For Ny'ers this is a pretty big deal. I would compare it to seeing Central Park for the first time just after it was completed in the 1860's. Olmsted would be proud to say the very least...
Built in the 30's, the Highline was an above ground freight train that ran along 10th ave from the Meat Packing district up to 34th st Herald Square. Having been abandoned since the 80's the track sat as an eye sore and risked demolishon until Peter Obletz, a Chelsea resident, activist, and railroad enthusiast thought to turn the tracks into a garden landscape. Though he died before he could see his vision complete, we can tip our hats in fulfilling his dream.
Also worth noting that while this attracts so many people to Chelsea and the neighboring art galleries I couldn't help but be saddened seeing so many galleries I frequented closed. This neighborhood where once was a bustling art scene is quickly shrinking in this deflated economy. If only the timing for the project completion was 1 year earlier...