I've been waiting to walk the High Line ever since photographer Joel Sternfeld offered a view of this hidden urban wilderness eight years ago on WNETs New York Voices. The first section of the restored rail line opened June 9th, with thousands of visitors queuing up to get in at the Gansevoort Street entrance. Today, under overcast skies, there was unrestricted access to the city's newest park at four of its five entrances, from Gansevoort to 20^th Streets.

Left: The High Line, looking towards the Standard Hotel. Right: Wildflowers and grasses. Photos: Peggy Roalf.

Designed by James Corner Field Operations with Diller Scofidio & Renfro, the High Line is a place to walk, to relax, and to contemplate the magnificent surroundings. The West Chelsea area is still a microcosm of industrial architecture, with skeletal remains of its working waterfront visible from the walkway, three stories high. From this prospect, the Hudson River views are spectacular and evidence of habitation in the old red brick buildings was offered today in the form of freshly laundered dresses drying in the breeze.

The future is evident in a glut of new structures, including Barry Diller's IAC/InterActive Corp, designed by Frank Gehry, and the Standard Hotel, which bridges the High Line at Gansevoort Street. Elsewhere, shiny glass buildings of all sizes and styles are popping up as if these were, in fact, high times.

The walkway is formed of many different surfaces, from sculptural concrete to redwood planks to industrial grating. The plantings closely mimic the original wildflower fields that had stealthily taken over the abandoned rail line: native plants have been newly installed with a subtle hand as if their seeds were naturally broadcast. They've taken root in a somewhat random, slightly scraggly way in beds sliced through the concrete paving and amid sections of rail left behind as artifacts. Lighting, simple yet sophisticated, takes the form of three foot high rods set among the plantings.

At 16^th Street, a section of the building housing Chelsea Market extends over the park, offering a cool, dark shelter from the elements. Inside is a massive stained glass installation by Spencer Finch that echoes the ebb and flow of the Hudson estuary. Sponsored by Creative Time, Friends of the High Line, and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, it forms a continuous backdrop in shades of aqueous blue along the building's western wall.

As a place to chill, the High Line has everything a loafer could want, from simple wooden benches along its perimeters to enormous chaise lounges ideally positioned for sunset viewing. One of the neat features is a redwood amphitheater that swoops down toward 10^th Avenue, around 17^th Street.

The High Line is open from 7 am to 10 pm and can be entered along 10 Avenue at Gansevoort Street, 14^th Street (often closed due to construction), 16^th, 18^th and 20^th Streets. Elevator access is available at 16^th Street, with a second elevator due to open at 14^th Street in July. For information, please visit Friends of the High Line's website.

Today's DART Pick:
The Female Gaze Women Look At Women. The show seeks to present work by women artists, in a variety of mediums, which reclaim the traditional domination of "the male gaze." Opening Thursday June 25, 6-8 pm at Chelsea's Cheim & Read Gallery. 547 West 25^th Street, New York, NY. 212-242-7727.

062309 Gansevoort