Dreams of High-Impact Design
By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft
I wish I had thought of it: Convert an old, elevated railroad track through a gritty part of New York City into an elevated park.
What a great concept! Probably stolen from some other city, but executed in a grand manner here in NYC. These shots are from July 2014, just before I went on the grandest adventure of my life (so far): a one-year creative writing sabbatical in Paris! More on that later.
Good, clean design. Unfortunately, not designed for me! I need back support!
Lush vegetation along the HighLine.
A gardener working (I want that job!) and people enjoying.
The people in this building get a bonus view.
Lovely plantings -- wait, that's not cannabis, is it? :)
Artfully placed plants -- or perhaps one of nature's serendipitous juxtapositionings.
Restful greenery and flowers in a high-density area.
A shady perch, with back support.
An extension of the HighLine in the process of being completed.
Now we go to Maplewood, NJ, to an indie bookstore called Words.
This is a great space for a writer to see, a place where people can buy books and read about another person's viewpoint. And not be so alone.
A sign in the window. A reminder for when life gets hard.
A reminder for every day. This is how the HighLine started, as a dream. "Nothing happens but we dream it first," Carl Sandburg said.
How about you? Are you dreaming about what could be? You're never too old to stop dreaming! Comment below on your dream, or on bookstores, or on the HighLine.
