The High Line

The High Line's story began in the 1930s as part of the West Side Improvement Project, an ambitious industrial effort to move dangerous freight trains off Manhattan's streets. Known as the 'West Side Elevated Line,' it allowed trains to deliver goods directly into the upper floors of warehouses and factories, revolutionizing local commerce while eliminating the 'Death Avenue' traffic hazards. For decades, it served as a vital artery for the city's meatpacking and manufacturing sectors. However, the rise of interstate trucking in the 1950s led to a steady decline in rail traffic, and the last train, carrying three carloads of frozen turkeys, ran in 1980. Following its closure, the structure fell into disrepair and was overgrown with wild plants, becoming a hidden urban wilderness that many locals wanted to demolish. In 1999, residents Joshua David and Robert Hammond founded 'Friends of the High Line' to advocate for its preservation as a public space. Inspired by the Promenade Plantée in Paris, they successfully campaigned to transform the derelict tracks into an elevated park. Construction began in 2006, and the first section opened to the public in 2009, instantly becoming a global model for adaptive reuse and urban design. Today, the park stretches 1.45 miles from the Meatpacking District to Hudson Yards, featuring over 500 species of plants and trees that pay homage to the self-seeded landscape that once grew there naturally.