Stop 1: James Farley post office on 34th St. to check out a shoot for a Law & Order SVU episode. Unfortunately they were doing all the shots inside and after a failed attempt at infiltrating the building and about an hour stalking around trying to catch a glimpse of Benson, Stabler... or Ice T, I moved on.
Stop 2: The High Line garden. This was once an elevated railway line through the lower west side of Manhattan, delivering food throughout the area. Last year it was transformed into a public park with stairs at various points along the way.
The High Line was built in the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan's largest industrial district. No trains have run on the High Line since 1980. Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line works in partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park. More
Stop 3: Orchard Beach and City Island, Bronx. I took the 6 train all the way to the end of the line, Pelham Bay Park. I then jumped on a bus which took me about 1/2 the way to Orchard Beach which is closed if it's not Summer or a weekend. I walked the remaining mile or so which was well worth it. The beach was massive and the sand was clean and white. There were a few swimmers and fishermen about but it was deserted for the most part.
I walked on to the small bridge that connected City Island to the mainland and walked around checking out a few of the docks and lobster shacks. I found a bar that had some cuisine more in my price range and sat down for a late lunch... Philly Cheese & onion rings.
Stop 4: Long Island City. I got the train all the way back to midtown and then over the East River to Long Island City just in time for the sunset. I sat there for over an hour shooting a pretty nice time lapse of the skyline including the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building.
