The High Line

I took a quick trip to New York over the weekend to help a friend move. While there I had a chance to explore one of the items on my NYC to do list: The High Line. The High Line was originally built in the 1930's to raise freight trains off of the streets of Manhattan. As the growth of interstate trucking grew, rail traffic declined. The last train to travel on the High Line carried a load of frozen turkeys, in 1980.

After the High Line was abandoned by trains, nature started taking over, self-seeding itself with native plants along the unused rail tracks. When the High Line was threatened with demolition by land developers, local residents challenged the demolition in court. Ultimately, a mile and a half section was saved and is in the process of being converted to an elevated public park. The park, which runs through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen, features gardens which include many native species, similar to the wild "volunteer" plants which originally grew on the track. You'll also find wheel chair accessible paths, water features, viewing platforms, sundecks, gathering areas and local art displays, as well as great views of the city streets below and the Hudson River.

I found it to be the perfect place for "people watching" and the best location I've found in the city where I can pull out my camera without looking like a complete tourist.