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Next week, CUNY is hosting a panel discussion on the evolution of Manhattan's waterfront from a landscape dominated by industry and highways, to a "Perimeter Park." The discussion is being put on by the Sustainable Cities Institute at CUNY, and will feature authors Philip Lopate, Ann Buttenweiser, and John Waldman, and editor Rutherford Platt.

Wednesday, February 25th
6-8PM with reception following
Macaulay Honors College
35 West 67th Street

Today brought one of the strangest views from the High Line yet: A few of us were up on the site this afternoon to see how it was faring in the frigid weather, when we caught a chilling glimpse of the US Airways plane that crashed into the icy Hudson today. (Amazingly, even in the sub-freezing temperatures, there are no fatalities reported.)

2008 was a great year for the High Line. Without a completed park to play on, we've had the opportunity to get very creative with our programs--trips to Governor's Island, canoeing on the Bronx River, chalking paths to the High Line's future entrances, and more. The opening of the first section (Gansevoort Street--20th Street) is rapidly approaching and we are in the midst of planning some very exciting programs for the occasion-- for the first time, we will be able to bring the public onto the finished park.  

Here's a look at some of our events from the past year.

 

Middle-school students from Chelsea's Lab School for Collaborative Studies wore special "Chalk Shoes" that they designed and cast, with the help of artist Julia Mandle. The Chalk Shoes performance was a collaborative performance art piece, using the shoes to draw lines along the sidewalks of Chelsea, leading the way to the High Line's future access points.

 

High Line supporters sketch on the High Line rail yards' section, as part of last spring's High Line Sketching Classes with artist Ann DeVere.

More after the jump...

That time of year is upon us (winter, that is)-- and much more officially so, now that we've received our first significant snowfall of the season-- and the High Line, mythical as it might seem, is no less affected than the rest of New York City by a fresh blanket of everyone's favorite type of precipitation. Many of New York's most famous street scenes and landmarks are transformed by snow, making them symbols of New York City in winter. Judging by the effect of last Friday's snow on the High Line, we're eager to see the High Line join the likes of Central Park, Radio City Music Hall and the Empire State Building in the ranks of New York City landmarks that are altered spectacularly in the winter to become memorable and historic parts of the New York City landscape.

More pictures after the break.

While the High Line itself is rich with its own unique and storied history, it is also part of the larger historical context of the city it has called home for over a century. In this recurring series, we hope to rediscover the High Line by taking a look at some of the important historical locations in the surrounding area.

Built between 1880 and 1900, The Westbeth Artists Community is located at 463 West Street. From 1898 to 1966 it functioned as a laboratory for the Bell Telephone company, when it served as America's largest industrial research lab. Many major technological inventions and innovations in the field of telecommunications trace its origins to the lab, including the first experimental talking movie, radar, the first phonograph record, and black and white and color television, an invention of particular significance for fans of such fine modern television programming as The Jerry Springer Show and Baywatch. The site was even home to part of the Manhattan Project during World War II.

The 1930's Federal Writers Project WPA Guide to New York City, which I love, has a great description of the Hudson waterfront during the time the High Line was built. From the chapter "West Street and North (Hudson) River Waterfront":

"The broad highway, West Street and its continuations, which skirts the North River from Battery Place to Fifty-ninth Street, is, during the day, a surging mass of back-firing, horn-blowing, gear-grinding trucks and taxis. All other water-front sounds are submerged in the cacophony of the daily avalanche of freight and passengers in transit. Ships and shipping are not visible along much of West Street. South of Twenty-third Street, the river is walled by an almost unbroken line of bulkhead sheds and dock structures. North of Twenty-third Street, an occasional open spot in the bulkhead permits a glimpse of the Hudson and the Jersey Shore beyond."

 

Soil for the planting beds is set to be delivered this month on Section One. In anticipation of soil, the beds are now being lined with layers of the "Living Roof" system. 

The first layer to be installed: The drainage panel, a black plastic cell system, provides a critical component for water retention, drainage, and aeration.  The panel looks and feels like an expansive plastic egg carton, with small cups that catch and store water as it exits the soil profile.  The spaces between these cups help channel excess water toward planting bed drains, while tiny perforations in the cups allow for aeration to the soil from below.