The High Line

I decided to walk New York's High Line, since there is now a new section that extends it all the way up to 34th Street.   There is a lot to dislike about the High Line; it is intensely crowded with tourists. (It's now one of New York's major tourist attractions.)  And it has spurred major Bloomberg era types of massive condo developments along side it; everywhere, as you walk, you see big signs exhorting you to buy your new High Line condo here.  And, when you descend at the lower end, there are endless high end shopping meccas, with the usual high fashion stores, etc.    On the other hand, the plantings are maturing nicely and landscaping is endlessly inventive; it really is a remarkable work of urban art.   The new section begins around 30th Street, and is quite different, since rather than traveling close to and in between buildings, you are suddenly out in the open. The designers have done much less restoration here; parts of it are still as they were, with wild plants growing over the abandoned tracks.  The wide open spaces give you nice views of the river and the Hudson Yards, where the Long Island Railroad trains have their daytime naps.   The bad news, however, is that all this open space is going to disappear, as the whole area is developed with mega condo skyscrapers and shopping malls in the next few years.  Construction is already starting.  The High Line will just become another amenity to help sell the condos.

Pictures:
Condos and construction:

Perhaps these people don't like the High Line:

Construction:

Tracks and the High Line in its original state:

Trains:

A few odd things along the way: