I always enjoy visiting New York City.  The simple act of walking around the city makes me happy. I was in town to catch a Yankees game in mid-July and I got a chance to check out a new feature to the city, The High Line.  From Wikipedia:

The High Line is a 1.45-mile (2.33 km) section of the former elevated freight railroad of the West Side Line, along the lower west side of Manhattan, which has been redesigned and planted as a greenway.

I had a chance to walk on the High Line and came away very impressed.  It is an old, elevated railroad line that runs along 10th avenue between Chelsea and the Meat Packing District.  The line has been converted into an above street urban park/walk way.  What impressed me the most was rather than escape from the city like a traditional urban park (Central Park or Goodale Park locally), the High Line celebrates and embraces its urban setting.There are still green spaces but there is also a hotel as well as an apartment/condo building integrated right into the park.  A further celebration of the city, 10th Avenue Square is a sitting area where park goers can simply sit and enjoy a view of the street.  The street is behind a glass wall like it was an exhibit at an aquarium.

I believe this is the future of urban parks.  The park is not an escape from the city, but rather a hybrid of green space and urban architecture.  It was built with a mixture of public and private funding.  It offers integrated living and uses existing architecture and infrastructure.  In the end the idea is really simple.  On the surface it is just a walk way above ground, but a closer look reveals it is so much more.

If you’re interested in learning more, I recommend checking out the High Line page and blog.