Gammy

I have lived on the west side for 50 years, and I love coming to the High Line. The High Line is my special place. No matter what foul mood I might be in when I step onto the High Line, I smile. Life is fine. Every time. Rain or shine.

I love to garden and weed. When I am not on the High Line, I work on my rooftop garden, surreptitiously pulling weeds from tree pits. It has been incredibly meaningful to be one of the horticulture volunteers and, most of all, to spend time with the amazing and patient High Line horticultural team.

Almost every morning I have worked on the High Line, I spot someone sitting on a bench under the birches, quietly reading or writing. Before the High Line there were not a lot of pleasant outdoor spaces and you couldn’t get to the river because of the West Side Highway. The park provides the experience of being in a green space for those who cannot travel outside of the neighborhood. This is especially important for children and older people who live nearby.

We need safe and accessible places for everyone, places like the High Line, which nourishes us with its beautiful gardens, public artwork, long walks, and places to slow down and people-watch.