Monday after I visited the New York Public Library, I walked along the High Line. It’s an old freight train line that was converted into a walking path in 2004. I was surprised by how much the bustle and noise of the city faded away only a little above the streets. It was busy up there, and it was quite narrow in places so it was pretty crowded, but it was still a quieter world.

View from the High Line

Plants in the train tracks

There were plenty of places to sit, and several spots where the path branched off in an outlook over the avenues. Near 14th Street, there were a bunch of food carts set up overlooking the Hudson River, and benches set up like deck chairs where people were sunning themselves in the late afternoon light.

An old black-and-white bursts into color

Art on a rooftop

I saw lots of different artworks up there, and a guy making counter-cultural miniature paintings on cardboard, and a kid who tried to pet each blade of grass he came across. It was a lovely mile-long walk on a beautiful September day.

On the West Side