It's been close to 10 years since I've walked the Highline. There's no reason for that other than I…read moredon't find myself spending significant time in this area that allows for a leisurely stroll. Normally I'm rushing to make my train or rushing to make my dinner reservation from the train to Chelsea or the Village, etc. I found myself with a couple hours free recently as I was in between classes at Peloton studios and it was early (for me) in the morning, around 9 am. It was pleasantly empty (not enough to feel unsafe or anything) and I thoroughly enjoyed my long walk throughout, admiring buildings, admiring graffiti on buildings, peeking into apartment buildings-- you get my drift-- it's so different from walking on regular sidewalks. But what makes it surreal is all the greenery that surrounds you, allowing for an almost sylvan experience in the middle of the urban jungle. Last time I walked it, there were no vendors and now there are, so you can grab a snack, coffee, smoothie etc along the way. Because I'm a lifelong New Yorker, I couldn't help but wonder if rats make their way up here but I tried to put it out of my mind. Guess I can search reviews for sightings!

Let's provide first a little bit of history and context to this unique NYC park experience. The…read moreHigh Line was originally an elevated freight rail line built in the 1930s to lift dangerous street-level train traffic (which had caused numerous pedestrian deaths) 30 feet above 10th Avenue. Trains carried meat, dairy, and produce until the 1960s decline; the last train ran in 1980, after which the structure sat abandoned. In 1999, local area residents started Friends of the High Line non-profit, dedicated to turning the freight rail into an elevated park-greenway, inspired by the Promenade Plantée in Paris. The resulting park's design and planning was carried out by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, along with Dutch planting designer Piet Oudolf. It opened in phases starting 2009. Over 210 plant species grew naturally on the tracks after trains stopped, and the design highlights this wild landscape with modern pathways and seating nestled into the greenery. The park features architectural elements like the Viewing Spur -- an observation area with bleacher-like seating -- plus seating areas and a rotating display of artworks by artists from around the globe. The High Line South (Gansevoort/Washington St.) ends at The Whitney Museum of American Art which was designed by Renzo Piano, and completed in 2015. The North (West 34th St.) ends at Hudson Yards, a mixed-use development, which includes an arts center, office park, luxury housing, and a high-end luxury mall. The trail is highly walkable, with alternating shadow and full sun areas, rest stops, and opportunities to admire not only the wild foliage and the art but also some exceptional buildings along the way, like the stunning Zaha Hadid's 520 West 28th Street building, celebrated for its unique, flowing curves, and other interesting landmarks. The day I was taking pictures was incredibly hot in NYC (around 100F)!

FUNNNNNN TIMESSSS Played beer pong and ping pong, chill…read morevibes all around. Great spot to hang with friends and just have fun.

With the understanding that I'm definitely not the target demo for this place, this could have been…read moreworse. I came here for a work event in honor of a colleague's last day (who I suspect is VERY much the target demo) a few Tuesdays ago. My understanding is that we booked a 6pm to 8pm time slot, featuring an open bar - a cheaper open bar with house spirits, which is certainly what I would have emphasized to whomever had to review the bill later - and...ping pong. K-Town is only a few blocks from where we work, but it's JUST far enough where I rarely walk through it, and it also wasn't a huge destination when I was in college further downtown a little over 20 years ago. Seems edgy from my walks, particularly some of the divey restaurants, but there's probably a reason this might have literally been my debut in the neighborhood. Like nearby Five Iron Golf (and I'm guessing a lot of businesses in this area), Space Ping Pong requires you to go into a generic building lobby and take an elevator up to the actual establishment. I really don't remember this being a thing in literally any other NYC neighborhood but I'm open to feedback. There were employees downstairs - I think more so on behalf of the building overall versus specific businesses - that managed the influx of people and got them quickly onto the elevator and ultimately their destination. It was very blue in there. Space has a definite arcade/Dave & Busters vibe but also a legit bar, so you're getting some edgy, dim lighting to match. I had to deal with potential NJ Transit drama (a day that ends in a y, am I right?) so i only stayed for about 45 minutes. In that time, I did enjoy two refreshing tequila/grapefruits from the open bar, as well as several informal ping pong matches. On the booze front, these weren't particularly strong, which I didn't really care about, especially since it was a Tuesday and I wasn't trying to get into too much mischief. They tasted pleasant enough, and given that a lot of the alcohol here in terms of both spirits and cocktails was very obviously geared toward barely legal young pups (the menu massively gave off Hoboken) it was a marginal win for me. There was a food menu as well that I heard mixed things about after the fact, but I didn't sample the wares so who can say? That also looked like pretty generic bar food for what it's worth. I imagine people are coming for the ping pong primarily, not the refreshments. The ping pong? Also fine. I would suggest that the areas where the ping pong tables are have at least slightly better lighting. I'm not going to claim that the dim party lights played a hand in my ping pong mediocrity, but it WAS a little tough to see some of the lines on the table (which I'm sure have sophisticated names I'm unaware of). Just slightly brighter - you don't need medical examiner room vibes or anything. Also similar to bowling and its equivalent bumpers on the sides, maybe something to more easily catch or capture the errant ping pong balls? They DO have an employee or two pretty regularly going around with this scooper/sucker thing (I think they have this in golf too) but we had a lot of instances of ping pong balls ending up under tables or rolling off somewhere into the abyss. Debatable though; that's arguably part of the game and I don't think anyone's experience here markedly suffered as a result of a stray ball, especially given that there were tons of available ones to grab when the need presented itself. I didn't mind this. All respect to Space Ping Pong, I'm probably hitting up one of the restaurants next time I'm in the area.

