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The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long (2.33 km) elevated linear park, greenway, and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The High Line's design is a collaboration between James Corner Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and Piet Oudolf. The abandoned spur has been redesigned as a "living system" drawing from multiple disciplines which include landscape architecture, urban design, and ecology. The High Line was inspired by the 4.7 km (2.9 mi) long Coulée verte (tree-lined walkway), another elevated park in Paris completed in 1993.

Key Information

The park is built on an abandoned, southern viaduct section of the New York Central Railroad's West Side Line. Originating in the Meatpacking District, the park runs from Gansevoort Street—three blocks below 14th Street—through Chelsea to the northern edge of the West Side Yard on 34th Street near the Javits Center. The West Side Line formerly extended south to a railroad terminal at Spring Street, just north of Canal Street, and north to 35th Street at the site of the Javits Center. Due to a decline in rail traffic along the rest of the viaduct, it was effectively abandoned in 1980 when the construction of the Javits Center required the demolition of the viaduct's northernmost portion. The southern portion of the viaduct was demolished in segments during the late 20th century.

A nonprofit organization called Friends of the High Line was formed in 1999 by Joshua David and Robert Hammond, advocating its preservation and reuse as public open space, an elevated park or greenway. Celebrity New Yorkers joined in on fundraising and support for the concept. The administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans for a High Line park in 2003. Repurposing the railway into an urban park began in 2006 and opened in phases during 2009, 2011, and 2014. The Spur, an extension of the High Line that originally connected with the Morgan General Mail Facility at Tenth Avenue and 30th Street, opened in 2019. The Moynihan Connector, extending east from the Spur to Moynihan Train Hall, opened in 2023.

Since opening in June 2009, the High Line has become an icon of American contemporary landscape architecture. The High Line's success has inspired cities throughout the United States to redevelop obsolete infrastructure as public space. The park became a tourist attraction and spurred real estate development in adjacent neighborhoods, increasing real-estate values and prices along the route. By September 2014, the park had nearly five million visitors annually, and by 2019, it had eight million visitors per year.

Description

[edit]

The High Line extends for 1.45 miles (2.33 km) from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street.[1] At 30th Street the elevated tracks turn west around the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project[3] to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on 34th Street.[4] As proposed, the park was to be integrated with the Hudson Yards development and the Hudson Park and Boulevard.[5] If Hudson Yards' Western Rail Yard is built, it will be elevated above the High Line Park, so an exit along the viaduct over the West Side Yard will lead to the Western Rail Yard.[6] The 34th Street entrance is at grade, with wheelchair access.[4][6]

The park is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. through the warmer months, and until 8:00 p.m. in winter. It can be reached through eleven entrances, five of which are accessible to people with disabilities. The wheelchair-accessible entrances, each with stairs and an elevator, are at Gansevoort, 14th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th Streets. Additional staircase-only entrances are located at 18th, 20th, 26th, and 28th Streets, and 11th Avenue. Street-level access is available at 34th Street via the Interim Walkway, which runs from 30th Street and 11th Avenue to 34th Street west of 11th Avenue.[4][7]

Route

[edit]
Walking path passing through the Chelsea Market building
The High Line between 15th and 16th Street (where the tracks run through the second floor of the Chelsea Market building), with a side track and pedestrian bridge

At the Gansevoort Street end (which runs north–south), the stub over Gansevoort Street is named the Tiffany and Co. Foundation Overlook[4] and was dedicated in July 2012; the foundation was a major supporter of the park.[8][9] The southern terminus of the park also contains a small wooded area called the Gansevoort Woodland.[10] The route then passes under The Standard, High Line hotel[11][12] and through a passage at 14th Street.[4] At 14th Street, the High Line splits into two sides at different elevations;[13] the Diller-Von Furstenberg Water Feature (opened in 2010) is on the lower side, and a sundeck is on the upper side.[14]

The route passes through the west edge of the Chelsea Market, a food hall, at 15th Street.[4][15] A spur, connecting the viaduct to the National Biscuit Company building and closed to the public, splits off at 16th Street.[13] The railroad tracks on the spur are left in situ but the trackbeds are planted with greenery. The Tenth Avenue Square, an amphitheater on the viaduct, is at 17th Street where the High Line crosses over Tenth Avenue from southeast to northwest.[4][13] At the 23rd Street Lawn, visitors can rest.[4][16] Between 25th and 26th Streets a ramp takes visitors above the viaduct, with a scenic overlook facing east at 26th Street. The Philip Falcone and Lisa Maria Falcone Flyover, named after two major donors to the park,[4][13] was based on plans for a Phase 1 flyover which was never built.[17]

The park then curves west to Phase 3 and merges into the Tenth Avenue Spur, which stretches over 30th Street to Tenth Avenue.[18][19] The Tenth Avenue Spur is composed of three parts: the Coach Passage, with 60-foot-tall (18 m) ceilings; the High Line's largest planted garden; and a plaza with temporary art exhibitions that get replaced every 18 months.[20] The art exhibition space is named the Plinth, an allusion to London's Fourth plinth, which also displays temporary art.[21][22] Phase 3 has another ramp taking visitors above the viaduct at 11th Avenue and a play area with rail ties and the Pershing Beams (modified, silicone-covered beams and stanchions coming out of the structure), a gathering space with benches, and a set of three railroad tracks where one can walk between the rails.[23][24][25] The play area also has a seesaw-like bench and a "chime bench", with keys which make sounds when tapped.[1] The Interim Walkway, from 11th Avenue and 30th Street to 34th Street divides the viaduct into two sides: a gravel walkway and an undeveloped section with rail tracks. The temporary walkway closed for renovation when the Tenth Avenue Spur was completed.[26] The High Line turns north to a point just east of Twelfth Avenue. At 34th Street it curves east and descends, ending at street level midway between 12th and 11th Avenues.[4]

