Postcard from... New York

By Katrin Schönig:

It is late autumn. The smell of thyme is in the air and I can feel the sun burning in my face. My eyes are watering from all the dust while the rhythmic sound of sledge hammer is my constant companion.

I am walking along the Highline in New York.

I expected to be able to escape the city but I am right in the middle of it. Many people are walking with me; kids following their teachers while chatting away; tourists taking more pictures than they will ever look at; student sketching;  bankers in their suits looking for a bench for their lunch; a few, the crazy ones, are even jogging.

We are all following the old railway line. On the left many empty trains wait to be taken out of the yard, while on the right a lonely standup paddleboarder is fighting the waves of the Hudson river. Our steps take us between skyscrapers and massive building blocks, surrounded by the different colours of autumn as we cross busy intersections. Gardeners are tending the green while young sportsmen are doing a photoshoot.

It is just like New York. Busy. Beautiful. A different world.