Central Park in New York City blends expansive green landscapes historic landmarks peaceful waterways and lively cultural experiences creating a welcoming escape from urban bustle for families couples solo travellers photographers and anyone seeking relaxation recreation inspiration and memorable moments
New York: New York City – The High Line
🚂 Death Avenue, Cowboys, and a Railway in the Sky
We’d been walking around New York for a few days by this point and, frankly, my feet had opinions about that. But the High Line was one of those places we absolutely weren’t going to miss — and I’m very glad we didn’t, even if my knees are still filing a formal complaint.
The history of this remarkable elevated park goes back much further than most visitors probably realise, and it’s quite a story. It all starts in the mid-1800s, when steam-powered surface trains trundled right through the streets of Manhattan, hauling meat, dairy and produce down to the warehouses and markets of Lower Manhattan. You can imagine how well that went. Tenth Avenue, which bore the brunt of it, earned itself the rather grim nickname “Death Avenue” — and not, I should say, because of the traffic jams. By 1910, more than 540 people had been killed by trains on the city streets. Five hundred and forty. In response, the City of New York — in a flash of what we might generously call creative problem-solving — hired men on horseback, armed with red flags, to ride ahead of the trains and warn pedestrians. These fellows were known, brilliantly, as the “West Side Cowboys.” They patrolled 10th Avenue right up until their final ride in 1941, which must have been a slightly surreal career even by New York standards.
🏗️ From Freight Line to Greenway
By the mid-1920s, even New York City had worked out that sending cowboys on horseback through one of the world’s busiest cities wasn’t a long-term transport strategy. The city’s Transit Commission ordered the removal of street-level crossings, and a plan began to take shape for a proper elevated railway line, lifted clear of the streets and the hapless pedestrians below. The West Side Improvement Project, as it was grandly called, eventually produced the “West Side Elevated Line,” and the first train ran along it in 1933. By 1934 the line was fully operational, shifting millions of tons of freight through the city — meat, dairy, produce — all without troubling a single cowboy.
The trouble was, the lorry happened. As road haulage expanded through the post-war decades, the economics of rail freight quietly collapsed beneath it. By the 1960s, the lower section of the elevated line had already been demolished, and by the 1980s the trains had stopped running altogether, leaving the structure to moulder quietly above the Chelsea streets — a rusting, weed-covered monument to a former age. The city, naturally, wanted to knock it down. But a local Chelsea resident named Peter Obletz wasn’t having any of it. In 1980 he formed the West Side Rail Line Development Foundation with the intention of preserving the structure. That same year, Congress passed the National Trails System Act, which cleverly allowed communities to sidestep the extraordinarily complicated land-rights issues that would otherwise have strangled any such project, and convert disused rail lines into recreational paths. A good idea, clearly — though it still took another two decades and the rather enthusiastic backing of Mayor Bloomberg before anything actually happened. The dream finally became reality in 2004, and in April 2006 the first section of the High Line opened to the public, running from Gansevoort Street up to 20th Street. New York does like to take its time.
🌿 Walking the High Line Today
The High Line today is a single, continuous greenway stretching 1.45 miles through the neighbourhoods of Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen, and it is genuinely unlike anything else we’d seen in the city. The park is managed by the Friends of the High Line in partnership with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, and they’ve done an extraordinary job with it. More than 500 species of plants and trees line the path — some of them quite spectacular — and around 8 million visitors a year come to walk it, which does rather explain why it felt a bit like the Central Line at rush hour on a warm Saturday afternoon.
We started at the southern end, down in the Chelsea District, right next to the Whitney Museum of American Art. It’s a lovely part of the city — boutique shops, cosy restaurants, the odd gallery — though it has to be said it’s also become rather touristy, which is the price you pay for somewhere being genuinely nice. The moment you climb the steps and set foot on the High Line itself, though, something shifts. The city is still right there around you — the Hudson glittering to the west, the glass towers of Hudson Yards rising to the north — but up here it feels oddly calm and removed from it all. We walked the whole length, taking our time, and found ourselves genuinely absorbed by the planting — carefully designed to reflect the wild, self-seeded vegetation that colonised the old rail line during its years of abandonment. In several sections, the original railway track has been left in place, embedded into the path, which was a lovely touch and a nice reminder of what the thing actually was before someone had the very good sense to save it.
