Friday, August 17, 2012

Nancy on the High Line

The High Line New York City July 2012

The High Line New York City July 2012

The High Line New York City July 2012

The High Line New York City July 2012

The High Line New York City July 2012

After a brief rain shower on Sunday, I walked the High Line in New York City. The plants were lush and vibrant and the landscapes changed every few hundred feet. People were strolling casually, taking in all the sights and sounds, or leisurely relaxing on the reclining seats or benches along the way. Some Japanese youth were dancing on the lawn. The views of the city were magnificent, coupled with the beautiful landscape architecture of the High Line. I intuitively slowed my pace and took it all in.  It is an amazing urban garden.

That description & all of the photos were sent to me by my friend Nancy while she was still on vacation in New York City on July 31, 2012.  It was all so wonderful that I asked her permission to post it to this blog.  The High Line is probably the most renowned recent landscape project in the world & I haven't seen it for myself.  

If you don't know the story, here is a brief history from the High Line websiteThe High Line was built in the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan's largest industrial district. No trains have run on the High Line since 1980. Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line works in partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park. Section 1 (Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street) opened to the public in June 2009. Section 2 (West 20th Street to West 30th Street) opened in June 2011.

1 comment:

Alistair said...

Just brilliant Jordan, and thanks Nancy you have given me another reason for taking a trip to New York.