This falls into the good-news-bad-news category: work on the High Line park is slated to begin in Mid-February, but this means that fences will soon be put up blocking access south of 20th Street. This is the most interesting part of the High Line, and if you haven't seen it yet, your chance is just about to run out. The Villager reports:

“There’s no specific date yet for construction, but by the end of February we’ll have protective fencing for the decorative iron railing at the street crossings and the iron pipe railings in between,” said Joshua David — a founder of Friends of the High Line, which has led the movement to save the 74-year-old structure — commenting on the project last week.

“We want to protect as much of the original structure as possible and replace or restore what we have to remove,” David added.

At the same time, crews will install netting under the structure to protect the streets and properties below during the actual construction of High Line Park’s first nine blocks along the west sides of Washington St. and 10th Ave.

Visiting the High Line involves breaking the law, and risking arrest and injury (up to and including death!) Trespassing up there has gotten a lot more difficult since the stairwell at 17th Street was fenced off-- getting up there now involves going up to 33rd Street, and illegally entering the tracks where they come down to grade in a truckyard just off the West Side Highway. Once up there, you'll have to scurry under fencing and through holes put in the barriers. It's your funeral, bub! [Related: pictures of the Highline at Bluejake.]