The High Line with Kids

The High Line is an elevated park built on a historic freight rail line on Manhattan's West Side. Running 1. 45 miles from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street at Hudson Yards, it's one of the most visited attractions in New York City — and for good reason.

The combination of elevated views, innovative landscape design, and public art makes it unlike any other park in the world.

For families, the High Line works best as a partial walk rather than an end-to-end marathon. The southern section (Gansevoort to 20th Street) has the most interesting features: the 10th Avenue Square with its amphitheater-style seating overlooking the avenue, the Chelsea Thicket with dense plantings that kids love to walk through, and direct access to Chelsea Market at 15th-16th Street.

The practical reality of the High Line with kids: it's narrow in many sections, and on weekend afternoons from spring through fall, the crowds are brutal. A stroller becomes more burden than help during peak times. Early morning visits (before 10 AM) or weekday afternoons offer a dramatically different experience — you can actually stop, look at art, and let kids run in the wider sections.

The plants are the sleeper attraction. The landscape design by Piet Oudolf uses grasses, wildflowers, and perennials that change dramatically with the seasons. Spring has bulbs and early flowers; summer is lush and green; fall has golden grasses and seedheads. Even toddlers who couldn't care less about horticulture enjoy the sensory variety.

Access points are at Gansevoort Street, 14th Street, 16th Street, 18th Street, 20th Street, 23rd Street, 26th Street, 28th Street, 30th Street, and 34th Street. All have elevator access for strollers and accessibility. The 14th Street and Gansevoort entrances are the most popular (and most crowded).