News
News Archive
Community Board 4 Votes Unanimously to Support the High Line at the Rail Yards
Photograph by Alex S. MacLean.
On March 3, Community Board 4 voted unanimously to recommend a proposal to allow the City to take ownership of the High Line at the rail yards. This half-mile of the High Line is the last remaining section that is not yet owned by the City.
This favorable vote is a critical step in the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, and it moves the process to the next step: review by the Manhattan Borough President's office. Thank you to everyone who came out in support of the High Line's preservation.
Read more about the hearing
Read more about the High Line at the rail yards
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Two New Awards for the High Line
We're proud to announce that the High Line has recently won two major awards: the New York Landmarks Conservancy's Lucy G. Moses Preservation Project Award, and the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA)'s Design Award for Urban Design.
According to the Landmarks Conservancy, the Lucy G. Moses award honors "preservation leaders, public officials, organizations, owners, builders, architects, and craftspeople who restore the beauty and utility of New York’s great architecture." The award has been given out for the past twenty years to preservation leaders and projects; other recipients this year include the Beacon Theater, the lobby of the Empire State Building, and Saint Andrews Episcopal Church. Read more and view the winners.
Bond No. 9's New Fragrance Inspired by the High Line
Bond No. 9 High LineBond No. 9 is launching "High Line," a new fragrance inspired by the High Line's opening season. The company has made a generous donation to the High Line, and has also announced that a portion of all US sales of the new fragrance will go toward supporting the High Line's ongoing maintenance and operations.
For the fragrance, Bond No. 9 has combined an aromatic collection of floral and herbal scents, many of them based on species found in Section 1 of the park. These include: Redleaf Rose, Grape Hyacinth, Lady Jane Tulips, and Bur Oak.
We are proud to have Bond No. 9 as a supporter of Friends of the High Line.
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New Sound Piece by Artist Stephen Vitiello, Coming This Summer
A bell in Herald Square recorded for A Bell for Every Minute
We're excited to announce our second major collaboration with Creative Time and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, following the success of Spencer Finch's The River That Flows Both Ways. This summer, artist Stephen Vitiello will debut a multi-channel sound installation entitled A Bell For Every Minute, in the High Line's 14th Street Passage.
For the piece, Vitiello has recorded bells all over New York City and beyond. Sounds range from the iconic rings of the New York Stock Exchange bell, the historic Dreamland bell (recorded days after it was discovered in the water off Coney Island), the United Nations' Peace Bell, and more everyday and personal sounds of bike bells, diner bells, and neighborhood church bells.
During park hours an individual bell will ring each minute from speakers placed throughout the tunnel space where it will be installed, the overtones fading out as the next bell begins. A chorus of the selected bells will play at the top of each hour, filling the space. The sounds will be represented on a physical sound map that identifies the location of each bell, allowing the listener to follow the geographic journey of the recordings.
Read more about the piece and Vitiello's work
This installation 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.
GROUP TOURS
High Line group tours are an excellent way to learn more about the High Line’s history, design, and horticultural elements in an intimate setting. Group tours are offered at a nominal fee and led by Friends of the High Line staff members, based on availability. Tours of the High Line typically last between forty-five minutes and one hour and cover the entire length of Section 1.
If you are interested in arranging a group tour, or would like more information, please read and fill out our tour request form, and a staff member will contact you.
For information on attending our specialized public programs and tours, please visit our Event Calendar.
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March 3: Help Support the High Line at the Rail Yards!
Photograph by Alex S. MacLean.
We hope you can join us at the Community Board 4 Full Board meeting on Wednesday, March 3, as we advocate for the full preservation of the High Line at the rail yards. The Community Board will be reviewing, as part of the seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), the City’s application to allow it to acquire the remaining section of the High Line - Section 3 - north of 30th Street.
We strongly support the City's acquisition of the High Line at the rail yards, and we encourage supporters to attend the March 3 meeting in support. Read more about ULURP.
