The High Line again

After the long flights from Sydney, I was in New York again.

My favourite city in the world.

I managed to get a bit of sleep, but the jet lag still meant that I woke up at about 5am.  I was staying at the old Jane Hotel in a historic, but tiny room.  The room had a bit of a musty smell to it, so rather than lay on the bed and stare at the ceiling, I decided to take advantage of my early rise and go for a run.  The Jane Hotel is close to the Hudson River and Chelsea Piers, which meant I could run on the runner track along the waters edge.  I set out into the early morning as the sun slowly rose.  The air was crisp and refreshing as I ran.  I wasn't alone either, as other early morning runners joined me to start their days. 

As I turned to start running back, I got an unexpectedly incredible sight.  Looking down south along the waters edge, I could see all the way down the length of Manhattan all the way to the gleaming new One World Trade Center.  It stood out imposingly over everything around it, shining like a lighthouse in the distance.

I got back to the hotel, had a shower and got changed.  The hotel really was quite beautiful, but anyone who does decide to stay there should know that it has a "cabin" like feel with very small rooms and shared bathrooms at the end of the corridor.  It reminded me a bit of boarding school or my university dorm, but maybe with more Wes Anderson-like styling.  Refreshed and awake (enough), I walked over to one of the most popular attractions in New York, the High Line.  This part of New York has won plaudits from all of the world and seems to have become a model for the world on how to rehabilitate disused industrial parts of a city.

I walking along the pathway and gardens which had been built up on this old raised railway line.  It really was as great as advertised.  It was this secluded spot through the middle of an intense city which gave all of the proximity to the bustle of the city, whilst still being removed from the crowds.

Walking along this raised platform also gave you an opportunity to look at a very different side of New York.  From the higher vantage point, you could see a lot of public art which you either wouldn't have previously seen, or would otherwise be seeing from a different angle.

I decided I would walk from one end to the other.  It was longer than I expected and I found myself at the northern end of the line which was still not entirely complete.  The pathway had been completed, but none of the finishes or the gardens themselves were properly installed yet.  The northern end also felt like it was surrounded but a slightly rougher area.  That would surely change with a bit of time.  Now that the High Line had been built, I couldn't imagine there being any bad areas surrounding it in the future.  Any residential areas nearby would almost certainly become highly desirable as a result.

The High Line was fantastic.  It was such a simple thing, but it brought so much extra life to an area that used to be fairly industrial.  It must have come at a great opportunity cost though.  I can only imagine the hungry developers who would have wanted to have turned the whole area into more apartments for sale.  This seems so much better.