New York’s High Line Park in the Sky Opens Today!

by Yuka Yoneda and Jill Fehrenbacher

An elevated park in the sky built on top of the skeleton of an old rail system? It may have sounded impossible only five years ago, but today, the eagerly awaited High Line elevated urban park officially opens for thousands of New Yorkers looking to escape the hubbub of the city below!

Here at Inhabitat, we have been following the journey of the High Line for the past several years and were super excited to get a sneak peek yesterday of the new park, which was renovated / designed by starchitects Diller & Scofidio and James Corner of Field Operations. We were thrilled to get a chance to scope out the High Line yesterday as we’ve been waiting for this for ages!), so check out our pics below!

The High Line was originally constructed in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District in the 1930s to lift dangerous freight trains off of city streets. Abandoned in the 1980’s the High Line went into decay and disrepair and was rediscovered in popular consciousness in 2000, after acclaimed photographer Joel Sternfeld captured the beauty of the industrial relic in photos: overgrown with wildflowers — an abandoned human structure essentially reclaimed by nature in a matter of 20 years.

The City of New York was originally planning to tear down the High Line, but a group formed, called ‘Friends of the High Line’, to protect, preserve, and renovate the High Line. This eventually lead to a design competition, and the commissioning of architects Diller Scodifio + Renfro and landscape architects James Corner Field Operations to rehabilitate this abandoned space into a lush, green, elevated paradise for Manhattanites.

Renovations spanned a time frame of several years (with another section yet to be complete until 2010), but visitors to the park yesterday all seemed to agree that it was well worth the wait.

So what was our verdict? Well, while we view slick renderings of concepts for urban green spaces almost everyday, it is an entirely different thing to actually step into a completed project and see it with our own eyes. We weren’t sure if it was going to be possible for a starchitect-designed renovation to maintain the simple, stark beauty of the original, overgrown High Line - the one that had captured the imagination of so many Manhattanites in 2000. But we were impressed and pleasantly surprised!

The feeling at the High Line today was one of excitement, optimism and pride that our city was able to take something that was just a gleam in our eyes a few years ago and turn it into something that we, and hopefully generations to come, can enjoy. For New Yorkers like myself, who are just witnessing the beginnings of an urban space revolution, the High Line is a tangible manifestation of what the future could look like.

That being said, you’re probably wondering what it looked like. The most prominent features of the long and winding park are the preserved rail tracks that poke out through the porous layer of concrete that has been cut away in strips here and there emphasizing a linear aesthetic. Lush shrubbery, reedy grasses and watercolor-hued flowers surround the rust-red tracks in a way that seems deliberate yet natural. Farther down along the meandering pathway, sunbathers relaxed on blocky wooden chaise lounges, some of which have casters that look like they can roll right along the tracks (although they can’t, we tried). Vistas that were unseen to most New Yorkers, like a view of the clubs in the Meatpacking district from above and peeks into the posh lofts that are at the same level as the High Line were visible, for the very first time, from here.

Inhabitat editors Jill Fehrenbacher and Olivia Chen were able to speak with several of the key players in the project, including Ricardo Scofidio (the architect) and James Corner (the landscape architect), and we will be bringing you these interviews shortly. Stay tuned for our upcoming video and interviews!

Finally, congratulations to this lovely couple who celebrated their wedding day at the opening day of the High Line. What a beautiful and symbolic way to commemorate their special day!

+ High Line Set to Open in June

+ The High Line

Krist Novoselic's Running for Office

By Chris Kornelis

Krist Novoselic's column runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly.

Our friend and columnist Krist Novoselic has announced that his intention to run for the Wahkiakum County clerk. He prefers "Grange Party." Anyone who's followed Krist's column knows he's been active with Grange for years. On the Grays River Grange blog, Krist wrote:

"It could be worse - at least I'm not an interloper only out to usurp the good name of the Grange. I was elected Master of the Grays River Grange and am a committed member. I'm also doing this to beat anyone else with the same idea. However, if there were another Grange candidate in the race, it would be up to voters figure out who is their preferred Grange candidate - even though the Grange doesn't run candidates.

As a strong believer in private association, I oppose the way The State has implemented I-872 - the Grange sponsored Top Two Primary. My problem is not really with a top two runoff election. My issue is with the way candidates can appropriate the name of a private group."

Good luck, Krist.

Top 1,300 Public High Schools

newsweek.com — Public schools are ranked according to a ratio devised by Jay Mathews: the number of Advanced Placement, Intl. Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2008 divided by the number of graduating seniors. All of the schools on the list have an index of at least 1.000.

Clcik here for the list Top 1,300 Public High Schools

Escapee gives glimpse of North prison camps

By ALEX MARTIN

Shin Dong Hyuk had just turned 14 when he was forced to watch the executions of his mother and older brother for trying to escape from North Korea's "total control" prison camp No. 14, a Stalinist gulag for political prisoners. His mother was hanged; his brother was shot nine times.

