a disused elevated railway track that runs through downtown manhattan now offers commuters and tourists alike a peaceful escape from the chaos on the busy city streets below, and what a joy it is to behold!

new york city’s so-called “park in the sky” was originally built in the 1930s as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the ‘west side improvement’, lifting freight traffic 30 feet in the air, and removing dangerous trains from the streets of manhattan’s largest industrial district. after trains stopped running on the tracks in 1980 there was a real danger of the elevated railway being torn down, until friends of the high line (a community-based non-profit group) formed in 1999, hoping to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park.

the design team of landscape architects james corner field operations, architects diller scofidio + renfro and planting designer piet oudolf, created the high line’s public landscape with guidance from a diverse community of high line supporters, and the result is a most unusual park which has attracted millions of visitors from all around the world, including the #blogtournyc crew!

touted as “one of the most thoughtful, sensitively designed public spaces built in new york in years,” the views of the west side from the elevated walkway offer a unique and truly stunning perspective of the city. guiding you through a secret landscape of derelict buildings, narrow urban canyons and river views, it allows you to make entirely new visual connections between different parts of manhattan while maintaining a remarkably intimate relationship with the surrounding streets.

see the gallery below for a few of my favourite views!

[icon name=”handshake-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] fabric of my life was in new york as part of blogtour nyc, sponsored by: miele, samuel heath, rotsen furniture, scholtes, du verre, mmpi (organisers of ad show 2012), blanco america, poggenpohl, spirit of sports, victoria and albert baths, jenn air, big ass fans, modern aire, vitra, wallunica and mix magazine.