Last Tuesday it was time for the opening of the High Line, the elevated rail line from the 1930s that hasn't had any traffic for almost 30 years, but now has been turned into a beautiful park area.

In 1999 two men decided to not let the old train tracks just go to waste. They started the group "Friends of the High Line" and all the hard work of many people has finally paid off with the opening of the park. One of the challenges has been to keep the tracks just where they were, but at the same time make it into a pleasurable promenade with green plants, nice seating areas and interesting views to enjoy.

It's a pretty unique idea to make an elevated park in this way and it's a completely new perspective in which to view the city of New York. You look down on the streets and are at the same level as some of the buildings – and there is much interesting architecture in the areas you pass, the Meat Packing District and Chelsea.

Now in the beginning you can only enter the park from Gansevoort Street, south of 14th Street between 9th and 10th Avenue. The walk stretches up to 20th Street, but next year the plan is to open the next section to 30th Street. The park is open between 7 am and 10 pm and it's free of charge.