New York City's High Line
June 25, 2008 11:16 AM Subscribe
Design plans for the much talked about High Line in NYC were unveiled today. It has been hotly anticipated as one of the most distinctive public projects in generations.
Well I'm still foolishly waiting for the 2nd ave subway (apparently to become the "T" line). Hopefully before I die.
posted by aletheia at 11:29 AM on June 25, 2008
posted by aletheia at 11:29 AM on June 25, 2008
Just wait until the cyclists decide to take it over.
posted by blue_beetle at 11:30 AM on June 25, 2008
posted by blue_beetle at 11:30 AM on June 25, 2008
wow. it looks beautiful. i can't wait to see it in person.
posted by mikearauz at 11:32 AM on June 25, 2008
posted by mikearauz at 11:32 AM on June 25, 2008
I'm a big fan of long and skinny parks. I love Boston's Southwest Corridor; it not only provides convenient greenspace to a huge number of people, it's a vastly more pleasant way to go between downtown, Back Bay and Jamaica Plain.
The High Line looks like a great idea, but it's quite a narrow space; in some of the "mixed use" area drawings you can barely fit three people abreast on the path. The balance between park and pedestrian walkway becomes very tricky when you only have 30-60 feet to work with.
posted by xthlc at 11:35 AM on June 25, 2008
The High Line looks like a great idea, but it's quite a narrow space; in some of the "mixed use" area drawings you can barely fit three people abreast on the path. The balance between park and pedestrian walkway becomes very tricky when you only have 30-60 feet to work with.
posted by xthlc at 11:35 AM on June 25, 2008
Traveling along the high line on foot before it was converted is one of my favorite-- and strangest-- memories in this city. Sneaking through Port Authority backlots, crawling through weeds, discovering weird sculptures and ruins under the moonlight, electing to scramble down to the roof of a convenience store to keep from having to walk back the whole way. It was unreal. I'm excited for the development and have even participated in fundraising for it, but I haven't gone back to check out what's happening. I think I prefer to keep my initial memories intact for as long as I possibly can.
posted by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST] at 11:37 AM on June 25, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by [NOT HERMITOSIS-IST] at 11:37 AM on June 25, 2008 [2 favorites]
Also, if the planners have any sense at all, anything with wheels that is not a wheelchair will be banned banned banned.
posted by xthlc at 11:38 AM on June 25, 2008
posted by xthlc at 11:38 AM on June 25, 2008
Yay park!
I agree, it will be difficult to get bikes in there happily...
posted by Mister_A at 11:45 AM on June 25, 2008
I agree, it will be difficult to get bikes in there happily...
posted by Mister_A at 11:45 AM on June 25, 2008
I can't see any reason to allow bikes or blading...the West Side Highway bike path is only a block away. It also doesn't really sound like any of the ramps they're putting in are designed to accomodate bicycles.
For that matter, there are dog runs over there too, so I wonder if they're planning on allowing people to bring their dogs up there. I would think that might be an issue given how narrow the space is (as xthlc mentioned).
posted by JaredSeth at 11:57 AM on June 25, 2008
For that matter, there are dog runs over there too, so I wonder if they're planning on allowing people to bring their dogs up there. I would think that might be an issue given how narrow the space is (as xthlc mentioned).
posted by JaredSeth at 11:57 AM on June 25, 2008
No bikes, no skates, no jogging. It's a slow park. Yay!
posted by Mr. Ugh at 11:58 AM on June 25, 2008
posted by Mr. Ugh at 11:58 AM on June 25, 2008
As an avid cyclist, I say "hoo-ray" to the no bikes rule. There isn't enough room sometimes for bikes and pedestrians. As far as rollerbladers go, there isn't enough room on earth for me to co-exist peacefully with them. [INELUCTABLY ROLLERBLADERIST]
posted by Mister_A at 12:09 PM on June 25, 2008
posted by Mister_A at 12:09 PM on June 25, 2008
I'm a big fan of long and skinny parks.
