Page 84 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

82  NE W Y ORK CIT Y & THE MID-A TLANTIC REGION

a High Line
Map D4. Access at Gansevoort St,
14th St, 16th St, 18th St, and every
two or three blocks to 30th St.
Tel (212) 500-6035. q 23rd St,
14th St. Open 7am–11pm daily (until
7pm in winter). ∑ thehighline.org
A fantastic reconstruction of
what was once an elevated
railway track, this ambitious
urban renewal project links
Chelsea, Midtown, and the
Meatpacking District. The Appellate Court, said to be the world’s busiest courthouse, Madison Square
structure stands as an elevated
promenade and public park, d Flatiron Building f Madison Square
about 30 ft (9 m) in the air. Map D3. 175 5th Ave. q 23rd St. Map D3. q 23rd St.
Built between 1929 and 1934, Open office hours.
the railway line lay abandoned Quiet Madison Square opened
for a number of years before This unusual building, its shape in 1847 at the center of a
two locals created the conforming to a triangular fashionable residential district
organization ‘Friends of the plot of land, has intrigued where politican Theodore
High Line,’ in 1999. The aim of New Yorkers since it was built Roosevelt and writer Edith
the organization was to save by Chicago architect David Wharton were born. It was
the structure from demolition. Burnham in 1902. One of the bordered by the elegant Fifth
Today, the High Line offers first buildings to use a steel Avenue Hotel, the Madison
incredible views of the city, frame, it heralded the era Square Theater, and Stanford
and a variety of gardens to of the skyscrapers. White’s Madison Square
explore on route. The walk It soon became known as Garden. Nicely landscaped, this
offers a subtle water feature the Flatiron for its triangular statue-filled park borders some of
between 14th and 15th streets, shape, but some called it the city’s hottest restaurants, while
and an amphitheater with “Burnham’s folly,” predicting Shake Shack stands at its center.
cinematic views of Tenth that the winds created by the Just off Madison Square is the
Avenue. The last fraction of building’s shape would knock spectacular New York Life
the High Line curves around the it down. It has, however, Insurance Company building,
rail yards towards the river. withstood the test of time. designed in 1928 by Cass Gilbert
The track will transform The stretch of Fifth Avenue to of Woolworth Building fame
dramatically in the next few the south of the building is (see p79). One block south is the
years, as part of the Hudson referred to as “the Flatiron Appellate Division of the Supreme
Yards development project. District.” Across the street Court of the State of New York,
stands the huge Italian food a small marble palace designed
emporium, Eataly, packed by James Brown Lord in 1900.
s Union Square with restaurants, espresso bars, Considered to be the busiest
Map D4. q 14th St–Union Square. gelato, and a charming beer courthouse in the world, appeals
Greenmarket: 8am–6pm Mon, Wed, garden on its roof. relating to civil and criminal cases
Fri, Sat. for New York and the Bronx are
heard here. During the week, the
Opened in 1839, this park was public can admire the fine interior,
once the hangout for drug designed by the Herter brothers,
dealers and soapbox orators. including the courtroom when
Renovations have transformed it is not in session. Among
this area into a flourishing the celebrities whose appeals
section of Manhattan. A were settled here are Babe
green market fills the square, Ruth, Charlie Chaplin, Fred
where more than 200 farmers Astaire, Harry Houdini, Theodore
from all over New York State sell Dreiser, and Edgar Allan Poe.
fresh produce, including herbs, Also on the east side of
berries, vegetables, flowers, Madison Square is the 54-story
home-baked pastries, honey, Metropolitan Life Tower.
and woven yarns. The square Built in 1909, this was the
is also ringed by a wide variety world’s tallest building at that
of shops, from discount time, an appropriate corporate
department stores to Flatiron Building, New York’s most famous symbol for the largest insurance
gourmet supermarkets. early skyscraper company in the world.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp122–4 and pp125–7

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