Tuesday, July 14, 2015

High Line

Lynda starts the day in quest for the New York Botanical Gardens, featuring a Frida Kahlo exhibition.



But it is closed. So, tucked away for another day and on to Plan B.

The High Line is a slim parkland created by landscaping the old New York Central Railroad spur called the West Side Line from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th and 12th Avenues. While the southern end was demolished when trucking replaced rail, the abandoned line has found a new expression as one of New York's most elegant public spaces.






We walked it to 30th Street in our last visit, but now it's been extended around the Hudson rail yards to 34th Street, providing new panoramic views of New York.








There's some public art, a few stalls and lots of places to escape the bustle of the city,


The area has become very trendy, and the old factories and warehouses are being gradually replaced and built out by luxury apartments - new ones starting at $2m and penthouses going for over $20m.



It's been warm throughout our stay, and we have observed the locals remaining refreshed in nearby bars. The latter, Ipanema, provided margaritas for $5 and noisy rap music for free.



There are a couple of local sensibilities to note. First, there are lots of dogs in NYC, and puppy shops shamelessly selling more.


Secondly, the direct-to-consumer medical adverts are specific and targeted,


I chanced upon a Chilean drink called Pisco by Kappa, which isn't at all bad for $30 a bottle. Distilled from muscat grapes, it presents as a fiery white spirit very much like grappa.


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