tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post5480634966997147407..comments2024-03-07T10:06:13.620-05:00Comments on View from Federal Twist: High Line: More than the sum of its partsJames Goldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-23010575319708578502013-04-03T10:10:41.473-04:002013-04-03T10:10:41.473-04:00Interesting who you meet on the High Line. (I'...Interesting who you meet on the High Line. (I'm known for running into famous people and not recognizing them.) Last January Michael Gordon came down from Peterborough, NH, to go to a Tom Stuart-Smith lecture at New York Botanical Garden. Michael and I took a walk on the High Line the day before the lecture, and who should we run into? Tom Stuart-Smith and his wife on their first visit to the High Line. I've never met Piet, but if he ever comes to an open event in NYC, I'll certainly make a point of doing that.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-60655832568562580632013-04-03T09:56:17.685-04:002013-04-03T09:56:17.685-04:00I visited the Highline for the first time in June ...I visited the Highline for the first time in June 2009, just a week or so after it had opened. I was coincidentally in the city. I was walking around with some gardening friends and was so impressed by what I saw. I had heard Oudolf talk about the project a couple of years before at a lecture in Rotterdam and I was thinking about how amazing it would be to work on such a site when who should walk by but Oudolf himself. I had, to put in lightly, a fan girl moment but did manage to muster out a "It looks great, Piet." in Dutch. Made my day. Hell, it made my month.studio TOOPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11474878947181973963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-34467905030514482612010-11-10T18:28:08.557-05:002010-11-10T18:28:08.557-05:00That's Diller Scofidio and Renfro. Sorry!That's Diller Scofidio and Renfro. Sorry!James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-62496738234350847432010-11-10T18:25:43.636-05:002010-11-10T18:25:43.636-05:00Scott,
Glad to hear from you. Oudolf, yes. I reall...Scott,<br />Glad to hear from you. Oudolf, yes. I really didn't give proper credit to the landscape architect James Corner Field Operations, and architect Scofidio Diller and Renfro, so I may have to do a follow-up post on that aspect of the High Line. Their design is an amazing response to some difficult challenges.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-68822465501300000772010-11-10T16:31:17.140-05:002010-11-10T16:31:17.140-05:00Great post James...I'm so jealous, I've wa...Great post James...I'm so jealous, I've wanted to visit there since I first heard about it! I'm loving the design (Piet Oudolf, right?) of the plants as well as the hardscape and the integration of the tracks. Sounds like you had a great time...then again, it's NYC!scottweberpdxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08740930947767329183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-60439002097338423062010-11-08T07:13:49.321-05:002010-11-08T07:13:49.321-05:00Sibylle,
Thanks for just dropping in. I see your b...Sibylle,<br />Thanks for just dropping in. I see your blog gives me another eye on gardens in Europe, especially Germany, which is hard to come by. Thanks again.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-10080167677830898162010-11-08T04:28:57.814-05:002010-11-08T04:28:57.814-05:00what a wonderfull post!
just drop on your page an...what a wonderfull post!<br /> just drop on your page and I should take more time to read your commentsagain. they are very ditailed and interesting. <br />greetings from germany SibylleSibyllehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07898373012012245380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-90539045771727613062010-10-31T17:36:53.992-04:002010-10-31T17:36:53.992-04:00Ryan,
Maybe our religion gets in the way of spirit...Ryan,<br />Maybe our religion gets in the way of spirituality. I think this has been true of our culture from the beginning, and I believe it's especially so now. Fundamentalism and spirituality don't easily walk side by side.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-27550226801878677172010-10-31T16:59:14.120-04:002010-10-31T16:59:14.120-04:00Great post. I love all the photos of the plantings...Great post. I love all the photos of the plantings. I think our culture does a lot of spiritual things that it doesn't get credit for, things with an underlying spiritual element that doesn't get acknowledged. Probably because of issues within our culture, because we lack some of the spiritual overtones, but as a group we are still revering mountains and plants and historic figures and places in very similar ways to other cultures that are credited with being very spiritual. Also trashing mountains and plants and places, too, but that's another story, and one which happened in the other spiritual cultures too.ryanhttp://drystonegarden.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-1378263132229897852010-10-28T22:18:13.584-04:002010-10-28T22:18:13.584-04:00Denise,
Thanks for commenting. I really appreciate...Denise,<br />Thanks for commenting. I really appreciate it because it led me to your blog. It's affirming to know that you also feel the High Line is "an intensely special place." I think many others feel this, and your confirmation of that is welcome.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-37797522550295784112010-10-28T17:33:45.654-04:002010-10-28T17:33:45.654-04:00What a wonderful post on a great garden that I jus...What a wonderful post on a great garden that I just saw recently too. Your photos really capture how the plantings are integrated with the old railway. I agree, it is an intensely special place.Denisehttp://agrowingobsession.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-1117275322454865912010-10-28T06:57:10.425-04:002010-10-28T06:57:10.425-04:00Ailsa,
You're right about maintenance. A priva...Ailsa,<br />You're right about maintenance. A private organization, Friends of the High Line, is responsible for maintenance, in collaboration with the city and the Department of Parks and Recreation. Without private money, this park would never have come to be, and it wouldn't be properly maintained without the energy, enthusiasm,and financial support that comes via Friends of the High Line. So far, the park/garden is immaculately maintained. You can read more about this on the Friends of the High Line web site.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-14114470797846068522010-10-28T03:04:02.153-04:002010-10-28T03:04:02.153-04:00James,
