It's the first sign of progress on development of The High Line and it was installed sometime between Friday and Monday. Yup, it's a bench. A little old bench and some mighty sexy paving. The first of hundreds to be installed across the entire derelict elevated rail corridor that runs for 1.5 miles above most of West Chelsea, much to the excitement of skateboarders throughout the city. I hadn't thought of the inhumane skateboard deterrents we installed all over Vancouver when I was practicing there until I saw this photo. Such miscreants were so rabidly eschewed in most details of the built form in that city. I'm guessing (and hoping) there won't be any metal spikes installed on this project.
The Highline will be converted into fully publicly accessible park space by I believe 2010. There are a bunch of construction photos here
Current Highline.
Future Highline
It's so funny to me how excited everyone in the landscape community here gets over the installation of 'a' bench, but I like it. It's about collective progress in a good way. But I'm sure this small little construction moment will instigate an even faster and mightier brand of real estate action around the corridor. I suspect the warehouses in the project rendering above will soon be much shinier than represented there. Sometimes landscape architecture is a double edged sword - often the first step in more gentrification. But we can't stop. And we shouldn't stop. Right? Sometimes I'm not sure.
Image credits: Friends of The High Line and Curbed.com
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