MNN - Mother Nature Network

Last weekend my family and I hopped the train to New York City with a plan. We were going to walk the High Line, a portion of train tracks (that haven’t seen trains since 1980) 30 feet above the city that have been transformed into a sustainable park. After that, we mapped out some specific sustainable food spots where we wanted to stop in lower Manhattan, and figured out how to get to each by subway.

 

We were pleased to find that our sustainable treat adventure began on the High Line. What I didn’t know was that all the food vendors sell food that is, according to the website, “good for the people eating the food, good for those who grow it, and good for the land.” The food and drinks we found there were locally and seasonally sourced, and really tasty.

 

We started at the People’s Pops cart that serves fresh, locally sourced fruit ice pops and shaved ice. They use locally grown fruit and herbs to create their hand-made ice pops and the syrups they pour over the shaved ice. My husband (pictured above) had a peaches and cream pop with fresh chunks of peaches in it. I took a bite; it was delicious. Our boys each had shaved ice, one lemon and one red plumb. The ice was shaved from a big block of ice right in front of us, and the flavors were fresh and fruity.

 

I chose to go to the L’Arte del Gelato cart across from the People’s Pops cart and get a hazelnut gelato. It was really good. The gelato is made fresh daily with milk from a New York creamery.

 

From The Taco Truck we bought a fresh watermelon slushie, refreshing and delicious, served in a compostable cup made from plants.

 

Cold treats aren’t the only thing you can get on the High Line. The Taco Truck sells tacos (obviously). You can get locally made hot dogs, organic coffee, fresh salads, sandwiches, artisanal wines and beers from New York and more.

 

The High Line itself is a lovely one-mile walk. It’s a bit like a boardwalk high in the city sky, with parts of it planted with lush vegetation. There are plenty of benches along the way to stop and rest on, and on the Sunday morning we were there, many people were camped out on the benches enjoying coffee and the Sunday paper. You’ll get views of the city that you won’t get from anywhere else.

 

When we left the High Line, we got on the subway and hit a few more food spots, but they’re a subject for another time.

 

Have you had the pleasure of walking New York City’s High Line? 

 

Related High Line story on MNN: Improbably journey: The story of New York's High Line