Along the path there are plenty of spots to sit down, catch your breath and do absolutely nothing productive whatsoever — which, after several days of relentless New York sightseeing, felt like a minor miracle. We plonked ourselves down on one of the timber benches and did what we British do best: watched other people. People-watching in New York is, frankly, a spectator sport of the highest order. Everyone’s going somewhere urgently, dressed either brilliantly or bafflingly, and nobody’s looking where they’re going. We could have sat there all afternoon. We nearly did.
The planting wasn’t the only thing worth stopping for. Dotted along the route were art installations — some on the trail itself, others painted as murals on the buildings that press up close alongside it. Most of it was contemporary, which, let’s be honest, can mean anything from genuinely brilliant to utterly baffling. Happily, much of it fell into the former category. My particular favourites were the pieces made from repurposed industrial components — old metal, salvaged machinery, that sort of thing. I’m an unashamed sucker for anything with a steam-punk sensibility, and the High Line delivered.
🏗️ Hudson Yards — Where the Future Came to Show Off
The southern end of the High Line deposits you, slightly breathless, into Hudson Yards — though whether it’s the walk or the sheer architectural ambition of the place that takes the wind out of you is hard to say. This former industrial wasteland, all crumbling rail yards and forgotten freight sidings, has been comprehensively reinvented over the past decade into a gleaming canyon of glass and steel skyscrapers. It’s home to luxury apartments, the Shed — a rather impressive sliding-shell performance arts centre that looks like it was designed by someone who’d had an exciting dream about a greenhouse — and a shopping mall so upscale it made me feel underdressed just walking past it.
🐝 The Vessel — A Beautiful Problem
The centrepiece of Hudson Yards is the Vessel, a remarkable honeycomb-like structure conceived by British designer Thomas Heatherwick and his London-based Heatherwick Studio. With 154 intricately interconnecting flights of stairs, nearly 2,500 individual steps and 80 landings, it was designed to offer visitors a shifting, ever-changing perspective of the city as they climbed. Eye-catching doesn’t quite cover it — it’s extraordinary. Sadly, the Vessel was closed on our visit and remains so. Following a series of tragic deaths, it has been shut indefinitely while solutions are considered. It’s a genuine shame, and one hopes they find a way to make it safe and open it again.
🌆 The Edge — Not for the Faint-Hearted
If the Vessel was a disappointment, the Edge more than compensated — assuming, that is, you have a reasonable relationship with heights, which I can confirm I absolutely do not. Jutting out from the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards like an enormous glass-sided pizza slice, the Edge holds the rather alarming distinction of being the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere. The views across New York City are, predictably, sensational — Manhattan laid out below like a particularly detailed scale model, the Hudson stretching away to the west. Thick glass panels give an unobstructed 360-degree panorama, and for those whose nerves are made of sterner stuff than mine, there’s also a glass floor section through which you can stare directly down to the street a thousand feet below. I looked at it once, said something unprintable, and went to find a bench.
Planning your visit to The High Line
🌿 The High Line
| 📍 Location | Gansevoort Street to West 34th Street, between 10th & 12th Avenues, Manhattan, New York, NY 10014 | 🕖 Opening Times | Daily: Apr–Nov 7:00 AM–10:00 PM; Dec–Mar 7:00 AM–8:00 PM |
| 🌐 Website | thehighline.org | 📞 Phone | (212) 206-9922 |
🎟️ Entry Fees
| Admission | Guided Tours | Photography |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free (docent-led, select days) | Permitted |
ℹ️ The High Line is a free public park open to all. Free docent-led tours are available on select days — check the website for the current schedule.
🚇 How to Get There
| 🚇 Subway (South entrance) | A, C, E or L lines — 14th St/8th Ave Station; walk west to 10th Ave | 🚇 Subway (North entrance) | Line 7 — 34th St/Hudson Yards Station |
| 🚌 Bus | M11, M12, M14D-SBS — stops along 10th & 11th Avenues | 🚉 From Penn Station | Walk west on 30th St to 10th Ave entrance (~10–15 mins) |
ℹ️ Multiple entrances along the route, with lift access at Gansevoort Street, 14th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th Streets. Street-level access also at 34th Street.
Visiting New York City
✈️ Getting There
By Air
New York is served by three major airports. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), in the borough of Queens, handles the majority of transatlantic flights and is the largest of the three. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is situated in New Jersey, just across the Hudson, and is a popular and often cheaper alternative. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is the closest to Midtown Manhattan but handles primarily domestic routes.
All international visitors will pass through US Customs and Border Protection on arrival, regardless of which airport they land at. Be prepared for queues and have your documentation ready.
