High Line Park, New York

Having visited the newly opened High Line Park in New York in 2009,  we were keen to revisit the park on our latest visit to New York. When the park first opened it stretched from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking district to 20th Street which is in the Chelsea district. The park has now been extended to 30th Street. The final phase will see the park extended to the Rail yards on 34th St and this section will be opened next year.
High Line park was created on a disused railway railway line that had been marked for demolition. A non-profit group was formed to preserve the structure and return it to the public as open space. The New York City Government committed 50 million dollars to establish the park. The park is maintained by volunteers from the Friends of the High Line group.
Certain areas of the gardens have the old train track incorporated into the planting design and various artists have sculptures throughout the park. The park has certainly come a long way in the 4 years since we last visited and an increase in new apartments can be seen facing the park.

The area near Gansevoort Street

Birch trees amongst the railway tracks

" Pan" sculpture at Gansevoort Street 

Artwork on the wall

Lounges to relax on

Flowering sage

View of traffic and buildings from the High Line

Mixed plantings

Artwork called "Walking"

Cone flowers 

Mixed planting

"Broken Bridge II "

"Broken Bridge II "

One of the many murals on nearby buildings

Just a reminder

A narrow stretch of the park

Empire State building from the High Line

View from the street

The end of the park for now

Plantings amongst the old tracks

A new apartment block facing the High Line

Artwork on the side of a building

Gardens By the Bay Mid Autumn celebrations

Gardens By the Bay is also celebrating the Mid Autumn festival with a colourful display in the Flower Dome  featuring plants with lantern type flowers such Fuchsias, Abutilons and Begonias. Throughout the display paper lanterns and even mooncake gift boxes are featured.
From this weekend the gardens will also have be lit up with elaborate lantern displays depicting mythical and legendary characters. The huge lanterns are throughout the gardens and will be lit up at night.

Large range of plants used in the display

The dragonfly hovering over the display

Dragonflies sculptures

Chinese motif on a light

Lanterns 

Mooncake gift boxes

Lanterns decorating the walkway

Chinese Drums

Abutilon flower ( Chinese Lantern )

The Mid Autumn display in the Flower Dome

The Mid Autumn display in the Flower Dome

Lantern feature in the Flower Dome

A "lantern" walkway

Lanterns  floating on the lake

This would spectacular when lit up at night

Lanterns  floating on the lake

Lanterns  floating on the lake