The High Line

The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long linear park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. Since opening in 2009, it has become an inspiring example of the redevelopment of obsolete public spaces. 

In the 1930s, the city took steps to elevate the railroad tracks that had been laid in the 1800s to transport freight such as coal, beef and dairy products. There had been a worrying number of injuries and fatalities caused by railroads running through increasingly populated areas. The last piece of railroad was elevated in 1941, but by the 1950s its use was already starting to decline due to the development of interstate trucking. By the late 1970s, the High Line viaduct was used to deliver just two carloads of cargo per week and a decision was made to shut the viaduct down in 1980.

The 80s and 90s saw disagreements on what to do with the High Line; whether to demolish it or try to preserve it. A nonprofit organisation called Friends of the High Line was formed in 1999, which campaigned to preserve the structure for reuse as a public space. The group gained support from celebrities such as Martha Stewart, Ed Norton, Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenburg. In 2006, Mayor Bloomberg announced the beginning of construction and since opening it has been maintained by Friends of the High Line.

Visited by over 8 million people in 2019, it offers unique perspectives on the streets below, it enables you to get up close with buildings, architecture and murals. You can take in the Hudson River from above and take time to pause amongst the beautiful flowers and plants that have been inspired by those found growing on the disused railroad.