tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post6768279212319856219..comments2024-03-07T10:06:13.620-05:00Comments on View from Federal Twist: High Line: Urban Theater in the GardenJames Goldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-20653623162851982992012-02-07T10:07:24.982-05:002012-02-07T10:07:24.982-05:00Great journey James - many thanks.
I walked the f...Great journey James - many thanks.<br /><br />I walked the first section in 2010 and again the whole route a couple of times last summer. Even better, my two kids (21 and 24) ran the length one morning and we all had breakfast in Chelsea when I caught up.<br /><br />New York is so lucky to have these new gardens, now how about you and some other bloggers come and write about our Olympic Park and also an amazing under valued park by the Thames barrier?Country Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01356034133233077436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-70486321957233540132011-09-06T08:03:04.786-04:002011-09-06T08:03:04.786-04:00Laurrie,
I'm glad to hear to got there and lik...Laurrie,<br />I'm glad to hear to got there and liked it. I was there last week, just two days after Irene, and the High Line was looking rather weather worn. I still enjoyed it, and in fact, was pleased to see that it can even be appreciated when the plants are not in their most pristine condition (lots were sort of flattened by the heavy winds and rain). The High Line does bring nature into the city, and even the damaged plantings have meaning. From looking at your photos, I see they have recovered. Asters were just beginning to bloom in little spurts when I was there, but I see them going full steam in your photos.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-22217837634473970992011-09-06T06:55:44.843-04:002011-09-06T06:55:44.843-04:00I finally got to see the High Line this weekend, a...I finally got to see the High Line this weekend, and have referenced you and your wonderful picture essay in my blog post about it. <br /><br />I have pored over these pictures and your thought provoking description here so many times, and was afraid actually being in it would not live up to what I was expecting! But the park did not disappoint. It was a great experience for me on so many levels. Now I need to go back and walk it slowly and do it all again!Laurriehttp://laurries.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-43252470167261978882011-08-04T23:20:25.247-04:002011-08-04T23:20:25.247-04:00Thomas, I'd really like to hear more about you...Thomas, I'd really like to hear more about your experience seeing the High Line. My last visit, at high noon on a very hot day was less "spiritual" than past visits, but more mesmerizing because of my intense awareness of the evolving planting patterns, waves of pattern, experienced over time. I haven't been able to put what I experienced in words yet. It was the excitement of discovery of the new, yet at the same time, the familiar--something like an invisible, or ineffable, "breath" that carried me along in a kind of delightful poise.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-83113838346996924502011-08-04T22:45:13.366-04:002011-08-04T22:45:13.366-04:00James,
The first time I saw the Highline, it was ...James,<br /><br />The first time I saw the Highline, it was quite a religious experience for me. It was recognizable Oudolf in style, but in an entirely new, more American way. He captured the fallow feel of the previously abandoned rail lines, but in an artful, cutting edge way. Brilliant.Thomashttp://www.groundeddesign.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-49431916564114090672011-08-04T15:27:28.366-04:002011-08-04T15:27:28.366-04:00Scott, interesting subject--sex in the garden. Cer...Scott, interesting subject--sex in the garden. Certainly, a garden should, first of all, appeal to the senses. I firmly believe that, though some "conceptual" gardener fans might disagree. But I'm certain sexual uses of gardens go back many centuries. I recall that Tim Richardson gave some space to that subject in his The Acadian Friends, his historical/cultural book on the history of the English garden from the17th through the 18th centuries. And, of course, there's the Garden of Eden. But I'm sure less than 1% of the High Line visitors give even a passing thought to all this. It would be interesting to find out what people "see" when they visit the High Line. While it can be a very peaceful place, you at the same time can be almost in a state of sensory overload, with the plantings, all the people, the views into the city. Repeat visits make it easier to sort our all the stimuli. Surely someone is writing a book on the High Line. Several, probably.