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The high now lasts twice as long.
Phase Two of the High Line opened yesterday, further raising spirits and real-estate prices on the west side.
Doubling the size of the elevated railroad-turned-city-park to a full mile, the new section runs from 20th to 30th streets, and features a massive turf lawn and a series of perches providing great views of the skyline and street life.
“This is spectacular,” Mayor Bloomberg said, cutting the ribbon on the extension. “This is a place where views of the city are provided from a vantage point nobody really sees — double the length, double the enjoyment.”
Much like the first section, which has had 4 million visitors since opening in 2009, the addition takes inspiration from the wild, self-seeded landscape that grew on the 1930s-era tracks after they were abandoned in 1980.
The new 10 blocks are straighter and narrower than the first section, and at times provide the experience of strolling through tree tops.
This section — a grated walkway starting at 25th Street — takes visitors even higher into the cityscape.
“It lifts up off the base of the High Line, so you’re on an elevated structure already on the High Line and then this is another on top of it,” founder Robert Hammond said. “I think it’s a really, really magical experience.”
Veering east toward 10th Avenue, the new segment immerses visitors in the architecture, ranging from historic warehouses to gleaming new residences.
New access points are available at West 23rd, 26th and 28th streets, and at an elevator at 30th Street.
The new section cost $66.8 million, bringing the tab for the project to $153 million, $112 million of which was provided by city funds.
A third and final section, which wraps around the Hudson Yards to 34th Street, is also planned.
New food vendors will soon service parkgoers, and a series of interactive art installations have been added to further enhance the experience.
“Digital Empathy,” an audio sculpture, talks to visitors in the elevators, at drinking fountains and upon completing a walk through the High Line.
Another, “Still Life with Landscape,” is a massive bird feeder containing “condos” designed for bugs, birds and butterflies.
Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said the choice is fitting in that when a park is built in an urban environment, insects attract birds, which, in turn, attract bird watchers.
“So let me get this straight, it all starts with bugs?” Bloomberg quipped.