I thought you might enjoy seeing exactly what the “High Line” looks like. As I explained it was an old elevated rail line that I am guessing ran from the rail yards on the west side… mid town…. to the Meat Packing district….aprox 9th-10th Ave and 12th street. this is where the meat would be brought from around the country. It was actually a pretty ugly part of NYC. It was also an area that, once business was over for the day, and the shops were closed, turned into a very unsavory and unsafe part of the city. When the meat businesses started to leave the area large spaces became avail, and slowly the buildings were cleaned up and were bought by very smart people who saw the value of the real estate and had vision for its’ future. Slowly as the rental costs rose though out the city, art galleries started moving into these large low rent spaces. Some of these large empty spaces were taken over by smart business people, cleaned up and rented out to photographers for photo shoots. They were rented out by the hour. This was great for photographers who didn’t have their own studios and the places were fully equipped to handle all needs. That’s really when I became familiar with the area…..I guess the early to mid 70’s. Slowly it became the new up and coming area with boutiques, fabulous apts, restaurants etc………….Without getting into all the details…..the High Line, which had become an abandoned and derelict eyesore was transformed into this incredible elevated walking path. Needless to say it has helped greatly in revitalizing the area, and apts on the High Line are very desirable. The photo to the upper left and middle left is the Standard Hotel where we had a beautiful suite over looking the Hudson River. The plantings along the path were designed by a man from Scandinavia. The plantings and trees are very varied…..some areas providing lovely shade, and some very open to the sun. Great thought was given to how the plantings would look with each season…even in the dead of winter. As you walk along you get the feeling of walking through living art…..the plantings, the buildings [new and old], the art work….even the painting on some of the sides of the buildings is a feast for the eye. There is one picture I took in the collage of Jac and my reflections in a window. Did you find it? There are areas to rest, sit and “people watch”, and even eat along the way. There are even new buildings that are built over the High Line creating tunnels of shade. It’s quite wonderful to see the old buildings of NY mixed with the new architecture………and all of the new building going on is incredible. There were three fashion shoots on the High Line that day…..It was so hot we really felt badly for the models . There are many things to take photos of along the path, and you can hear people speaking in many different languages so I guess it has become quite a tourist attraction. Many of the streets are still the old cobble stone. Those visionary people who knew to invest in this seedy part of town early on…..are laughing all the way to the bank !!!! If you are in the city….it’s a wonderful place to visit any time of year….and it’s free!
