The Highline

This feat of urban planning has been years in the making: conservationists who loved the uniqueness and romance of an old, disused elevated railway tussled with lot owners who wanted an eyesore torn down. But in the end, the conservationists, with a little bit of help from real estate developers, prevailed. The Highline opened in the summer of 2009 to great fanfare, and it's been the hottest place to hang out in NYC ever since. Today, the Highline is hardly a crumbling piece of junk - the clean lines of wood panels are interspersed with wildflowers and grasses, and benches, tables, and sunning chairs are scattered throughout so people can linger. A grandstand at 17th St. is a special architectural treat - hovering directly above 10th Ave., it gives visitors new meaning to life imitating art, and vice versa. And the section near the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Standard Hotel is popular with, uh, people-watchers. The Highline gets packed on weekends, so go at any other time - it's well worth the views of NYC life at its best.