Friends of the High Line

The Chelsea Thicket takes shape. Rendering by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Courtesy the City of New York. Chelsea Thicket South, generoulsy funded by The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation.

Construction activity advances as crews continue to install the railroad tracks, planked pathways, and plantings that will make up Section 2 of the High Line. Just beyond the metal fence at the northern end of Section 1, crews are nearly finished with the installation of the rail tracks and tapered planks that will define the meandering pathway and planting beds in the Chelsea Thicket, between West 20th and 22nd Streets. The installation of the living roof system – a drainage system located below the planting soil and comprised of layers of perforated matting, crushed gravel, and woven filter fabric – will be installed next, followed by soil and plant installation to match the plans created by landscape architects James Corner Field Operations and planting designer Piet Oudolf. Visit our Web site for renderings and more information about Section 2's design.

Advocacy Update: High Line at the Rail Yards

We are one step closer to the High Line's preservation at the West Side Rail Yards. On Wednesday, May 12, the City Planning Commission (CPC) reviewed the City's application to allow it to acquire Section 3 of the High Line. In the next few weeks, CPC will make a decision on the application as part of the seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). We hope CPC will approve it, paving the way for a final vote at the City Council. While it will not guarantee the full preservation of the High Line, creating the option for the City to acquire this portion of the High Line would be a major, positive step toward our ultimate goals: full preservation of the High Line north of 30th Street, including the 10th Avenue Spur, and completion of the High Line all the way to 34th Street.

Thank you to the supporters who joined Friends of the High Line at the May 12 public hearing, including Anthony Borelli on behalf of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Lee Compton on behalf of Manhattan Community Board 4. We look forward to seeing everyone again very soon as we continue advocating for the full preservation of this iconic part of New York's industrial history.

Friends of the High Line is grateful to The New York Community Trust and the Greenacre Foundation for their dedicated support to our rail yards advocacy and public programming this year.

June 21: Party on the High Line and Summer Dinner

Tickets are still available for our June 21 "Party on the High Line and Summer Dinner," benefitting Friends of the High Line and honoring Donald R. Mullen, Jr. and The Tiffany & Co. Foundation. Cocktails on the High Line begin at 6:00 PM, featuring a special preview of Stephen Vitiello's A Bell for Every Minute, a multi-channel sound installation presented in partnership with Creative Time and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation. Dinner will follow at Phillips de Pury & Company at 7:30. Join us to celebrate all that Don and The Tiffany & Co. Foundation have done to make the High Line such a well-loved place.

Every Tuesday: Free Fitness & Movement Classes on the High Line

Friends of the High Line now offers two free fitness and movement classes on the High Line. Occurring every Tuesday morning between May 17 and July 6, the classes are offered in partnership with Shape Up NYC, a new City program that helps prevent obesity by using volunteers with expertise in fitness to provide free instruction. Each class will last 45 minutes and take place in the 14th Street Passage (on the High Line, between 13th and 14th Streets). Classes begin at 9:00 and 10:00 AM. No RSVP required. Visit our Events Calendar to learn more.

High Line Field Trips: Summer Camps Welcome!

Friends of the High Line now hosts field trips for summer camps. Blast from a Past: Old Games on a New Park is a new 2.5-hour public program 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. Visit our Web site for more information or to book a trip.

May 22: A Pop-Up Playground for Kids on the High Line

Friends of the High Line invites parents to bring their kids to the "Imagination Playground in a Box," a free creative art and play experience on the High Line. Designed by architect David Rockwell, Imagination Playground in a Box invites kids to build their own pop-up playground using oversized foam blocks, mats, wagons, fabric, and more. The event will take place Saturday, May 22, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Visit our Events Calendar to learn more.

May 31: Live WFMU Broadcast from the High Line

Join Friends of the High Line and WFMU's DJ/rupture and DJ Trent as they broadcast live from the High Line on Monday, May 31. Our friends at the American Astronomers Association of New York will join the fun, offering New Yorkers and visitors a chance to see the stars up close using their high-powered telescopes. Festivities begin at 7:00 PM and take place on the High Line under The Standard Hotel. No RSVP required.

Can't make it to the High Line that night? Tune into 91.1 FM or visit www.WFMU.org.

Upcoming Screenings of NY Export: Opus Jazz (The Film)

Photo by Jody Lee Lipes

Earlier this year, PBS premiered "NY Export: Opus Jazz," the cinematic interpretation of groundbreaking choreographer Jerome Robbins' 1958 ballet. The film, which was created, produced, and danced by members of the New York City Ballet, follows the young dancers to abandoned urban locations around New York City. The ballet's spectacular "Passage for Two" was shot at sunset on the High Line at the rail yards.

For those who missed the PBS premiere, Friends of the High Line will be screening the film on the High Line in the fall. There are also two upcoming screenings in the New York area. The film will be showed on Monday, May 24 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Wednesday, May 26 at the Baryshnikov Arts Center (Jerome Robbins Theater). Visit www.opusjazz.com to learn more or purchase tickets.

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 clean, safe, and well-managed for its visitors.

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