WHERE: The High Line

The High Line was built in the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan's largest industrial district. No trains have run on the High Line since 1980. Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Today, the structure is an elevated public park.

The public space blends plant life (reminiscent of the quiet contemplative nature of the self-seeded landscape and wild plantings that once grew on the unused High Line) with long, narrow "planks," forming a smooth, linear, virtually seamless walking surface. The public environment on the High Line includes a water feature, viewing platforms, a sundeck, and gathering areas used for performances, art exhibitions and educational programs. The first section, from Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street, opened June 9, 2009. The second section, from West 20th Street to West 30th Street, is scheduled to open next month.

This summer The New York School of Interior Design offers “Walking the High Line,” a one-time course exploring the park’s historical and cultural significance and its tremendous impact on the neighborhoods that surround it. Author and architectural historian Mat Postal will lead the tour on July 14. For more information or to register, please visit www.nysid.edu.

For more information about the park, please visit www.thehighline.org.

Image courtesy thehighline.org. Info courtesy thehighline.org and NYSID.

WHEN: Great Escapes: New Designs for New York Hotels, May 5

Since the 19^th century, New York’s hotels have provided glamorous, romantic, relaxing and stimulating respites from everyday life. What role did hotels play in the life of the city in the past, and how do contemporary designers imagine the place of their hotels in today’s New York City? Trace the history of the hotel experience and hear how contemporary designers are creating the next generation of urban retreats at “Great Escapes: New Designs for New York Hotels,” presented by the New York School of Interior Design and the Museum of the City of New York.

Speakers will include Todd Schliemann of Ennead Architects on the Standard Hotel; Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz of BNO Design on the Mondrian Soho; and Scott Salvator on redesigning the interiors at the Carlyle.

This presentation will be held on May 5 at 6:30 p.m., at the Museum of the City of New York. Reservations required. For more information, please visit www.mcny.org.

Image courtesy the Carlyle Hotel.