Stroll The High Line in New York City

The High Line’s story begin in the 1920s when the streets of Manhattan’s West Side were a dangerous mix of freight trains, people and traffic, earning the nickname “Death Avenue.” To address the dangers, the city of New York and the New York Central Railroad embarked on the West Side Improvement Project. The main component being the construction of an elevated rail line. Completed in 1934, the designed worked and hazards were averted. The line successfully transported goods without disrupting street-level activity and played a crucial role in the industrial operations of the Meatpacking District, Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen.

By the 1950s, the rise of interstate trucking led to a decline in rail freight. The southernmost section of the High Line was demolished in the 1960s, and by 1980, the last train had run on the remaining tracks. Over the next two decades, the abandoned rail line became overgrown, neglected and threatened by demolition. What cost about 2 billion dollars (in today’s money) to build, became obsolete essentially over night; however, over the next 30 years, the High Line’s fortunes would change dramatically.  

In the late 90’s and early 2000’s, the city of New York endorsed a project that would preserve and transform the structure into a public park. The first portion opened in June 2009, with the completion and final phase reaching 34th Street in 2014. The park’s design retains elements of its industrial past, incorporating rail tracks and using native plant species to evoke the line’s spontaneous reclamation by nature. 

Today the High Line stands as tall as ever, decorated with beautiful works of art, luscious plant life, sunbathers, vendors, book readers and exercise enthusiasts. It is truly an urban oasis.