The High Line and Birdbath 06-13-2009

Location: Runs from Gansevoort St. to West 20th St.
Time: 4pm
People: RB and myself

Feelings: After sassy MGru, Ramen and Friends' dessert connoisseur, recommended we visit the newly opened High Line in the Meat Packing district, RB and I headed out to the elevated architectural garden walk. I have never been very fond of the area, but I was convinced this was something I should experience.

It was a terribly rainy day, but there was still a Disneyland-esque serpentine line to get in. My favorite organic vegan friendly bakery, Birdbath was selling their baked goods along with City Bakery's coffee at the Gansevoort Street entrance, so the reasonable wait was made even easier.

The High Line is a breathtakingly beautiful piece of living sculpture even after walking through a downpour with a tiny umbrella in a hand, and harsh wind hitting our faces and messing our hair. They paid attention to every detail in this elevated park. I am not even sure if they should call this a "park" since you cannot walk on the grass. It is more a combination of a conceptual art piece and a public garden. For a high heel wearing nature phobic like me, this is a perfect amount of outdoor activity. It reminded me a lot of the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City in a similar way you can walk in their garden and enjoy Noguchi's sculptures.

I hope The High Line will bring a lot of people including tourists to the area, which will help the local business. We found a lot of interesting stores and sights while we were in the area, and our resentment towards the Meat Packing area slowly disappeared. Whether it is an interesting piece of urban planning, a precisely conceived architectural project, or a work of interactive sculpture, The High Line is a beautiful experience of downtown Manhatten.