The Lowline Underground Garden Party: Celebrating the Vision for the World’s First Underground Park

June 2016. New York City, The Lowline Lab

The team behind the Lowline has been working for the past several years to generate support and awareness for their vision to convert an historic underground trolley terminal on Manhattan’s Lower East Side into a subterranean public park. Using breakthrough solar technology for natural sunlight illumination and plant growth with cutting-edge design, the Lowline will be the world’s first underground park, adding a much needed acre of green space to the neighborhood.

In October 2015, the Lowline opened the Lowline Lab, a long-term laboratory and exhibit open to the public, designed to showcase the power and potential of the technology to grow and sustain a wide variety of plant life. Located inside an abandoned market on the Lower East Side just two blocks from the proposed site of the future park, the Lowline Lab serves as a prototype, letting the public preview what's to come. Over 60,000 visitors have come to date and dozens of free community based programs have been held.

In June 2016, the Lowline held its inaugural spring benefit at the Lowline Lab, to raise funds and welcome guests into an underground, other worldly garden experience.

Guests were greeted by scantily clad nymphs in body paint and ivy, tempting them to drink tequila spiked elixirs from flower-covered watering cans before moving deeper into the Garden of Eden. An interactive cocktail hour allowed guests to pour their own drinks from irrigation wall taps, where specialty cocktails were surrounded by plants, herbs and spices. Guests could also add basil, mint and lavender to add infusions and garnishes to their drinks.

The evening included a seated dinner where attendees enjoyed a DIY style meal featuring an “interactive salad” that required chopping their own vegetables and an entree that encouraged guests to eat with their hands and serve each other from the family-style dishes. The appetizing menu was created and curated by Chef John Fraser of Nix, Narissa and Dovetail.

The program featured speeches by Lowline co-founders Dan Barasch and James Ramsey and honored Openbox’s Marquise Stillwell and Lowline Young Designer student Nasir Mouzon-Cooley. CK Swett hosted the live auction, garnering over $50,000 in proceeds for auction lots that included a trip to Tuscany and a video message from singer/songwriter Sia.

Amber Martin, vocalist and comedic performance artist, closed out the program with an original three song jaw- dropping performance with chosen musical and comedic vignettes from her fascinating repertoire of characters. The audience could not keep their eyes off of her. DJ Sammy Kim created the playlist for the evening.

Empire is honored to serve as the Lowline’s event producers since 2013 and proud to support the creation of the world’s first underground park.

To learn more about the Lowline, visit http://thelowline.org/