A day on the High Line
It’s been almost 40 years since a real train ran through the High Line in the West of Manhattan. Today, the former train tracks vibrate with a much different rhythm- the steps of thousands of visitors every day.
The railway system that was used until 1980 to transport food produce in the area was closed due to health hazards and abandoned. After gathering many architectural ideas on how to transform the infrastructure eyesore, in 2009 the first section of the new elevated park officially opened to the public (“History”). The rail trail has since transformed into a green urban utopia that combines art and nature in a perfect way. I recently visited the High Line on a sunny Saturday morning just after its 10th anniversary. As I walked, I wondered… what was it about that railroad-turned-park that made it so special?
1. The greenery
New York City is the proverbial concrete jungle. And while skyscrapers and imposing Gothic buildings indeed have their architectural allure, people often need a break from looking all that steel and concrete. The High Line park gives its visitors the perfect opportunity to enjoy the interesting juxtaposition of plants and building structures. The vast park boasts an incredible variety of plant species, most of which are specially selected to be low maintenance. The park has also adopted an impressive array of sustainable practices ensuring that the green space wastes as little electricity and water as possible (“Sustainable practices”).
2. The art
The High Line boasts an astonishing collection of modern and urban art installments. As an avid outdoor art enthusiast, I often find myself stopping to look at the creative and eclectic exhibits and read more about their creators, meaning, and purpose. A particularly grabbing and popular commission is En Plein Air featuring incredible outdoor artist creations with unusual materials — from Lubaina Himid’s silhouettes of women painted on wooden doors to Lara Schnitger’s constraints defying Sister of the Road pictured below (“En Plein Air,” 2019). There is something for every artistic taste.
3. The views
Perhaps the initial reason for the High Line’s unprecedented popularity, was that it gave its visitors the ability to look at New York from a different standpoint. Quite literally. The park offers elevated views of some of the most interesting spots in Manhattan, as well as several observation decks. The park’s newest section called The Spur, which opened this summer, features a large piazza and several observation balconies and decks overlooking 10th Avenue and the quintessential New York streets around.
4. The people watching
Part of the great experience of taking a long walk down the High Line is the ability to see New York in action. The elevated park’s winding path passes close by many interesting industrial buildings, busy studios, and outside working areas. Look to your left or right, and you may catch a glimpse of a fashion photoshoot happening at a nearby boutique during New York Fashion week or casually spot a busy New Yorker in their natural habitat.
5. Something for every age
The architects behind the High Line’s architecture truly put an effort to create a space where people of any age could enjoy a quality time. In order to make the park experience user-friendly for the youngest of visitors, the High Line has all sorts of family activities and projects. A summer’s crowd favorite is the Diller — von Furstenberg water installment, where children hopped around carefree and barefoot. In addition to fun activities, there are also regularly organized workshops where children can learn about the park’s eco-friendly structure (“Diller — von Furstenberg Sundeck & Water Feature,” 2016).
And these are only very few of the reasons why this park has become such a popular destination over the past decade. As I get off the High Line and head home I think how the area would have looked like if the railway had been completely demolished. The words of Willow Scott, a Fordham University student who visits the High Line in her spare time, echo in my head, “I like that instead of destroying it, they repurposed it”.
References:
En Plein Air. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.thehighline.org/art/projects/en-plein-air/.
History. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2019, from https://www.thehighline.org/history/.
Sustainable practices. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2019, from https://www.thehighline.org/sustainable-practices/.
The Spur. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.thehighline.org/design/spur/
