The High Line, New York

On our recent trip to New York, one of the places that I was really keen to visit was The High Line. The High Line is a park which has been built on an abandoned elevated railway track, running from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street near the Javits Center. It's free to enter and is open daily from 7pm-8pm in winter and until 10pm in summer. We visited on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the end of March, and it was very busy.

It's a little early in the year for much to be growing, so the park was sparse in places. But there is plenty of artwork displayed to add some colour. Also many of the buildings that you walk past have cheerful murals and there are some lovely views of the city buildings. I was pleased to see that some of the original tracks had been kept in their original positions, and the park was much wider than I expected it to be.

Some of the paths were a little cramped because it was so busy - when we visited it wasn't really possible to enjoy a leisurely stroll as you needed to keep up with the people ahead of and behind you. I can't imagine what it's like on a sunny summer's day! There are plenty of places to sit down to enjoy the view and people watch, and it all felt very safe.

As you walk through the park you are very close to some of the apartment blocks on either side. It's very tempting to have a peek inside even if you try not to! There was one apartment with a large window very close to the path. Inside the room, all the furniture was draped with white sheets and there was a young woman dressed in white, lounging artfully on a white bed while staring back at the passers-by. It was very surreal, it felt like an art installation!

If you are taking a trip to New York I'd definitely recommend taking the time for a visit, it's a fantastic way of bringing new life to old infrastructure, and a real change from the busy and noisy city.