Sooo much fun! Friendly, accommodating staff. Lights and music made it a very bright, energetic and…read moremotivating experience. "Favoriting" this!

This reminds me so much of the Floor Is Lava game and is such a fun place for kids and adults…read morealike! They have 3 rooms to choose from depending on the difficulty level and the number of people in each group. We opted for Blue's Arena, which is best suited for 2-4 first-time players. There's a small locker area where you can store your belongings during the game. The hour we booked for was divided into 2 sessions. Each session features a different game with about 10-12 levels each. If you fail a level, no worries because you can always repeat it. You can also take a short break in between the sessions, which we definitely did because it was quite a good workout session.

Another happy camper here! This time, the experience is for my daughter, and she had a blast…read morelearning about sailing, wind patterns, knot-tying, and teamwork. Hudson River Community Sailing Camp provided her with not only fun on the water but also a valuable educational experience in navigating and controlling a boat. If any parents are considering whether to bring their kids to this camp during the summer, I highly recommend it. The staff are incredibly kind, patient, and professional, making sure each child feels confident and supported on and off the water. My daughter came home excited each day, proud of her new skills and friendships.

Highly recommend the intro to sailing course. Went out on a sailboat with Andrew and three other…read morebeginners. Andrew explained the basics and then we hit the water to practice. Andrew was great at making sure each attendee actively participated in the sail, including steering. I look forward to my next course with HRCS.

My friends and I came here for the batting cage. We made reservations ahead of time online and it…read moreas about $65 for 2 ppl for 30min. Kind of steep but the cage is all yours with unlimited balls. You can also not reserve and walk in and see if there are free cages. If you do the walk in then you can buy tokens which I think are about $3 for 10 pitches. I recommend doing the reservations so you don't have to worry about finding an empty cage. You can bring your own helmet, gloves, and bat or they have helmets and bats on site for you to borrow for free. There are 4 cages and they each have different ball speeds. We rented cage 1 which was the fastest one- (there are two modes; softball and baseball for each of the cages). I would recommend doing softball and working your way to baseball once you are comfortable. There are also other activities in the chelsea piers space such as the driving range, bowling, etc. So if you're done batting and want to do something else, there are plenty of choices.

My friends and I visited the batting cages at Chelsea Piers on a Saturday afternoon. It was my…read morefirst time ever at a batting cage, but instructions were easy to follow and I had fun! You can buy tokens at the front desk - it's $3 per token, and a token will give you ten pitches. There are four cages total, including ones that pitches faster balls. All but one cage for lefties were occupied at first. While righties had to wait a while, as a lefty I was able to start batting right away. You can choose either baseball or softball for each cage. Softball is thrown at slower speed than baseball. I started with softball and it was nice that I got used to getting balls thrown at me at slower speeds, then try baseball. It was difficult to switch between baseball and softball because I had to adjust my reaction time significantly. But the more I bat, the more I want to do better and spend more time. Yet the cost adds up quickly so we were counting the pitches closely to that we don't spend too much (actually, it was more like my friends were paying attention). If you don't feel like spending much for batting, you might as well buy a glove, a bat, and a ball, get some friends and pitch outside.

