Holidaze Skating Through The Meatpacking District

There used to be a time long, long ago (okay, in the 90s) when the only thing you could get in the meatpacking district was a burget at Florent and a hooker to go. Now of course, post-SEX AND THE CITY, MePa (as it is sometimes unfortunately called) is a teeming urban district of high end shops, fancy-pants clubs/restaurants, and the neighborhood's hulking landmark, The Standard hotel.  

This winter, the Standard has created the most unlikely spot for ice skating on a temporary rink set up adjacent to the High line park. It's a cute little rink, about 3000 sq ft in size so not exactly ideal for a hockey game or figure skating leaps. But it is the cheapest rink in town, with rentals and admission at $15. And, even better, it is not nearly as crowded as the ones in midtown that get jammed with tourists and onlookers during this most wonderfully crowded time of the year. 

The hotel doesn't have much info about it on their website but there was a nice review with some photos from a real estate blog called GlenwoodNYC. Check it out and I'll see you on the ice-ice, baby!

Trains May Be Returning To The High Line As High Art

This stunning rendering is for a proposed work by famed artist Jeff Koons for The High Line. Called simply "Train" it would suspend a replica of a 1943 steam locomotive over a section of the trestle park that runs from the Meatpacking District to 30th Street. The locomotive is similar to the ones that used to actually run on the High Line long before it was converted to one of the city's most spectacular parks.  Adding the "Train" would certainly be an amazing addition to The High Line. The main problem is the price.

As reported yesterday in the TIMES city room blog, the sculpture would cost 25 million to fabricate and install. The idea is to have it hang over the section of the High Line closest to the Penn Station rail yards, near 30th Street and 10th avenue.  High Line co-founder Robert Hammond hopes that a single donor (Barry Diller, your phone is ringing!) may gift the money needed for the sculpture. Let's hope so as it would be a stunning addition to an already stunning public space.

Getting Down With "The Low Line"

Down under Delancey Street, at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge, lies an old trolley terminus that has been sitting vacant for 60-some years.  Now there is a push to revive the space and maybe turn it into an underground park.

The NY Times recently did a piece about what has come to be known as "The Low Line", a nickname for the project inspired by the success of another reuse of abandoned rail infrastructure, The High Line. Though the two guys who are trying to make this happen are optimistic and the MTA is very eager to lease some of its real estate, the project has a long way to go, both financially and even theoretically. 

I think it's gonna be tough to get people to hang out underground near a major subway station, even if they filter in natural sunlight as pictured above.  A similar project was attempted in Washington DC in the '90s where a food court was developed in an old trolley terminus at Dupont Circle that met with disaster and lawsuits.  Below is the MTA's recent video showcasing the space, which is roughly 600ft x 100ft.  It looks pretty bleak but then again, so did the High Line ten years ago. Time and corporate backing will tell....

Outdoor Fall Movies On The High Line--TONITE!

One of my favorite NYC things to do in the summer is check out all the various outdoor screenings of movies the city has to offer.  It all started with the famous Bryant Park series back in 1994 and now has spread to countless venues across the five boroughs.  

This year, summer movies are moving into the fall with the advent of the High Line Film Series.  The theme?  Trains of course, in homage the High Line's history as rail freight line that served the West Side until the mid-'60s.  Last week they showed one of my all-time favorites SOME LIKE IT HOT.  And tonight, at the 14th Street passage, they will be showing the Hitchcock thriller STRANGERS ON A TRAIN.  Beforehand, there is a screening of a short film that compiles clips of Hollywood films about trains called ALL ABOARD.  The fun starts at 7pm, up on High.

Sneak Preview Of The High Line Part Two

Over the weekend, the NY Times ran a preview of the newest section of the High Line, slated to open this spring.  The next stretch, from 20th to 30th Street, runs through a less chic area of town than the Meat Packing District, through West Chelsea and up to the Hudson Rail Yards.  In the future, there are plans to "Meat Pack" this area too, with a huge deck over the tracks and massive/fancy real estate development.  But for now, it's still a last bastion of semi-grungy, industrial ol' New York.....with a beautiful new park running down the middle.  Coming soon in 2011...

The High-Line Goes West

The infamous Oakland Bay Bridge, a section of which collapsed during the 1989 quake, is finally being replaced by a modern structure.  Construction is under way on a single-tower suspension bridge that is projected to open to traffic in 2013.  This will leave a large chunk of the 1930's-era bridge left with nothing to do but be dismantled....at a cost of some 200-plus million dollars.

A teacher at UC Berkely has a better idea.  Inspired by NYC's success with the abandoned High-Line, he assigned his students to come up with some creative alternatives to demolition.  An article in todays San Francisco Chronicle presents some of their plans, including the one above which is closest to the NYC approach.  Other options included futuristic hotels, housing and even farming.  Only in California, folks!

The High Line Cabaret

As much as everyone tries to gentrify and clean up New York, this city is and will always remain full of characters. Case in point: a woman who is a former punk rock photographer and amateur chanteuse (only in NY kids!) has taken to serenading strollers on the newly open High Line Park which happens to run right next to her fire escape. Todays' TIMES has all the details along with a beautiful audio slideshow of her singing. This gal not only has chutzpah...she's got pipes!

On An All Time High

Back in the early '90s when nightlife was semi-dangerous, I was invited to an outlaw party on the High Line, an abandoned stretch of elevated rail that ran through the then-industrial western part of Chelsea. By the time I got there, the party had been broken up by the cops so I never made it up to the tracks. Well, after 15-some years, I finally got up to there yesterday for a stroll on the first section of the newly renovated High Line park.

The new and improved High Line is a beautiful and unique addition to the city's burgeoning public parks; a clever mix of the old (railroad ties and wildflowers) and the new (a suspended amphitheater with a striking view straight up 10th avenue). It took nearly a decade of organizing, fundraising and building for Rob Hammond and Joshua David's dream of a new High Line to become reality. But it was well worth the wait. It provides a view of the city you've never seen before as you float 30 feet off the ground surrounded by a meticulously landscaped urban garden.

If I have any complaint, it's that the High Line currently stops after just 8 blocks at 20th Street. The next section is due to open in mid-2010 which will bring the park up to 30th Street. If you'd like to see what it looks like, there is beautiful slide show on the TIMES website (where this image is from). Or, if you'd like to walk it yourself, it's now open daily from 7am to 10pm. Outlaw parties start promptly at midnight--KIDDING! :) For more, info check out the official High Line website.