The High Line Moynihan Connector, a walkway from the Tenth Avenue Spur to Moynihan Train Hall at Ninth Avenue, opened in June 2023.[27][28] The 1,200-foot (370 m) spur runs east along 30th Street for one block to Dyer Avenue.[29] The span above 30th Street uses a V-shaped structure called the Woodlands Bridge, which contains a 5-foot-deep (1.5 m) planting bed. The walkway then turns north to 31st Street across the Timber Bridge, a span shaped like a Warren truss.[30] It terminates at a public space within Manhattan West that ends at the west side of Ninth Avenue, directly across from Moynihan Train Hall.[31][32]

Landscape design

[edit]
Walking path
The center section, opened in June 2011

The landscape design was curated by Dutch landscape architect Piet Oudolf using natural landscaping techniques.[10][33] The plantings include sturdy meadow plants (such as clump-forming grasses, liatris, and coneflowers) and scattered stands of sumac and smokebush and is not limited to native plants. At the Gansevoort Street end, a grove of mixed species of birch provides shade by late afternoon.[33]

The High Line viaduct had 161 species of plants before it was converted into a park; the modern park has about 400 species of plants, including grasses and trees.[34] There are about 100,000 unique specimens of plants.[34] Each species is selected based on their appearance,[35] in addition to how well they survive throughout the year.[34] The park has a team of 10 horticulturists, who trim and prune the plants throughout the year to prevent overgrowth.[34][10] Throughout the park, the soil has an average depth of 18 inches (460 mm).[34][35][10] The park uses sustainable landscaping and organic lawn management techniques to maintain the space. Native fauna documented in the park include 33 native bee species, butterflies including painted ladies, and migratory birds including warblers.[10]

Attractions

[edit]
Elevated viewing area at 10th Avenue and 17th Street
The square at Tenth Avenue and 17th Street, where the "10th Avenue Square & Overlook" provides views of the street from a window placed in the space created by removing the structure's steel beams.[36]

The park's attractions include naturalized plantings, inspired by plants which grew on the disused tracks,[37] and views of the city and the Hudson River. The pebble-dash concrete walkways swell and constrict, swing from side to side, and divide into concrete tines which meld the hardscape with plantings embedded in railroad-gravel mulch. "By opening the paving, we allow the plants to bleed through," said landscape architect James Corner, "almost as if the plants were colonizing the paved areas. There's a sort of blending or bleeding or suturing between the hard paving, the surface for people to stroll on, and the planting ... "[38] Stretches of track and ties recall the High Line's former use, and portions of track are re-used for rolling lounges positioned for river views.[39] The benches use Brazilian Ipê timber,[40][41] which came from a managed forest certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.[33] According to James Corner Field Operations, the High Line's design "is characterized by an intimate choreography of movement."[42]

The High Line also has cultural attractions as part of a long-term plan for the park to host temporary installations and performances. Creative Time, Friends of the High Line, and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation commissioned The River That Flows Both Ways by Spencer Finch as the inaugural art installation.[43][44] It has also hosted events such as a pigeon-themed festival,[45] as well as a series of conservation-themed activities.[46]

Artwork

[edit]
The 10th Avenue spur at 30th Street

The High Line exhibits numerous pieces of artwork through its public-artwork subsidiary High Line Art, whose curator since 2011 has been Cecilia Alemani.[47] A mid-2010 sound installation by Stephen Vitiello was composed from bells heard throughout New York. Lauren Ross, former director of the alternative art space White Columns, was the High Line's first curator.[48] During the construction of the second phase (between 20th and 30th Streets) several artworks were installed, including Sarah Sze's Still Life with Landscape (Model for a Habitat): a steel-and-wood sculpture near 20th and 21st Streets built as a house for fauna such as birds and butterflies. Kim Beck's Space Available[49] was installed on the roofs of three buildings visible from the southern end. Three 20-by-12-foot (6.1 by 3.7 m) sculptures, resembling the armature of empty billboards and constructed like theater backdrops, looks three-dimensional from a distance.[50][51] Also installed during the second phase of construction was Julianne Swartz's Digital Empathy, a work utilizing audio messages at restrooms, elevators, and water fountains.[52] Maine artist Charlie Hewitt's sculpture Urban Rattle was permanently installed in 2013.[53]

In 2012 and 2013, the Ghanaian born Nigerian artist El Anatsui's large scale sculpture Broken Bridge ll (at the time his largest work to date) fashioned from recycled pressed tin and broken mirrors was positioned on a wall on the west side of the street between 21st and 22nd streets, facing and sidelining the High Line.[54][44] In 2016 Tony Matelli's controversial sculpture Sleepwalker was exhibited upon the High Line.[55] Max Hooper Schneider's aquarium was displayed on the linear park in 2017.[56] The next year, the High Line hosted the British sculptor Phyllida Barlow's first public commission, Prop.[57] High Line Art also displays artwork on a billboard near 18th Street and 10th Avenue.[58]

