Is it hot at The High Line?

Walking the High Line in summer: an elevated park with patchy shade

The High Line is a linear park built on an old rail viaduct above Manhattan's West Side, and walking it in July is a mostly sunlit affair. The path runs long and narrow, open to the sky for much of its length, with plantings and the occasional structure breaking the light rather than a continuous canopy. On a summer afternoon, when highs in this part of New York run about 89°F, the elevated walkway can feel a good deal warmer than the shaded streets below it.

The sun along the line

In high summer the sun rises around 5:37 AM and sets near 8:26 PM. By 3 PM it stands 58 degrees up and sits to the west-southwest at about a 241-degree bearing, high enough that the open sections of the path take it directly. Because the park sits above the street on a viaduct, it catches full sun where a sidewalk down below would be shaded by the buildings around it. The relief comes where the route passes close to tall buildings: as the afternoon sun swings west-southwest, the towers along the west and south sides throw shade across the path, and those stretches are noticeably cooler.

Where the shade lands

• The passages that run beside or beneath tall buildings are the reliable shade; the open, planted stretches are the hot spots.
• Any covered seating areas or the wooded, densely planted sections give more relief than the open lawns and benches.
• As the sun drops toward the west in the evening, more of the path falls into building shadow, and the walk cools down.

The middle of the day, with the sun high and to the south, is when the open sections are most exposed and the shade is thinnest.

Timing and heat

At close to 89°F on an exposed elevated deck, a summer midday walk earns some care. There is limited shade to rest in, and the crowds on a warm afternoon can slow you to a shuffle in full sun. Come early, when the eastern buildings still shade parts of the path and the air is cooler, or walk it in the evening as the low sun throws long shadows and the temperature eases. Carry water and wear a hat; the park's beauty is real, but so is its exposure. For a busy midday, plan your entry and exit points around the shaded, building-lined stretches.

To see how the surrounding towers shade the path at your planned hour, check the satellite shadow view before you go up.