Survivor's tale: Shin Dong Hyuk, an escapee from a North Korean prison camp, gives an interview in Tokyo on Oct. 28. ALEX MARTIN PHOTO

At the time, Shin, who was born and raised in the camp, felt no pity for them. Total control meant the political prisoners were in until they died.

"They tried to escape. Naturally, death was the price they had to pay," said Shin, who had absorbed the inhuman logic of the camp.

Now 25, Shin acknowledged to The Japan Times in late October that he has only recently begun to understand that this was an abnormal sentiment to harbor against one's kin.

"I suffered for their misdeeds, and I blamed them for bringing such pain upon me," Shin said through an interpreter, referring to the torture he suffered as retaliation for the failed escape attempt by his mother and brother. "But if I am ever reincarnated, I'd like to know what it feels like to be loved by your parents, and to love them back, like a normal person."

Shin is the sole known escapee born and raised in North Korea's prison camp No. 14.

Spending his first 22 years under intense persecution, working in factories, living on meager rations meted out by sadistic guards who would torture the captives at every possible excuse, Shin did not even consider bolting until he heard stories of the outside world from a new inmate brought to his section.

His curiosity aroused, Shin agreed to escape with him on Jan. 2, 2005. However, while Shin managed to get away, the man died stuck in the electrified perimeter fence.

Crossing into China a month later, Shin spent a year in hiding before being taken in by the South Korean Consulate in Shanghai. The mission arranged his defection to Seoul, where he lives today.

Speaking in late October during a weeklong tour of Tokyo, Shin said he feels it his duty to spread the word on the cruel realities the prisoners face.

"If talking about my experiences could hasten in any way the dismantling of the prison camps and the democratization of North Korea, I couldn't ask for more," Shin said.

A victim of the hermit state's guilt-by-association collective punishment of political criminals, Shin was born Nov. 18, 1982, in the camp situated near Kaechon, 75 km north of Pyongyang.

His father, a model prisoner the guards rewarded by granting him permission to marry, was initially captured and taken to camp No. 14 with his family in 1965 after officials discovered that two of his brothers had defected to the South during the Korean War — conduct that branded the entire family and descendants three generations down as "traitors of the country."

Born to work and die in the camp and considered unfit for any ideological training, Shin said he had not known who either Kim Il Sung or Kim Jong Il were until after his escape.

"From what I've learned in the past few years, Kim and his regime seem to me like a giant fraud ring," Shin said.

Gruesome mementos of Shin's past are engraved across his body: his back is covered with scars of severe burns he was administered when he was 13 — in retaliation for the attempted escape of his mother and brother. His right middle finger was lopped off as punishment for accidentally dropping a sewing machine, and both his shins are badly scarred, wounded during his escape, when his feet were temporarily tangled while he crawled through the electric fence that killed his fellow escapee.

In 2007, Shin published an autobiography titled "Escape to the Outside World" in Korean and later in Japanese. It offers a detailed portrait of the system maintained in these camps, where children like Shin — prisoners from birth — are dehumanized and isolated from their families as slave laborers to toil away in various factories that are reported to be providing a large-scale production base for the Kim regime.

Shin said he did not know the destination of the products they made, but believes he and his fellow inmates served as a wage-free, valuable workforce.

Human Rights Watch and No Fence in North Korea, which supported Shin's visit to Tokyo, said they were looking to publish his book in English to reach a wider audience.

American human rights investigator David Hawk's report on the North's concentration camps, titled "The Hidden Gulag: Exposing North Korea's Prison Camps," says these institutions feature "forced labor colonies, camps, and prisons, where scores of thousands of prisoners — some political, some convicted felons — are worked, many to their deaths, in mining, logging, farming and industrial enterprises, often in remote valleys located in the mountainous areas of North Korea."

Shin said he still has much trouble adjusting to his new environment and is trying to grasp the concept of "freedom."

"My entire life was dictated by the rules of camp No. 14. Here I am in a democratic country, and I find myself experiencing difficulty making my own decisions," Shin said. He also has a hard time understanding emotions most of humanity usually take for granted — joy, friendship and love.

"I first learned of the term 'to have fun,' after I came to South Korea," he said. "When people ask me what I enjoy doing, the closest feeling I can relate to that is from memories of my childhood when I used to play simple games with other children of the camp. That's about it."

Today, Shin works part-time in Seoul restaurants when he is not busy with his human rights activities. He spends a lot of his time on his own, and doesn't interact with others that often.

"I've met a few other North Korean defectors in Seoul, but only for a quick chat. I'm learning how to use the Internet, but besides that, I don't have much to say about myself besides my past experience," he said, adding he hopes to someday have a girlfriend.

When asked what he would say if he had the chance to talk to the next U.S. president, Shin said he'd like to ask him to help terminate the concentration camps.

"My heart is still with the prisoners. We need to demolish that system," he said.

11 Year-Old Graduates from College with 4.0 GPA

Devotee of martial arts, astrophysics says he’s ‘regular kid who works hard’

Video

Moshe Kai Cavalin, 11, graduated with honors Friday from East Los Angeles College, but he'd rather you not call him a genius.

