They Get High Line With A Little Help From Their Friends

Senator Hillary Clinton headed out to the meatpacking district today to announce she had "helped secure" $18 million in federal taxpayer money for the 6.7 acre High Line park. Not bad, considering that the transportation bill has just about $25 million for all the other greenways in New York put together, including the Hudson River Park, Red Hook, Greenpoint, Coney Island and Sunset Park. But the feds will far from cover the $100 million needed to turn the abandoned west side elevated freight railway into a Diller Scofidio & Renfro playground. Another $50 million is coming from the city, and the remaining $30 million will be coming from .... YOU! That's right. The Friends of the High Line will be raising the balance privately, its leaders said today. So get out your checkbooks—and add an extra zero, will you? This baby's going to cost $340 a square foot. Careful, now, don't step on the grass. &mdash:Matthew Schuerman