In 2023 the plinth commission went to the Swiss multimedia artist Pamela Rosenkranz who created a giant bright pink tree sculpture called Old Tree.[59][60] An aluminum sculpture of a pigeon, Dinosaur, by Iván Argote was mounted on the High Line plinth in 2024.[61][62] In conjunction with this sculpture, in June 2025, the High Line held its first Human "Pigeon Impersonator Contest".[63][64] In 2025 Mika Rottenberg's Foot Fountain (pink) was exhibited on the High Line.[65]

History

[edit]

Rail line

[edit]
Train on the High Line in the 1930s
Train passing through the Bell Laboratories Building, seen from Washington Street in 1936. Only the track segment that runs through the third level of the building, and atop its two-story extension, still exists.[66]

In 1847, the City of New York authorized the construction of railroad tracks along Tenth and Eleventh Avenues on Manhattan's West Side. The street-level tracks were used by the New York Central Railroad's freight trains, which shipped commodities such as coal, dairy products, and beef.[67][68] For safety the railroad hired "West Side cowboys", men who rode horses and waved flags in front of the trains.[69] However, so many accidents occurred between freight trains and other traffic that the nickname "Death Avenue" was given to Tenth[70][71] and Eleventh Avenues.[67] In 1910, one organization estimated that there had been 548 deaths and 1,574 injuries over the years along Eleventh Avenue.[67]

Bell Laboratories Building in 2017

Public debate about the hazard began during the early 1900s.[72] In 1929 the city, the state, and New York Central agreed on the West Side Improvement Project,[68] conceived by New York City park commissioner Robert Moses.[73] The 13-mile (21 km) project eliminated 105 street-level railroad crossings, added 32 acres (13 ha) to Riverside Park, and included construction of the West Side Elevated Highway.[74] The plans also included the construction of the St. John's Freight Terminal at Spring Street,[75] which was completed in 1936[76] and replaced the street-level St. John's Park Terminal in present-day Tribeca.[77] The West Side Improvement cost more than $150 million,[74] worth about $2.75 billion in 2024 dollars.[78] The last stretch of street-level track was removed from Eleventh Avenue in 1941.[72]

The first train on the High Line viaduct, part of New York Central's West Side Line, ran along the structure in 1933.[79] The elevated structure was dedicated on June 29, 1934, and was the first part of the West Side Improvement Project to be completed.[80] The High Line, which originally ran from 35th Street to St. John's Freight Terminal,[81] was designed to go through the center of blocks rather than over an avenue.[80][69] As a result, the viaduct's construction necessitated the demolition of 640 buildings.[80][72] It connected directly to factories and warehouses, allowing trains to load and unload inside buildings. Milk, meat, produce, and raw and manufactured goods could be transported and unloaded without disturbing street traffic.[69] This reduced the load on the Bell Laboratories Building (which has housed the Westbeth Artists Community since 1970)[82] and the former Nabisco plant in Chelsea Market, which were served from protected sidings in the buildings.[71][83]

The line also passed under the Western Electric complex at Washington Street. Although the section still existed as of May 2008, it is not connected to the developed park.[71][66]

Abandonment

[edit]
Overgrown railway line prior to repurposing
Abandoned High Line tracks in 2009 (current phase 3 section at 34th Street)
Railway tracks and the walking path cross 20th Street
Reconstructed tracks at 20th Street, 2010

The growth of interstate trucking during the 1950s led to a drop in rail traffic throughout the U.S.[79] St. John's Freight Terminal was abandoned in 1960,[84] and the southernmost section of the line was demolished in the following decade due to low use.[85] The West Village Apartments were then built on part of the former segment's right of way.[86] The demolished section began at Bank Street and ran down Washington Street to Spring Street (just north of Canal Street).[87]

By 1978, the High Line viaduct was used to deliver just two carloads of cargo per week. The viaduct was shut down in 1980, when owner Conrail had to disconnect the viaduct from the rest of the national rail system for a year. The closure was necessitated as a result of the construction of Javits Center at 34th Street, which required that the curve at 35th Street be rebuilt.[79] The last train on the viaduct was a three-car consist carrying frozen turkeys.[69][71][86] During the time the viaduct was disconnected, two large customers along the route moved to New Jersey.[79] The curve to the viaduct from 35th Street was demolished during the construction of Javits Center and was replaced by the current curve at 34th Street.[81] The tracks leading to the High Line were reconnected in 1981, but as there were no more customers along the route, the curve at 34th Street was never completed, and the viaduct did not see any further usage.[79] At this point, Conrail still owned the right of way and the tracks.[69][71][86]

During the mid-1980s, a group of property owners with land under the line lobbied for the demolition of the entire structure. Peter Obletz, a Chelsea resident, activist, and railroad enthusiast, challenged the demolition efforts in court and tried to re-establish rail service on the line.[69][86][88] Obletz offered to buy the viaduct for $10 in order to run a small number of freight trains on the line, and Conrail accepted, mainly because demolition would have cost $5 million. However, this offer was also disputed in court. By 1988, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority was negotiating with Conrail for the possibility for using the line's right of way to construct a light rail route.[79] These negotiations did not proceed further, and by the end of the 1980s, it was expected that the High Line would be demolished.[89]

