Spring Blooms on the High Line

'Blue Ice' Bluestar (Amsonia) blooms on the High Line.

The first spring on the High Line has arrived!

The sun and mild temperatures have coaxed the spring blooms out of their buds, sprinkling the High Line with bold colors amidst the fresh, vibrant greens. The High Line's grasses, perennials, and shrubs were selected to provide a variety of texture and color throughout the four seasons. The blooms start in late winter and continue through the autumn months.

Now is the ideal time to view the High Line's spring awakening. Our monthly bloom updates can help you identify plant names during your visit.

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Water Feature Coming Soon

Rendering of the water feature on the Diller-von Furstenberg Sundeck.
Image by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Courtesy of the City of New York.

In the coming weeks, High Line visitors may notice some construction underway on the Diller-von Furstenberg Sundeck. The good news is those orange construction cones will soon be gone.

On Thursday, April 22, work began on the High Line's water feature. Important mechanical updates will ensure the water is flowing for the summer days to come.

If you are planning a visit to the High Line, please note that the majority of the upper level of the Sundeck will be closed for the coming weeks to ensure public safety during construction. The lower level of the Sundeck will remain open for High Line visitors to pass through while construction is underway. Several of the lounge chairs will still be available for High Line visitors to enjoy.

The entire upper level of the Diller-von Furstenberg Sundeck will re-open in mid-June.

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Spring and Summer Public Programs Now Listed Online

Group leaders encourage kids to make music using recycled materials from Chelsea Market at last season's Bash the Trash Parade.

The High Line is a place for visitors of all ages to experience great public art and learn about horticulture, urban design, and New York City's history. Friends of the High Line hosts free- and low-cost public programs offering New Yorkers of all ages an opportunity to meet their neighbors, share their stories, and take part in fun activities inspired by the distinctiveness of the High Line.

Information about our spring and summer programs is now available online. Visit our Event Calendar to learn more.

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On Sale Now: Tickets to High Line Walking Tours

Friends of the High Line is now offering regularly scheduled walking tours, providing visitors a unique opportunity to obtain personalized insight into the art, design, history, and horticulture of the High Line.

The first walking tours of the spring and summer seasons are now on sale! Tickets are $10 for Friends of the High Line members and $15 for non-members. Visit our Event Calendar to learn more.

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High Line Field Trips: Summer Camps Welcome!

Friends of the High Line hosts field trips for school children, and now summer campers can also join the fun.

Blast from the Past: Old Games on a New Park is a new 2.5-hour public program for summer campers, offered from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the summer. Children will play classic NYC street games that were popular in the 1930s when the High Line was originally constructed and then create a special book to mark their visit.

Please visit our Schools Program page of our Web site for more information or to book a trip.

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High Line Art: Richard Galpin

Rendering of the Viewing Station, debuting on the High Line on May 7.
Image by Richard Galpin

On Friday, May 7, Friends of the High Line and artist Richard Galpin will unveil Viewing Station, an interactive artwork that will invite park visitors to see and experience the surrounding vistas of Chelsea in a whole new way.

Viewing Station is the latest piece to debut as part of High Line Art, a program that commissions new and innovative artwork for the High Line, introducing contemporary artists to a wide audience and providing park visitors with a unique and enriching experience.

Join Friends of the High Line on Friday, May 7, to celebrate the debut of Viewing Station and to hear the artist speak about the evolution and history of his work. The reception will begin at 6:30 PM on the High Line between 17th and 18th Streets, and the talk will begin at 7:30 PM in the Chelsea Market Passage. This celebration coincides with the beginning of New York Gallery Week. For more information on the Richard Galpin debut, visit our Event Calendar.

High Line Art is presented by Friends of the High Line and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. This High Line Art commission is made possible by Donald R. Mullen, Jr. Additional support for Viewing Station has been provided by Hales Gallery, London.

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Preservation and Design Awards for the High Line

We are proud to announce that the High Line was recently honored with two major awards: the New York Landmarks Conservancy's Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award and the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA)'s Design Award for Urban Design.

Lucy Goldschmidt Moses was a lifelong New Yorker whose generosity benefited the City for more than 50 years. The New York Landmarks Conservancy presents the Award to preservation leaders who restore the beauty and utility of New York's great architecture. On behalf of Friends of the High Line, Co-Founder Joshua David accepted the award on Wednesday, April 21, at the Conservancy's ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History. Read more and view the winners.

The American Institute of Architect's Design Award competition is held annually by the New York Chapter "to honor excellence in architectural design for projects in New York City and by New York City architects worldwide." The New York Chapter presented its first-ever Urban Design award to the High Line's design team of James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro on Wednesday, April 14, at Cipriani Wall Street. Read the press release.

We thank the Landmarks Conservancy and the AIANY for these honors, and congratulate all of the other winners.

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High Line Welcomes 2,000,000th (and 2,000,001st!) Visitors

Zach and Lexi Hauser, our 2,000,000th and 2,000,001st visitors to the High Line.
Photo by Joan Garvin

Earlier this month, we welcomed our 2,000,000th visitor to the High Line since the park opened to the public ten months ago. To celebrate the occasion, and to mark the arrival of the very first spring on the High Line, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, City Planning Commission Chair Amanda Burden, and Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe joined Co-Founder Joshua David to plant a flowering eastern redbud tree (Cercis canadensis) in the Gansevoort Woodland.

Our lucky 2,000,000th (and 2,000,001st!) visitors were Lexi and Zach Hauser, from Raleigh, North Carolina. This was the first trip to the High Line for Lexi and Zach, who were joined by their mother, Deb, and their family friend, Richard Conolly, a native New Yorker and Chelsea resident. The group helped plant the new tree and received some special commemorative gifts: a framed photo of the High Line and limited edition High Line beach towels designed by Diane von Furstenberg.

The High Line has been open for less than a year, and already it has become a major New York attraction and top destination for New Yorkers and visitors from around the world. In the words of City Planning Chair Burden: "The High Line has captured the world's imagination and surpassed all expectations."

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Join or Renew Your Membership This Spring

The first spring on the High Line has arrived. Now is the time to see this extraordinary park as never before. Take part in the High Line's first spring by renewing your membership or joining now. Support from our members allows us to hire gardeners to keep the park's flowers and trees in peak condition and maintenance crews to ensure the High Line is safe for its visitors.


Renew or join now to receive your limited-edition 2010 High Line postcard series!