The Highline finally opened this past Monday. So today, Christine and I decided to walk off our brunch and take a peek.
After years of fundraising by ‘friends of the highline’, construction and landscaping, this new elevated park is here and I think it’s one of the greatest transformations of old-new york that’s ever been. It was originally built in the 1930’s as a solution to the accidents happening between street-level freight trains and traffic – so the city elevated the rail lines which carried freight from the ports down to the meatpacking district, spanning the distance from 34th street down to Gansevoort street. The highline was closed in 1980, but remained in the city, and many groups were formed lobbying for it’s demolition. Not until 1999, did a group called Friends of the Highline form, advocates for its preservation. It gathered momentum, celebrity and philanthropist support, and conducted countless fundraisers.
Through 2003 and 2004, competitions for the design and landscape of the Highline were introduced to the design world, and the talents came out in droves. The winners were the Diller, Scofidio + Renfro team along with the James Corner Field Operations firm…and their work was finally unveiled this week. The section open now is just from Gansevoort to 20th Street, with the next section – extending up to 30th street – opening in Fall 2010.
I found it to be at a fun height – an odd perspective of the city and that neighborhood to have, that you’ve never had. And a fun path as well…you’re weaved thru the buildings, and in the case of The Standard hotel, you’re weaved under the building. The landscaping was entertaining as well, with the original rail preserved and a walkway with sort of tapered concrete planks allowing the plant growth to creep up them. Plants chosen were ones with a diversity in bloom schedule so that there are naturally, constantly changing colors and textures throughout the seasons – and includes over 100 species of plants inspired by the wild seeded landscape left over after the trains stopped running.
A cool inclusion is this sort of amphitheater seating area, suspended over 10th avenue, with this glass wall where you can look out onto the street and the cars coming out from under you.
It’s a refreshing jolt of modern design and greenery into a gritty area – and it’s nice to see lemonade be made out of an old lemon like the highline. All should visit for a stroll.
