New York’s High Line

As the population of New York City grew in the mid 1800’s, the streets in lower Manhattan became clogged with pedestrians and horses and wagons.  Many factories, meat packing plants and warehouses needed a more efficient way to transport their products.   
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The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad installed tracks along Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh avenues to serve the industries in the Chelsea district.  This increased congestion along these roads, and the railroad had to have a rider on a horse to lead the train through the congestion.  These streets became known as “Death Avenue.” 

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To alleviate the problem, New York agreed to the construction of a viaduct above the streets for the railroad to access the various industries.  This consisted of many spurs that entered some of the warehouses as well as small yards along the route.  The high line was dedicated in June 1934, and trains began servicing the warehouses along the route. ​

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As trucking became more popular after World War II, rail traffic declined rapidly, and the viaduct shut down in 1980. 

Part of the viaduct was demolished, but in 1999, the Friends of the High Line was formed to repurpose the abandoned structure into a greenway and public park.  Construction began in 2006, and the final section opened in 2019.  Today, the 1.45-mile linear park is extremely popular, and has become an asset for restaurants, shops and other businesses in the Chelsea district of lower Manhattan. ​

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Check out the video below for additional information about the High Line.  
​Tom Gallagher 

​Click here for another excellent video with even more information!