A whole new angle on New York city Turning an old railway into a park brings a new perspective says Yvonne Gordon
It’s the park in the sky. You’ll love it.’ Staff at the tourist information desk at NYC & Company, who are supposed to be promoting the entire city, are so full of enthusiasm when I ask about the High Line Park, they can’t stop raving about it. The park’s popularity is evident next day, when we arrive at the bottom of the steps, on Gansevoort Street in New York’s Meatpacking District, and see crowds heading for the park even in chilly weather.
It’s easy to see why it’s become the hippest destination in a city littered with attractions, with a host of celebs, such as Hollywood star Eva Longoria, putting it top of their itinerary when visiting.
Nearby, the bustle of New York is in full flow: trucks are loading up on the wide cobblestone streets; white-coated men running to and fro with boxes, lorry engines idling.
Going up the steps, it feels like we’re going up to a subway platform. But at the top, we go through a gap onto a wide platform and there’s a stone path stretching
intothedistance .Thesides arelinedwitholdr ailwaytracks,T withrowsoftreesplantedinthe gaps.hisistheHigh LineParkinN ewYorkcity .I thas beenbuiltonan oldfr eightr ailwaylinewhichis elevated30ftabo vethestr eetsonM anhattan’sWestSide .The HighLine–asthetr ainr outewaskno wn–w asbuiltinthe 1930s,runningamileandahalf fromGansev oortS treetinthe MeatpackingDistrictupthroughWestChelsea.
Thelineclosedin1980andlayderelictbutw asr escuedfr omdemolitioninthelate1990s whentw or esidentswholiv ednearitcampaignedforittobe repurposedasalinearpark akintotheP arisianPr omenadePlantée.
Thecitygo vernmentcom - mitted$50mandthepark’sfirstsectionfinallyopenedin2009 .Thesecondphaseopenedin 2011andworkiswellunderwayonthefinalphase ,HighLineat theRailY ards,whichissched - uledtoopenthisy earandwill taketheparkallthewaytoWest34thStreet.
Asw ew alkalongthepath, pastasectionofwoodland,Icanseeo vertotheH udsonRiv erontheleft,andaheadofus ,the 30-storeyStandardHotelloomsdowno verthepath,itstw ohingedconcr eteslabssetatan angle,appearingalmostlik ean openbook.
Theairisfilledwiththesoundsofthecity–machinery ,con - struction,tr affic,sir ens.Ther e areviewsinev erydir ectionof buildingsofalldesigns ,shapes andmaterials–y oungupstarts ofslick,steeland-glassoffice andapartmentbuildingsfightforattentionamongtheolderand wiserr edbricksofw arehouses,shops,r estaurants,galleries ,studiosandhotels.Massiveapartmentbuildingswithr owsoftinywindowsreachhighintothesky.
Thisisnotaparktogeta wayfromitall–quitetheopposite: itistheparktogetintoitall,to admireandunder - standthebuzzof NewY orkfr oman elevatedperspec - tive.At10thAvenueSquare,ther e’sa seriesoftier edwoodenseatswith aglassviewingwalloverthestr eetso peoplecansitand watchthetr affic,ascarsandy ellowcabsw eavein andoutofthefourlanes.Someho w,fromthissetting ,itseemslikearelaxingview.
Asw ew alkalong ,pastmor etr eesandbushes ,ther e’sasmallo verpass,wherecouplesposeforphotos .The romanticbackdropisoneofbillboards,buildings,cranes,rooftopwatertowersandthetinybackgroundoutlineoftheEmpireS tateBuilding .Thr oughoutthepark,therearebenchesandseatingareasandat23rdStreet,there’sevenagrasslawn.
Theparkisar eflectionofthediversityandvibr ancyofthecity .Wepass tablesandchairs,artandvideoinstal - lationsandsculptures.Insummer,theparkislinedwithopen-airfoodstalls andbusk ers;inwinter ,w alkersflock toChelseaM arket,abuzzingco vered marketundertheHighLineat W15thS treet,andoneofthepark’ sgo-toplacesforlunchorpost -walkshopping.Themarketissetintheold NabiscoFactory–theoldrailwayusedtodeliverstraighttothewarehouse.
DavisHerronofTheLobsterPlace ,abuzzingseafoodbarandfishmongersandoneofthemark et’soriginal1990stenants,saystheHighLineopening wasthebiggestthingforthemark et,withsoman ymor ecustomersand tourists.
‘Inthesummer,wegetatonofpeo - plecominginandgr abbinglobster ,lobsterrollsandsushiandtakingitup totheHighLinetoeatit, ’saysD avis.
‘I love the High Line. It’s been great for the neighbourhood, it has changed it immensely. It has cleaned it up and there’s a lot more people in the area.’
The Meatpacking District, now home to trendy restaurants, boutiques and the soon-to-be-opened Whitney Museum, has experienced a big turnaround since the 1980s, when it was a hotbed of drug dealing, prostitution and sex clubs and
‘The Fairway Market is like walking onto a live film set’
both tourists and locals are enjoying the revitalised area – the High Line got four million visitors last year.
If there’s a vibrancy about the High Line Park, there seems an extra buzz of general excitement in the Big Apple for 2014. The city’s new mayor, Bill de Blasio, took office in January. The new bike sharing scheme, CitiBike (similar to Dublinbikes) launched last year has been a huge success. In Lower Manhattan, the museum at the September 11 Memorial will open this year and the final touches are being put to the new World Trade Center.
Even on the Upper West Side, what seems a quiet residential area away from the madness of Midtown, has its own slice of New York buzz. Our hotel room at The Beacon Hotel has a kitchenette (all the rooms do) and a trip to the local supermarket, Fairway Market, opposite the hotel, is one of the highlights of my stay.
It’s like walking into a live movie set. People come from all over New York to shop there so there seems to be a cross-section of all society there, queuing at the deli counter for hot food or shouting over each other in the fruit section with central-casting-type New York accents.
If you want spectacular cityscapes and a place to get away from it all, check out the top of the Rockefeller Centre or Central Park.
But if you really want to get into New York, don’t miss the High Line Park – or Fairways.