Walking the High Line in New York City

Blooms and Relaxation While Walking the High Line

Every summer we try and get back to the US to visit family, and whenever we’re on the East Coast one place we love to go is New York City. We don’t like to spend more than a couple days there, because quite frankly the concrete and tall buildings gets to me. By making an effort to find green space, we’ve been able to endure it a little longer, and one of the most innovative and relaxing places we found was walking the High Line.

Every summer we try and get back to the US to visit family, and whenever we’re on the East Coast one place we love to go is New York City. We don’t like to spend more than a couple days there, because quite frankly the concrete and tall buildings gets to me. By making an effort to find green space, we’ve been able to endure it a little longer, and one of the most innovative and relaxing places was the High Line.

Additional reading: 31 Best Things to Do in NYC

Summer in NYC is sizzling. By about 10:30 the heat index is usually much higher than I can take, so we wanted to go to the High Line early. Really, we like to get everywhere early.

The High Line is an old subway line. Out of use, it sat for years gathering dust and weeds. The City of New York has transformed these old railroad tracks into a stunning park. There were joggers, power walkers, families out for a stroll, and of course tourists just like us.  It’s an easy, flat surface and the views are the best!

There were plenty of gardeners minding the many plant varieties throughout the park. One told me that to be eligilble to work there, a horticulture background is preferred, but they will train you. She’d been working there over a year and loved it. How many outside jobs like this exist in the concrete jungle of NY?

The gardners do a bang up job, as everywhere we went there was the fragrances of blooms that took away from the sooty traffic smell that pervades the rest of the city. And the colors! Pinks, purples, reds, yellows, and so many greens, that it was hard to decide which bloom was my favorite.

Other features of the High Line included this water fountain and the relaxation benches right next to it.  The girls and I couldn’t wait to take off our shoes and cool down.  I also love the idea of reading a book or even taking a quick nap on these benches listening to the movement of the water, that is after having lunch at this chic cafe!

There is so much more to do in NYC, like take a baking lesson and make some true New York bagels, or get out on the water and see the city from a different point of view. In fact if you are looking for more, here’s about four days worth of things to do in NYC!

Have you ever walked the High Line? What did you think?

Author Bio: Corinne Vail is a travel photographer, food lover, and a perpetual traveler who has been travel writing for over 14 years. For many years she lived overseas in Germany, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, and the Netherlands teaching the children of the US. military. She’s visited over 90 countries, and she’s not stopping anytime soon.