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News Archive
Enjoy a Free, Guided Walking Tour with a High Line Docent
High Line docents.Walking tours are a great way to learn more about the High Line's history, design, and distinct horticultural elements in an intimate setting.
High Line Docents are volunteers trained by Friends of the High Line staff on all aspects of the High Line. Every Saturday at 11:00 AM, a High Line Docent leads a free, guided walk through Section 1 for up to 20 people. Meet at the bottom of the Gansevoort Street stair. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Visit our Events Calendar for more information.
Read MoreRockefeller Foundation Honors Friends of the High Line Co-Founders Joshua David and Robert Hammond with 2010 Jane Jacobs Medals
Joshua David and Robert HammondOn July 20, 2010, the Rockefeller Foundation announced Joshua David, Robert Hammond, and Elizabeth Barlow Rogers are the recipients of the 2010 Jane Jacobs Medals. The Foundation awards the Medals each year to recipients whose work "creates new ways of seeing and understanding New York City, challenges traditional assumptions, and creatively uses the urban environment to make New York City a place of hope and expectation."
The Medals are named for Jane Jacobs, whose seminal 1961 work, "The Death and Life of Great American Cities," challenged the conventional wisdom of city planners of that era, celebrated the vibrancy of the urban streetscape, and advocated for citizen involvement in the development of neighborhoods.
In previous years, the Foundation has awarded two medals: one for New Ideas and Activism and another for Lifetime Leadership. This year, the New Ideas and Activism award is being given to both Joshua and Robert, while Elizabeth is receiving the award for Lifetime Leadership.
It is a particular honor for Joshua and Robert to be recognized with Elizabeth, the founding President of the Central Park Conservancy and current President of the Foundation for Landscape Studies. Elizabeth’s vision for park stewardship created a model for public-private partnerships to restore and improve both large and small urban parks worldwide. Elizabeth has supported Friends of the High Line from the very beginning, and the High Line would not be here today without her dedication and support.
Thank you to the Rockefeller Foundation for recognizing Joshua, Robert, and Elizabeth with these Medals, and for the very generous support it has given to Friends of the High Line.
Read the press release.
Read MoreSave the Date! City Council Public Hearing on the High Line at the Rail Yards
From the beginning, Friends of the High Line has fought for the full preservation of the entire High Line, from Gansevoort Street all the way to 34th Street, and its transformation into a continuous public open space.
Section 3 of the High Line, from 30th to 34th Street, at the West Side Rail Yards has not yet been secured for park use. In order for the City of New York to take ownership of this portion of the High Line, the New York City Council must approve the application that would give the City permission to acquire it.
The application has been working its way through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process for the past six months. The City Planning Commission, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, and Community Board 4 have already recommended approval, and now it’s time for the City Council to make the final decision.
Please join Friends of the High Line at the final public hearing on Tuesday, July 27, at 11:00 AM.
While there is still much to be done, giving the City this necessary permission is the critical first step toward the ultimate goal: full preservation of the High Line north of 30th Street, including the 10th Avenue Spur, and completion of the park all the way to 34th Street.
The most effective way to make Section 3 a reality is by attending the final public hearing at the City Council and saying thank you to City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and the Council members for their long-time support for the High Line.
City Council Public Hearing
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
11 AM
250 Broadway, Hearing Room, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Please RSVP for the public hearing by emailing railyards@thehighline.org.
Friends of the High Line will have a limited number of red “Save the High Line at the Rail Yards” t-shirts available for supporters to wear during the hearing. Supporters who already own red t-shirt are encouraged to wear them to show support.
Read MoreThis Weekend Is Family Arts Weekend on the High Line
On July 17 and 18, Friends of the High Line will host Family Arts Weekend on the High Line — two days of free arts programs designed for kids of all ages. The programs are part of Target Arts & Wonder Free Family Event, offered at more than 80 cultural and art institutions in 30 cities throughout the country.
Read MoreFREE Fitness & Movement Classes to Resume July 20
Fitness & Movement on the High Line.The first session of free fitness and movement classes on the High Line ended last week, but the good news is that a second session will begin very soon. Every Tuesday morning between July 20 and September 7, Instructor Frederick Schjang will teach the Feldenkrais Method and Pilates Fusion on the High Line in the Chelsea Market Passage. People of all ages and experience levels are welcome. Classes are presented in partnership with Friends of the High Line and Shape Up NYC. For more information, visit our Events Calendar.
Read MoreNature Scavenger Hunt and Workshop for Kids on the High Line
Wild Wednesday: How Seeds Grow a Park in the Sky.
Friends of the High Line invites parents to bring their kids on a nature scavenger hunt and workshop with High Line gardener Andi Pettis on Wednesday, June 30, 2010. Kids will uncover the power hidden in tiny seeds and plant wildflower seeds in their own miniature model High Line. This is event is the second in a series of Wild Wednesdays – free programs for kids ages 5 and up that take place on the last Wednesday of each month. Visit our Events Calendar to learn more.
Supported by Target
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Early Park Closure on the Fourth of July
Due to anticipated crowds and the space limitations on the High Line, the New York City Police Department is requiring the park close early on Sunday, July 4. The High Line will close at 6:00 PM on Sunday, July 4 in anticipation of crowds associated with the Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks display. Regular park hours will resume on Monday, July 5.
Read MoreArt Opening & Talk: Stephen Vitiello
Herald Square BellJoin us tonight on the High Line as we celebrate the debut of A Bell for Every Minute, a new sound-based installation by Stephen Vitiello, who will speak about the piece and his other uses of sound in art. The reception begins at 6:30 PM in the 14th Street Passage on the High Line and the talk will follow at 7:30 PM. This installation is presented in partnership with Creative Time, Friends of the High Line, and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, and is made possible by a generous grant from The Rockefeller Foundation's New York City Cultural Innovation Fund. Additional funding has been provided by Vital Projects Fund, Inc., and in-kind support by JBL by Harman.
Read MoreTemporary Park Closure on Monday, June 21
On Monday, June 21, 2010, Friends of the High Line will hold our annual summer benefit, the most important fundraising event of the year that raises the majority of the annual operating funds for the park. A portion of the event will take place in the upper level of the Chelsea Market Passage from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. To prepare for the event, this area will be closed to the public on Monday. From 5:00 to 8:00 PM, the High Line south of 17th Street will be temporarily closed for the duration of the event. At 8:00 PM, the High Line south of 17th Street will reopen to the public while the upper level of the Chelsea Market Passage remains closed to allow crews to break down the event.
Read MoreMayor Presents Doris C. Freedman Award to Friends of the High Line
Doris C. Freedman AwardOn Wednesday, June 16, 2010, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg presented the Doris C. Freedman Award to Friends of the High Line in the 10th Avenue Square on the High Line.
The Doris C. Freedman Award was established in 1982 by Executive Order by Mayor Edward I. Koch to recognize an individual or organization for a contribution to the people of the City of New York that greatly enriches the public environment. It is dedicated to the memory and vision of Doris Chanin Freedman (1928-1981), the City’s first Director of Cultural Affairs at the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Administration. Mrs. Freedman also served as President of the Municipal Art Society and Founder of the Public Art Fund, and she worked to establish New York City’s Percent for Art legislation. The Award recognizes Friends of the High Line for its dedication to preserving an essential piece of New York's industrial history and for transforming the High Line into an innovative public space.
Thank you to Mayor Bloomberg for selecting Friends of the High Line to be recognized with this award. And thank you to all of our elected officials, Board members, supporters, and friends who helped us make the High Line the extraordinary public space we imagined it could be.
Read the press release.View photos from the event.
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