Entry Requirements & ESTA
Most visitors from countries participating in the US Visa Waiver Programme — including the UK, most of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand — do not need a full visa for stays of up to 90 days, but they do need an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before travelling. The ESTA costs $40.27 and is valid for two years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner. It must be secured at least 72 hours before departure. Apply only through the official US government website to avoid third-party scam sites that charge inflated fees.
Ensure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your intended date of departure from the US. If you have previously visited certain countries — Cuba after January 2021, for example — you may not be eligible for ESTA and will need to apply for a B-2 tourist visa instead.
Getting from the Airport into the City
From JFK, the AirTrain connects to the subway system (the A line or the Jamaica Station hub for the Long Island Rail Road), giving you a relatively affordable route into Manhattan. Uber, Lyft, and licensed yellow taxis are widely available. Yellow taxis charge a flat fare from JFK to Manhattan.
From Newark, an AirTrain connects to Newark Penn Station, where you can board NJ Transit trains into Manhattan’s Penn Station.
From LaGuardia, there is no direct rail link; buses connect to the subway network, and rideshare apps are the most convenient option.
Be cautious of unofficial “taxi” drivers who approach you inside the arrivals hall. Always use the official taxi rank outside or book a rideshare through the app directly.
🚇 Getting Around
The Subway
The subway is the backbone of the city and the fastest, most affordable way to get around. It runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week — one of very few urban rail systems in the world to do so. Lines are identified by letters and numbers, and whilst the map can look daunting at first, the system is logical once you understand that express trains skip stops and local trains stop at every station.
The old MetroCard swipe system has now been phased out. The city has fully transitioned to OMNY (One Metro New York), a contactless tap-and-pay system. Simply tap your contactless credit or debit card, smartphone, or smartwatch on the reader at the turnstile. If you prefer, you can also purchase a physical OMNY card from vending machines in any subway station. A single fare costs $3, and there is a weekly fare cap — once you have paid for 12 trips in a seven-day period, additional rides are free for the remainder of that week. Children under 44 inches (roughly 112 cm) tall travel for free.
Note that if you are using an overseas bank card, your bank may occasionally flag the first transaction as suspicious. It is worth taking a short test ride when you first arrive to verify your card works smoothly.
Buses
MTA buses cover areas of the city not well served by the subway and use the same OMNY tap-and-pay system. They are a good option for crosstown journeys in Manhattan, where the subway’s north-south orientation can be less convenient.
Taxis & Rideshares
Yellow taxis are iconic and plentiful in Manhattan. Uber and Lyft are widely used and often convenient, particularly late at night or when travelling with luggage. Avoid pedicabs (cycle rickshaws) unless you agree a fixed price in advance — they are notorious for charging tourists eye-watering amounts.
Walking & Cycling
Manhattan’s grid layout makes it one of the most walkable cities in the world. Many neighbourhoods are best explored on foot. Citi Bike, the city’s dockless bike-share scheme, is popular and relatively affordable, particularly for short hops between neighbourhoods.
Cars
Hiring a car in the city is not recommended. Traffic congestion is severe, parking is expensive and scarce, and the subway and walking will get you where you need to go more quickly and cheaply. Consider a car only if you are planning to venture outside the city limits.
🏙️ Neighbourhoods to Explore
Manhattan offers an enormous variety of experiences within a relatively compact area. Midtown is home to many of the city’s most iconic landmarks — Times Square, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal, and the Museum of Modern Art. It is central, well-connected, and a natural base for first-time visitors.
The High Line, a repurposed elevated railway turned public park, runs through Chelsea on the west side, connecting to Hudson Yards at one end and the Meatpacking District at the other. Chelsea is also a hub for contemporary art galleries.
Greenwich Village and the West Village retain a bohemian character, with tree-lined streets, independent cafés, and a rich literary and artistic history. SoHo is known for its cast-iron architecture and high-end shopping. Tribeca, once an industrial area colonised by artists, is now one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in the city.
Downtown’s Financial District contains Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and the Oculus — the striking transit hub and shopping centre near the World Trade Center site.
Uptown, Central Park divides the Upper West Side from the Upper East Side. The latter is home to Museum Mile, a stretch of Fifth Avenue that includes the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, the Frick Collection, and several others. Harlem, to the north, has a vibrant cultural identity rooted in African-American history and is well worth a visit.
Brooklyn’s neighbourhoods are increasingly popular with visitors. Williamsburg has a thriving food and nightlife scene. DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) offers spectacular views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline. Brooklyn Heights is one of the city’s most elegant residential areas.
Best Time to Visit New York City
🌸 Spring (March – May)
Spring is widely regarded as one of the most delightful times to visit New York City. Temperatures climb gradually from around 7°C in March to a pleasant 20°C by May, and the city shakes off its winter coat with a burst of colour. Central Park’s cherry blossoms typically peak in early April, drawing photographers and picnickers alike, while the High Line transforms into a ribbon of wildflowers and grasses above the streetscape.
Crowds are manageable in March and early April before the Easter holiday surge, making it an ideal window to visit popular museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Museum of Modern Art without the queues of summer. Hotel prices sit at a mid-range level — higher than winter, but far below the summer peak.
Rainfall is fairly consistent throughout spring, so a compact umbrella is wise. The weather can be unpredictable: a warm 18°C afternoon can be followed by a sharp drop at dusk, so layering is essential. Outdoor festivals begin to reappear — the Tribeca Film Festival typically runs in late April or May — and restaurant terraces start to fill up, giving the city an energised, sociable atmosphere.
What to pack: Lightweight layers including a cardigan and a light waterproof jacket, comfortable walking shoes, a compact umbrella, jeans or chinos, a couple of smart-casual tops for evenings out, and a light scarf for cooler mornings and evenings.
☀️ Summer (June – August)
Summer is New York City’s busiest and hottest season. Temperatures regularly reach 28–33°C, with high humidity making the heat feel more intense, particularly in July and August. The city buzzes with energy: outdoor cinemas, free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theatre, rooftop bars in full swing, and street festivals nearly every weekend. Coney Island and the Rockaway Beach become popular escapes for New Yorkers and tourists alike.
The trade-off is significant congestion. Hotels charge peak rates, queues at major attractions such as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building stretch long, and the pavements in Midtown can feel suffocating in the midday heat. Booking well in advance and planning sightseeing for early morning or evening helps considerably.
Despite the crowds, summer has an infectious vitality. The 4th of July fireworks over the East River are spectacular, and the city’s parks host free concerts and events almost continuously. New York Pride in late June brings a celebratory, welcoming atmosphere to the streets.
What to pack: Breathable cotton or linen clothing, shorts and lightweight trousers, a hat and sunglasses, high-SPF sunscreen, a reusable water bottle, a light cardigan or layer for heavily air-conditioned restaurants and museums, and comfortable sandals alongside a pair of trainers for longer walks.
🍂 Autumn (September – November)
Autumn is arguably the finest season in New York City and is consistently the top pick among seasoned travellers. September brings warm, settled weather — often lingering in the low-to-mid 20s°C — without the oppressive humidity of summer. As October arrives, the temperature cools to a comfortable 14–18°C and the foliage in Central Park, Riverside Park, and Prospect Park turns to spectacular shades of amber, russet, and gold.
The city returns from its summer pace to full cultural gear. Broadway’s new season launches in September, galleries open major autumn exhibitions, and New York Fashion Week draws the industry’s eye in early September. The New York Film Festival runs through October. Restaurant Week (which actually spans several weeks) offers prix-fixe menus at some of the city’s finest establishments.
Halloween on 31st October is taken seriously here: the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade is one of the most theatrical events in the city’s calendar. Thanksgiving weekend in late November is festive and memorable — the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a spectacle — though it does bring a surge of domestic visitors and raised prices.
What to pack: A mid-weight jacket or trench coat, knitwear and jumpers, smart-casual layers, ankle boots or sturdy walking shoes, a light scarf, jeans and trousers, and a compact umbrella for November showers.
❄️ Winter (December – February)
Winter in New York City is cold, but it is also deeply atmospheric. December is one of the most magical months: the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree draws millions, ice-skating rinks open in Central Park and Bryant Park, and the shop windows along Fifth Avenue are dressed in elaborate festive displays. The seasonal markets — particularly those in Union Square and Columbus Circle — add a European flair to the city’s streets.
Temperatures average 0–5°C in January and February, with occasional snowfall that, when fresh, gives the city a cinematic beauty. Wind chill can make it feel considerably colder, especially in open areas such as the Brooklyn Bridge or along the Hudson River waterfront. After the holiday rush, January and February are among the quietest months for tourism, which means shorter queues, lower hotel prices, and a more authentic sense of everyday New York life.
February brings New York Restaurant Week again, and the city’s world-class indoor attractions — the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim, Lincoln Center — are all the more inviting when the cold drives you inside. Valentine’s Day sees the city at its most romantically charged.
What to pack: A warm, wind-resistant coat (ideally down or wool), thermal underlayers, chunky knitwear, a hat, gloves, and a scarf, waterproof boots with grip for potential icy pavements, thick socks, and smart layers for evenings at the theatre or a fine-dining restaurant.