As part of the construction of the Empire Connection to Penn Station, which opened in spring 1991, the West Side Line tracks north of 35th Street were routed to the new Empire Connection tunnel to Penn Station. A small section of the High Line in the West Village, from Bank to Gansevoort Streets, was taken apart in 1991 despite objections by preservationists.[90] The remaining riveted-steel elevated structure was unused and in disrepair during the 1990s, but it remained structurally sound. Around this time, it became known to urban explorers and local residents for the tough, drought-tolerant wild grasses, shrubs (such as sumac) and rugged trees which had sprung up in the gravel along the abandoned railway. The administration of mayor Rudy Giuliani planned to demolish the structure.[71][91] The Interstate Commerce Commission approved plans to demolish the structure in 1992, but demolition was delayed due to disputes between various city government agencies and the railroad companies. Ownership of the viaduct ultimately passed to CSX Transportation in 1999.[92]

Repurposing proposal

[edit]

A nonprofit organization called Friends of the High Line[69] was formed in October 1999 by Joshua David and Robert Hammond.[92] They advocated its preservation and reuse as public open space, an elevated park or greenway similar to the Promenade Plantée in Paris.[93][94][95] The concept also drew inspiration from Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, Germany—a precedent for urban and industrial repurposing in modern landscaping.[96] The organization was initially a small community group advocating the High Line's preservation and transformation when the structure was threatened with demolition during Rudy Giuliani's second term as mayor.[97] In 2000,[92] CSX Transportation gave photographer Joel Sternfeld permission to photograph it for a year. Sternfeld's photographs of its meadow-like natural beauty, discussed in an episode of the documentary series Great Museums, were used at public meetings when the subject of saving the High Line was discussed.[98] Mary Boone's art gallery, Martha Stewart, and Edward Norton hosted fundraising benefits for the High Line in 2001 and 2002, respectively.[92] Fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg (who had moved her New York City headquarters to the Meatpacking District in 1997) and her husband, Barry Diller, also organized fundraising events in her studio.[98]

In 2003, Friends of the High Line sponsored a design competition that attracted more than 720 participants from 38 countries.[85][99] Proposals included a sculpture garden, an elongated swimming pool, and a linear amusement park/campground.[85][100] In July 2003, Edward Norton and Robert Caro hosted a benefit event at Grand Central Terminal, where the submissions for the design contest were exhibited.[92] The same month, a bipartisan group of city officials began petitioning the federal Surface Transportation Board to hand over title to the viaduct for park use.[101] In anticipation of this handover, the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans for a High Line park that September.[102] The following year, the New York City government committed $50 million to establish the proposed park. Mayor Bloomberg and City Council speakers Gifford Miller and Christine C. Quinn were among the major supporters. Fundraising for the park raised a total of over $150 million (equivalent to $219,846,000 in 2024).[103] The Surface Transportation Board issued a certificate of interim trail use on June 13, 2005, allowing the city to remove most of the line from the national rail system.[104] Ownership officially passed from CSX to the city that November.[105]

Linear park

[edit]

Reconstruction and design

[edit]

On April 10, 2006, Mayor Bloomberg presided over a ceremony to mark the beginning of construction. The park was designed by James Corner's New York-based landscape architecture firm Field Operations and architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, with garden design by Piet Oudolf of the Netherlands, lighting design from L'Observatoire International,[106] and engineering design by Buro Happold[107] and Robert Silman Associates.[108] New York City Department of City Planning director and city planning commission chair Amanda Burden contributed to the project's development.[109][110] Major supporters included Philip Falcone,[111] Diane von Fürstenberg, Barry Diller, and von Fürstenberg's children Alexander and Tatiana von Fürstenberg.[112] Hotel developer Andre Balazs, owner of the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, built the 337-room Standard Hotel straddling the High Line at West 13th Street.[11]

The southernmost section, from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street, opened as a city park on June 8, 2009.[113] The section includes five stairways and elevators at 14th Street and 16th Street.[4] Around the same time, construction of the second section began.[114] A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on June 7, 2011, to open the second section (from 20th Street to 30th Street), with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City Council speaker Christine Quinn, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Congressman Jerrold Nadler in attendance.[115][116] CSX Transportation, owner of the northernmost section from 30th to 34th Streets, agreed in principle to donate the section to the city in 2011;[112] the Related Companies, which owns development rights for the West Side Rail Yards, agreed not to tear down the spur crossing 10th Avenue.[117] Construction on the final section was started in September 2012.[118][119]

A walking path with a ramp
The third phase, by 30th Street, in 2015

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the High Line's third phase was held on September 20, 2014,[120][121] followed the next day by the opening of its third section and a procession down the park.[122][123][120] The third phase, costing $76 million, was divided into two parts.[6] The first part (costing $75 million)[124] is from the end of phase 2 of the line to its terminus at 34th Street, west of 11th Avenue.[6][125][126] The second part, a spur above Tenth Avenue and 30th Street, has room to install artworks curated by the public art program.[127][128][129] The spur was scheduled to open by 2018,[18] but was then delayed to April 2019,[19] and later to June 2019.[130] It opened on June 4, 2019, with the installation of a plinth as its initial artwork.[131][20] It contains entrances to 10 Hudson Yards,[132] built above the spur.[133]

Subsequent developments

[edit]
The Whitney Museum of American Art opened its new building on Gansevoort Street, next to the south end of the High Line, in 2015.

The High Line closed temporarily in early 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City; while most parks remained open during the pandemic, the High Line is a linear park with few means to spread out for social distancing measures.[134][135] The High Line reopened on July 16, 2020, with limited capacity: the section between Gansevoort and 23rd streets was only open to visitors with timed-entry passes. Visitors were able to walk only northbound from Gansevoort Street, with the other access points being for egress only.[136]

During the pandemic, a team of 60 people hosted a Zoom call twice a week to plan an extension of the High Line.[137] On January 11, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced proposals to extend the High Line east to Moynihan Train Hall and north to Hudson River Park.[29][138] The 1,200-foot (370 m) Moynihan Connector was planned to cost $60 million and run east to Ninth Avenue. A second spur would diverge from the Phase 3 walkway at 34th Street, running north to the Javits Center and then turning west to cross the West Side Highway to Hudson River Park.[29][139] When the spurs were announced, neither of the projects had been funded.[29] As of September 2021, the Moynihan Connector was funded and was projected to be completed in early 2023 at a cost of $50 million.[31][140] A groundbreaking for the Moynihan Connector occurred on February 24, 2022,[141][142] although major construction did not begin until later the same year.[30] The Moynihan Connector opened on June 22, 2023.[143]

Friends of the High Line

[edit]

The line is maintained by Friends of the High Line, which was founded by Joshua David and Robert Hammond.[69][92][144] The organization is credited with saving the structure by rallying public support for the park and convincing Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration in 2002 to support the project by filing a request with the Surface Transportation Board to create a public trail on the site.[97] Friends of the High Line played a role in the line's visual aesthetic, holding a competition in conjunction with the city of New York in 2004 to determine the design team which would lead the project.[97] Since the park's opening in 2009, Friends of the High Line has had an agreement with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to serve as its primary steward.[145] The organization is responsible for the daily operation and maintenance of the park, with an annual budget of over $5 million.[146] It has an annual operating budget of $11.5 million, in addition to capital construction and management and fundraising expenses.[69]

Friends of the High Line has raised more than $150 million in public and private funds[69] toward the construction of the first two sections of the park.[146] Unlike the first two phases, to which the city significantly contributed, Friends of the High Line was responsible for raising funds for phase three (an estimated $35 million).[120] The organization raises over 90 percent of the High Line's annual operating budget from private donations.[145][147] When the city donated $5 million to the High Line in 2012, there was criticism that most city parks had received less funding that year, especially since Friends of the High Line had raised an extra $85 million that year.[147]

The organization has an office on Washington Street, near the park's southern end.[148] It has 80 full-time, year-round employees and about 150 full-time summer employees.[148] Friends of the High Line has been run by president and co-founder Josh David after executive director Jenny Gersten stepped down in 2014.[149] Co-founder Robert Hammond served as executive director until he stepped down in February 2013.[146] Friends of the High Line has a 38-member board of directors consisting of many New York City businesspeople and philanthropists, including Amanda Burden of Bloomberg Associates, Jane Lauder of Estée Lauder Companies, Jon Stryker of the Arcus Foundation and Darren Walker of the Ford Foundation.[148] In 2017, Friends of the High Line received the Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design, for the development of High Line.[150]

Impact

[edit]

Since its opening, the High Line has become one of the most popular visitors attractions in New York City.[151] By September 2014, the park had nearly five million visitors annually,[122] and in 2019, it had eight million visitors per year.[2] Most of these visits came from tourists; a 2019 study found that tourists made up four-fifths of the High Line's total visitor count.[135] Residents quoted in The New York Times stated that the park has become a "tourist-clogged catwalk" since it opened,[16] and one critic called it a "tourist-clogged cattle chute".[152] The New York Times called the High Line "one of the best-known naturalistic gardens anywhere" upon the park's 15th anniversary in 2024.[10]

Gentrification and development

[edit]
The luxury apartment building HL23 by Neil M. Denari Architects opened in 2010.[153]

The recycling of the rail line into an urban park and tourist attraction has revitalized Chelsea, which was "gritty" and in generally poor condition during the late twentieth century.[154] It has also spurred real-estate development in the neighborhoods along the line.[155] According to mayor Bloomberg, by 2009 more than 30 projects were planned or under construction nearby,[113] and by 2016 more than 11 projects were under construction.[156] It has also helped raise the value of properties directly adjacent to the High Line by an average of 10 percent over properties a few blocks away. At least 20 properties abutting the High Line have sold for at least $10 million since the park's opening in 2009, with an apartment in a building directly adjacent to the park selling for an average of $6 million.[156] Apartments located near Phase 1 of the High Line are, on average, more than twice as costly as those between Seventh and Eighth Avenues (two blocks east).[157] In August 2016, the park continued to increase real-estate values along it in an example of the halo effect.[158]

Residents who have bought apartments next to the High Line adapted to its presence in various ways, but most responses were positive.[16] However, many established businesses in west Chelsea have closed due to loss of their neighborhood customer base or rent increases.[159][160] Among the businesses that have closed are gas stations and auto-repair stores, as well as a parochial school.[160] Chelsea has significant racial-minority communities, many of whom live in two large public housing developments.[161] In a 2017 interview, Friends of the High Line co-founder Robert Hammond said that he "failed" the community; the High Line did not fulfill its original purpose of serving the surrounding neighborhood, which had become demographically divided around the park.[162]

Due to the High Line's popularity, several museums were proposed or built along its path. The Dia Art Foundation considered (but rejected) a proposal to build a museum at the Gansevoort Street terminus.[163] On that site, the Whitney Museum has built a new home for its collection of American art. The building, designed by Renzo Piano, opened on May 1, 2015.[164]

Crime

[edit]

Crime has been low in the park. Shortly after the second section opened in 2011, The New York Times reported that there had been no reports of major crimes (such as assault or robbery) since the first phase opened two years earlier. Parks Enforcement Patrols have written summonses for infractions of park rules such as walking dogs or riding bicycles on the walkway at a lower rate than in Central Park. Park advocates attributed this to the visibility of the High Line from surrounding buildings, a feature of urban life espoused by author Jane Jacobs nearly fifty years before. According to Joshua David, "Empty parks are dangerous ... Busy parks are much less so. You're virtually never alone on the High Line."[165] In a review of the Highliner restaurant—which has now reverted to its previous name, the Empire Diner—Ariel Levy wrote in The New Yorker that... "The new Chelsea that is emerging on weekends as visitors flood the elevated park ... [is] touristy, overpriced, and shiny."[166]

Projects in other cities

[edit]

The High Line's success in New York City has encouraged leaders in other cities such as Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, who sees it as "a symbol and catalyst" for gentrifying neighborhoods.[167] Several cities nationwide have plans to renovate railroad infrastructure into parkland,[168] including Philadelphia's Rail Park, Atlanta's Belt Line, and Chicago's Bloomingdale Trail.[169] The High Line has helped pioneer the creation of elevated parks worldwide.[169][170][171] In Queens, the Queensway (a proposed aerial rail trail) is being considered for reactivation along the right-of-way of the Long Island Rail Road's former Rockaway Beach Branch.[172] Other cities around the world have planned elevated rails-to-trails parks in what has been called the "High Line effect".[173][174][175] The conversion of the Tokyo Expressway in Tokyo was also inspired by the High Line.[176][177]

According to some estimates, it costs substantially less to redevelop an abandoned urban rail line into a linear park than to demolish it.[167] Landscape architect James Corner (who led the High Line's design team) noted that "The High Line is not easily replicable in other cities," however, observing that building a "cool park" requires a "framework" of neighborhoods around it to succeed.[167]

In 2016, Friends of the High Line launched the High Line Network to support similar infrastructure re-use projects being developed in other cities.[178] As of 2017, there are 19 projects in the network,[175] including River LA, the Atlanta Beltline, Crissy Field, Dequindre Cut, the Lowline, Klyde Warren Park, the Bentway, Bergen Arches, Destination Crenshaw and the Trinity River Project.[179][180][181]

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The line was depicted in a variety of media before its redevelopment. The 1979 film Manhattan includes a shot of the High Line as director and star Woody Allen speaks the first line: "Chapter One. He adored New York City."[182] Director Zbigniew Rybczyński shot the music video for Art of Noise's single, "Close (to the Edit)" on the line in 1984.[183]

In 2001 (two years after the formation of the Friends of the High Line), photographer Joel Sternfeld documented the High Line's flora and dilapidation in his book, Walking the High Line. The book also contains essays by writer Adam Gopnik and historian John R. Stilgoe.[184] Sternfeld's work was regularly discussed and exhibited during the 2000s as the rehabilitation project developed.[98] Alan Weisman's 2007 book, The World Without Us, cites the High Line as an example of the reappearance of the wild in an abandoned area.[185] Kinetics & One Love's 2009 song, "The High Line", uses the line (before its conversion to a park) as an example of nature's reclamation of man-made structures.[186]

A number of films and television programs have utilized the High Line since the park opened. In 2011, the television series Louie used it as a setting for one of the title character's dates.[187] Other works with scenes on the High Line since its conversion include The Simpsons' 2012 episode "Moonshine River"[188] and the 2012 film What Maisie Knew.[189]

See also

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Neighborhoods, developments, and places nearby

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References

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Further reading

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

High Line

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The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long public park in , constructed on the elevated structure of a historic freight rail line that ran along Manhattan's West Side from the Meatpacking District northward to 34th Street. Originally built in 1934 as part of the West Side Improvement project to elevate rail traffic 30 feet above street level and eliminate hazardous at-grade crossings formerly known as "Death Avenue," the line facilitated the transport of goods to industrial sites until its final train in 1980, after which it fell into disuse and became overgrown with self-seeded vegetation. The park's creation preserved this infrastructure from demolition proposals in the 1990s, transforming it through adaptive reuse into a landscaped greenway featuring over 500 species of plants, integrated pathways, installations, and panoramic views of the and city skyline, with design contributions from landscape architects James Corner Field Operations and , and architects . It opened in phases beginning with Section 1 from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street in June 2009, followed by extensions in 2011, 2014, and the final spur in 2019, operated and maintained by the nonprofit Friends of the High Line in partnership with the City of New York. The has been recognized for pioneering urban park design on disused rail corridors, earning awards such as the American Society of Landscape Architects' Honor Award for General Design in 2010, and serving as a catalyst for economic revitalization by generating over $5 billion in private development and 12,000 jobs from an initial public investment of $115 million. While celebrated for boosting local property values and —drawing millions of visitors annually—it has faced criticism for accelerating in surrounding neighborhoods like Chelsea and the Meatpacking District, displacing lower-income residents and small businesses amid rising real estate pressures, though empirical studies attribute much of this to broader market dynamics rather than the park alone. The High Line's model of "promenade planting" that echoes its wild interim state has inspired similar elevated park projects worldwide, underscoring its role in promoting sustainable urban reuse of industrial relics.

Description

Route and Physical Layout

The High Line is an elevated linear park constructed on a former freight rail viaduct, extending 1.45 miles (2.33 km) along Manhattan's West Side. It commences at Gansevoort Street and Washington Street in the Meatpacking District and proceeds northward, generally paralleling 10th Avenue through the Chelsea neighborhood, before terminating at 34th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues adjacent to Hudson Yards. The route is segmented into three phases: Section 1 from Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street, Section 2 from West 20th to West 30th Street (spanning 0.5 miles), and Section 3 from West 30th to West 34th Street. The viaduct structure varies in width from 30 to 60 feet (9 to 18 m) and stands 18 to 30 feet (5.5 to 9 m) above street level, preserving elements of the original infrastructure. The layout centers on a main pedestrian pathway, approximately 10 to 12 feet wide, flanked by landscaped planting beds and integrated features such as preserved rail tracks embedded in the surface. Street crossings occur at intervals, with the path bridging over 10th Avenue at West 17th Street and intersecting other avenues via elevated spans or at-grade connections where applicable. Public access integrates staircases, ramps, and elevators at key intervals, including Gansevoort Street, West 14th Street, West 23rd Street, and West 30th Street at Hudson Yards, enabling vertical circulation from street level to the platform. The design maintains a consistent elevation along the route, adapting to the underlying urban grid with viewing platforms and amphitheater-like spaces at crossings to enhance sightlines over surrounding streets and buildings.

Landscape and Architectural Design

The High Line's landscape and architectural design emerged from a collaboration led by Field Operations as project lead, with handling architectural elements and directing plantings. This team won an international design competition in with a vision that preserved the historic elevated rail while integrating naturalistic landscapes and adaptive structures to foster public interaction. The resulting 1.45-mile emphasizes a "pathless path" philosophy, where visitors experience an immersive blend of preserved industrial remnants and self-guided exploration amid seasonal vegetation. Landscape features draw directly from the site's pre-repurposing , where weeds and wild plants had self-seeded along the abandoned tracks for decades. Oudolf's planting palette includes over 500 species, prioritizing native, drought-tolerant perennials, grasses, and shrubs that require minimal and , such as little bluestem and switchgrass, evoking the original feral growth while enhancing . These are organized into distinct garden zones—ranging from edges to wildflower fields—that vary in density and height to create microhabitats, with deep soil volumes in sections like the Woodland Bridge enabling mature tree growth despite the structure's constraints. Sustainable practices, including stormwater management through permeable surfaces and bioswales, integrate with the plantings to reduce runoff and support . Architecturally, incorporated the original steel rail framework, reinforcing it for pedestrian loads while adding sculptural elements like the Radial Bench—a sweeping wooden seating curve at the pathway's edge—and elevated viewing platforms, such as the amphitheater-like spur at 10th Avenue and 17th Street offering vistas. Pathways utilize long, planks laid parallel to the tracks, with tapered ends that seamlessly merge into adjacent beds, avoiding rigid borders to promote fluid movement and discourage scripted routes. Access points feature monumental staircases and elevators clad in and glass, echoing the viaduct's industrial aesthetic, while integrated lighting and furnishings—such as hammocks and loungers—enhance usability without overwhelming the minimalist framework. These elements collectively maintain the High Line's identity as a hybrid infrastructure, balancing preservation, accessibility, and experiential design.

Art Installations and Amenities

The High Line features a dedicated program, High Line Art, which commissions and presents site-specific installations, sculptures, murals, performances, and multimedia works year-round, regardless of weather. Curated since 2011 by Cecilia Alemani, the program emphasizes public engagement with art integrated into the park's landscape and architecture, including the annual High Line Plinth for large-scale sculptures at the 30th Street terminus, inaugurated in 2019 with Simone Leigh's Brick House. Notable permanent and semi-permanent works include sound installations like We Are Here (2023), spanning multiple sites along the extension with text-based audio narratives, and Giulia Cenci's (2024), a sculptural installation evoking organic-human hybrids amid the rail corridor. Temporary commissions rotate seasonally; for spring 2025, these include Mika Rottenberg's (a ten-foot-tall interactive ), Britta Marakatt-Labba's textile-based works, Tai Shani's immersive projections, and Zhang Xu Zhan's mixed-media pieces. Amenities enhance visitor experience through functional and recreational elements designed for and interaction. These include movable wooden sun loungers for lounging, elevated viewing platforms such as the amphitheater at 10th Avenue and 17th Street offering panoramic city views, and the Flyover walkway between 25th and 27th Streets that bridges over active rail lines. Food and beverage options are available at outposts near 15th and 22nd Streets, featuring seasonal vendors and cafes integrated into the pathway. features comprise elevators at 30th, 31st, 14th, and Gansevoort Streets, with park hours from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (–) and shorter in winter; manual wheelchairs are available upon request. Additional elements like preserved original rail tracks, water features, and shaded seating areas complement the art and greenery, fostering prolonged stays amid the urban setting.

Historical Development

Origins and Operation as Freight Rail (1930s–1960s)

The West Side Elevated Freight Line, later known as the , was constructed by the in the early as part of the West Side Improvement project, which began planning in to eliminate deadly street-level rail crossings on Manhattan's West Side that had caused over 540 fatalities and dubbed 10th Avenue "Death Avenue." The elevated , rising about 30 feet above street level, extended from 34th Street south to St. John's Terminal near Spring Street, enabling direct delivery of freight to upper-floor loading docks of factories and warehouses. The first train ran in 1933, with the line becoming fully operational by 1934, transporting millions of tons of cargo including meat, dairy, and produce to Meatpacking District businesses and beyond. Tracks integrated directly into structures like the bakery (now ), facilitating efficient loading without street interference. From the to the , operations relied on electric locomotives north of 30th Street and diesel south of it, handling provisions for stores and food services; in 1961, the line managed 119,415 inbound freight cars. Usage peaked during and after but began declining by the late due to competition from trucking.

Decline, Abandonment, and Near-Demolition (1960s–1990s)

The High Line experienced a marked decline starting in the , as the rise of interstate trucking diminished rail freight volumes and eroded the viability of the elevated . This shift, coupled with the waning westside waterfront industry, led to reduced usage along much of the line. The southernmost segment, from Spring Street to Bank Street, was demolished during the decade. Traffic continued to fall through the , with trucking's dominance accelerating the obsolescence of the freight corridor. Rail operations fully ceased in 1980, marked by the last train delivering three carloads of frozen turkeys to a nearby . Abandoned thereafter, the structure deteriorated, with weeds, shrubs, and trees encroaching on the tracks and platforms, inadvertently creating a wild, elevated amid . In the , as the viaduct sat unused under CSX Transportation's ownership, property owners lobbied for its total removal, citing it as an eyesore and safety risk. Demolition efforts intensified in the early ; in January 1991, a five-block section from Bank Street to Gansevoort Street began being razed to enable warehouse conversion into residential apartments, overriding objections from preservationists and groups like West Villagers for Responsible Development. The remaining portion lingered in legal limbo through the decade, facing persistent calls for demolition to clear space for development. In 1999, outgoing Mayor authorized the structure's teardown, reflecting widespread municipal views of it as a derelict liability rather than an asset. These actions left the surviving —now terminating at Gansevoort Street—vulnerable to further erosion and potential total erasure by century's end.

Advocacy, Planning, and Construction Phases (1999–2019)

In 1999, neighborhood residents Joshua David and Robert Hammond founded the nonprofit Friends of the High Line to advocate for the preservation and adaptive reuse of the abandoned elevated rail structure as a public park, inspired by its emergent wild landscape documented in a New York Times article. The organization mobilized community support against the city's plans for demolition, which had been advanced under Mayor Rudy Giuliani's administration due to concerns over safety and blight. In 2002, incoming Mayor rescinded the demolition order, influenced by the Design Trust for Public Space's feasibility study Reclaiming the High Line, which demonstrated viable reuse options and shifted policy toward retention. To build public and political momentum, Friends of the High Line organized an open ideas competition in 2003, attracting 720 submissions from over 36 countries and generating widespread media attention for park concepts. This was followed in 2004 by an invited design competition partnered with the City of New York, resulting in the selection of Field Operations as lead landscape architect, as architects, and for planting design. The Bloomberg administration and City Council endorsed rezoning West Chelsea in 2005, transferring from the rail structure to adjacent properties to incentivize developer support and fund park maintenance, while approving the park's conversion after four years of sustained advocacy. Construction commenced in April 2006 on the first section, from Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street, incorporating the elevated tracks into pathways amid preserved vegetation and new amenities. This southern segment opened to the public on June 9, 2009, drawing immediate acclaim and over 2 million visitors in its first year. The second section, from West 20th to West 30th Street, followed with completion and opening in June 2011, extending access northward. Further phases included the Rail Yards segment (from 10th Avenue to West 34th Street) opening in September 2012, preserving the original rail infrastructure while adding viewing platforms. The Spur—a 500-foot eastern branch at West 30th Street and 10th Avenue, advocated for since 2008 to connect to Manhattan's west side—began construction in 2017 and opened on June 15, 2019, completing the core linear park within the 1999–2019 timeframe. These phases relied on public-private funding, with Friends of the High Line securing commitments for ongoing operations.

Organization and Operations

Friends of the High Line Nonprofit

Friends of the High Line is a nonprofit conservancy established in 1999 by neighborhood residents Joshua David and Robert Hammond to advocate against the demolition of the abandoned elevated freight rail line on Manhattan's West Side and promote its reuse as a public park. Inspired by the site's emergent wild landscape, the organization initially focused on community mobilization and policy advocacy, partnering with city officials to secure preservation commitments, including a 2002 zoning change under Mayor that facilitated adaptive reuse. Over time, it evolved from advocacy to operational responsibility, overseeing the park's programming, , and maintenance under a long-term license agreement with the Department of Parks and Recreation. The conservancy's mission centers on reimagining industrial infrastructure as vibrant public spaces that foster connected, healthy urban neighborhoods through horticultural stewardship, cultural programming, and initiatives, such as fellowships in and commissions. It manages approximately 150,000 perennial plants across more than 15 garden zones, coordinates events like performances and tours, and administers the High Line Art program, which integrates site-specific installations along the 1.45-mile . The High Line itself remains publicly owned by , with Friends of the High Line funding nearly 100% of its annual operating costs via private philanthropy to ensure beyond initial public investments in construction. Leadership is headed by Alan van Capelle, appointed in January 2023, who oversees strategic direction, public-private partnerships, and expansion efforts, drawing on prior experience in nonprofit management and urban policy. Key executives include Chief Advancement Officer Tara Morris, who has secured over $350 million in public and private funds for park development and operations; Joe Tarver; and specialized directors for , planning, and curation, such as Senior Director of Richard Hayden and Donald R. Mullen, Jr. Director & Chief Curator Cecilia Alemani. The board and staff emphasize fiscal prudence and community input to sustain the park's role as a model for repurposing. Financially, the organization reported $30,009,000 in for 2023, with major sources including $13,176,000 in contributions, $9,664,000 in investment income, and $2,377,000 net from special events, against $23,414,000 in expenses primarily for park operations and programs. It maintains a policy, liquid assets covering at least 90 days of expenditures, and an minimum of $3,000,000 to mitigate volatility from donations and grants. