Construction Update: Plants Arrive in Section 2

In the Chelsea Thicket, workers are installing the first perennials in the planting beds.
Chelsea Thicket South, in memory of Janice H. Levin.

Soil and plant installation has begun in the next section of the High Line, which will double the size of the park when it opens next spring.

Over the last few weeks, cranes have lifted 600 cubic yards of soil onto the High Line, where it is being used to fill the planting beds between West 20th and West 25th Streets. Workers are now busy installing the first plants, including flowering dogwoods (Cornus x 'Rutban') and bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora), a large shrub that is native to the New York area. In the coming days, the cranes will return to the High Line to lift American holly trees (Ilex opaca) which will be planted in the Chelsea Thicket.

Visit our Web site for renderings and more information about Section 2's design.

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City Council Unanimously Approves High Line ULURP Application

We are one step closer toward preserving and transforming the High Line at the West Side Rail Yards. On Thursday, July 29, 2010, the New York City Council voted to approve the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) application that gives the City of New York permission to take ownership of this section of the High Line.

The Council's vote is a major, positive step forward — the first towards future acquisition, design, and construction of the last section of the High Line.

Thank you to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and the Council members, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, City Planning Commission Chair Amanda Burden, Community Board 4, and all of the volunteers who joined us throughout the ULURP process to show their support. We look forward to working with all parties to discuss the next steps for this iconic piece of New York's industrial history.

Our rail yards advocacy and programming is generously supported by the LuEsther T. Mertz Advised Fund, The New York Community Trust, Greenacre Foundation, and with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

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High Line Attendance Hits 3 Million

We have reached a new milestone: more than three million visitors have come to the High Line since it opened just over a year ago.

We have been regularly counting visitors as they enter and exit the park on specific days and times, and calculating attendance using models that take into account weather, season, and time of day. Based on our projections, our 3,000,000th visitor arrived on the High Line on Saturday, August 7, 2010.

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Tonight: ¡Arriba! Mambo & Salsa on the High Line

Image created by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, courtesy the City of New York.

Grab a pair of dancing shoes and join us for a free evening of elevated salsa dancing with the Hudson Guild on Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 6:00 PM in the Chelsea Market Passage on the High Line.

New York Hustle Congress event director Lori Brizzi will lead mambo and salsa lessons as the Orlando Marin Orchestra plays live.

For more information, visit our Events Calendar.

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September 7: New Public Artwork Coming to the High Line

A rendering of Demetrius Oliver's Jupiter, a new public artwork debuting next month.

As part of High Line Art, a program that commissions innovative, temporary public art for the High Line, Friends of the High Line will debut artist Demetrius Oliver's new work, Jupiter, on a 25-by-75-foot billboard adjacent to the park at West 18th Street on Tuesday, September 7, 2010.

Jupiter combines the eclectic fields of photography, performance, science, and theater to celebrate John Coltrane and Albert Einstein's approaches to their respective fields. Live musical performances and stargazing from the High Line will accompany the piece — the first large-scale public art commission in New York City for the Manhattan-based artist.

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. Additional support for Jupiter has been provided by The Greenwall Foundation, with in-kind support from Edison Properties and Maharam.

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Free Summer Fun on the High Line

This summer has been filled with free events on the High Line for visitors of all ages. We have debuted new public artworks by Stephen Vitiello and Richard Galpin, welcomed musical performances by the Asphalt Orchestra and the Wandering Band by Ana Prvacki, and hosted a free Family Arts Weekend sponsored by Target as a part of their Target Arts & Wonder Free Family Event.

There are only a few weeks of summer left, but we still have a number of great public programs to enjoy. Take a nature printing class, enjoy a walking tour, or bring your kids on a pesky plant challenge with our High Line gardeners.

Visit our Events Calendar to learn more about the High Line's public programs.

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Sustain the High Line through the Summer

The busiest season on the High Line is in full swing! We are thrilled to see New Yorkers making the High Line part of their daily lives, and visitors coming to the park from around the world.

To keep the High Line thriving in every season, we depend on the continued support of the High Line's most dedicated supporters. If you're not yet a member, please join or renew your membership today. Or if you have already made your 2010 membership contribution, please consider a special, additional gift to help us keep the park's flowers and trees in peak condition and to ensure that the park is clean, safe, and well-managed for its visitors.

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

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