NY High Line's final phase to open this fall [slideshow]
By BD+C Staff
The final phase of New York’s High Line elevated railway park is slated to open in the fall of 2014. The park will be located between West 30th and West 34th streets to the south and north, and 10th and 12th avenues to the east and west.
The final section, called High Line at the Rail Yards, will be unique from its two predecessors in its aesthetic: the aged, rusted tracks will remain and will be surrounded by natural foliage, rather than manicured perennials.
Friends of the High Line co-founder Joshua David told the New York Times, “People fell in love with the idea that nature had taken over this monumental industrial site.”
There will be one break in that natural feel: Coach’s new building will straddle a section of the new High Line.
In order to preserve parts of the tracks, a path and railing system will be installed to guide visitors safely through the linear park. Other features include a postindustrial jungle gym for children and a planted bowl theater that will jut out along W. 30th Street.
According to Friends of the High Line co-founder Robert Hammond, “Central Park is an escape from the city, an immersion in nature. On the High Line, you’re always aware of the city around you. We wanted to create a space where people could be immersed in nature unlike anywhere else on the High Line.”
Here's a sneak peek at the distinguishing design features of High Line at the Rail Yards:
Renderings of the bowl theater: