There is a big surprise coming to New York City. I say surprise because many residents are unaware that phase one of the High Line project will open in a few short weeks. Even those who are aware of the project most likely do not have this foremost in their minds. The project is elevated out of view, so it proceeds without notice. The High Line is the conversion of an abandoned elevated railway to parkland. It extends from the Meat Packing District to 34th Street – a distance of 1.45 miles. I wrote about this project previously in High Line Portrait Project. It has been likened to the Promenade Plantée in Paris, built on an abandoned 19th-century railway viaduct. It promises to be a major contribution of greenspace. The figure in the photo is a ironworker who was cutting apart a warehouse abutting the High Line.

I grew up with a strong work ethic and a family cynicism surrounding most workers. My father was a wood cutter in northern Maine, a remote, sparsely populated area with severe winter weather. The state has a fiercely independent spirit with a strong element of individual self-reliance. After moving south to Connecticut, he viewed most workers whom he typically encountered with disdain. His comment about municipal workers was that you could easily spot them – one man in a hole and 10 men above standing around watching him. My own view of tradesmen is much less harsh.

There are some things in life that are rarely questioned, such as the benefits of education, the rights of a pregnant woman, and, at one time, the word of a doctor. To that I might add a man making noise. If you look busy and make enough noise, people assume that serious hard work is being done.

My take on laborers and noise became an an inside joke at my office many years ago. When anyone, hearing some ill defined racket, would ask, “What is that?”, I would respond, “Men making noise. That’s what men do.”
To those who might question my sanity, I say move aside please. A Mainiac is coming through to do some work 🙂