What is a New York minute? It’s the ability to fit more than you ever imagined, into every nanosecond. As a visitor to the Big Apple, this means taking super-fast elevators at the Empire State Building that make your ears pop. From the building’s top deck, you get a bird’s-eye view of the bright lights and distinct skyline. Or you could find yourself being elbowed as you get off the 42nd street subway and onto Times Square. Here you’ll find buskers performing hip-hop; street artists dressed as Lady Liberty, while colourful window displays beckon. And no visitor can afford to miss the nightlife. Squeeze into any club on the weekend and chances are you’ll feel the techno-beats course through your body. There’s a fast-paced energy that makes you feel alive as soon as you set foot in this city.
But where do New Yorkers go for downtime? To the High Line. Because it’s surreal to stand in a park, 30 ft above the ground. Unlike the Empire State Building, here I wasn’t disconnected; I could hear the sirens and horns that define NYC, yet they were muted. It was like experiencing the city in slow-motion. What made the space even more unbelievable were the rail tracks you can walk on, and the wildflowers that grow between the metal cracks. I soon learned from Tyler, my guide from Free Tours by Foot, that the story behind this park in Chelsea (a spunky neighbourhood in Manhattan) is just as fascinating. For one: this sanctuary was fashioned out of a defunct elevated railway line. Two: ordinary locals took on the government and made this miracle a reality.
It began in the early 1900s when Gotham, a bustling industrial hub, felt the need for a railway line to carry food from warehouses in this area, aka the Meatpacking District, to the West Side. Unfortunately, this proved a death-wish. With cars, carriages, and trains all occupying the same space, accidents were common. Soon, the busy stretch of 10th Avenue came to be dreaded as ‘Death Avenue’. The New York Central Railroad then came up with a dramatic solution: The West Side cowboys — rugged men on horseback who waved a red flag to signal the arrival of trains. But in just a few years, city planner Robert Moses was ready with a different solution. In 1934, an elevated railway line was created to speed above the traffic. It proved a major hit, as trains pulled right into warehouses such as that of the former National Biscuit Company, today known as Chelsea Market.
Sometime in the ’70s, trucks replaced the freight-trains and the last choo-choo trundled over the High Line in 1980, carrying three carloads of frozen turkey. Down the decades, the pioneering line was forgotten. It fell into ruin and became a haunt for the homeless, drug addicts, and criminals. In the ’90s, locals backed by then Mayor Rudolph Giuliani decidedto have it torn down. A providential encounter helped avert the near-certain demolition. At a community meeting held to decide the fate of the Line, two locals who happened to sit next to each other found they shared a desire to preserve this piece of history, and turn it into a public space.
Freelance writer Joshua David and artist Robert Hammond then approached Chelsea-based fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, who hired photographers to click the derelict line through the four seasons. Lo and behold! New Yorkers witnessed a miracle on the tracks: a field of wildflowers, the pink bloom of redbuds, the green of sedges, brown of shrubs, and birds chirping right over Manhattan. It was the impossible: a patch of country in the city. The pictures were spectacular and the locals had an instant change of heart.
A design competition was held, attracting notables such as Zaha Hadid (who died in March 2016) and Steven Holl. The proposals were aplenty: How about turning it into the longest swimming-pool in NYC? Or build a roller coaster on the elevation? The simplest idea appealed. The winning blueprint came from landscape architect James Corner of Field Operations, the architecture firm of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, with Piet Oudolf as planting designer.
As I catch my first glimpse of the garden, it wins me over too. The journey to the top is just as charming. I take the ‘slow stairs’, a wide flight of steps that gives a sense of freedom. I observe the transition away from the maddening crowds with every step I take. Once at the park, the view never gets old, because it takes on a new avatar through the year. The Friends of Highline, non-profit caretakers, work round the year to beautify the Line. They use sustainable environmental practices, and work with local farmers to bring in plants from within a 100-mile radius. Every season promises a new landscape. Tyler loves spring, “when it is as lush as a forest”.
The linear park runs for 2.33 km, from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th and 12th avenues. The first two phases of the project cost $152 million, while the third is still underway. The park opened in 2009, and by 2011, it was estimated to have attracted two billion in private investment. Tyler explains, “From Russian billionaires, to Saudi sheikhs to Hollywood celebrities, everybody wanted a piece of Chelsea.” Ironically, it was an open space that had given real estate a shot in the arm.
I walk 10-odd blocks on the Line and look out over the placid Hudson. On a clear day, you can spot the Statue of Liberty in the distance. Much closer, though, I am distracted by a graffiti that gives the meatpacking district its coolth. Almost within touching distance are the condos priced anywhere between $2 and 20 million. I spot the Standard Hotel and recognise the name. This was where singer Beyonce’s sister, Sotange Knowles, is said to have attacked her brother-in-law Jay-Z. The hotel with floor-to-ceiling windows has seen many patrons caught off-guard. As Tyler puts it, “The later it gets, the better the view!”
The park has plenty for the art aficionado too. There’s the gigantic white frame with no picture save for the view beyond, and several temporary exhibits and sculptures along the way. My favourite is a chunk of the original metal tracks.
As cities everywhere struggle for green cover, innovations such as the High Line serve as a great inspiration. If it’s possible in Manhattan, why not in Mumbai?
Travel log
Getting there
Fly Delhi/Mumbai/Chennai to JFK, New York with Virgin Atlantic (code-share Jet Airways).
Stay
The centrally located Intercontinental, Times Square
Tip
Broadway: No trip to NYC is complete without a visit to Broadway. There’s the drama of dressing up for the theatre, coupled with the award-winning show itself. Book your tickets in advance for deals.
Chelsea Market: Head to this foodie-paradise for Sunday brunch. With scores of vendors, it’s tough to choose between freshly-brewed coffee and many flavoured teas; melt-in-your-mouth doughnuts and fluffy breads; Japanese delicacies and Aussie delights
Kiran Mehta is a Mumbai-based freelance writer