Lush gardens with high grasses and pink flowers line the walkway. Photographers are everywhere, capturing shots of the abundant greenery and the Hudson River. Tourists stroll along the path, or sit contently on park benches. A group of school children and their teachers eat bagged lunches beneath a shady tree. The High Line is so peaceful that it almost comes as a surprise to see the skyline of midtown Manhattan ahead, and the traffic of speed-walking New Yorkers and whizzing yellow taxis below.
Thirty feet above street level, the High Line is a reclaimed piece of elevated rail that runs from the West Side's Gansevoort Street to 34th Street. The 1.45-mile structure once served as a freight line, carrying meat to the meatpacking district and industrial goods to West Side factories. Trains ran along the High Line from 1934 until 1980; the rail yards were then abandoned for nearly two decades. When the landmark was faced with the threat of demolition in 1999, two neighborhood activists founded Friends of the High Line, advocating for reuse of the rail yards as a public space. After years of campaigning, they received approval from the city. The first section of the High Line finally opened to the public in 2009.
Now, The High Line is a sustainable city park, boasting 210 different plant species throughout its beautiful gardens, most of which are native to New York. Walk along and marvel at the skyline to the North and East and landmarks like the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings. There is a sundeck, as well as viewing platforms scattered throughout the park. One platform consists of tiered bleachers behind a Plexiglas wall that overlooks bustling 14th Street. Many gathering areas – large open spaces for art exhibitions and performances – have also been created. Maybe most impressively, the chic Standard Hotel bridges over the High Line at 12th Street. The new hotel adds a sophisticated feel to the new park, and is a symbol of the influx of upper-class residents and patrons in Chelsea, once a working-class neighborhood.
As of now, visitors can enter the High Line at its southernmost point at Gansevoort Street and walk north to 20th Street. The second section of the High Line, running from 20th to 34th Streets, will be completed in 2011. With panoramic views of the Hudson River on one side, and downtown Manhattan on the other, it is a gift that, nearly a century since its inception, is finally accessible to everyone.
Attraction Information
- Location:
- The High Line currently runs from Gansevoort to 20th Streets between 10th and 11th Avenues. Section 2, from 20th to 34th Streets, will open in 2011.
- Entrances at Gansevoort, 14th, 16th and 20th Streets Elevator access at 14th and 16th St. entrances
- Hours:
- Daily: 7am to 10pm. Last entrance is at 9:45pm.
- Subway Stop:
- L, A, C, E trains to the 14th Street/8th Avenue Station
- C, E trains to the 23rd Street/8th Avenue Station
- 1, 2, 3 trains to the 14th Street/7th Avenue Station
- Contact:
- Phone: 212-500-6035
- Website: www.thehighline.org
