The Highline

Monday night was the annual Highline event where funds and glasses are raised to toast the transformation of resurrected piece of the city.  Walking the second half which runs from 23-30th Street is jaw dropping.  What is more amazing is when you walk from Gansevoort all the way to 30th Street on the street vs the Highline, you realize how far that walk is.  Not only has the Highline changed the West Side of lower Manhattan but it has changed traffic patterns.  You can walk through an extrarordinary park from the West Village up to 30th Street seeing beauty and greenery everywhere.  That in itself is spectactular.  NYC, an ever evolving city displayed so prominently by the transfiguration of a set of train tracks. 

One of my favorite parts of the evening besides seeing over 900 people gather under a tent, all dressed up, to celebrate the Highline was meeting Bill Cunningham.  If you have not seen the documentary on Bill Cunningham, go and see it.  A captivating movie about a unique man who has been living behind the lens and taking pictures for the New York TImes as far back as I can remember.  His eye for detail and fashion vs who and what is one of the things that really struck me while watching the film.  Cunningham has an archive on design in his brain as well as his endless filing cabinets in his apartment like no other.  He is a brilliant man and so absolutely adorable and charming.  Driving his bike around the city from event to event every evening as well as the constant standing on a street just waiting to take in the trend he sees of the moment is pretty amazing.  An incredible man. 

He took a picture of us last night and I got to meet him, ever so briefly, and it was exactly like the film.  His warmth and goofy grin is endearing but he just laughs and does his thing and moves on.  You can connect but you don't. 

Things to do:  Go walk the entire Highline when it opens at the beginning of June and go see the Bill Cunningham documentary.  Both are winners.