How to Explore the High Line and Little Island Starting from Midtown

What’s the best route from Midtown to the High Line and Little Island?

Start at the top. Take the 7 train to 34th Street-Hudson Yards, the last stop on the line. You’ll exit into the Hudson Yards complex, and the High Line’s northernmost entrance at 34th Street is right there. No guessing, no wandering.

From this entrance, you walk south. The entire High Line runs from 34th Street down to Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District. Walking it top to bottom means you’re heading downtown, which keeps the sun at your back in the morning and puts you near Little Island, Chelsea Market, and the Whitney Museum at the end.

The route in order:

1. 34th Street entrance at Hudson Yards. Start here.
2. Walk south through the Hudson Yards Spur, which offers views of The Vessel and the Shed.
3. Continue past 30th Street and through the West Chelsea gallery district.
4. Pass the 23rd Street lawn and seating area, a good rest stop.
5. Cross over 14th Street with views down to the Meatpacking District.
6. Exit at Gansevoort Street, the southern terminus, steps from the Whitney Museum of American Art.
7. Walk two blocks west to Little Island at Pier 55.

Total walking time from Hudson Yards to Little Island: about 40 to 50 minutes at a comfortable pace with a few photo stops.

How do we walk from the High Line to Little Island and Pier 57?

This is easy. From the High Line’s southern end at Gansevoort Street, walk west toward the Hudson River. You’ll hit the Hudson River Greenway in about two minutes.

• Little Island (Pier 55): Turn right (south) on the Greenway. The entrance is at West 13th Street and the Hudson River. You’ll see the tulip-shaped concrete pillars from a distance. Walk time from the High Line exit: roughly 5 minutes.
• Pier 57 (Google’s building and the rooftop park): Turn left (north) on the Greenway. Pier 57 sits at West 15th Street. The rooftop park is free and open to the public, with some of the best unobstructed Hudson River views on the west side. Walk time from the High Line exit: about 4 minutes.

Both are free. Both are worth the detour.

What is the best way to experience the High Line and Chelsea Market in a single afternoon?

Block out three to four hours. Here’s the play:

• 12:00pm: Enter the High Line at 34th Street (Hudson Yards). Walk south.
• 12:30pm: Reach the Chelsea Market passage near 16th Street. The High Line passes directly over 10th Avenue here, and Chelsea Market is one block east between 15th and 16th Streets on 9th Avenue. Take the stairs or elevator down at 16th Street.
• 12:45pm to 1:30pm: Eat lunch at Chelsea Market. Hit Los Tacos No. 1 for tacos, The Lobster Place for seafood, or Mokbar for Korean ramen. Don’t overthink it; the lines move fast.
• 1:30pm: Return to the High Line at the 16th Street entrance and continue south.
• 2:00pm: Exit at Gansevoort Street. Walk to Little Island for the views and the amphitheater.
• 2:45pm: Optional stop at the Whitney Museum of American Art (open daily except Tuesday, tickets $30 adults, pay-what-you-wish Friday evenings 5pm to 10pm).

This route flows naturally downhill through the afternoon. No backtracking.

Which High Line entrances have elevator access?

Elevator-accessible entrances are at Gansevoort Street, 14th Street, 16th Street, 23rd Street, 30th Street, and 34th Street. The High Line itself is fully wheelchair accessible along its entire length.

Tips a local would actually tell you

• Go on a weekday. Weekend crowds between 14th and 23rd Streets can slow you to a shuffle. Tuesday through Thursday mornings are the sweet spot.
• The 10th Avenue Square (around 17th Street) has a viewing window that frames 10th Avenue traffic like a movie screen. Tourists walk right past it.
• Little Island’s amphitheater hosts free performances in spring and summer. Check their calendar before you go; shows are ticketed (free) and fill up.
• Sunset from Little Island is the real draw. If you time your walk to arrive around golden hour, you’ll see why this park exists.
• Water fountains are scattered along the High Line, but there are no food vendors on the path itself. Eat before or after, or duck into Chelsea Market midway.
• The Spur at 30th Street, the newer section near Hudson Yards, is the least crowded stretch and has rotating public art installations.

What are the best things to eat for lunch inside Chelsea Market?

Chelsea Market is a food hall, not a sit-down restaurant destination. The best approach: walk the full ground-floor corridor first, then commit.

• Los Tacos No. 1: Adobo pork and carne asada tacos. The line is always long. It’s always worth it.
• The Lobster Place: Raw bar and lobster rolls at the counter in the back.
• Mokbar: Korean rice cakes and ramen bowls.
• Doughnuttery: Mini sugared doughnuts for dessert. Get the tres leches flavor.
• Num Pang: Cambodian sandwiches, fast and filling.

Chelsea Market is open Monday through Saturday 7am to 9pm, Sunday 8am to 8pm. Individual vendor hours vary.