The reason we chose Camp Green Lane for our daughter was because when we went there to tour the camp, we felt so welcomed and felt that the people there were so down-to-earth; this was so important to us. The children that attend Green Lane are “diehards” because it truly feels like a family. The size of the camp is great because it allows the children to get to know everyone. The older campers really look out for the younger ones. This was our daughter’s first summer, and she has definitely made lifelong friends and she had the most incredible experience. Additionally, the owners and staff couldn’t be more loving as they have truly created a safe and unbelievable “home away from home” for all of their campers.
—Deb and Randy Brenner
I was incredibly nervous to send our son to overnight camp for the summer a couple years ago. He seemed ready in ways and then other ways, he did not. He definitely made friends easily and seemed socially ready to take the leap. Suffice it to say, it was the best decision of our son’s life to sign him up for Camp Green Lane for 7 weeks! He will be heading back this summer for the 3rd summer in a row. He looks forward to the next summer the day he gets off the bus on the last day of camp. It is quite appropriate to say that he lives 10 months for 2 months out of the year. If you are considering sending your child away, Camp Green Lane is the place to be. It is not only where happiness counts, but where you can put your trust in the owners, counselors and staff for 7 weeks with no worries. You will not be disappointed!
—Joy and Joel Schneck
When we were touring camps we noticed that no camp we visited had anywhere close to the amount of “spirit” that Green Lane had. When we visited Green Lane, we met with one of the owners (Jay). We could immediately tell he bled “green and white.” He exuded passion and enthusiasm about his camp, in a way that no other person we met with at other camps did. We put “spirit” in quotes, because we really are not sure what it is, or how you actually put it into words, but it is something we—and our daughter—felt, as we toured Green Lane that day. Our daughter just recently completed her first, of what will most definitely be many, summers at Green Lane. We now know for sure that this “spirit” thing that we felt that day, but really couldn’t put our finger on, is a real thing. Our daughter has completely embraced it, and it will be with her for the rest of her life. We have embraced it also, even though we never went to Green Lane as campers. We chose Green Lane for this intangible “spirit” that will stay with her long after her camping days are through.
—Lisa and Stuart Mickelberg
Camp Green Lane just felt like home from the minute my boys got there. You can’t beat the atmosphere, the friendships, the complete dedication the staff and campers feel toward all things CGL. My husband and I (both from Long Island and lifelong campers–Timberlake and Echo) feel that Green Lane has the right kind of “summer camp magic” mixed with great activities, sports, arts, leagues, and of course, COLOR WAR!!! Steeped in traditions, lifelong friendships, greatest camp.
Jaime and Lonnie Green, Oceanside, NY
A few years ago, our older kids (twins, boy and girl) starting hinting that they were bored with day camp and wanted to try something overnight. It was then that we heard about Green Lane’s New Ventures program. Both of our kids immediately fell in love. We looked into a few other camps, just to cover our bases, but it soon became obvious that nothing could hold a candle to what they felt for Green Lane. Our twins just celebrated their fourth summer at camp and are counting the days until they can go back. We also sent our youngest for the first time this past summer, and she had an absolute blast. They’ve been home for weeks, but it is still common to hear one of them singing songs from Color War, FaceTime-ing with cabinmates, or even just telling their school friends how much fun they had. We cannot thank Green Lane enough for everything that it has done for our entire family.
—Alison and Ben Ostroff
We sent our daughter to overnight camp for the first time this summer, and that decision inevitably comes with a degree of anxiety and uncertainty for parents. However, from the moment she got on the bus to embark on her Camp Green Lane adventure, we knew she was having the greatest summer of her life and there was no reason to worry. We could feel it in her letters home and in every photo we saw of her—nothing but smiles and excitement, until finally, when the summer was about to end, it shifted to tears. The crying was understandable; she’d made friends with whom she will share a lifelong bond that no one else can touch, and it was hard to say goodbye to them. But once the tears dried, the countdown was on immediately for the start of next summer. We couldn’t ask for anything more from a summer camp than to know our daughter is having nonstop fun and growing as a person. Green Lane completely delivered on that.
—Robin and Eric Raskin
Friends often ask me what makes Camp Green Lane so special. And I’ll be honest; I often struggle to actually put it into words. Mostly because it’s just a feeling. On the surface, there are so many things that make CGL like all the other sleep-away camps out there. They all have the same activities, similar trips, some type of Color War. But there are two things that have always struck me as uniquely CGL, and they are the same things that I felt as a camper there myself and now as a parent of two current campers. The inter-generational relationships that my children have experienced have made their camp experience unique compared to all of their friends’ camps. It is very common at CGL for campers to be close to not only campers their own age, but younger and older campers, as well as upper staff. In the offseason, my own children often visit, text, and FaceTime with old counselors, past supervisors, or kids from younger bunks. The other unique part of CGL is its incredible alumni base. I think this speaks to what CGL is at its core: a place built on relationships. And while many campers are children of alumni, the new campers immediately feel the positive impact of that special bond that the alumni bring to CGL.
—Heidi Cohen