3. NYC LOVE at the High Line

NYC LOVE at the High Line. Photo by Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of the High Line.
NYC LOVE at the High Line. Photo by Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of the High Line.

Through Fall 2023, visitors to the High Line can view artist Nina Chanel Abney’s mural NYC LOVE. Upon moving to the city in 2005 from the Midwest, Abney spent her afternoons walking the streets from Chelsea to Times Square. She was soon seduced by tourist icons, falling in love with the city’s bright lights and hustle and bustle atmosphere most often taken for granted by native New Yorkers. 

Presented by High Line Art, NYC Love is inspired by Abney’s first years in the city. The work aims to evoke the feeling of newness and unfamiliarity that comes with making a fresh start in a new urban location. To convey this, the mural features classic New York City iconography including the ever-present pigeon, delicious pizza slices, subway car symbols, and the Statue of Liberty. Using bright colors and geometric shapes, NYC LOVE seeks to recreate the joy of experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of New York City for the first time.