“Within the confines of New York City lies an overlooked oasis of green…the abandoned elevated high line.” Richard Stalter opens his piece on the High line with these words and to me that’s what it was. I’ve never heard of the high line before this class, so I thought it would be somewhat deserted. However, once I got there it was bustling with life. I couldn’t believe how many people were there. It was more crowded than the streets of Manhattan yet there were places where one could lounge and rest. To top it off, sprightly plants were on both sides of the high line for a majority its length. The abundant number of plants takes one to a place where they forget he is in the city to the point where seeing billboards and parking lots from the elevated platform a strange sight.
If there was a place to accurately describe Marris’s view of a rambunctious garden. The high line embodies the idea of humans and wildlife living in unison. People are sitting, listening to music, reading, there are food vendors, and little kids playing. There was even a bride, groom, and their bridesmaids and groomsmen taking a stroll through the high line. The plants are also evenly distributed and in some areas it feels as if they completely surround the people at the high line.
With the merging of man and wildlife, there are still separations so neither is completely overwhelmed by the other. There are signs to remind people not to invade the area specific to the plants and concrete pathways for people to stay on. There is also an unspoken separation of pathways. While there is no sign or marker indicating which way to walk, the people organize themselves and keep to their right, allowing for a smooth walk with no obstructions.
While I visited the high line, I felt that while my timing had its pros, there were some cons. I couldn’t find any animals other than a single bird that made taking a picture of it incredibly difficult and a cabbage butterfly. There were other bugs, but they were too small to be caught by camera. I was disappointed by the lack of animals I saw because Statler’s statistics made me hopeful of seeing numerous animals I rarely see in the city.
proof if me there, next to the emergency call box
