I’ve wanted to walk the High Line ever since it opened over 10 years ago, but since my visits to NYC have declined in number, I haven’t made it…until yesterday. It is a perfect urban space for when you need to pretend you’re strolling a country lane. (although I’m told on weekends it can be wall to wall people). My friend Cathy and I strolled much of the day, as we caught up with our lives since our days together on Africa Consortium and working with artists have ended (only partially in Cathy’s case). Cathy’s a New Yorker so this environment isn’t as new and shiny to her as it is to me–although she still loves it. In addition to the peace and foliage of the High Line, we stopped by for a Hudson Yard photo op of quite an extraordinary giant sculpture. And we ate extremely expensive food (but well worth it…I had the most otherworldishly-delicious mashed potatoes ever, and discovered if they’re over $10 a spoonful they become “pureed” potatoes) and mammoth ice cream bars. Such a fine day. 

The High Line is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. Saved from demolition by neighborhood residents and the City of New York, the High Line opened in 2009 as a hybrid public space where visitors experience nature, art, and design.