Finding peace in NYC

Central Park

I just returned to St. Louis, Missouri after spending a long weekend in New York City. It was my third visit to the Big Apple and my main goal was to chill with my sister Ida, “the flight attendant” and with my friend Dori. I could write a whole blog post series about the various sights and things to do in NYC, but I will only talk about two places - one everyone knows about, the Alpha Dog of Parks “Central Park”, and one people don't know about…okay at least I didn't know about before my friend Goran told me…”The High Line” (also a park). I would call it the Underdog of Parks since its less known. 

Central Park

Central Park was designed in the 19^th century, covers 843 acres and today it annually greets 40 million visitors (these are valid facts and not the kind of “facts” I used to make up as a child about different cities and tell Ida while my family was driving down to Italy in the summer times). Anyhow. You can go running, boating and taking a carriage ride through the park. There is even a Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre. Have I seen it? No. Have I ever attempted to see it? No, but I just wanted to throw it out there.  “The flight attendant” and I walked around in this magnificent park and had lunch sitting on a park bench watching people.

Central Park is well known, but the High Line is not.  The High Line is a park, founded in 1999, located above the streets of Manhattan using old railroad tracks. 4 million visitors find their way there each year (compare that to the 40 million that frequents Central Park). You access the park via elevators or by stairs. The vibe was very chill. "The flight attendant” and I strolled pretty much the entire 1.45-mile stretch back and forth, but there are also benches everywhere so you can sit and relax.

High Line seen from street level

As some of you guys know, I am a city girl that happened to be born in a small town. I love the pace of a big city. I love the smell (gasoline fumes, yeah baby!) and I love what a city can offer in terms of cultural events and concerts etc. But I believe a person can really benefit from spending time in nature and parks offer urbanites this outlet. Being in nature can allow a person to recharge his or her batteries and be able to carry on a fast paced lifestyle.

High Line

In “Sex and the City” and “Gossip Girl”, the TV series, it’s like New York City is a character all of its own. And with the creation of Central Park and High Line, I see it as the city wishes to offer its fellow actors access to nature, but in two different ways: In Central Park with its vastness, you can forget that you are currently in one of the busiest cities on the planet; unless you lift your gaze and see some of the skyscrapers lining the park. High Line is the opposite. You are very much aware that you are in a city as you walk in between buildings above the ground. However both parks offer the gift of space to get away from the ongoing drama that is NYC. To pause. To reflect. To meet up. To get your sweat on. And that is truly a gift as space is hard to come by, especially on the island that is Manhattan. It’s a gift to the permanent citizens of the city, the temporary citizens (the model/actor/musician in the making) and the extremely temporary citizen, the tourist. 

Thanks Goran for telling me about the little gem called High Line!