"I consider myself a regular kid who works hard and does his best," says this only child of a Taiwanese mother and an Israeli father.

When Moshe started college at the age of 8, he may have been the youngest person in class, but he ended up tutoring some of his 19- and 20-year-old classmates in math and science.

Astrophysics is his passion. Albert Einstein and Bruce Lee are among his idols.

Yet like a twist out of a Hollywood action flick, Moshe combines his exceptional smarts with fearsome martial arts abilities: The preteen has won numerous national martial arts championships.

Up next for the tireless boy wonder: In the next six months to a year, he plans to devote himself to martial arts, write a book for kids on how to succeed in school, and take up scuba diving.

Not on the agenda: playing video games.

"I feel it's a waste of time playing video games because it's not helping humanity in any way," says Moshe, who wants to use his knowledge to change the world.

This is probably the most well-placed airport runway ever

Princess Juliana Airport - St Maarten




EMBED-St. Maarten Plane Landings - Watch more free videos

10 cars that seem to last forever

Slideshow

Ford F-150

If you listen to the radio, you may have heard those Car Talk guys say that buying and maintaining a used car is almost always cheaper in the long run than buying, financing and maintaining a new car. And on the same show, you've no doubt heard the countless tales from “Bonnie in Minnesota” and her car with 300,000 miles that just keeps running, even in the harsh winters, and with minimal maintenance. Chances are you've heard such stories of nearly invincible cars from people you know, or maybe you've even told them yourself.

With the economy in the tank and more folks looking for these used diamonds in the rough, we compiled the following list of 'forever cars' from research, reviews from places like Edmunds and Consumer Reports, fun little anecdotes, and even our own personal experience. It's far from scientific, but neither is picking a used car. In fact it's still relatively a crap shoot, and no model carries an absolute guarantee of everlasting life, but here's a few that seem to beat the odds more than others.

1. Subaru Wagons

Here's a Japanese company that just knows how to make a hatchback. Whether it's a new Forester or a vintage GL, they seem to be ubiquitous everywhere you go, including some of the harshest climates around. Whether it's Alaska, Minnesota or high in the Rockies, you can bet on seeing a disproportionate number of Suby wagons still rockin' the road.

2. Ford F-150

There may have been a few dodgy years back in the 80s and before, but even older models still ply the road as the prototypical 'work truck' that goes anywhere and does anything. As the years keep coming, this best-selling pickup continues to earn its keep.

3. Scandinavian oddities

For years, some of the older European models were notoriously unreliable, and yet, those same Volvos and Saabs hold some of the automotive world records for longevity. A 1989 Saab 900 SPG previously owned by a Wisconsin salesman now sits in a museum with its original engine, having turned over 1 million miles, and a New York schoolteacher holds the world-record with the 2.5 million miles put on his 1966 Volvo P1800. Go figure.

4. Lexus

When it comes to living a long, luxurious life, Lexus is among the front-runners. Both luxury sedan and crossover SUV models make just about every list of “used best buys.” Who says posh can't be affordable?

5. Toyota 4-Runner and Tacoma

Back in the early 80s, after 21 iterations, the Toyota engineers scored a hit with the 22R engine, the mainstay of the 4-Runner and other models until the mid-90s. The model is still a hot topic of conversation in tinkering circles today for its reliability. The Tacoma comes from the same mold, just about the only light truck that can really give the F-150 a run for its money. Let us know if you see one for sale with an extended cab.

6. Honda Accord

When it comes to long-lasting autos, sometimes basic is best. The Accord is to mid-range commuter cars what the F-150 is to mid-size trucks. Change the oil, hope for the best and the odds are you won't be disappointed.

7. Mitsubishi Endeavor

A relatively new kid on the block, debuting in mass production only in 2003, the Endeavor seems to be a likely contender for the emerging title of 'everlasting crossover.' The Honda Element scores high marks across the board in this category, as well.

Toyota Camry Hybrid

8. Toyota Corolla / Camry

We figured plenty of Corolla and Camry owners would be getting indignant after seeing the Accord higher up on the list. Truth is, it's the Corolla that really makes the grade for never saying when, but we threw the Camry in just for the sheer volume of the things that we see on the road – and we mean every road – every single day, no matter how ugly they may get. Keep the faith, people!

9. BMW 3-Series

Here's a true dream car. Looks, performance, long-life. They told us it was impossible to marry a car, and that may be true, but that doesn't mean you can't forge a beautiful and lasting relationship with one of these. Don't worry what everyone else says. Trust us, they're just jealous.

10. Toyota Prius

Let's hope it lasts, because we sure as heck can't help you with fixing this one. In the rush for auto companies to go green, many put out early hybrids plagued by electrical problems like the Saturn Vue Green line, which has atrocious battery issues. But when it comes to this groundbreaking design, the original leaders at Toyota seem to have gotten it right the first time, with almost unanimous agreement among the experts that this is the hybrid most likely to outlive that puppy that just peed on your leg.