New Yorkers soak up the sun on High Line park, nearly empty at its reopening

A woman walks on a pathway painted with social distancing circles on the elevated High Line Park in Manhattan on the first day of the park's re-opening following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City, New York, U.S., July 16, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A few dozen New Yorkers wandered through Manhattan's elevated High Line Park on Thursday, marvelling at the lush gardens, city views and lack of crowds as it reopened with limited capacity after a four-month shutdown due to COVID-19.

The park, a 1.5-mile (2.3-km) strip of green built on an old elevated railroad that runs along Manhattan's West Side, was one of few city parks to close in March, in part because it was too narrow to permit proper social distancing, the Board of Directors said in a statement.