The Highline

The new Highline park is pretty amazing, I mean amazing by aesthetically amazing, but I don't think that NY is really quite ready for such a thing. It definitely looks and feels really good but the problem is, is that although it is a public space, it's not going to be a space for everyone. You cannot play ball in this park. I don't think you can even smoke in this park.
It doesn't work for several reasons; for one, it's in the meatpacking district and the luxury apartments that have been built to have access and a special view of the highline make the public park feel kind of private and two, only a fraction of NYC will even see this park...this park is for tourists.
I don't know that anyone will fully appreciate the native plants like the wild and weedy Ailanthus, because how can you really appreciate a wild landscape when it's been planted in a really beautiful, geometric and very expensive precast piece of concrete tiling. I like contrast but this just seems offensively expensive. I think when our public school system makes sense then this park will make sense. Until then, if you look into the Standard Hotel you WILL see naked people.