Union Square, 14th-17 Sts. betw. Broadway & Park Ave. S.,
unionsquarenyc.org. 

DOWNTOWN
River to River Festival 

Watch Colombian Harpist Edmar Castaneda perform, take a walking tour of the Brooklyn Bridge or learn how to tie a knot. Or, do all three. This Lower Manhattan performing arts festival offers an array of free events every day at venues including Castle Clinton, Governors Island, South Street Seaport Museum, Wall Street Plaza and more. Featuring music, dance, art, film and theater events, the festival began as a way to revitalize the downtown area after 9/11 and is now celebrating its 10th year.
June 17-July 15. Various locations,
rivertorivernyc.com.

DOWNTOWN
Swedish Midsummer Festival

Scandinavians are hot. That’s a fact. Male or female, these high-cheekboned wonders will be running rampant at the Midsummer Festival at Battery Park. The festival, starting at 5 p.m., is meant to celebrate the summer solstice, or some pagan jazz like that. For some reason, the solstice makes people want to dance around trees with wreaths on their head. We don’t know why, but who cares when you can munch on waffles and herring and pretend you’re a Viking against the backdrop of the New York Harbor? OK, we could do without the herring part. Go summer!
June 22, 5-8 p.m. Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park, off Battery Place, bpcparks.org.  

DOWNTOWN
Gay Pride Parade

With the passage of gay marriage in New York last year and President Barack Obama coming out in support of same-sex marriage, expect this year’s Gay Pride Parade to be one big love fest. This über-fun event takes over the entire west side of Manhattan, with a parade down Fifth Avenue, parties on the pier, performers, a street fair and fireworks.
June 24. Begins at 36th St. & 5th Ave., ends at Christopher & Greenwich Sts., nycpride.org.

DOWNTOWN
Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival

A great way to enjoy the late sunshine after work, this weekly festival brings musicians as diverse as the Portland Cello Project and Marshall Crenshaw together with a full bar and wonderful (yet affordable) wines in the courtyard behind City Winery. It’s an eclectic celebration of the melting pot of New York City.
June 26-Aug. 28, Tuesday nights, 5:30 p.m. City Winery, 155 Varick St., www.citywinery.com.

DOWNTOWN
Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival 

Celebrate the blues with old and new artists at the second annual Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival at the World Financial Center Plaza. Buddy Guy, ranked in the top 30 of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, will headline the show on July 11, and Grammy-nominated singer Neko Case will perform July 12. Other performers include Charles Bradley and John Mayall.
July 11-12, 6-9:30 p.m. World Financial Center, 220 Vesey St., betw. North End Ave. & West St., artsbrookfield.com. 

MIDTOWN
India Day Parade 

Celebrated to commemorate Indian independence from Britain, there is usually a Bollywood star or two in attendance at this glittery parade to which Indians from all over the tristate area come to party like it’s 1999. There’s food and goodies sprinkled along the parade route, so you can chow down on your favorite goodies like samosas and kebabs.
August (date TBA). Madison Ave., from 38th to 28th St., fianynjct.org.

UPPER EAST SIDE
Museum Mile Festival 

For those who want to explore a few of New York City’s most famous museums for free, the 34th annual Museum Mile Festival is the event to attend. Known as New York’s biggest block party, Fifth Avenue will be closed to traffic from 82nd Street to 105th Street, and 10 museums will open theirs doors to the public free of charge. The event will also feature live music and outdoor art activities for kids. Participating museums include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, El Museo Del Barrio, Museum of the City of New York and more.
June 12. 5th Ave. betw. 82nd & 105th Sts., museummilefestival.org.

UPPER EAST SIDE
Bastille Day 

If you secretly wanted to protest at Zuccotti Park but didn’t want to deal with the lack of showers and that whole sleeping outside thing, Bastille Day on 60th Street is for you—it’s like the sanitized, more fun version of protesting. After all, it was the poor French who decided they weren’t going to take it anymore from that bossy monarchy. The good news is no one is going to be guillotined at this Bastille Day. Instead, visitors can play pétanque, sip on kir royales and eat some smelly cheese.
July 15, 12-5 p.m. 60th St. betw. 5th and Lexington Aves., www.bastilledayny.com.
 

UPPER WEST SIDE 
Midsummer Night Swing

If you’re looking for a fun new way to dance away a hot summer’s night in New York, consider Lincoln Center’s outdoor dance party. Midsummer Night Swing offers a one-hour dance lesson followed by live music and dancing at the bandshell and elevated dance floor in Damrosch Park. Opening night features music from the ’50s and ’60s, and subsequent nights features such genres as jazz, salsa and rock ‘n’ roll.
June 26-July 12, 6:30-10 p.m.; $17, passes for multiple nights are available. Damrosch Park, at 62nd St. betw. Columbus & Amsterdam Aves., www.midsummernightswing.org. 

GOVERNORS ISLAND

The Seventh Annual Jazz Age Lawn Party
A free ferry to Governors Island lets you slip away to a Gatsby-inspired refuge. Come to the best 1920s outdoor summer party of 2012, featuring live music, a 50-foot-square real wood dance floor (with dance lessons), delightful and refreshing cocktails, fun summer foods and desserts, an old-fashioned DJ spinning records on an antique phonograph, vintage booths and so much more. 
June 16-17 & Aug 18-19; $15, kids are free. Governors Island, dreamlandorchestra.com.

Murray Fisher has created the only school—a public school, at that—in New York City where teenagers can learn about everything maritime, from sea vessel operations to professional diving. He describes a day in the life of an average Harbor School student, how these 14- to 18-year-olds are embarking on a project to save New York Harbor and some highlights from their upcoming regatta.

In 2002, I read that you started thinking about establishing a maritime high school in New York City. Where did this initial impulse come from and what was the original mission of the school?

Murray Fisher: In 2002, a bunch of things converged. I moved from Riverkeeper to the Waterkeeper Alliance, an international umbrella group [for all waterkeeping alliances]. My role at the Waterkeeper Alliance was to help start new programs. I helped start over 60 programs over the three years I was there. It gave me a lot of self-confidence to start a school.

The other big thing was that I was living in New York City but I was frustrated that after four years, I had little connection to the water here. I grew up fishing, sailing and being on the water.

While I was thinking about ecosystem as curriculum, a friend of mine said I should meet his uncle, Richard Kahan. He had started two schools already. I went to him with a 10-page proposal for the school. He said, “Let’s do it.”

In the fall of 2010, you celebrated the first official day of school on Governors Island. Can you tell our readers why the school moved to the island and the highlights of your current campus?

In the first proposal, we listed 12 possible sites for the school. On that list I circled and highlighted Governors Island. For a school about New York Harbor, an island in the middle of the harbor that has 168 empty buildings was an obvious choice. I had always put that out there. It was the best possible place for our school. But we went through 18 potential sites. For five years, I worked on moving the school anywhere. It was almost a full-time job itself.

In November 2006, we were approved [to move to] Governors Island. We were the first new tenant on the island. Because of the critical intimate relationships our students need to have with the local marine ecosystem, [a location near the harbor] was essential to getting our kids excited.

What is a day in the life of your average Harbor School student like?

All of our students have to be on the 8:15 a.m. ferry. By then, the kids have to be in their uniform: a Harbor School polo shirt, T-shirt or sweatshirt. The ferry ride is about seven minutes long. Then they walk five minutes to school. Classes begin at 8:45 a.m. and each class is 47 minutes long. The classes are fairly standard, except every freshman has an “Introduction to New York Harbor” class. They are out on the water in every different kind of watercraft: little rowboats, sailboats—it depends on the focus of that unit. That class introduces them to the culture of Harbor School and to the harbor itself, combining geography, science, ecology, commerce and history. That class introduces them to the six career and technical education programs that are offered at the end of freshman year [marine biology research, aquaculture, vessel operations, ocean engineering, marine systems technology and professional/scientific diving]. They choose one to study for the next three years.

The school is hosting its first regatta Oct. 6. Could you tell us a bit more about this event?

The regatta is launching New York Classic Week, when all the classic sailboats are in the harbor for the week. We’ll have 20 J24 smaller sailboats [and four America's Cup Yachts will race in the Regatta as well] that are from the Manhattan Sailing Club, they are our main partner. MSNBC’s Willie Geist is doing race commentary. This is a fundraiser to support all the things that I just described that are expensive. We are hoping this can be an ongoing event to engage the sailing community.

Courtesy of the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School