When David Koren visited Governors Island in 2005, he saw more than an idle mass of land plagued by a federal government deed that prevents permanent housing from being erected there. Instead, he saw a crowning destination for the arts. In 2007 he organized Figment, a participatory arts festival that brought together resources from the island, area artists, and a crazy-cool ethos gleaned from Burning Man in Nevada.

Jump-start your summer with food and music on Governors Island, outdoor art installations in Times Square and near the High Line, and cocktails at a beautiful new rooftop bar. For our full listings of the week’s events, check here.

Last week we asked you to submit questions for Guggenheim architecture and urban studies curator David van der Leer in conjunction with the opening of the Lower Manhattan edition of stillspotting nyc, which runs September 15–18 and 22-25. The two-year project calls on architects, artists, and composers to create “stillspots” throughout the five boroughs, and this time around, legendary Estonian composer Arvo Pärt has collaborated with architecture firm Snøhetta, the designers of the museum pavilion at the World Trade Center site.