This Waterfront Spa Offers Heated Outdoor Pools and Skyline Views

Governors Island, just a 5-minute ferry ride from downtown Manhattan, has been hotting up ever since the longtime military base opened to the public in 2005—offering concerts, yoga classes, immersive art installations, even glamping. The latest enterprise to join the fun on the car-free isle is Italy’s QC Terme, which recently opened QC NY, its first spa outside Europe. Located in one of the Victorian-era red-brick military barracks and designed by local firm Robert D. Henry Architects, with QC’s in-house team handling interiors, the waterfront day facility offers a host of amenities for stressed-out locals and visitors alike. Inside, they can enjoy an aperitivo from the bar after making use of the many saunas, scented steam rooms, water therapies, infrared beds, and free body scrubs and face masks. Outside, they can soak up direct views of the lower Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge from the lush relaxation area, its pair of heated infinity pools open year-round.