The Highline, New York City

During a recent trip to New York I visited the High-Line again, the inner-city garden running on a derelict stretch of a historic elevated line for freight trains that used to deliver food for Manhattan during the past century. About ten years ago its development started with the help of Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf and has been thriving with visitors ever since. It is a funny thing to walk elevated on the backside of converted warehouses, spy into their windows and down into the streets crossing underneath, all in a pleasant garden atmosphere that is so rare in downtown Manhattan.

The old freight line tracks have been left in place and are covered with naturalized plants.

 A view down into the streets...

..and back alleys. 

Good gardening is infectious. 

"The Vessel" in its brand-new high rise location "Hudson Yards"

This year an additional attraction has been opened: "The Vessel" at Hudson Yards. A whole new borough has come into existence here, a very attractive quarter in this formerly less savoury area of the city. The Vessel has an interesting structure, although its function is less clear to me: a vertical meeting place? Tourist attraction?  An exercise place to climb stairs for overweight office workers? It is a piece of sculpture art that can be climbed and admired, a photographer's delight with its copper reflecting surfaces and woven repeat  structures.

reflections

Some tracks are still there...