Approaching the High Line Park, my friend and I were surprised at how much the lumbering bridge-like structure looked more like an abandoned railway and less like a park. It was bewildering, and my friend questioned whether we were at the right place. It turns out we weren’t lost, and in fact this bizarre structure that cut through the buildings and alleyways was considered a recreational area.
Build in the 1930’s, the purpose of the rail line was to free the streets of the dangerous freight trains that distributed goods throughout the city. Soon however the rail line became abandoned. Decades later, the relic was made into a city park with an interesting ambiance amidst the colossal metropolis that surrounds its narrow walkway.
As I climbed up the stairs with my friend, a long stretch of grass, a makeshift lawn amongst the towering buildings that surrounded the area greeted us. It was a peculiar sight,something you wouldn’t expect amidst Manhattan, a city known for traffic jams and clouds of pollution. Walking forward, the sounds of the city and the crowded atmosphere created an interesting contrast with the park. Naturally a park is known for the wide stretch of open space that allows for freedom of movement and creates a tranquil atmosphere. The High Line was anything but that. People sometimes shoved each other, and it was overcrowded, a trait true to Manhattan itself. The sounds of nature were replaced by the sounds of car horns, construction and people. The park was more artificial than it was natural.
An interesting aspect of the High Line was how heavily it was integrated into the surrounding neighborhood. The park cuts straight through buildings and often runs by windows, raising the question of how anyone living there can sacrifice sunlight for privacy. The park is raised above ground, a quality that has become the model for construction in Manhattan. For a metropolis that has run out of room, its only option is to build upwards and sooner or later, this will apply to not only residential structures, but to recreational areas as well. This above ground style however creates its own unique experience that is not found anywhere else in New York City.
Walking further along the park
, I came upon a message drawn in spray paint on one of the buildings adjacent to the park. It said “R.I.P High Line,” and I immediately thought of everyone that disapproved of this area. I began think about those individuals who were in support of saving the highline, but not recreating it. There were people who loved the piece of New York as it was, and to them, changing it would be destroying that piece of the city. People like John Sternfeld, a photographer who comes to shoot the park every season, see the High Line as something that is already accomplished and wish to keep it as it is. (Gopnik)
Coney Island was an experience completely different from the High Line. I talked to one of the employees of the park and luckily enough he turned out to be the assistant manager at Luna Park. He lead me to the managers office and gave me a bit of a history lesson on the park and let me take a few pictures.
The park is a recreational area filled with amusement rides and a nearby beach, all of which remind me of the traditional “fun in the summer sun” type of experience, and something which the High Line cannot offer. Yet the Coney Island amusement park encompases several distinct towering structures which you wouldn’t normally associate with Brooklyn. Examples include the Parachute Jump, the tall red and white obeservation deck and the Wonder Wheel. I was surprised at how much the lights, the crowds and the gigantic attractions reminded me of Manhattan. The park sat far from any buildings in an open area that looked out onto the ocean and lacked that tight crowded atmosphere of the High Line. Yet it shared so much qualities with Manhattan.
The amusement park had all the features that one would expect of the city. But why was it located here in Brooklyn? While pondering on that question I was reminded of Koolhaas’ description of the early days of the island. “Coney Island is the incubator for Manhattan’s incipient themes and infant mythology. The strategies and mechanisms that later shape Manhattan are tested in the laboratory of Coney Island before they finally leap towards the larger island. Coney Island is a fetal Manhattan.” (Koolhaas p 30.)
The Coney Island amusement park, even in its early days, strived to rival the architecture of Manhattan. However over the years it became something unique for everyone in Brooklyn and now provides an experience unmatched by anything else in New York.
Walking along the boardwalk I noticed several garbage cans painted with a variety of designs. Unfortunately my camera died by nightfall but there was something unique about these garbage cans. I have seen them countless times before but when doing this assignment I noticed how well they reflect the distinctiveness of Coney Island. The trash barrels which line the middle of the boardwalk are painted annually as part of the “Boardwalk Barrels of Fun Contest.” I was intrigued at how something that is usually associated with dirt and filth can be made into art by average individuals all around Coney Island. The idea of Fluxus Art struck my mind and I thought it was remarkable how both the exterior and interior of the garbage barrel can be thought of as an artistic object. There was no need for proffesional artists, like those who designed the art pieces on the High Line. Anyone who wished to paint a barrel could enter into the contest. The garbage cans reflect the personalities of everyone in the surrounding neighborhood, something that the High Line lacks. Whereas the High Line reflects a view of a select few individuals (its designers), Coney Island strives to be a product of its visitors. When a person throws something into those barrels, they are contributing to the art that makes Coney Island unique and special.
Works Cited:
Koolhaas, Rem. Delirious New York. New York: The Monacelli Press, 1994.
Gopnik, Adam. “A Walk on the High Line.” The New Yorker May 21, 2001: 44-49. Print.
