Walking in the City

Tanmai Shah                                                                                                   Walking In The City

MCHC 1001

Both the Highline Park and flushing meadows Corona Park are City of New York Parks.  When one thinks of a park, one imagines a large open space where people can engage in all forms of recreational activities situated in the midst of nature.  Flushing Meadows Corona Park follows this convention.  It has vast open spaces perfect for all kinds of activities.  Flushing Meadows Corona Park also connects six recreational complexes offering an even greater amount of options to choose from.  However, the High Line Park doesn’t follow this convention.  The High Line Park is a raised walkway that winds its way through the streets of Manhattan.  It is significantly smaller than Flushing Meadows Corona Park which limits the variety of recreational activities.  It, however, allows one to enjoy the structure and architecture of the city, something which the Flushing Meadows Corona Park does not offer its visitors. 

            Compared to the High Line Park, the Flushing Meadows Corona Park provides a wider variety of recreation.  Walking through this park one gets a sense of the endless possibilities of activities that can be done there.  The experience changes seasonally; the fountains at the Unisphere are on in the spring and summer, the foliage is in full bloom, and the temperature is warmer, as opposed to in the fall and winter when the amount of visitors is much less.  The Unisphere is a unique structure which is the site of many events such as the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk and the World Fair.  Walking though the park you can see countless plots of open spaces which visitors use as soccer, cricket, and baseball fields, basketball, tennis, and badminton courts, and as trails for biking, walking, or jogging.  Passing by people playing sports makes you want to jump in and play with them.

As mentioned previously, the park connects a zoo, an art museum, a botanical garden, a science museum, and a baseball stadium.  These attractions provide unique recreational opportunities that other parks do not have.  The Unisphere is describes on page 291 in Delirious New York as, “The Globe is 120 feet in diameter with an open grid of latitudes and longitudes supporting the land masses… It dramatizes the interrelation of the peoples in the world and their yearning for peace through understanding.”  Walking through the park you experience firsthand the diversity of visitors, the melting pot phenomenon of New York City on a smaller level.  The Unisphere struck me as compelling because of its grand size.  It’s a park landmark that is great to visit no matter what time of year it is. 

            The High Line however, is situated in Manhattan.  The High Line deviates from the normal idea of a park.  Walking through the High Line for the first time gives visitors a new idea of what a modern park can be.  The High Line is constructed on a raised platform that continues through several streets in the city.  It offers visitors unique perspectives of Manhattan as well as of the statue of liberty and the empire state building to not just tourist but local residents.

In terms of recreation there are fewer options due to the size of the park.  Walking through the High Line you can see tour groups and many photographers that are attracted to the unique perspectives and views of the city that are offered.  Like the Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the experience of walking through the High Line alters with the seasons.

  During the warmer seasons the park attracts more visitors.  The High Line was designed by the city for people to enjoy the city, but a few coincidences here and there make the experience all the more worthwhile.  A billboard saying, “God is too busy to find you a parking spot,” right over a parking lot, or a incredibly realistic cardboard cutout of shirtless man in the window of a nearby apartment waving as people walked by provide with people laughs along the path.  Along the path of the park, there are spots designed to let visitors view the unique architectural designs of buildings close by.

In Delirious New York, Koolhaas states that, “-as Manhattan changes from a city into a metropolis, the need for escape becomes more urgent,”(32).  This need for escape gave rise to idea of the High Line Park.  With exits and entrances located frequently along the path, visitors can descend to the hustle and bustle of the city or ascend to escape the concrete jungle.

Both the High Line Park and Flushing Meadows Corona Park serve as a place for recreational activities and as a place to escape from the city life.  Each offers its own unique perspective of the city.  Each stands as a testament to its time.