On the High Line - by Annik LaFarge (Paperback)

About the Book

"The most comprehensive, up-to-date, and acclaimed guide to the High Line by the leading expert on the history of the park--now in a fully revised edition. Built atop a former freight railroad, the "park in the sky" is regularly cited as one of the premiere examples of adaptive reuse and quickly became one of New York's most popular destinations, attracting more than 8 million visitors a year. This updated Third Edition of On the High Line--published to coincide with the fifteenth anniversary of the park's opening--remains the definitive guide to the park that transformed an entire neighborhood and became an inspiration to cities around the globe. In short entries organized by roughly two city block sections, the guide provides rich details about everything in view on both sides of the park. Illustrated with more than 110 black & white photographs, it covers historic and modern architecture; plants and horticulture; and important industries and technological innovations that developed in the neighborhoods the park traverses, from book publishing and food distribution to the introduction of cold storage and the development of radar, the elevator, and talking movies. Updated to include newly opened sections of the park, this edition also features a new conversation pertaining to the more controversial side of the High Line's story and how it became a poster child for the most grievous manifestations of gentrification and inequity in public spaces. Author Annik LaFarge provides a frank discussion on how the park's leadership created a platform for discussing these issues and for advising other projects on how to work more inclusively and from a social justice and equity perspective. On the High Line serves as an educated travel companion, someone invisibly perched on a visitor's shoulder who can answer every question, including what was here before, moving back in time through the early 20th century, the Industrial Revolution, and the colonial and pre-European times when this stretch of what we call Manhattan was home to the Lenape people and much of it was covered by the waters of the Hudson River. A companion website with more than 650 photos--historic, contemporary, rooftop and aerial--can be viewed at HighLineBook.com"--

Book Synopsis

The most comprehensive, up-to-date, and acclaimed guide to the High Line by the leading expert on the history of the park--now in a fully revised edition

Built atop a former freight railroad, the "park in the sky" is regularly cited as one of the premiere examples of adaptive reuse and quickly became one of New York's most popular destinations, attracting more than 8 million visitors a year. This updated Third Edition of On the High Line-- published to coincide with the fifteenth anniversary of the park's opening--remains the definitive guide to the park that transformed an entire neighborhood and became an inspiration to cities around the globe.

In short entries organized by roughly two city block sections, the guide provides rich details about everything in view on both sides of the park. Illustrated with more than 110 black & white photographs, it covers historic and modern architecture; plants and horticulture; and important industries and technological innovations that developed in the neighborhoods the park traverses, from book publishing and food distribution to the introduction of cold storage and the development of radar, the elevator, and talking movies. Updated to include newly opened sections of the park, this edition also features a new conversation pertaining to the more controversial side of the High Line's story and how it became a poster child for the most grievous manifestations of gentrification and inequity in public spaces. Author Annik LaFarge provides a frank discussion on how the park's leadership created a platform for discussing these issues and for advising other projects on how to work more inclusively and from a social justice and equity perspective.

On the High Line serves as an educated travel companion, someone invisibly perched on a visitor's shoulder who can answer every question, including what was here before, moving back in time through the early 20th century, the Industrial Revolution, and the colonial and pre-European times when this stretch of what we call Manhattan was home to the Lenape people and much of it was covered by the waters of the Hudson River. A companion website with more than 650 photos--historic, contemporary, rooftop and aerial--can be viewed at HighLineBook.com.

Review Quotes

...the book captures exactly the delightful design and planting [and] the spirit of each little section of the park...It has the gentle reader reaching for the internet to start looking for plane tickets.-- "The Independent (UK)"

A book that will give pleasure and respite to all who love New York City but wish it were somehow quieter, prettier, more conducive to contemplation without electronic devices buzzing from all sides.-- "Hudson Valley News"

Great . . . I thought there wasn't much I did not know about the High Line but I learned so much about the history and the neighborhood. People are going to love it.---Robert Hammond, co-founder, Friends of the High Line

LaFarge gives a good account of the campaign to save and transform the High Line and along the way―quite literally―she drip-feeds us with a torrent of informative snippets, both generally municipal and specifically horticultural.-- "Hortus"

LaFarge's revised edition incorporates many changes, large and small, including those wrought by Hurricane Sandy.-- "Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries"

Plenty of fascinating historical anecdotes.-- "Baltimore Sun"

Rails to trails! Dead tech repurposed―beautiful, and insanely popular. FDR Drive, you're next!---David Byrne, musician, artist

This book captures the experience of the High Line, setting it in historical and cultural context, and illustrating how a city can meld its industrial heritage into a vibrant new landscape that can be enjoyed by millions.---Piet Oudolf, landscape designer, the High Line

Engrossing. . . . Bursting with insights on history, botany, geography, architecture, and the arts, La Farge takes readers on a tour of the park from the 'Slow Stairs' at the southern end to the Tenth Avenue Spur. Gorgeous full-color photographs enhance the view on nearly every page. A marvelous guidebook for visitors and readers interested in New York City history or urban planning.-- "Publishers Weekly"

Fascinating. . . . A must for anyone who plans to visit the High Line.-- "Chicago Tribune"

Reading this revised edition of the 2012 guide will make the casual tourist, and perhaps even an oblivious Manhattanite, seek out a section of the park (or maybe even the entire route) for a stroll. . . . The prize goes to the volume's photographs. . . .Recommended for those living in or planning to visit New York City.-- "Library Journal"

With hundreds of photos spanning the years before, during and after the site's construction, the book lends context to the reclaimed urban space that has become one of the city's most popular attractions.-- "Wall Street Journal"

About the Author

Annik LaFarge (Author)
Annik LaFarge has been writing about the High Line since 2009, beginning with the blog LivinTheHighLine.com, selected by the Columbia University Libraries Web Resources Collection Program for inclusion in the Avery Library Historic Preservation and Urban Planning web archive. LaFarge is a Trustee and Chair for the Waterfront Museum in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and author of Chasing Chopin: A Musical Journey Across Three Centuries, Four Countries, and a Half-Dozen Revolutions.