High Line Visitors

Most people who visit the High Line are tourists. It is a highly recommended attraction

on review sites such as Yelp and Qype.Some New Yorkers have an aversion to visiting

the High Line because it has become such a popular tourist attraction. Many of those who have visited complain about the crowdedness of the park and in their reviews recommend visiting hours on weekdays during business

hours.

A refreshing change from the hustle and bustle of the city. Lots of great views. Beautiful plants.

Cool apartment complexes. There's a view of the Chelsea Pier that is

beautiful. What a great asset this is to the city.

If you ever visit NY, this place is a MUST SEE! Very serene and beautiful. A stark contrast of what NY is perceived to be and everything that you

would expect from NY. A one of a kind park.

Not only the design and the atmosphere of the park unique and innovative, it has transformed a neighborhood which was formally known as the "Death Avenue"

into a trendy, upscale, and more importantly, family friendly area.

An urban oasis.“So if you are a tourist like me, definitely make time

for the High Line. This was one of the first things I did

on my trip when I got to NYC and I'm so glad I did.”

Meet the Tourists

This park is very well kept, clean, and free

of weirdos and panhandlers (at least when I was there).

Rise D. Ewa Beach, HISeth J. Denver, CO

James C. Uniondale, NY

Holly G. San Francisco, CA

Saya V. Los Angeles, CA

Jane R. Little Rock, AR

The only reason this is getting 4 and not 5 stars is because of the high security-- I understand

that you don't want people going into the shrubs, but the mini rope fences really distract

from the experience, not to mention having high-line workers monitoring the place is just a

bit annoying.

The Highline is such a fantastic getaway inside NYC. For it to be a true

sanctuary you have to go when the gates first open,

at 7am.

Meet the New Yorkers

The High Line is not a park in the traditional concept, certainly not to relax. It's a piece of

modern art, a cool urban construction, a show stage for fashionistas to have more fun, while adding exotic glamour to mix materialism and

nature…That's why High Line is SO crowded with

European tourists.

All the tourist books are touting this as the "new

thing to see in NYC." And it really is. But go on a

weekday.

Deanne R. Manhattan, NY

Wendy G. New York, NY Irm M. Manhattan, NY

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, NY

The High Line

Detrim

ent

Benefit?

or

The Critics Decide…

A Resident’s Response to

Tourism"Attention High Line Tourists

West Chelsea is not Times Square. It is not a tourist attraction.

... If you love New York, leave it alone.”

“Disney World on the Hudson”

A New York Times Op-Ed by Jeremiah Moss

Moss describes his initial excitement for the opening of the High Line, but he was severely disappointed with its lack of peacefulness due to crowded walkways and guards who “admonished me when my foot moved too close to a weed.” He did not feel that the park was welcoming and extends this perspective to the business owners who were ousted by luxury residence buildings.

The High Line: New York’s Monument to Gentrification

Essay by Michael Bourne

“Everywhere you look you see lovingly restored cracked plaster and million-dollar gardens made to

look like neglected weed beds.”

“The High Line is the distressed skinny jeans of public parks, the gourmet taco truck of urban tourist attractions, and as such, it represents the high-water

mark of the hipster aesthetic, which venerates poverty and decay as signifiers of authenticity.”

How is the High Line Detrimental?

• The new venues and visitors displaced the long standing businesses that were there

• Property values rose significantly as business decreased because of new companies opening up shop for visitors and luxury apartment residents

• There’s no more room for blue-collar workers

How is the High Line Beneficial?

• Since it’s opening, crime rates have substantially decreased in the neighborhoods that the High Line goes through.

• Although the old businesses there struggled, the new “hipster” venues flourish

Overall...

• The High Line as a park has received positive feedback from tourists and New Yorkers alike, despite the crowdedness

• The making of the park has been a successful undertaking in salvaging the remains of an old railway, though it’s own popularity seems to hurt its intention to create a peaceful haven above the bustling city life

Websites

• http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11996

• http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/opinion/in-the-shadows-of-the-high-line.html?_r=2&hp&

• http://www.themillions.com/2012/06/the-high-line-new-yorks-monument-to-gentrification.html

• http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-high-line-new-york • http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2012/05/

attention-high-line-tourists.html

• http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2011/aug/25/eyes-above-street-high-lines-second-installment/