The Highline
www.thehighline.org
Blue Bottle Café High Line, 10th Avenue and West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011
bluebottlecoffee.com/cafes/high-lin
L’Arte Gelato, 10th Avenue and 25th Street, New York, NY 10011
lartedelgelato.com
La New Yorkina, 10th Avenue between 17th and 18th Streets, New York, NY 10011
lanewyorkina.com
Delaney’s Barbecue Smokeline, 10th Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets, New York, NY 10011
delaneybbq.com/smokeline/
Chelsea Market, 75 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
chelseamarket.com
Dickson’s Farmstand Meats, 75 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
dicksonsfarmstand.com
The Lobster Place, 75 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
lobsterplace.com
Giovanni Rana, 75 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
rananyc.com
Los Tacos No.1, 75 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
lostacos1.com
Friedman’s Lunch, 75 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
friedmanslunch.com
16 November 14
A Stroll Above Chelsea and Shopping in an Old Factory
The Highline and Chelsea Market
Some days it can be hard to get around on the Highline, especially when it's nice and sunny; it’s a perfect place to spend some time and, unfortunately, we’re not the only ones who know about it! Take a stroll or relax on one of the lounge chair that are built into – and which slide along — the original tracks. Raised a few yards above the ground you get a beautiful and unique perspective of our favorite city.
One of my favorite morning runs goes along the Hudson River to 34th Street where the Highline starts. Running on the Highline from the northern entrance to the southern entrance on Gansevoort Street, having the whole park almost to myself and seeing the city wake up from above, is a very nice treat.
The park is built on the elevated railway on which freight trains brought in merchandise between 1930 and 1980. Freight transport had been brought up in height as a safety measure; too many lives were lost when heavy trains with primitive rakes rumbled through streets crowded with pedestrians. Deserted for almost thirty years, broken down and weed-infested, it was renovated as an urban park. The first part of the Highline opened in 2009 from Gansevoort to 29th Street and, in September of 2014, the last bit opened from 29th to 34th Street.
The landscape design is a reference to the self-seeded, wild environment that grew once the trains stopped running. Walking through it, you can find wonderful coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee, and, seasonally, ice cream from L’Arte Gelato, Mexican treats from La Newyorkina, Barbecue from Delaney Barbecue’s Smokeline, and many other great options to eat or drink.
The Highline runs along the Westside Highway and the Hudson River from Gansevoort Street between 10th and 12th Streets in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street. You can enter the Highline at different locations along the 2 km long path.
I often go to Chelsea Market to shop for groceries as I am very passionate about cooking and I always want fresh, quality ingredients. Dickson’s Farmstand Meats, The Lobster Place and Giovanni Ranna are three of my favorites in the city.
The Chelsea Market used to be the factory of the National Biscuit Company, now Nabisco, that was started in 1890 and produces the popular American snacks Oreos, Ritz Crackers and Chips Ahoy! cookies. The building has been heavily renovated, of course, but the raw interior and its old spirit have been largely left intact, giving it a cool and authentic feeling.
When going there I often stop by the taco stand, Los Tacos No. 1, and have a beef taco. They’re so good that even when I don’t feel hungry I can always squeeze one down!