***Original Posting, July 11, 2018. Reposting June 2019.***
Last weekend, my husband and I visited the brand new Collective Retreats site on Governors Island, Collective Retreats is known best for their glamorous camping concept. The company seeks out to find locations where there are no other lodging options available. Governors Island was the perfect place as it’s the only patch of land in NYC without a living space! I was surprised at how much there was to do on the island. It’s an amazing day trip for those that believe they’ve covered every square inch of NYC.
Besides loving the island, we loved the experience. However, it was certainly NOT like being on a camping trip, which suits me fine. Sure it was quiet, relaxing and peaceful. But not a bit remote. No worries of even a squirrel running past the tent while you sleep. If you’re looking for the camping experience, this is certainly not going to give you that feel. In the evening, when the island is closed and the last ferry has left, it’s nice and quiet. By morning, you quickly realize…. you’re still in NYC with helicopters buzzing overhead and the Staten Island Ferry passing by. Constantly.
Meals were better than OK. A limited menu, but again it was only open for less than 2 weeks. Breakfast was a continental breakfast and there were choices for dinner; a BBQ box complete with tools and picnic items, or a choice of two menus. Service was somewhat non-existent. We checked in at the ferry terminal, got our bracelets and tent number and once we arrived on site, we did not encounter staff or fellow guests, other than at the dining tent. The communication preference seems to be via text, but we did not have a need to utilize that during our stay. Tents were beautifully furnished with all high end bedding and bath items. Journey tents are smaller and have a shared bathroom trailer, while Summit tents are larger and have private bathrooms and showers.
Before visiting Governors Island, I checked with fifi+hop for their review. I’m not going to attempt to write about the island based on my few hours exploring, but I will share some pics of things I enjoyed below! This article is worth a read, especially if you intend to visit the island with kids.
https://fifiandhop.com/2018/06/12/governors-island-nyc-guide/
I also loved this New York Times article on the Children’s Junkyard Playground. Worth a read.
Visit Collective Retreats online here:
Our photo gallery:
![](https://emmawestchester.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/IMG_7061.jpg "My hubs is happy that he finally got me to "camp" but it's far from camping, in all honesty.")
