The date is Wednesday, February 10^th, 2016. The time is 12:30 PM. The group that I traveled to Chelsea Market with includes Robin, Mitch, and Sandy. We have arrived early because we have a class immediately following normal seminar hours. The weather is a wintery 37 degrees Fahrenheit, with a wind-chill bringing temperatures below freezing. It was a big mistake forgetting my warm winter hat at home that day. We start our exploration at the Chelsea Market Passageway. The first thing I notice is the lack of outside food businesses that are open. People who were eating, were huddled inside, trying to stay warm. My stomach is growling. During the previous semester, my Arts in the New York City Seminar class took a trip to the Highline in September. I remember seeing a plethora of food carts and outdoor restaurants near the Chelsea Market area. Now it appeared that most, if not all, outdoor food business was dead in this cold weather. Apparently, I was not the only one concerned with food, while walking on the Highline. I overheard at least three couples discussing food. I was only able to hear the details of one of the conversations which went something along the lines of: “We should totally go to Smashburger!!!” Smashburger happens to be one of my favorite burger restaurants.

One other aspect of the Highline that also grabbed my attention instantly was the lack of colorful plant life. In September, I remembered seeing the entire elevated section covered with greenery and colorful flowers. However, glacial weather conditions such as todays, promoted   death of plant life. All that was left was either the bare soil or the black and grey husks of grass on the ground and old leaves on the shrubs and trees. At many points during the trip the scenery looked depressing because of the obvious suffering of plant life.

Among the Chelsea Thicket, where much of the plants used to be, one could walk on the tracks that used to be part of a working railway, now clearly visible, due to the bare surroundings. The image of the cold steel of the tracks was yet another reminder of the frigid weather. I took off one of my gloves to feel the metal. Icy does not even come close to describing the sensation I felt when I touched it. The combination of blowing arctic winds and below freezing temperature of the solid metal made me feel like I would get instant frostbite. I moved my hand away swiftly. I followed the path of the tracks (with my gloves on) to a piece of artwork called “Panorama: My Mom Drinks Pepsi II” by Kaari Upson. This particular sculpture fascinated me on my previous trip with it’s intricate 3D geometric design. I appreciated how complex the figure was despite its simple Pepsi can building blocks. This time, however, the sculpture was completely devoid of color. The cans seemed as if they were covered by a grey dust, masking their true identities during the brutal winter conditions.

In comparison to the September trip, this trip did not have nearly as many visitors who usually take leisurely strolls along the pathway. Most of the people were hurrying across the Highline, rather than taking their time to enjoy the view and appreciate the artwork.

Walking further along the elevated platform, near 26^th street, I had an up close view of the numerous skyscrapers that were under construction. This was one aspect of the highline that did not change between the two trips I have taken. Even though both times I saw men and women working hard on the construction site during both trips, I did not see any noticeable change or progress in the production. This section of the Highline was filled with noises of operating cranes, construction hammers, and drills. Occasionally, I heard the workers yelling instructions to one another. The smell was also a very prominent factor. There were two distinct smells that I picked up. The first aroma was that of freshly cut wood. I don’t know why, but I found this smell to be particularly appealing. It felt fresh and crisp in the cold air. Unfortunately, this smell was occasionally permeated by a pungent odor that could best be described as pollution. The smell may have been coming from the tools being used by the workers or it was the result of an increasing number of cars and delivery trucks as this part of the Highline was gradually approaching Penn Station and Times Square. The neighborhood surrounding the Highline was mostly composed of commercial buildings which looked unclean and appeared to add to the image of pollution. The stench was much worse than that of any gas station I had ever been to. Despite the noisy conditions and overpowering scents, this view of urban life was strangely aesthetically pleasing. Usually, construction is not viewed as something enjoyable or particularly appealing to look at. However, the plethora of building materials, tools, and people at work was interesting to watch. I found the image of an attempt at progress and hard working people to be picturesque.

I was disappointed to find out that the final portion of the Highline had been closed off. As a result, my group exited the Highline at the 10^th Avenue and 28^th Street staircase. We walked alongside the highline, underneath all of the construction, to 34^th street and 11^th Avenue.  Here the Highline descends gradually to street level. It runs over the rail yard where many Long Island Railroad, Amtrak, and New Jersey Transit trains are stored. It looked like a graveyard, especially in the winter. When I crossed this part of the Highline during my previous trip, it was beautiful to look at because there were several different views colliding with one another. On the right, there was the remainder of the skyscraper construction that was occurring, in the center, there were the dozens of trains stored on multiple tracks, and finally, on the left, there was a breathtaking view of the Hudson River. The combination of these images ideally exemplified the energetic and dynamic life of New York City for me. In the city, particularly in Manhattan, there is a constant feeling of excitement and never ending activity. This heterogeneous mixing of views from this particular point on the Highline proved to be an exhilarating way of finishing off the Highline trip.