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High Line
The High Line was built by the New York Central Railroad between 1929 and 1934 to lift dangerous freight trains from Manhattan's streets. Originally extending down to the St. John's Park Terminal at Clarkson Street, the High Line was part of a much larger rail infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement, which eliminated street-level train crossings from Spuyten Dyyvil to Lower Manhattan. The High Line's trains carried meat, produce, and dairy products into warehouses and factories at the third-floor level. It was known as "Life Line of New York."
For many years, the High Line was a vital part of the busy manufacturing landscape of the industrial West Side. However, as trucking began to replace rail as the primary means of moving freight in New York City, train traffic declined on the High Line and the southermost section was torn down. By 1980, the trains had stopped running. What remained of the High Line, from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street, was slowly taken over by self-sown landscape, showing the power of nature to conquer even monumental, man-made structures.
In 1990, with the High Line threatened with demolition, neighborhood residents Joshua David and Robert Hammond formed Friends of the High Line to advocate for the preservation and reuse of the structure. In 2002, through the leadership of Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the New York City Council, the City of New York boldly committed to transform the High Line into a one-of-a-kind park. Innovative design was central to the vision as the goal was to create a public landscape as unusual and unexpected as the High Line itself.
Tens of thousands of people have been part of the High Line's transformation. This park embodies their dedication to New York City and their desire to make something wonderful for future generations.
June 9, 2009 |