High Line at the Rail Yards. The final section of railroad tracks.
The High Line is a public park that sits along a historic freight railroad line elevated high above the streets of New York City on the west side of Manhattan. In the early 20th century, the rail line was used to transport valuable freight and enjoyed a long period of high activity. It was abandoned in the 1980s after it ceased to be used for its original purpose and nature took over in a rather dramatic way. It is currently owned by the City of New York and maintained by a wonderful group called Friends of the High Line who have fought hard to preserve and nourish the space opening it up to the city to enjoy and care for.
The final section of the High Line is known as High Line at the Rail Yards. I read that it was possible to get a guided tour of the untouched railroad tracks and of course, I happily jumped at the opportunity. My first tour was cancelled due to rain but I was able to get another chance yesterday. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful evening to walk alongside the historic railroad tracks which were surrounded by fresh spring vegetation.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, it felt like I was transported to a post-apocalyptic New York City. The tour guides were absolutely awesome. I was not allowed to take photos of the still-active rail yards that sit below the final section of the High Line since it is considered a federal offense to do so. So, regretfully, I was not able to capture the tracks and wildlife against the gorgeous Chelsea skyline. However, I did take quite a few photos with my Sony A99 of the view to the west and south towards the Empire State Building.
These are a few photos of what I saw yesterday evening exploring the High Line’s last section. Enjoy :)
View this set over on Flickr here:
Tumbling over the past year and a half has made me see the problems of gender roles that exist in media, but sometimes it gets to the point where I over analyze every single piece of television or film that I come across. (However this in no way means that I think feminist media criticism is wrong, or should be avoided!) Mostly I just over think everything.
Greek Mythology - Icarus
In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus. The main story told about Icarus is his attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. He ignored instructions not to fly to close to the sun, and the melting wax caused him to fall into the sea where he drowned. The myth is usually taken as a tragic example of hubris or failed ambition (x).
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