the high life on the High Line

I don't venture out to the West Village very often, I'm not sure why but I've always been an east sider no matter where I've lived. But on Saturday, I dropped by to see Samantha's show at Charles Nolan Store. Everything looked great! Here are a couple of my favorite pieces...



Also, while we were out there we checked the new High Line Park and the new Standard Hotel. Both were pretty amazing. I'd definitely spend a couple of hours (even on the West Side) reading a book on the High Line.

Photos of the High Line before the revamping.
photos by Joel Sternfeld


photos via the High Line blog

The Standard looks like some of the architecture I saw while I was in Berlin. We snuck in to the hotel and rode up the elevator to check out the rest of the hotel. The best part of the hotel is the video installation by Marco Brambilla. Really surreal and trippy, I just wanted to stay in the elevator all day long. Here's the video, but I suggest going to the hotel and sneaking on the elevator. Its a different experience while moving.

All in all, you should go by and have a look.

Rent-a-Bike

When I went to Europe last year, Paris had bikes parked everywhere for you to rent and ride around. Now, NYC is trying to bring the same concept. I hope it works.

Check out New York Bike Share and help support it!

Here's some words from their website:
Imagine walking to a sidewalk corner and finding a public bicycle. With a cellphone call or swipe of a card, you unlock it from its bike rack and ride it across town. Once at your destination, you steer to the closest bike rack and, with one more call or card swipe, return the bike to the public network. You pay less than $.50 for the trip, and the bike is once again available for the taking.

So-called “bike-sharing” already exists in cities across Europe, with Paris alone currently installing over 10,000 bikes at 750 stations. Bike-sharing is revolutionizing transportation networks and greening the urban fabric. Why isn’t it here in New York?

From July 10 through July 14th, The Forum for Urban Design will relaunch last year’s successful Bike-Share Project at four locations:

Storefront for Art and Architecture (97 Kenmare Street at Cleveland Place)
Birdbath Bakery (233 1st Avenue at 14th Street)
City Bakery (3 West 18th Street at Fifth Avenue)
Birdbath Bakery (145 7th Avenue South at Charles Street)

With a photo ID and a credit card (we note your cc number to ensure that the bike is returned), you can take a bike on a spin around the neighborhood or across town.