Rails to trails
posted by stbalbach at 12:16 PM on June 25, 2008
Rails to trails
posted by stbalbach at 12:16 PM on June 25, 2008
When I saw this linked I kept thinking "Where have I read about this before?" Then I remembered that it was seven (!) years ago in the New Yorker. The plans are incredible!
posted by hecho de la basura at 12:17 PM on June 25, 2008
posted by hecho de la basura at 12:17 PM on June 25, 2008
This would have totally ruined the ending to Batman Begins.
posted by ericbop at 12:30 PM on June 25, 2008
posted by ericbop at 12:30 PM on June 25, 2008
I'm a big fan of long and skinny parks. I love Boston's Southwest Corridor...
Also, Boston's new Rose Kennedy Greenway* is a welcome reclamation of the land where the old, ugly Central Artery once stood, having previously divided downtown from the waterfront.
posted by ericb at 12:35 PM on June 25, 2008
Also, Boston's new Rose Kennedy Greenway* is a welcome reclamation of the land where the old, ugly Central Artery once stood, having previously divided downtown from the waterfront.
posted by ericb at 12:35 PM on June 25, 2008
I just moved two blocks away from the High Line, and I am so excited. I remember about 5 years ago the city asked a bunch of urban planners/ artists/ designers to submit their pie-in-the-sky conceptualizations for the space. I most noticeably remember one that reinvented the High Line as a lap pool, and another that utilized the rails to transport some sort of moveable cafe/shop thing. But I can see the influence of these plans trickling into the current design (like the little wading stream/walk).
Oh, and if you want to see some footage of the "raw" High Line circa 1992 you can check it out in this Dana Dawson video at the 1:16 mark (and it's probably best if you just skip the first minute anyway). A friend of mine worked on this video and they had sneak up there to get the footage.
posted by kimdog at 12:54 PM on June 25, 2008
Oh, and if you want to see some footage of the "raw" High Line circa 1992 you can check it out in this Dana Dawson video at the 1:16 mark (and it's probably best if you just skip the first minute anyway). A friend of mine worked on this video and they had sneak up there to get the footage.
posted by kimdog at 12:54 PM on June 25, 2008
I remember about 5 years ago the city asked a bunch of urban planners/ artists/ designers to submit their pie-in-the-sky conceptualizations for the space....
High Line Design Competition -- 720 entries from 36 countries.
posted by ericb at 1:02 PM on June 25, 2008
High Line Design Competition -- 720 entries from 36 countries.
posted by ericb at 1:02 PM on June 25, 2008
High Line as a lap pool...
In This Pool, a Single Lap Is a Workout .
posted by ericb at 1:04 PM on June 25, 2008
In This Pool, a Single Lap Is a Workout .
posted by ericb at 1:04 PM on June 25, 2008
Ha ha ha, fuck the east side! West side forever!
[this is cool]
posted by Eideteker at 3:18 PM on June 25, 2008
[this is cool]
posted by Eideteker at 3:18 PM on June 25, 2008
If you were feeling dejavu that you had seen designs for this already: these are just the final (no really!) designs. Since the first phase is supposed to be finished by the end of the year, and it's been under contruction for a while, the initial release of the designs was a while ago.
posted by smackfu at 4:22 PM on June 25, 2008
posted by smackfu at 4:22 PM on June 25, 2008
I love the bike hate. They should ban pedestrians, too. Let that elevated rail return to nature.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:54 PM on June 25, 2008
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:54 PM on June 25, 2008
Umm. I might know of one or two MeFites who decided to hike the highline one recent early Sunday morning. Maybe.
posted by allkindsoftime at 1:16 AM on June 26, 2008
posted by allkindsoftime at 1:16 AM on June 26, 2008
Interesting - the Bloomingdale Trail folks here in Chicago seem to be very pro-bike, so I wonder how the High Line's design choices will affect them.
posted by sachinag at 7:57 PM on June 26, 2008
posted by sachinag at 7:57 PM on June 26, 2008
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posted by shmegegge at 11:24 AM on June 25, 2008