There are many definitions of a "true New Yorker."
Here's one: We don't go to the Statue of Liberty, and we wouldn't be caught dead in Times Square (at least in its current iteration)--or on the High Line.
I took a walk up on the High Line once, shortly after it opened. At the time, I was recovering from my surgery and couldn't ride my bicycle. I liked the idea of taking an old industrial railroad viaduct and turning it into a venue lined with art, plants and unusual buildings, from which one could take in some stunning views of the skyline and even the sky itself.
The next time I went, a few months later, I was on my bicycle. I knew riding wasn't allowed, but I discovered that you couldn't even bring your bike onto the High Line. And I wasn't about to lock it up on the street.
So I returned another day, sans bike. I found myself hating the place, but not only because I couldn't ride my bike. What I realized is that the High Line is just another tourist trap offering a sanitized view of the city--except, of course, for the part where you get to see inside the apartments that line part of the High Line. I'm long past being titillated by what people do in their own rooms, on their own time!
Anyway, other cities are starting to think about ways they could use abandoned or disused railroad trestles, elevated highways and other kinds of viaducts. One of those cities is at the other end of New York State: Buffalo.
Like other industrial towns in the "Rust Belt", the Nickel City has gone through some very hard times. That has left abandoned and seemingly-obsolete structures. They won't lure young people with education or money back into town unless they're used in appealing ways.
One such structure is the city's Skyway. Slated for demolition, it's now the subject of a $100,000 contest for alternative ideas. One such idea is to turn the old highway into an urban linear park for "use by bicycles and pedestrians, like the High Line."
The local news media report, of course, has misconceptions about the High Line. Now, if they actually allow bicyclists on the Skyway and make it truly pedestrian-friendly--unlike the High Line, which is clogged with herds of tourists that move at an amoebic pace and stop for sunbathing and "selfies"--they might have something that could help turn Buffalo into a livable, sustainable city.
Here's one: We don't go to the Statue of Liberty, and we wouldn't be caught dead in Times Square (at least in its current iteration)--or on the High Line.
I took a walk up on the High Line once, shortly after it opened. At the time, I was recovering from my surgery and couldn't ride my bicycle. I liked the idea of taking an old industrial railroad viaduct and turning it into a venue lined with art, plants and unusual buildings, from which one could take in some stunning views of the skyline and even the sky itself.
The next time I went, a few months later, I was on my bicycle. I knew riding wasn't allowed, but I discovered that you couldn't even bring your bike onto the High Line. And I wasn't about to lock it up on the street.
So I returned another day, sans bike. I found myself hating the place, but not only because I couldn't ride my bike. What I realized is that the High Line is just another tourist trap offering a sanitized view of the city--except, of course, for the part where you get to see inside the apartments that line part of the High Line. I'm long past being titillated by what people do in their own rooms, on their own time!
Anyway, other cities are starting to think about ways they could use abandoned or disused railroad trestles, elevated highways and other kinds of viaducts. One of those cities is at the other end of New York State: Buffalo.
Like other industrial towns in the "Rust Belt", the Nickel City has gone through some very hard times. That has left abandoned and seemingly-obsolete structures. They won't lure young people with education or money back into town unless they're used in appealing ways.
One such structure is the city's Skyway. Slated for demolition, it's now the subject of a $100,000 contest for alternative ideas. One such idea is to turn the old highway into an urban linear park for "use by bicycles and pedestrians, like the High Line."
The local news media report, of course, has misconceptions about the High Line. Now, if they actually allow bicyclists on the Skyway and make it truly pedestrian-friendly--unlike the High Line, which is clogged with herds of tourists that move at an amoebic pace and stop for sunbathing and "selfies"--they might have something that could help turn Buffalo into a livable, sustainable city.
Justine - there is a raised rail line in Chicago that has been converted to a 2.7 mile mixed-use trail (called the "606" after the first 3 digits in all of Chicago's ZIP codes). It has become a linear park, as well as an important commuter trail that transverses several neighborhoods. It is well-used by pedestrians enjoying the trail, runners and cyclists, and has areas for sitting at many points. It's had the unintended effect of accelerating gentrification in the areas adjacent to the trail (the east end of it is in the Bucktown neighborhood, already a gentrified area before this). While visitors to Chicago may use it, it really serves residents primarily. I have seen it compared to the High Line, although from your description they are quite different. https://www.the606.org/
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your blog very much!
Ken--Thank you for stopping by. I'm glad you enjoy this blog. You can probably tell that I enjoy writing it.
ReplyDeleteFrom the way you describe the 606, I wish the High Line were more like it--at least in the way it's used. The HL also has accelerated gentrification in West Chelsea: Some argue that it's the catalyst that spurred the development of Hudson Yards.