After seeing Times Square and doing some light shopping, my next activity was visiting the NYC High Line in winter {January 2016}. I’m very fortunate to have good friends in the city to see while I’m in town for work. And my friend Dana (who was in my wedding), took me to the High Line for a fun afternoon. We also hit up Chelsea Market for lunch. I’ll share photos from that on a separate post.
It was an unusually warm day for January in NYC.
You can probably tell by this light coat I’m comfortably wearing how warm it was. Or if you haven’t seen a true NYC winter coat, trust me, it’s usually much thicker, longer, and warmer. And this photo was not taken on the High Line but on a nearby street at the north end.
Umbrella Lesson
Just before leaving for our outing, my friend Dana was explaining to me how variable the weather is in NYC. I guess sometimes you have to learn things the hard way because I dressed for the weather I had just looked up online. The forecast was nice and rain-free.
Sure enough, almost as soon as we got on the High Line, it started raining. Luckily, it was a relatively light stream, but I was completely unprepared – no umbrella, no poncho, no rain jacket. The jacket pictured above is at best water resistant and doesn’t have a hood. Doh.
Consider this lesson learned…for NYC, in general, not just the High Line.
There seemed to be a fair amount of construction going on around the High Line. The scaffolding was a welcome sight for us since we took cover underneath it from the rain.
Rain and all, the High Line was a pretty cool (and free) experience. There wasn’t a lot of greenery on the NYC High Line in winter, but it was still well manicured.
And as the drizzles started clearing up, I saw something special. A beautiful rainbow that seemed to stretch all the way to Central Park.
What is the High Line?
The High Line is a public park, built on an old rail line, that hovers over the busy streets of western NYC. It stretches from the Meatpacking District (in Lower Manhattan) to Hudson Yards (in Midtown Manhattan). There’s a map on the High Line web site if you want to learn more about where it’s located.
And did I say I saw a rainbow? I saw a double rainbow! You can just barely make out the second one in the above photo.
High Line Photo Ops
Since I’ve only visited the High Line a couple times, I don’t have a full list of my favorite Photo Ops. Let me know if you want me to make one. Basically, as long as you don’t zip straight down the High Line and keep an eye out for great shots, you’ll find plenty of opportunities along your way. If you’re a photography fan, you’ll have plenty of fun here just taking all kinds of photos. You can check out this list of High Line “features” for great photo op locations.
The above shot of Chelsea is one of my favorite photo ops. I didn’t even realize till this blog post that in my two trips, I’ve stopped here both times.
I’ve even seen what looked like engagement photoshoots going on here.
And of course the architecture is very photogenic year-round. You don’t have to have green grass all around to get some great shots of the buildings you’ll pass by as you walk the High Line. It may even be better to go to the High Line in winter since the paths can get pretty crowded. Maybe the cool weather will keep the crowds down?
For building photography, I really like the modern silver one (pictured below) and the Hudson Yards area. Most (all?) of the Hudson Yards skyscrapers are still being built, but it’s interesting to see the area.
There’s also a cool area near the north side, in Hudson Yards, where you can get some great train and train track photos. It’s also where the path stretches close to the Hudson River, so you can get some great shots of the river and surrounding area.
Hovering Above the Streets of New York
One of my favorite things about the High Line is how you basically get to hover above the streets as you wind through the many buildings along the west side of NYC. You’re not so high up that you feel like you’re floating in the clouds. But, you do get a whole new POV of the city. Plus, you get to avoid the dangers of street intersections and don’t have to wait for cross walks, so you can enjoy your walk without those distractions.
Look at these beautiful blue skies we got to enjoy once the rain cleared.
Overall, I was really impressed with the High Line. The walk was really pretty. I loved being above the streets and could see hubby and I taking Bailey here for some fun walks. My photography enthusiast side had a blast taking lots of photos (once the rain went away). I could see myself frequenting this place often.
NYC High Line in Winter Tips
Cost: Free
When to go: The park isn’t open 24/7. Check out the High Line web site for the latest hours and other useful visit information.
How to get to the High Line: Spanning between Gansevoort Street (southernmost) to West 34th Street (northernmost), between 10th and 12th Avenues, there are many entrances throughout, including some elevators access points. Check out the High Line map to look up more.
Crowding: It can get fairly crowded, which may make a winter visit more ideal since the cold temps may keep the crowds down.
Where to warm up: There are plenty of restaurants and shops along the High Line. But, my favorite place to warm up is Chelsea Market. It’s a cool, indoor market with several places to shop, plus places to eat. There’s also (what looked to me like) public seating if you just want somewhere to sit down for a bit.
More: Consider bringing that umbrella/poncho/etc. (just in case). There’s hardly any cover if it does start raining or snowing. For snow, the umbrella will help keep snow from collecting on your bags and also help keep it out of your camera lens if you’re snapping lots of photos.
***
Have you been to the High Line in winter? What are your favorite things about it?
Hope you enjoyed these photos of the NYC High Line in Winter! Thanks for stopping by!