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17910895503263927177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-45843940254131498252011-08-04T15:11:44.036-04:002011-08-04T15:11:44.036-04:00Rob, it's really a huge green roof. I don'...Rob, it's really a huge green roof. I don't know the exact soil depth, but I believe it's only a few inches. That raises the question of how trees are planted. Some are in raised planters with Corten steel finishes, but other trees appear to be planted "at grade" so to speak. Perhaps there is some kind of "well" of soil to get more depth for the roots. I don't know, and I haven't found any information on that on the internet. But I do know most of the perennials are in very shallow soil. I should talk a park tour so I can ask those questions. I always see gardeners maintaining the plantings, so I do believe it's a high maintenance planting.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17910895503263927177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-5037050265896334392011-08-04T14:40:02.366-04:002011-08-04T14:40:02.366-04:00Laurrie, glad you enjoyed the walk (on my terms). ...Laurrie, glad you enjoyed the walk (on my terms). And thanks for telling me the post made you see something in a new way. I think that is the essence of the High Line. Though I love the overgrown Cotinus on the High Line, it won't look the same in my garden. I don't have a place where you would see it against the sky. So I'll continue to cut mine to the ground each spring.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17910895503263927177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-9347466910485457532011-08-03T14:19:17.981-04:002011-08-03T14:19:17.981-04:00Wonderful post, James, this is the next best thing...Wonderful post, James, this is the next best thing to actually visiting (which I hope to do, someday). I love how you link it with a sensuality...which, let's be honest, should be the case with most gardens (even if not always with a sexual connotation). Even without the context of it's location...what is any garden buy constant sex...every plant striving to grow and reproduce within the span of a few months. What seems benign is constant drama, unfolding before our eyes. I love Oudolf...but you're right...I wonder what others unfamiliar with the style think about it...if they notice the patterns you did (even if just subcounsiously)...shouldn't SOMEONE write a book about this garden already!?!scottweberpdxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08740930947767329183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-5292267135556072782011-08-03T10:31:25.793-04:002011-08-03T10:31:25.793-04:00You're right to hold the High line in high reg...You're right to hold the High line in high regard. <br /><br />I'm curious as to how things grow. Is there much depth of soil up there. Is it high maintenance?Rob (ourfrenchgarden)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05087218232138304239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-33488472236427438392011-08-03T10:05:38.467-04:002011-08-03T10:05:38.467-04:00I think that might make some of the good ladies an...I think that might make some of the good ladies and gentlemen of Georgetown faint. But nature -- time and weather -- is shaping them in unexpected and enlightening ways anyway.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-74208401613449655632011-08-03T09:13:51.463-04:002011-08-03T09:13:51.463-04:00This is the best tour of the High Line I have seen...This is the best tour of the High Line I have seen. Not just a look at the park walkway and plantings, but a way to experience it. You have made me realize how an artificial and staged space can still be beautiful and restful and "gardeny", but also be an art installation, complete with buildings and streets as sculpture, people as dynamic elements, and all the plants as paintings. <br /><br />I have a whole new way to look at cotinus now!Laurriehttp://laurries.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-15875136299405780512011-08-02T22:29:20.475-04:002011-08-02T22:29:20.475-04:00Those ancient boxwoods at Tudor Place are stunning...Those ancient boxwoods at Tudor Place are stunning! Thanks so much for that post; I missed it. Wouldn't it be great if they pruned them all up, and made them look like miniature trees, like giant bonsai?James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-3206964267554956842011-08-02T22:25:20.777-04:002011-08-02T22:25:20.777-04:00Les, I like that lady with the parasol. And she ne...Les, I like that lady with the parasol. And she needed it that day. I almost made it to the far end of Section 2 of the High Line, but I simply wilted in the heat. You're a master of understatement. "The odd person here and there looking at the plants." You're probably right.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-29246515227919094292011-08-02T21:45:59.972-04:002011-08-02T21:45:59.972-04:00Great photos! I'm looking forward to seeing i...Great photos! I'm looking forward to seeing it myself someday. I rather liked the lawn -- if the other plants are music, then the lawn is a nice moment of silence.<br /> The awkward Cotinus reminded me of some very old, damaged boxwood I photographed at an old estate here in D.C. <br />http://enclosuretakerefuge.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/tudor-place-part-two/<br />You have to reassess your usual idea of and reaction to the plant. <br />Thanks for sharing your walk.