Last week I shared with you my recent stay at The Standard at the High Line in New York City. What I didn't tell you is that I fell in love.
No, I didn't meet my dream man, but I did fall head over heels in love with the High Line. I even became a member!
For those who don't know, the High Line is a public park and walkway that runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meat Packing District to West 34th Street, above 10th and 11th Avenue. The first section of the High Line opened in 2009 and the expansion (from West 20th to West 30th Street) opened in 2011.
Though it's been open for two years, my first trip was last week. It was just my luck that the High Line ran between The Standard and the venue for my work event, allowing me to walk home on the High Line all five days I was in town.
The High Line is a breath of fresh air in the concrete jungle that is Manhattan. Just strolling a few hundred feet beneath the beautiful green trees calms you.
As you walk along, in some spots it looks like the buildings are sprouting up out of the High Line plants.
What's very cool is the High Line is where a historic freight train line used to be and the tracks are now fully integrated into the park's landscaping.
The entire High Line showcases a stunning mix of the hard (train tracks, fences, concrete) and the soft greenery.
There is seating built into the High Line all along the way so visitors can enjoy some rest and of course, the views.
Of all the seating options my absolute favorite is the wooden lounge chairs. These are extremely hard to get! For two days I tried to score one, but no luck. Once a person gets one, they basically don't move.
In addition to the landscaping and creative seating, the High Line also showcases art work.
Towards the West 14th Street entrance there is a water feature that is very zen. I saw several people (especially little kids) take off their shoes and prance through it.
Right around West 17th Street is the 10th Avenue Square. This is a series of benches in a stadium seating type set up that look down onto a picture window. This window looks straight up 10th Avenue as far as the eye can see.
Though the High Line is great for strolling and you need not have another agenda, you can also go there for the food. The most popular stop is the Mexican popsicle stand. This vendor had a line every single day!
There is also a designated food area called Chelsea Market passage where you can find The Taco Truck, People's Pops and more.
The seating area near the food is always hopping and has a spectacular city view.
There is additional seating a few steps below in an area a bit quieter and that much closer to the gorgeous skyline view.
As I mentioned, I walked home on the High Line all weekend and as such, I was lucky enough to experience a few sunsets from the path. In a world where Instagram filters rule, I would like present you with this photo, a 100 percent original, unfiltered shot:
On our last night, we saw this sunset:
Pretty breathtaking.
As if all the walks and sunsets weren't enough, on one rainy afternoon I was able to capture this amazing moment both in real life and on my camera - a rainbow over the High Line.
So if you can't tell, I am completely and totally obsessed with the High Line. I may have bought a t-shirt. And a sweatshirt. And a set of notebooks.
The next time you are in New York City, you have to visit. The park is open daily from 7:00am - 10:00pm. Get all the information here to plan your visit.
Have you walked the High Line?