🗽 Overall Best Time to Visit
If there is one season that stands above the rest, it is autumn — specifically late September through to late October. The weather is reliably comfortable, the city is alive with cultural events and culinary offers, and the foliage transforms Central Park into something truly breathtaking. Crowds are thinner than summer, prices are more reasonable than December, and the light — that particular low, golden autumn light — flatters the city’s skyline and brownstone streets in a way no other season can match. For those seeking a balance of comfort, atmosphere, value, and beauty, autumn in New York City is simply unbeatable.
Other things to do whilst in New York City
1. Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo is one of the largest metropolitan zoos in the United States, covering around 265 acres in the north of New York City. It opened in 1899 and is run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, which also manages several other zoos and aquariums across the city. The zoo is home to more than 6,000 animals from several hundred species, including big cats, gorillas, snow leopards, and Komodo dragons. Many of the enclosures are designed to reflect the natural habitats of the animals inside, with large open areas rather than small cages. It draws around 2 million visitors each year and is accessible by public transport, including a direct bus route from Manhattan. Entry prices vary depending on the time of year, and some areas within the zoo cost extra on top of the general admission fee. The zoo also carries out conservation work both on site and internationally, focusing on protecting endangered species and their natural environments.
2. New York Botanical Garden
3. Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
Standing on a small island in New York Harbour, the Statue of Liberty has been one of America’s most recognisable landmarks since it was unveiled in 1886. The statue was a gift from France and depicts a robed female figure holding a torch aloft, symbolising freedom. A short distance away sits Ellis Island, which served as the country’s busiest immigration processing centre from 1892 to 1954. During that period, millions of people arrived there by ship, mainly from Europe, hoping to start new lives in the United States. Officials would check their documents and carry out basic health assessments before allowing them to enter the country. For many, the sight of the statue as their vessel sailed into the harbour was their first glimpse of America. Today, both sites are open to visitors and are managed as part of a national monument, drawing large numbers of tourists each year. Ellis Island also houses a museum dedicated to the history of immigration, where many Americans can trace the arrival of their ancestors.
4. Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art, known as MoMA, is located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and has been open to the public since 1929. It holds one of the largest collections of modern and contemporary art in the world, covering painting, sculpture, photography, film, design, and more. Works by artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Frida Kahlo are among those on permanent display. The building has been expanded and renovated several times over the decades, most recently in 2019, giving it a mix of older and newer gallery spaces. Entry is ticketed, though the museum does offer free admission at certain times. It attracts millions of visitors each year and is widely regarded as one of the most significant art museums in existence, though opinions on modern art — and on the museum’s choices — naturally vary from person to person.
5. Central Park
Central Park sits at the heart of Manhattan, covering around 840 acres of landscaped grounds in the middle of one of the world’s busiest cities. It was laid out in the 1850s and 1860s by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, and has been a public green space ever since. The park contains open meadows, woodland paths, a boating lake, an ice-skating rink, several playgrounds, and a zoo. On any given day it is used by a wide mix of people — joggers, families, dog walkers, tourists, and office workers on their lunch break. In summer the lawns fill up quickly, and free outdoor concerts and film screenings are common. In winter the bare trees and quieter paths give it a quite different character. It is maintained by a partnership between the city and a private conservancy, and entry is free throughout the year.
Where to stay in New York City
1. Element Times Square
During our visit to New York, we stayed in the Element hotel which is in the Hells Kitchen district. For us, it was perfectly located and was only a 5-minute walk to Times Square. It was also very close to several metro stations and the main bus terminal. We were feeling a bit stingy and cautious due to the Covid-19 pandemic so we decided to walk from Penn Station to the hotel, which only took us 10-minutes, hauling our luggage.
The room was good, we had a little kitchenette and there were pots, pans, plates and silverware, so we were self-contained. We were lucky enough to be on one of the higher floors, so we had a view. It was also possible to see the Empire State building.
Breakfast is included but nothing to write home about, but there are plenty of places to eat in the area so it was not a problem for us.
2. Yotel New York
3. Freehand Hotel
Freehand is located in the former George Washington hotel, known as the home of many artists, and it has maintained its creative spirit. It has a partnership with Bard College and many artists take an active part in designing the hotel and in shaping its cultural life. Freehand features five restaurants and bars, and elegantly designed rooms with private bathrooms. The rooms sleep up to 6 people.
It is located on Lexington Avenue and in walking distance of Union Square, Midtown and Flatiron.
More to Explore