Let me add my voice to say this was a much-...James,<br />Let me add my voice to say this was a much-appreciated tour. I can't believe I haven't high-tailed it back to NY to see and walk this garden. <br /><br />Ever concerned about follow-up, do you know who is responsible for maintaining this garden? Surely it cannot be left to its own devices, or else the Manitoba maple seedlings et al would take over. I do love that Persicaria and Tricyrtis -- my two new favourites.Ailsahttp://www.hortusurbanus.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-23541792931798998292010-10-27T21:52:33.368-04:002010-10-27T21:52:33.368-04:00Thanks, Robert. Since you moved your web site I ha...Thanks, Robert. Since you moved your web site I haven't been seeing your daily posts. Hope I'm not missing them.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-46433664126281295522010-10-27T12:21:12.963-04:002010-10-27T12:21:12.963-04:00Fascinating, asnd best account I have had of this....Fascinating, asnd best account I have had of this.<br />Best Wishes<br />RRobert Webberhttp://www.hegartywebberpartnership.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-37028763951494478922010-10-26T19:17:41.850-04:002010-10-26T19:17:41.850-04:00Amalia,
I believe you are right. The isolation of ...Amalia,<br />I believe you are right. The isolation of the park is one of its greatest virtues. Of course, it's beautifully and sensitively designed (both the hardscape components and the plantings), and immaculately maintained, but the special quality of a tree house seems very important to giving it a "spiritual" or "otherworldly" feeling. I'm not surprised you've had a similar experience in a garden before. We have friends living in Barcelona, so I hope to see Park Guell some day. Actually, I think your web site has that peaceful, shall I call it "spiritual" quality?James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-25941808911888846492010-10-26T19:06:40.590-04:002010-10-26T19:06:40.590-04:00Les,
You remind me of how fortunate I am to have t...Les,<br />You remind me of how fortunate I am to have this great city available to me, even though I can't wait to spend more days in the country. I just took a re-look at your post on the High Line, and wish I'd incorporated a link to it. The contrast in the look of the plantings with passage of a couple of months is really dramatic, as is the different light. And, as usual, your photos are tremendous. Think I'll just go back and do that.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-55265189905004968992010-10-26T08:54:07.906-04:002010-10-26T08:54:07.906-04:00Amazing post!!! What a place!!!! Absolutely perfec...Amazing post!!! What a place!!!! Absolutely perfect in every detail!<br />I have only once felt a spiritual experience like that in a garden: Park Guell in Barcelona by Gaudi. Placed in a high point overlooking the city. I got there very early in the morning but unfortunately the magic was gone once the crowds got in.<br />The post also reminds me of another you wrote about the feelings we had in woods. I believe that the park being aisolated from crazy Manhattan at a high point, makes you feel safe. A beautiful peaceful safe place from where you can see the busy city.<br />I canĀ“t wait to go and visit!Amalia Robredonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-88063269542476821392010-10-26T07:22:20.093-04:002010-10-26T07:22:20.093-04:00You know how much I like this most amazing garden,...You know how much I like this most amazing garden, there is truly nothing else like it with its combination of the natural and not. I envy you and anybody else that can see it throughout the seasons. During the brief time I saw it on a hot August morning, I could tell it had been planted with all seasons in mind. It was not crowded when we were there, but I would love to attend a concert there or to watch couples dancing to salsa.Leshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18281256160705697856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-40706532847881593912010-10-25T21:42:52.507-04:002010-10-25T21:42:52.507-04:00B-V, I'll be waiting.B-V, I'll be waiting.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-33303757151228526652010-10-25T21:42:23.629-04:002010-10-25T21:42:23.629-04:00James A-S,
Yes, the extremes of light and dark giv...James A-S,<br />Yes, the extremes of light and dark give the High Line a very urban ambience (at least for me, as I drive through dim tunnels into bright light several times a week), but I suppose it's not necessarily urban at all. My garden in the country offers much the same effect this time of year. Depends on your frame of reference, I suppose. Glad you call the High Line a "garden." There are some who probably wouldn't agree, though I do.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-65362026336249417852010-10-25T15:48:16.324-04:002010-10-25T15:48:16.324-04:00James, the poetry book is two weeks behind schedul...James, the poetry book is two weeks behind schedule for printing (release was to be 10/29), which puts in jeopardy my book release reading on 11/11. I'm sure you will give me your opinion on it once it arrives? If I'm ever in NYC, we can stroll the gardens.Benjamin Vogthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10661489036836711335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-43217356603445018002010-10-25T13:08:25.275-04:002010-10-25T13:08:25.275-04:00I am having a Highline afternoon after hot footing...I am having a Highline afternoon after hot footing it over from Victoria's post.<br />Great pictures and fine words.<br />It is a fabulous place: one of the most striking things I noticed is the extremes of light and shade as you walk along. You can wander from warm sunshine into the deep chilling shade of a building and from cold wind to relative shelter. It is yet another dimension to the garden and one that is dramatically different depending on the time of day.James A-Shttp://www.blackpitts.co.uk/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-78065945897158964072010-10-25T11:28:37.695-04:002010-10-25T11:28:37.695-04:00Peter,
Editing all those photos and sorting them i...Peter,<br />Editing all those photos and sorting them into some order was kind of an epic task. It is an apparent contradiction, isn't it? Such a personal and emotional response in the midst of a busy, noisy city. Maybe only those with mystical inclinations find this easy (I might add "Heh, heh" but then that's your particular style.). I don't think this is necessarily down Anne's alley, so to speak, but maybe I'll ask her. I feel I gave the actual park designers (Diller, Scofidio and Renfro, and Field Operations) rather the short end of the stick by not even mentioning them. I'll have to do something to address that lack of balance, I suppose.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-29065823647369999192010-10-25T11:21:46.515-04:002010-10-25T11:21:46.515-04:00Michael,
I wish I could have met you. But I was ou...Michael,<br />I wish I could have met you. But I was out in New Jersey anyway. Hope you all had a good trip. I think it must have been a beautiful weekend for visiting those gardens. A lot to do in such a short time!James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.com