The High Line

The High Line is a park in New York City that has opened in a couple phases over the last few years. It sits on an elevated rail line that was built in the thirties and abandoned in 1980 which runs roughly one mile through Chelsea and the Meat Packing District on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I had followed with interest the Park from its planning stages through the present so I was excited to actually check it out in person. I walked the whole thing from the south to the north as the sun was setting one evening. The park is paved but remnants of the tracks exist and are planted with various shrubs and grasses - I thought it looked really cool in the light and fall color. There are great views of the Hudson River and the surrounding neighborhoods - and there were many like-minded tourists taking photos or taking in the scene.  The park has proved so popular that it is spurring development along its path and a third phase is in planning stages.  

This section had birch trees planted on both side making it almost like a tunnel.
New construction and stacked cars.
10th Avenue

Meat Packing View - from The High Line
Americano

Ship on The Hudson

The Tracks

Chelsea Corner
It's really cool to see these kind of creative ideas being taken up by more and more cities - ways to preserve history and also make it useful.  I'm aware that there are some gentrification issues - I've read that some longtime businesses have been priced out of the neighborhood - I'm not qualified to speak to that as a non-New Yorker but it is worth looking into.  I do know I like safe greenspace though....