what's up at the whit?

High Line Park

On the 22^nd of July YI visited the High Line in West Chelsea. It was absolutely enticing. It was unlike any place I had been to before. I never in my life thought there could be a park in the sky! Before the High Line was a ravishing and aesthetically pleasing park, it was a railway used for transporting meat and other goods from upstate to Chelsea, where it would then be packaged and distributed to the rest of the city. In the 60’s they started building highways and people started using trucks to transport things as opposed to trains, causing the High Line to stop being used. The last train ran on the line in 1980s.

In the 80’s people wanted the High Line to be torn down and they were partially successful—part of the southern section was demolished. Then in 1999 Joshua David and Robert Hammond lobbied for the High Line to be recycled as an open public space. The High Line is a very extraordinary place in the sense that it is basically one of a kind. There is only one other place in the world, a park in Paris, that has something similar. The High Line was officially opened in June of 2009.

The High Line is a great place to just hang out with friends and family. It is an exquisite combination of architecture and landscaping. There is also a wonderful view of the Hudson River. It’s a great place to have a bench picnic with a loved one, take a stroll or catch a tan on the sun deck. Overall all the High Line is a unique and delightful place. I highly recommend going there. If you would like to learn more about this park please visit www.thehighline.org.

There is also a great piece of art that is currently at on the High LIne. It is by an artist named Spencer Finch; he worked with YI in the past. It is a very innovative piece. Finch photographed the hudson river for a day, and out of each photograph he chose a color and add and that is what makes up the window installation. For more information on Spencer Finch’s piece visithttp://blog.thehighline.org/2009/05/24/spencer-finch-piece-installed-on-the-high-line/.

We learned about something that I am sure some of us had never even fathomed was possible. I see the Highline as the future of recycling.  Usually, a place like that would have been demolished, and look at it now! It was a revealing and enjoyable day, and I definitely plan on going back.

-Shaniece F.