Along The High Line

The High Line has become a major tourist attraction in New York. It is an old elevated freight line running from W. 34th Street to the Lower West Side that has been transformed into a linear park. It has views of the Hudson, rooftop gardens and striking new architecture. The trail is surrounded by art (that red sign below is by one of my favorite contemporary artists, Barbara Kruger). The people watching is, of course, unparalleled. 

The Whitney Museum of American Art is near the southern end, more about which soon.      

Manhattan - High Line - 16,592 Steps - My French Is Terrible

LONG day with Olivier. We met on Roosevelt Island (never been there before), a long, thin residential sliver in the East River. Then took the tram to Manhattan. Then subway to the High Line. Then walk and walk and walk. Then to the Whitney Museum. 

The health app on my iPhone says I took 16,592 steps, probably a one-day record for me. My legs hurt - Olivier is in better shape. I think I'm hot stuff when in France because I can get something to eat or drink, buy something, pay the bill and, on a good day, ask directions in the street. But general conversation with a Frenchman? Non. Olivier's English is equivalent to my French and it was a struggle at times. The noise level of the city didn't help. We tested Google Translate's bandwidth. 

These shots only scratch the surface of what I took yesterday. 

On The High Line

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Back in the 1920s, the New York Central Railroad had a line at street level on the lower west side of Manhattan. The area was industrial back then. The rail line was dangerous on the crowded streets so the company built an elevated trestle, the High Line. The service eventually fell into disuse. In the last few years it was transformed into a brilliant park space. The views of the city and Hudson River are stunning; the gardens are a delight. Some of the most interesting views are just off to the sides. These are a few samples.

The bottom picture is the obligatory shot looking up from the ground floor of the Guggenheim Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece.

Back home this afternoon, and back to visiting my friend's blogs.