there's really NO bad time to visit the high line!

case in point: yesterday was overcast, and autumn is not necessarily even the ideal season (i'd have to go with late spring) for the actual gardens in new york city's most innovative and awesome (imo!) public park.

the high line was built on the dis-used railway freight line above tenth avenue, originally built to serve the meatpacking district.

i've been there at least a dozen times, and yet, whenever i find myself near that part of town, i'm always willing to walk a couple of extra blocks, if necessary, so that my trip from 30th to 14th street (or vice versa) can be made through the park instead of at street level.

i allow extra time because despite numerous trips, i still ALWAYS want to take photos! there are new plantings or bits of art being added... whether "official" or not...

...and then there are certain things i snap away at EVERY SINGLE TIME, regardless... frank gehry's IAC building being foremost in that category. i bet i've taken a hundred shots of it, and it still fascinates me.

on the way to or from the high line, you might see some cool street art...

...and there are starting to be some high-end designer shops in the area, as well. of course chelsea market is always fun, as well as offering a lot of quick and cheap (ish... by nyc standards...) lunch options.

don't fill up, though, because grom gelato is only a few blocks' walk from the southern end of the park... and trust me... you'll want to have that virtuous feeling of having got some exercise, so that you can indulge, guilt-free, in the best ice cream to be found outside italy. if you'd like a bit of an alibi, tell your compnaions they just have to see the lovely neoclassical building which houses our lady of pompei catholic church on the corner of carmine and bleecker streets... and then suddenly "notice" the gelateria across the way! ;)

as long as you're this close to soho, you might as well keep walking, and check out a few galleries. i like the campton a lot, one reason being that my favorite collage artist, jane maxwell, shows there semi-regularly.

the exhibition that is on right now is her best to date, which is saying something! (i believe it ends on halloween though, so you'll need to hurry! if you're not local, robert mars has a few lovely photos here!) btw, purlsoho (for fabric and yarn) and kate's paperie (for... well... paper, obviously!) are literally just around the corner from the gallery, and worth the trip!

finally, if at any time during your day, you find yourself near a reflective surface; for example, a window, a shiny building, or perhaps the mirror in the ceiling of an elevator (seriously... whose idea was this...?!) be sure to take a cheesy self-portrait for your blog!  preferably one in which you are making as goony a face as possible, lol! :) :) :)