The High Line & Leslie Wolf

Above is my friend, Leslie Wolf. I took great pains to find a photograph suitable for her profile here, since she has a habit of making funny faces! She is also quite modest, which is why I have not included one of her cool photos taken with Mayor Bloomberg. Oh well...

This is the High Line --Leslie Wolf was hired as the Program Manager for the Capitol Projects Division for NYC's Dept. of Parks & Recreation She was brought on specifically to facilitate the design and construction of the High Line. Her many years of experience managing large infrastructure projects working at New York's Transit Dept helped prepare her for this high profile undertaking.

The magnitude & complexity of this project required senior staff people like herself to ensure that design elements were not only aesthetically pleasing, but functional and able to be maintained in perpetuity. The selected team for the High Line was the landscape design firm James Corner Field Operations and the architecture firm Diller Scofidio & Renfro

Thought I'd add a quick plug for the Circle Line here. Had a perfect view and it is a really fun water tour around New York City :)

Chaise lounges-- a great idea, but hard to snag one!

The High Line has received a great deal of positive publicity and weekend attendance has reached over 35,000.

When choosing the variety of plants & flowers to plant they took into account how they will look as they grow-- overgrown concept, as if left to blossom into a wild garden through "abandoned" tracks on their own.

Yummy Ice Cream!!

The juxtaposition of urban landscape with nature is very pleasing. I love the flow of growth, great views of the Hudson River and the city streets.

Here is the window to 10th Avenue which acts as a virtual theater. Newly weds were having their photos taken with the city scene as their backdrop.

Below my friend, Stephanie (left) with Suzanne Eberhardt who I had not seen in years! She is a superb interior designer. If you have a minute, check out her site ;)

We met Michael with his precious daughter, who was very friendly! Here she is looking at my business card (after chewing it a little). He is Founder of Hands on Health. Thought I'd share in case you're in need of a licensed acupuncturist/nutritionist! Anyway, the High Line is a place where locals and tourists are at their best, easy going & simply enjoying the day :)

I asked Leslie what she was most proud of after completing this portion of the High Line. She said that before she came to Parks, she had been intrigued by it's history. She feels fortunate to to be part of such a high profile project, surrounded by universal excitement that has been received so well. "The day it opened, it actually exceeded expectations and it was gratifying to be part of a team that is giving something to the city. There was a visceral, emotional connection as the 1st people to see it gave their Thanks!"

I highly recommend stopping in for lunch, dinner or a drink at the nearby restaurant ThePark It is directly across from the High Line and has it's own beautiful outdoor garden, good food & nice staff :)

Leslie and her better half ;-) Michael met Stephanie and myself at The Park and we walked through the High Line at night. It has bit of a disco feel with the cool, violet lights.

Unfortunately dogs are not allowed, but wanted to share my pic of Leslie's adorable canine, Sugi. He's the nicest little guy around!

The High Line has a fascinating history and you can read endless amounts about it on their website and blog. As Leslie said, the 10 years it took for founders of "Friends of the High Line" Joshua David and Robert Hammond to make this all happen is practically lightning speed for any city project. It is a testament to their committment & passion that the High Line got such traction. It also helped that the Bloomberg administration took office and they were savy enough to advocate to them that this would act as an economic development generator. It has surely had a positive impact on residential and retail development so far.

The most positive thing about it is the experience of walking along this lovely old railway, now filled with beauty and pleasant people :)

I am very proud of my friend, Leslie and the hard work she put into ensuring the beauty, function & safety of the design!! You would be amazed by all the details that cannot be overlooked. There is some tweaking left to do on this, section 1 and section 2 is underway!

Brooklyn Heights Promenade

Brooklyn Heights is one of my favorite neighborhoods in New York. It's located near the Brooklyn Bridge and surrounds the beautiful Promenade which hangs above the waterfront and two-tiered Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The walkway is a popular spot for tourists and locals alike. I took a long walk through the area yesterday snapping photos as reference for my drawings (or so I told myself ;)

Above is one of the many entrances to the Promenade from various quaint, tree-lined side streets. There is a playground located at the base of Montague, the main street and busiest, lined with shops and restaurants.

This "Heritage of New York" plaque was on one of the many historic buildings in the area. This was located on Willow Street, which is where Truman Capote wrote "In Cold Blood" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in his basement apartment. Brooklyn Heights was also home to such renowned writers as Walt Whitman and Norman Mailer, who was lucky enough to have a home right on the Promenade.

Always loved this corner building above!

Browning Frames & Prints at 37a Cranberry St. specializes in custom archival framing and prints. Frames are handmade by local craftsmen. Such a charming facade!

I took this picture because of the little plaque that reads circa 1820. Sometimes referred to as "America's 1st Suburb", Brooklyn grew by leaps and bounds in the 1800s. It attracted many wealthy investors and in 1814 Robert Fulton began operation of his steamboat from Brooklyn to Manhattan. If you are interested in reading more about the history, visit this South Brooklyn website. Brooklyn became a city in 1833.

This yellow house is one of my very favorites. It's just perfect to me :)

This is the side entrance to the Hotel St. George on the corner of Henry and Clark St. It was once a grand hotel, the largest in NYC and now provides residence for students. Part of "The Godfather" was filmed here! The NY Times wrote an interesting piece, "The Hard Life of a Brooklyn Heights Grande Dame" a few years ago. John Manbeck wrote a terrific story for the Brooklyn Eagle about it's salt water pool which is now part of Eastern Athletic Club. A small portion was saved, as a fresh water (chlorinated) pool.

Some of my favorite street names are located in the Heights-- above is Pineapple Street, below is Orange Street :D Cranberry, Love Lane are others...

Here is the city view from another entrance to the Promenade. It extends from Remsen St. to Orange along the East River.

Staten Island Ferry above :)

New Park Construction began in 2007. This park will extend from the one under the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge in the neighborhood of Dumbo. *Piers 1 through 6 will be replaced by floating pathways, fishing piers, beaches, playgrounds and restored habitats (*SouthBrooklyn.net)

Here are some of the trees to be planted.

Across the way is South Street Seaport.

Below are the fabulous homes that line the Promenade.

I rarely walk past a Vespa without taking a photo of it... Orange You Cute!

This is a small part of a huge apartment complex along Joraleman St leading into Heights area.

There are quite a few old homes built in the 1800s that have been well maintained and often cramped between newer architecture. This one looks so sweet and really stands out despite it's small stature.

There are lots of converted carriage houses in and around Brooklyn & NYC.

Like this grand window & doorway!

You'll also see lots of homes with wood slat (slatted?) facades. I'm particularly drawn to these, I think because they look like they could be out on the countryside.

The Brooklyn Heights Association (BHA), founded in 1910, is focused on maintaining the quality of life and neighborhood character of this historic part of Brooklyn.

Of course, I love Carroll Gardens, but I am so glad I can walk here for extra research ;)