For years now, the big buzz in Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen has been all about the coming of the High Line, the first section of which finally and officially opened to the public in the summer of 2009. Now you can stroll, sit and picnic 30ft above the city below on what was, since the 1960s, an abandoned stretch of elevated railroad track. The perks thus far are numerous, and include stunning vistas of the Hudson River, public art installations, fat lounge chairs for soaking up some sun, willowy stretches of native-inspired landscaping (including a mini-forest of trees), a cupcake vendor and a thoroughly unique perspective on the neighborhood streets below – especially at the cool Gansevoort Overlook, where bleacher-like seating faces a huge pane of glass that allows you to view the traffic, buildings and pedestrians below as living works of urban art. There’s also Andre Balazs’ luxury hotel, the Standard (similar to his others in LA and Miami), which straddles the park, as well as a still-to-come branch of the Whitney Museum, which will reside at the southern end. The High Line is an especially romantic place to stroll on a balmy night, when you can see the lit-up city (and maybe even a star or two) sparkling all around you.