The High Line
News •
-
What is the High Line in New York City?
The High Line is an elevated park and promenade that was built on an abandoned freight rail line on the West Side of Manhattan, New York City. The first section of the High Line opened in 2009, and the final section was completed in 2014. The park extends about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street. The park's design and planning was carried out by the firms James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro along with Dutch planting designer Piet Oudolf. In addition to a noteworthy variety of plants, the High Line contains several architectural features, including the so-called Viewing Spur, an observation area with bleacherlike seating and an outlook surrounded by a large frame.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Where is the High Line located?
The High Line is an elevated park and promenade that was built on an abandoned freight rail line on the West Side of Manhattan, New York City. The High Line stretches about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District in Greenwich Village west and north to West 34th Street, occupying 22 of the 41 blocks originally traversed by the railway.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How was the High Line park created?
The High Line is an elevated park and promenade in New York City, built on an abandoned freight rail line on Manhattan's West Side anchor text. The project was inspired by Paris’s Promenade Plantée. The original street-level railroad was constructed in the mid-19th century but was replaced by an elevated line in 1934 due to safety concerns. Interstate trucking eventually replaced the cargo trains, and the last train ran in 1980 anchor text.
James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, along with Dutch planting designer Piet Oudolf, designed and planned the High Line park. The park's design includes native plant species to evoke the area's spontaneous growth after the rail line was abandoned anchor text.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What makes the High Line different from regular city parks?
The High Line is an elevated park and promenade built on an abandoned freight rail line in Manhattan, New York City anchor text. Native plant species evoke the spontaneous growth that occurred after the rail line fell into disuse. The park has architectural features such as the Viewing Spur, seating areas, and a sundeck. It also showcases rotating displays of artworks by global artists. The High Line spurred a building boom in the neighborhood, with new structures like the Whitney Museum of American Art and Hudson Yards being constructed.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What can visitors do or see on the High Line?
The High Line is an elevated park and promenade in Manhattan built on an abandoned freight rail line. The park extends about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Gansevoort Street to West 34th Street.
Visitors can see a variety of plants, mostly native species, designed to evoke the wild growth that occurred after the rail line fell into disuse. The High Line also features architectural elements, such as the Viewing Spur, which is an observation area with bleacher-like seating and an outlook surrounded by a large frame. Additionally, the park has seating areas, a sundeck, and a rotating display of artworks. The Whitney Museum of American Art and other buildings are located near the High Line.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How has the High Line impacted the neighborhood and community around it?
The High Line's popularity spurred a building boom and rezoning in the surrounding neighborhood along its route. The Whitney Museum of American Art constructed a new building at the High Line’s southern end in 2015. At the park's northern end, a private real estate firm built Hudson Yards, a mixed-use development, which includes an arts center, office park, luxury housing and a mall. Additionally, world-renowned architects designed luxury condominiums and office towers adjacent to the park.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
The High Line, elevated park and promenade built on an abandoned freight rail line on the West Side of Manhattan, New York, U.S. Its first section opened in 2009. With the completion of its final section in 2014, the High Line extended about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District (officially Gansevoort Market) in Greenwich Village west and north to West 34th Street, occupying 22 of the 41 blocks originally traversed by the railway. The park was inspired by Paris’s Promenade Plantée (1994) and buttressed by the National Trails System Act (1968, amended several times).
The original street-level railroad that covered this area was constructed in the mid-19th century. It resulted in so many accidents and fatalities that stretches of 10th and 11th Avenue became known as “Death Avenue.” The ensuing decades brought continuing mayhem, and in 1929 the West Side Improvement Project was implemented; it called for the construction of elevated railway lines and the elimination of street-level lines, the last of which were removed from 11th Avenue in 1941. The elevated line, which opened in 1934, rose to 30 feet (9 metres) above street level. Over the decades, however, interstate trucking began to compete with, and eventually replace, the service of the line’s cargo trains. According to High Line historians, the last train to operate on the tracks, in 1980, carried three cars loaded with frozen turkeys.
The design and planning of the High Line park was carried out by the firms James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro along with Dutch planting designer Piet Oudolf. The park’s plantings, mostly native species, were designed to evoke the wild and spontaneous growth that had occurred on the tracks after the rail line fell into disuse. In addition to a noteworthy variety of plants, the High Line contains several architectural features, including the so-called Viewing Spur, an observation area with bleacherlike seating and an outlook surrounded by a large frame. The park also includes a number of individual or group seating areas with varied configurations, as well as a sundeck. In addition, the High Line is home to a rotating display of artworks by artists from around the globe.
The popularity of the High Line and the simultaneous rezoning of the neighbourhood along it spurred a building boom nearby. The Whitney Museum of American Art constructed a new edifice (2015) by Renzo Piano at the High Line’s southern end, and a private real estate firm built a mixed-use development (Hudson Yards) at the park’s northern terminus. It includes The Shed (2019), an arts centre designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro; a spiral structure called the Vessel (2019) by Heatherwick Studio; an office park; luxury housing; and a mall. Meanwhile, world-renowned architects such as Jean Nouvel and Zaha Hadid designed luxury condominiums (2010 and 2018, respectively), while Jeanne Gang built an office tower (2019) adjacent to the park. Plans to expand the High Line were announced in 2021.