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Residents Next To The High Line: We Have No Privacy
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jul 17, 2011
Modified Jul 17, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jul 17, 2011
Modified Jul 17, 2011
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It's tough living right next to the crime-free, world-renowned slice of greenspace known as the High Line. So says a few grumpy Chelsea residents whose apartments abut the walkway, and thus the thousands of gawkers every day that traipse along, snapping photos every 10 feet. "It's absolutely horrible!" one woman tells the Post, presumably without a trace of irony given that she lives within walking distance of a brand-new $115 million park. "People take pictures and wave at you when you're alone in your home. We have to keep shades up all the time. It's voyeuristic, and there's zero privacy." Surely this must be the only place on the quaint island of Manhattan where such squalid living conditions exist.
Other residents are more positive about the excellent people-watching their living situation affords, like a 23-year-old waitress who lives on 28th street: "I sit on my fire escape and have a beer and everyone takes my picture and waves to me when they're walking by." Another former resident says that "ecru-colored blackout shades" are the answer, because they create a one-way mirror effect, which is crucial for blocking harmful PDA rays. A High Line spokesman tells the paper she can "sympathize with those few who may feel they live a little too close," but we'll leave it to a real estate agent to really assuage their concerns: "Those apartments on the High Line are…like the maisonettes on ground-level of Park Avenue, which are top dollar." So cheer up, guys. Jackie O didn't even live on a park!
Tagged
Chelsea
complaining
green space
high line
manhattan
real estate
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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