HomeHigh Line (square pics)
28. Jul, 2010 
9 Comments
My flight from Chicago to New York yesterday morning was inexpensive, punctual and quick, clocking in at just over an hour and a half. So far I’m having a fantastic trip. I checked into a great little hotel (more on that later), worked for a couple of hours and met a longtime friend, Matt, for dinner at a cheap but tasty burger joint in the Village. Not to mention that I finally took a walk on the High Line, which had yet to open to the public when I visited last year. Originally built in the 1934 as an elevated train line to shuttle cattle to and from the Meatpacking District, the structure was closed down in 1980, eventually sprouting vegetation and taking on a more rural feel. The abandoned tracks began to attract people who climbed the structure to hang out in the wild paradise. Lovers of the High Line began gathering support and lobbying to have it declared it an official park, and against all odds, they were successful. According to the High Line website, when all the sections are finished, the elevated park will be a mile-and-a-half-long and accessible from various points in the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Hells Kitchen / Clinton. So far, so good. The views – the city to one side and the docks to the other – are spectacular. Where else can you smell the ocean while brushing your hand over a field of cattails with New York City’s spectacular architecture in the background? A middle-aged gentleman who had just emigrated from Haiti approached me after noticing that I was taking as many photos as he was. “It so peaceful here,” he said. Click here for more information about the High Line.
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Photos taken with iPhone Hipstamatic app.
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Awesome photos! Can’t wait to hear more.
Hi,
I did a post on the High Line back in December when we visited NYC and stayed at the Standard. I love it. Love it. Thoroughly enjoyed revisiting through your fabulous photos. Thank you. It is an amazing place.
Susan
Just arrived myself to NYC. Great post Tate, I have to go see!
Thx
Debra
OMG!!! WTF!!! – I’m not 13 but I felt like it when I saw this post. I wanted to scream like a little girl (or boy), at how amazing, beautiful and rich your photos/colors are. Every shot captured this gritty beauty you find in NY in the summer.
And High Line- what an amazing concept. I had heard of it but didn’t think it could be that great. I’m dying to go now. Great post- and I can’t wait to see what else happens in NYC.
Tate, this is really cool! I can’t wait to see it.
Love those pictures, Hipstarmatic is such a fun app. This is the first time I’ve actually seen pictures of the high line that weren’t from a street view. I’ll definitely need to check it out the next time I go to NYC.
How wonderful to see a city as unabashedly grey as New York finally embracing its green heart beyond Central Park! Time to brag… Toronto has had an elevated walkway like this (about the same length) over a few of its main streets north of downtown for over 15 years… It runs along a defunct freight rail line. From parts of it you can see Lake Ontario.
Oh, please allow me to add – terrific photos. You can feel the wind blowing across some parts of the High Line in these pix.
Thanks Carol. I’ve imagined the High Line for so long that I couldn’t take enough photos. It’s a fantastic addition to New York, and I’ll make a note to check out Toronto’s if I ever visit.
Debra, did you have a good trip?