The High Line
I made my inaugural trip up to the High Line on the west side of New York City last Saturday night. I'd like to return around sunset some time in early fall. This elevated-railroad-turned-urban-greenspace is a place like none other. Its creators thoughtfully populated the natural contours of the railroad bed with native flora and constructed spaces for casual relaxation beside the promenade using the remnant rails and slatted wood.
In addition to its artistic attention to detail, the High Line seems to embody the uniquely New York desire to occupy a place in a new way, to adjust perception in favor of something timely and almost obnoxiously chic. I have a feeling that over time, the high line may lose some of its trendy appeal, but it will likely continue to be a perfect "date spot," a catalyst for the spark of romance kindled in a public promenade where conversation bubbles up from the intersection between old and new, natural and artifical, maintenance and ruin...
I also realize that my comments only reflect the open Gansevort-to-Chelsea section. The rest of the High Line will feature a wildflower field as well as a view out to unaltered rail tracks, so I think that it might feel less like a landscaped construction and more like a landscape...
In addition to its artistic attention to detail, the High Line seems to embody the uniquely New York desire to occupy a place in a new way, to adjust perception in favor of something timely and almost obnoxiously chic. I have a feeling that over time, the high line may lose some of its trendy appeal, but it will likely continue to be a perfect "date spot," a catalyst for the spark of romance kindled in a public promenade where conversation bubbles up from the intersection between old and new, natural and artifical, maintenance and ruin...
I also realize that my comments only reflect the open Gansevort-to-Chelsea section. The rest of the High Line will feature a wildflower field as well as a view out to unaltered rail tracks, so I think that it might feel less like a landscaped construction and more like a landscape...
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