Community Board 4 Full Board Meeting
Wednesday, March 3, 6:30 PM
Fulton Center Auditorium
119 Ninth Avenue, between 17th and 18th Streets
Community Board 4 has long been supportive of the High Line’s preservation at the Rail Yards. CB4's Chelsea Preservation and Planning Committee voted unanimously last week in support of the High Line acquisition action, and we expect the full Board to vote in favor of it as well. However, we see this meeting as a critical opportunity to demonstrate our support for both preservation and redevelopment of the High Line at the rail yards. City acquisition of the High Line is the first step towards both of those goals, so it is important to show all the stakeholders how important it is to move forward with this first step.
A public hearing on the High Line ULURP action will be the first item on the agenda, so we encourage you to come to the beginning of the meeting. If you wish to speak during the public hearing, we welcome and encourage you to do so. (There will be sign-in sheets for those who wish to speak.) The High Line public hearing will be followed by the general Community Board public session, and then the Committee reports. After the report and recommendation from the Chelsea Preservation and Planning Committee, the full Board will meet and vote on the High Line ULURP action.
Our staff will be at the meeting, so please look for us when you arrive. If you have a red "Save the High Line at the Rail Yards" or "Save the Spur" t-shirt, please wear it. We will have a limited number of t-shirts for supporters available at the door.
Please email railyards@thehighline.org if you are able to make this meeting.
Jobs at the High Line
Friends of the High Line is now hiring for seven positions.
To view positions and instructions on how to apply, click here.
No phone calls please.
City Takes Big Step Toward the High Line's Preservation at the Rail Yards
Photograph by Alex S. MacLean.
We're pleased to bring you news of another major milestone towards the full preservation of the High Line at the West Side Rail Yards. The Department of City Planning announced today that it has certified the City's application for approval of future acquisition of the High Line above 30th Street.
Read the full Press Release [PDF]
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New Art Piece by Richard Galpin to Debut in May
A rendering by the artist.
We're pleased to announce an upcoming piece in our High Line Art program, an ongoing series of commissions and collaborations. This May, a new work entitled Viewing Station will debut by artist Richard Galpin, who is best known for his altered and abstract photographs of cityscapes.
For the High Line, Galpin will create a “viewing station” that will provide a manipulated view of the High Line's surroundings, recalling the artist's abstract photographic work. Park visitors will look through a viewing apparatus lined up with a metal screen from which geometric shapes have been cut. One of the wonderful experiences the High Line has provided to visitors is a new vista of Manhattan. Galpin's artwork will offer a novel reconsideration of our surroundings.
This High Line Art Commission is presented by Friends of the High Line and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. High Line Art Commissions are made possible by Donald R. Mullen, Jr.
Read more about Richard Galpin's Work
Winter Weather on the High Line
The High Line got its first taste of true winter weather in late December, as a blizzard swept up the East Coast and blanketed the High Line, and the rest of New York City, with 10 inches of snow. Since then, lighter snowfalls, sub-freezing temperatures, and heavy winds have been the norm in the last few weeks.
Snow and ice on the High Line present a special challenge for our Maintenance and Operations team, and they've quickly risen to the test. The team must quickly and effectively clear snow from the High Line's stairs and walking paths to make them safe for park visitors.
Because of the High Line's delicate plantings, and our commitment to sustainable operations, no salts or chemicals are used in snow clearance. Instead, where the path is wide enough, snow is cleared with a rotating broom attachment to our Toolcat vehicle (shown above). On parts of the High Line where the path is narrow, and on all stairs, snow must be shoveled by hand. A heavy snowfall on the High Line is an "all hands on deck" scenario, and can require several hours of work before the park can fully open to visitors.
In the event of a snowstorm or other inclement weather this winter, please check our Web site, or follow us on Twitter, for updates. We will update both to let you know whether the High Line is fully open, partially closed, or completely closed while we work to clear snow.
We hope to see you on the High Line this winter!
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