Find Out Weekend Activities In New York

New York is a cove of experiences, finds Charukesi Ramadurai on her recent visit.

- Charukesi Ramadurai

You think you have seen all there is to see in New York City – climbed to the top of the Empire State Building, eaten at internationally acclaimed restaurants,revelled at open-air concerts at Central Park and spent hours browsing through the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But there is more to this city that delightfully surprises you at every corner. Each visit (even if to the same areas) unveils a new experience; from scintillating musicals to soul food by truck diners and tours to the city’s “other” side. Here is a look at a few of them.

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There is no doubt that Central Park is a wonderful sprawl of green space in the throbbing heart of the city. However, there is another urban oasis, tucked away from the hubbub of midtown Manhattan, 30 feet above the ground. High Line is a stunning piece of renewal work — a park repurposed from an abandoned railway line.

The once defunct space was on its way to being torn down in the 1990s, but was saved by the timely intervention of ordinary citizens who wanted to preserve it as a recreational green expanse. Thus, High Line came into being as a narrow stretch of parkland, running for across two kilometres, from the hip Meatpacking District to the bustling West 34th Street.

It is surreal to walk at almost eye level with higher floors of neighbouring buildings, even as cheery summer flowers wave in the wind along the sides. The outer walls of these buildings provide visual boundaries to the park, separating it from the rest of the city, but never shutting it out. From striking graffiti on their facades to quirky metal installations on the pathways, there is no dearth of interesting sights in High Line.

Entry to the park is free; open from 7am throughout the year, closing times vary according to season; thehighline.org.

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