We have been sailing with Captain Eric for over a decade, and now bring our kids along on every…read moretrip. We all have a blast - adults relaxing and taking in the views and the kids "riding" the waves on the bow and yelping for joy. Captain Eric is always professional, prioritizes safety and comfort of his guests, and has a wealth of knowledge about the area and NY sites. I highly recommend booking a sail - you will have a great time!

A sail with Narwhal Yacht Charters is a truly spectacular experience. I've sailed with Captain Eric…read moremany times and he never disappoints. Most recently I took a private sail on my late husband's birthday. Captain Eric's boat was one of my husband's favorite places. The sail soothed my soul.

I was here recently for an industry cooking class focused on learning to make several Portuguese…read moredishes. We started off with cocktails and passed appetizers before breaking into teams and actually preparing the imwnu items we were having for dinner that evening. Unlike many other classes we actually prepared and ate our dishes. Great for team building whether for work or friends/family

I went here for a work event and had a really enjoyable time. We had about 20 people or so and we…read morewere divided into two groups, each making a Louisville salad, some olive tapenade chicken and a chocolate and orange trifle. This isn't an intense cooking class, just in case you're wondering but it really can't be because it's designed as a fun group activity. Therefore, everything is prepped really well and with basic kitchen skills you and your team can prepare the food. I did learn a good onion dicing technique that I used the next day. In any event, our supervising chef was Ryan and he was great. Really energetic and helpful. There was plenty of work to do for all of us and the time went by quickly. When it came time to eat, we were all very hungry. I thought all the food was delicious. I was surprised at how generous the portions were, especially the dessert. Of course that didn't stop me from eating the whole thing. This was a really nice group activity and the staff there do a great job of getting things done so the program moves along without feeling rushed. Definitely recommend this for a corporate event.

If I could give more than five stars, I would…read more This brunch cruise around Manhattan was not only the highlight of our time in New York City, but one of the most memorable travel experiences I have ever had. From the moment we stepped aboard the beautiful luxury yacht, everything was exceptional. The atmosphere was perfect, with classic Yacht Rock playing softly in the background as we set off to circumnavigate Manhattan, passing beneath twenty bridges and taking in breathtaking views around every corner. Every few minutes another iconic New York landmark appeared, and it genuinely felt like seeing the city for the first time all over again. The food was outstanding -- quite honestly the best food we enjoyed during our entire three-week trip through the United States. The smoked salmon, capers and cream cheese bagels were delicious, the fresh fruit platter was refreshing, and the pastries, banana bread, croissants and apple tea cake were all beautifully presented and incredibly fresh. The chicken and waffles were the perfect brunch dish and every course was thoughtfully prepared. A special thank you to the talented chefs whose attention to detail elevated what could have been a simple brunch into a truly memorable dining experience. Equally impressive was the service. Every member of staff we encountered was warm, welcoming, professional and genuinely passionate about ensuring guests had a wonderful experience. The hospitality was flawless from beginning to end. It is rare to encounter a team that delivers such consistently high standards while still making everything feel relaxed and effortless. What struck me most was the incredible quality of the entire experience. The yacht was immaculate, the food exceptional, the service outstanding and the views simply unforgettable. Standing on the bow with the Manhattan skyline surrounding us is a memory I will treasure for years to come. As visitors from Australia, this was our final activity before leaving New York, and it could not have been a more perfect way to conclude our trip. We arrived expecting a nice brunch cruise and left feeling genuinely grateful to everyone involved for creating such a special experience. Thank you to the crew, the chefs and the entire team for delivering excellence in every possible way. This is New York at its absolute best.

Definitely worthwhile for an afternoon adventure to see the incredible architecture and learn about…read morethe history! Our host organized a Manhattan architecture cruise tour for us on a gorgeous summer day. We all boarded the boat and peered out the large windows surrounding almost every section of the vessel. Our tour guide explained that while we would need to be seated for the beginning, we were welcome to head out the doors to the front once we were on our way, as the speakers would allow us to hear her narration from the outside. She was extremely knowledgeable and directed our attention with information and history as we moved through the waterways. A beverage is included on the tour, and they have a broad selection from still and sparking water to wines and beers. You can also bring your drinks outside. Most people didn't choose to come outside until later in the tour, so it was a great ride soaking up the sunshine with a breeze from the water. One of the highlights was definitely begin up close with the Statue of Liberty. There was plenty of time there for photos as we turned around before heading back. Getting to sail through the swing bridges was also pretty need. I definitely have a deeper understanding and appreciation for the architecture of the city, and we all had a really enjoyable afternoon!