High Line Blog

We need your support tomorrow at the Community Board 4 public forum on the Western Rail Yards. Even as we open the first section of the High Line as a public park today, one-third of the structure still has an uncertain future, and may be partially demolished. Come help us show the City, developer and the MTA that the preservation of the entire historic High Line must be made a priority at the Rail Yards.

Today's blog post was guest written by one of our new Greeters, Claudia Berger.
Today's ribbon-cutting ceremony with  Mayor Bloomberg marked the unofficial opening day on the High Line. (The official opening day is tomorrow, Tuesday June 9th, when the park will be open for its first full day, from 7:00am - 10:00pm.) Once the ribbon was cut, the High Line saw its first visitors as the public came up.

I spent the first afternoon on the High Line acting as a Greeter, one of several Friends of the High Line volunteers who walk along the High Line answering any questions visitors might have. When you go up on the High Line, seek us out– you can identify us by our gray t-shirts with the green High Line logo. Most of the questions I was asked today were about the water feature near the 16th Street access point. As the day went on and got sunnier, this became an increasingly popular place to sit, so I spent a lot of time there talking to visitors.

Back in March we gave you a taste of the young flora growing up on the High Line. As we anxiously await both the Summer season (which should be here any day now) and the impending High Line opening (same), we thought we'd share some pictures, courtesy of Ashley Burke, of other plants and flowers that have grown since.

Allium obliquum twisted-leaved garlic
Knautia macedonica 'Mar's Midget'

More images after the break.