Explore New York City's only elevated park, known as the Highline, which traverses Chelsea and the Meatpacking District. Along your route, your guide shares commentary about the history and architecture of the neighborhoods in which the Highline resides.
Opened in 2009, the Highline was once an operational section of New York Central Railroad and is now a 1.45-mile (2.3-km) elevated park on the west side of Manhattan, just south of Midtown. The park is surprisingly quiet and is great for basking in view of skyscrapers of Midtown and the Financial District.
Stroll through Chelsea with a stop at Chelsea Market—famous for delectable cupcakes, bakeries, and fishmongers. Then make your way past the small yet stunning art galleries that populate the neighborhood. Walk through former factories and warehouses, where trains once rolled right inside the buildings to unload goods for a look at the neighborhood's industrial past.
The Meatpacking District became famous in the late 1990s, propelled by TV shows like Sex and the City, and it transformed from rows of slaughterhouses to expensive lofts. Your focus dances between architectural styles ranging from ultra-modern, such as The Standard Hotel or Frank Gehry's glass curtain design of the IAC building, to the Art Deco style of the Empire State Building.