If one is accustomed to living in rural upstate New York, a visit to New York City and Eastern Long Island is always a study in contrasts. Upstaters live in a sea of greenery and easy access to wide vistas of rolling hills, farms and a multitude of lakes and streams. By contrast the city is marked by oodles of concrete, massive buildings, bustling traffic and a cacophony of sounds. The vistas tend to be marked by iconic buildings such as the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty.
Although millions choose to live in an urban megalopolis, there still is an innate human desire to experience greenery. Millions will flock to any green space available. Small havens of greenery are a welcome respite from the concrete jungle. When I am in the city I enjoy observing the presence of tree lined streets and avenues, tiny parks, and even larger parks like Central Park. Recently we visited a relatively new linear park that is elevated above the city NYC streets. It is the High line park built on the abandoned elevated railroad of the New York Central. This park was dedicated in 2009 after the concerted effort of several individuals and the support of Mayor Bloomberg. After this railroad was abandoned volunteer vegetation began to appear and flourish. Local observers were inspired to build upon the presence of the new greenery with a vision of a linear park including walkways, newly planted grass and plants and areas to rest. The park is a delightful haven. In our walk of this park we enjoyed the contrasts of flowers, trees and grass with the surrounding man-made structures. Within each human is the pride of our ability to create man made structures but at the same time we are nurtured by the gifts of the natural world. Here is some evidence of our appreciation of both the man-made and the natural world. Perhaps each of us has an individual perception of the balance of contrasts we wish to live with. I, for one will tilt my balance toward the natural world - even if I am an engineer!
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| Old Rails |
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| Turrets of Buildings |
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| Trees, Shade and Rest |
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| Sculpture Among the Flowers |
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| Flowers Proliferate |
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| Empire Sate Building View |
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| Adjacent Church |
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