The High Line and the avenue that coffee forgot

11 October 2015

So far we’d seen the transfer bridge and one of the shunters used by the West Side Line, now we were actually going to walk on an abandoned part of it. We’d reached the High Line, a one and a half mile elevated section of the line which was closed in 1980. As disused railway lines go, this one is pretty special. It was inspired by Promenade plantée, a similar project in Paris, as an aerial greenway, or a park in the sky and the views over Manhattan and the Hudson are breathtaking. Construction of the walkway began in 2006, we were walking from the newest section to the oldest.

After grabbing a couple of bottles of water to stave off heat induced dehydration, we began at the terminus on 34th Street, opened in September 2014, with a climb up a shallow incline. Slightly confused by all the people who seemed to be in fancy dress, we looked at each other, wondering if we’d missed something and this was dressing up day. As we got higher the views got better until it felt that we were up amongst the skyscrapers. We crossed the West Side Yard and looked down on the rows of Long Island Rail Road commuter trains stored there. In the distance, behind the wire fence, we got our first view of the Empire State Building. Close by there were stepped benches made of railway sleepers.  It was a surprisingly warm, sunny day so we sat for a moment to sip some water and enjoy the cool breeze coming off the Hudson.

There were benches doted about and, in contrast to the imposing buildings of glass and steel we passed through, small gardens inspired by the wild flowers and small trees that grew on the disused tracks. In spring or summer, filled with wild flowers they must be quite lovely. Commando stripped off his sweatshirt and tied it round his waist and I did the same with my parka and cardi, we were both getting overheated as the temperature kept climbing. This was not the weather we’d expected in October in New York. In places the walkway widened and there were viewing platforms jutting out from the main structure. In one area huge girders made a grid that had been planted with flowering grasses. Soon we were walking between the tall buildings, then actually through the side of a building that seemed to still be under construction. Acres of glass towered above us reflecting the blue sky and the nearby buildings.

We were now on the second section, opened in June 2011 stretching from 20th to 30th street. From time to time we came across stretches of the original rails preserved amid the concrete walkway. The trees and swaying grasses made it feel like walking through a park in the sky. The High Line is used for temporary art installions and performances and we stumbled upon a surprising interactive piece made of white Lego. The idea was for people to add pieces to the chaotic skyscraper like structures but there were crowds waiting so we passed by without adding anything.

As the line curved around between the buildings it’s was hard to tell if the attraction came from the walkway itself and the novelty of all the little sections of garden or the buildings we were looking out on. Now we were passing older, more interesting buildings, some ensconced in scaffolding, some weathered and worn. We looked out on rooftops and fire escapes and, strange metallic structures that might have been some kind of scaffolding. There seemed to be a great deal of building working going on. It seems the popularity of the High Line has drawn developers to what had been a down at heel and delapidated area and there are building projects underway all along the line.

For the most part the project has been good for the local residents. In fact it was the brain child of two locals, Joshua David and Robert Hammond, who formed Friends of the High Line in 1999 to fight the proposed demolition of the disused railway and masterminded its subsequent transformation. Of course, having windows overlooking the park might not always be good with so many people passing close by. One old red brick building had a barred window bricked up from within that captured my imagination.

As we moved towards the oldest section, restored in 2009, we came across some interesting graffiti. Rooftops and the sides of buildings had been turned into canvases and there was an interesting corrugated billboard advertising nothing but the artist’s work. The trees here were taller and, just like the buildings, older but the path was narrow and getting more crowded by the minute. Much as we’d have liked to carry on to the very end at Gansevoort Street, the heat and the tightly packed, slow moving crowds got the better of us and, when we found a stairway leading down to the street, we decided to take it. We descended onto 20th Street to an area called Chelsea that bore no resemblance whatsoever to the Chelsea streets we know so well in London.

Coming off the High Line early meant we weren’t where I’d expected us to be. The plan had been to pop into Kava Cafe on Washington Street, supposedly the best place to get a latte in New York. Still, we were bound to find a cafe somewhere soon right? Wrong, we walked up 10th Avenue with our eyes peeled but the few cafes we found were either packed or closed.  We plodded on. On 25th Street and 10th Avenue, we found the fabulous old time New York mural we’d seen from above a little earlier and on 39th Street got another view of the Empire State Buildng but still no coffee. It felt as if this was the avenue that coffee forgot and, as it was so hot we were getting quite thirsty. We eventually found a Starbucks and crossed the road to get to it only to find it had been hosting a Comic Convention and had just closed. Still, it did at least explain all the oddly dressed people we’d been seeing all day.

When we passed the wonderful facade of Martin Luther King Junior High School with its inspirational texts we knew we were on Amsterdam Avenue and almost home, or at least back at our hotel. The self weathering steel memorial sculpture that makes up the facade was designed by William Tar but has not been without problems. Over time it began to deteriorate badly and was only saved by considerable conservation work.

We still hadn’t had our coffee but Commando decided he wanted to make a quick detour. After battling with the red ‘don’t walk’ hand and the white walking man sign we finally crossed Central Park West and made it to Terrace Drive where men on bikes had taken the place of the horses pulling the carriages.
“I suppose it keeps them fit,” Commando said.
“I think I’d rather have a horse with my carriage though,” I joked.
Commando’s detour was to the Imagine Mosaic. He hoped it would be less crowded in the late afternoon than it had been in the morning. Unfortunately it wasn’t but there was a ring of rose petals and some candles and I managed to squeeze between all the encircling crowds to get a photo so all was not lost. On our way back towards the hotel we even saw a wedding party having pictures taken in the park. It seems like a prefect setting, if a little public.

We did get our post High Line coffee eventually but not until later in the evening on our way to find somewhere interesting to eat. It was well worth the wait because we ticked off one of the coffee shops on my list of New York’s top ten, Joe Coffee on Columbus Avenue. Sadly, as we were on our way to dinner we didn’t try any of the tempting looking cakes or pastries.
“That is probably the best coffee I’ve ever had,” Commando said and I had to agree.
“What a pity they couldn’t have sent us over a few Joe Coffee’s along with all the Starbucks,” I said.

When it came to somewhere to eat our evening meal there were so many choices on Columbus Avenue we went for the most eye catching name. Jackson Hole certainly fit the bill name wise and it had an air of New York authenticity about it all decked out with Halloween cobwebs and skeletons. It seemed pretty popular with the locals too as a steady stream of people came in for take away meals. Ok, so it was hardly haute cuisine but we couldn’t leave America without sampling an authentic American burger. As I’d expected, they were huge and I struggled with mine but Commando helped me out.