ESPAÑOL

There’s no doubt about it, the major attraction in Chelsea and one of the rising stars in Manhattan. Is a pedestrian zone elevated 10 meters over the street, set on what it used to be a railway, abandoned in 1960. It has become one of the favorite areas for tourist to walk. Runs from the Meatpacking District (Gansevoor Street) and goes all the way North through west Chelsea till Hell’s Kitchen (34th). It’s 2.3 km long (1.4 miles). Open from 7 am to 7 pm in winter, till 11pm in summer.

The main thing to do in the High Line is walk along it. Some trees have been planted, but tourists should not expect a garden. Most of the vegetation is the same that grew naturally after the railway was abandoned. There are two different opinions about this. Some people say that this way is beautiful because the visitor will be aware of how nature claims what man has built, and there are those who simply think that some gardening would be nicer (that’s my opinion).

If not busy , in a good day, the High Line can be a privileged place to relax in one of his many benches and wooden reclined chairs. There are many of them along the entire route.

The main areas are:

• Near the beginning, still in the Meatpacking District, the High Line goes under the Standard hotel, in which there is a rooftop with one of the best views of Manhattan.

• Few meters away from the Standard, it runs along the upper floor of the Chelsea Market. Next is the area known as The Theater, steps in front of a window just above the 10th Avenue.
• Nearby The High Line there are plenty of graffiti and modern buildings. There are also many spots overlooking the Hudson.

The truth is that in high season, a stroll along the High Line may not be a pleasant experience. The huge amount of tourists who flock to this just 5 meters wide path, result in crowds. At some point, the visitor may have the feeling of standing in a queue, barely being able to stop and take a picture. On the other hand, there are few people in winter, the cold discourages anyone walking there.

Thus, despite 5 million visitors a year, many will end up thinking it was not such a big deal. We strongly recommend to visit the Chelsea Market and the rooftop in the Standard hotel.

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