Guest Post : Day Trip to the High Line and Other Things

Here is a new post by our NYC insider, Danielle Kaye. She enjoyed some fresh air, gravitating few meters above the ground, on one of my favorite spot in Manhattan : The High Line. She brought us some great pictures,and introduce us to the work of the Israeli artist Uri Aran. Another post proving that art is definitely everywhere.

Last weekend, I headed over to the High Line to see some sunny aerial views and sculptures on a beautiful Saturday in the city. The “High Line” is a 1.6 km elevated public walking path built upon the former elevated New York Central Railroad tracks, or West Side Line. The High Line was redesigned as an aerial path and “hang” space, along which you can find tourists, photographers, sculptures, tanorexics, other art installations, live music, clowns, dogs and even small children. It was inspired by a similar project in Paris, called “La coulée verte”.

New York City’s own project was proposed in 1999 by the non-profit Friends of The High Line and supported by Mayor Bloomberg. Eventually, construction took way in 2006, with a team including architects Diller Scaffidio & Renfro, and major backers include esteemed fashion designer Diane von Furstenburg and hotel developer Andre Balazs, (Chateau Marmont, Standard Hotel). Upon entering and throughout, the High Line is quite impressive. I felt as though I was floating high above the typical noise; I was surrounded by an oasis of beautiful plants, shrubbery, gardens and cityscapes. It all seemed juxtaposed carefully against the backdrop of concrete, factories, steel and sky.

Renewal. A theme not only for the city but for the spring. It felt good to be out and about, viewing the city for what it is. Colossal, surprising, layered, promisingly creative, undeniably industrial. It was then and there I remembered the possibility for human improvement, as evident in the High Line. Striving toward making a better environment for a city full of people tired from the concrete and the underground. The High Line is a breath of fresh air, a public escape from the cliches of other city parks, a space more free than the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The High Line carved itself a niche in modern dwelling; making one city’s trash the same city’s treasure. Take a walk over and enjoy, slowly.

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