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-79198699157396292002011-08-02T20:55:08.812-04:002011-08-02T20:55:08.812-04:00The lady with the parasol reminds me of images of ...The lady with the parasol reminds me of images of old NY at the turn of the last century when ladies and gentlemen would promenade through Central Park showing off their finery while looking at what others were wearing and whose arm they may have been holding. Just as now, there may have even been the odd person here and there looking at the plants.<br /><br />I enjoyed this post!Leshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18281256160705697856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-89692885732620541652011-08-02T19:32:03.754-04:002011-08-02T19:32:03.754-04:00Will, you were with me on my first BIG VISIT to th...Will, you were with me on my first BIG VISIT to the High Line. I look forward to visiting again with you. Thanks for reading and commenting.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-28429239720631186842011-08-02T19:30:29.243-04:002011-08-02T19:30:29.243-04:00Robert, you always cut to the heart of the matter:...Robert, you always cut to the heart of the matter: just people using space to do what they do. It is a beautifully designed place, in all its details. There's one problem that that paving thing, though. People tend to walk into the grooves and loose their balance. There are little strings on metal rods all over the place to warn wanders away from that danger. Actually, there appears to be an effort underway to design a kind of guard to prevent tripping. I'll have to show it on another post. Thanks for the comment.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-3970312499728617232011-08-02T19:25:53.001-04:002011-08-02T19:25:53.001-04:00Allan, no publishers are clamoring at my door. Wha...Allan, no publishers are clamoring at my door. What can I do about that? Thanks.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-81724594117920892912011-08-02T19:25:08.924-04:002011-08-02T19:25:08.924-04:00Denise, you capture so much of what the High Line ...Denise, you capture so much of what the High Line has accomplished, and you do it without my cynicism! "The first great 21st century urban park"--hope your prediction turns out to be true. I remember your post on the High Line, so you're a true connoisseur.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-76613570530681131382011-08-02T19:20:36.006-04:002011-08-02T19:20:36.006-04:00Arabella, I have the feeling you will absolutely l...Arabella, I have the feeling you will absolutely love the High Line (if you haven't visited it already). As to litter and graffiti, the High Line will remain clean so long as massive private funds continue to flow into its upkeep. Let's see what happens in 15 or 20 years. Frankly, it's hard to see how the present level of spiffiness can continue indefinitely. Thanks so much for you comment.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-12498090086936845092011-08-02T19:16:03.976-04:002011-08-02T19:16:03.976-04:00Faisal, I agree with you. But I do think New York ...Faisal, I agree with you. But I do think New York bestows beau coup anonymity, and that is an important part of the High Line experience. I know it played a major part in my decision to move here many years ago. With anonymity comes freedom if you're a "maverick" in any sense, or so it seemed at the time.James Goldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718058779971621920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-11939639267121322212011-08-02T18:25:04.938-04:002011-08-02T18:25:04.938-04:00Wonderful essay and commentary James, not to menti...Wonderful essay and commentary James, not to mention your stunning photographs. I feel no shame in being a voyeur, particularly in such an exquisite grarden of delights. I look forward to seeing the Highline with you again. <br /><br />Good work! WillWill Simshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07372807604833686375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-36732095565543843862011-08-02T17:03:05.630-04:002011-08-02T17:03:05.630-04:00Yes, its just people using space isn't it. For...Yes, its just people using space isn't it. For all those purposes that they have used it for for thousands of years. Stunningly beautiful in its understated designey bits. Like the paving seeming to part for the vegetation or maybe the vegetation seeming to part the paving. Lots of good travel to offset the linear effect. Tho am I the only one to look at the before shot on this post and think: how amazing!<br />Thanks very much for this, James<br />Best<br />RRobert Webberhttp://www.hegartywebberpartnership.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20141337.post-54477745246016123832011-08-02T14:17:10.585-04:002011-08-02T14:17:10.585-04:00Dang, James, you've got a coffee table book al...Dang, James, you've got a coffee table book already done. Get this to a publisher soonest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com