Hours vary by weekend, but a free ferry generally leaves from the Battery Maritime Building on the hour.

Where to bike, golf, climb on sculpture, and, of course, get some snacks.

And some Dutch influences, too.

Ice cream, yes. Hotel SpongeBob, no. As president of the Governors Island Preservation & Education Corporation, Leslie Koch has to make the hard calls.

Stunning views, sublime biking, verdant picnic spots, intriguing art installations, and (starting this weekend) an after-dark beach bar, all a quick ferry ride away. Welcome to Governors Island.

A fifth-grade chorus gets famous, with a little help from Perez Hilton.

One family’s recycled, vegetarian, communal-sleeping existence.

Three rugged, uncrowded, easy-to-get-to beaches where the only scene is the surf.

An explosion of pier parks, paddling coves, bicycle stands, and open-air cafés is turning Manhattan’s 32-mile-long waterfront into one hell of a backyard.

Should a rainy day require an indoor activity, there’s still a week left to bounce through Anthropodino.