Jazz Age Lawn Party, Governors Island

Oh my god, I am absolutely melting from this huge heat wave we're having in New York right now. It is absolutely hellish. Luckily, there is Tasti D-lite and Mr. Softee ice cream to be had all over the city, so I've been busy chasing soft-serve trucks and iced tea from Wall Street to Fort Tryon Park.

Case in point, my friend S. and I took a little picnic basket out to Governors Island yesterday despite the sweltering heat, and it was positively idyllic. Except for the heat. Coincidentally, this weekend was the Jazz Age Lawn Party out on Governors Island, so we spread out our blanket and watched couples dancing the Charleston, oohed and aahed over the vintage cloche hats, and generally wished we could live in the 1920s. This is one of the many times in my life when I have expressed a deep, passionate desire to travel with the Doctor more than anything in the world, and I think you know which Doctor I'm talking about.

Anyhoos, we hopped on the ferry (LOVE ferries, so industrial and charming) and who do I see running around the lawn party but none other than The Sartorialist! Unfortunately, my black and white plaid skirt and grey tee combo didn't impress him enough to warrant a photo. Sigh. At least my picnic lunch menu was a hit--smoked salmon with herbed goat cheese and mesclun on baguette, Middle Eastern cucumber/tomato/olives/feta salad, and my summer specialty, mixed berry salad with mint. S. provided the necessary cheese, crackers, sparkling lemonade, and pleasant company. We missed the pie-eating contest, but it was still fun to watch all the girls with their cloches and parasols, the young men in their suspenders and soda-jerk hats.

The fascinating thing about Governors Island is that it used to be an Army fort back in the day--when the ferry docks, you're greeted by an array of old cannons positioned on a bluff. You can take a tram ride around the island to learn the history, rent bikes, or just stroll about (with parasol and paramour in suspenders, of course). A couple of the gorgeous brick buildings are open to visitors, repurposed as galleries--I'll admit I was more interested in the old houses and their interiors (servants' entrances!!) than the art itself, but definitely a plus for watercolor fans.

All in all, it was a lovely day with a good friend. Here, the heat continues...I'm off to the gym, but oh my lord, was that a huge thunderclap I just heard?