Touring the Newest Floating Prefab Home on the East Coast #hometour

Finding reprieves of green and calm amid the chaos of New York City is no simple task. Governors Island, an 172-acre island just off the southern tip of Manhattan, has filled that need in recent years with a 43-acre public park filled with rolling hills, historic structures, and even a zipline. It’s only a short ferry ride from downtown Manhattan or Brooklyn’s Pier 6 to reach this car-free oasis. Instead of settling for a mere day trip, though, Collective Retreats encourages lingering for a while with its newest endeavor, the Outlook Shelter. Open from May through October, Governors Island combines lush parkland, easily bikeable paths, art installations, nap-inducing hammocks, and trendy food and drink outlets. Even with annual events like the Jazz Age Lawn Party and the Rite of Summer Music Festival packing crowds, Governors Island was devoid of overnight possibilities until summer 2018. That’s when Denver-based Collective Retreats opened the seasonal Collective Governors Island, a menagerie of rustic, stylish tents—some tricked out with private baths—featuring beds wrapped in high thread-count linens and Turkish towels.

There are homes we admire for the transformation that they have undergone and then there are…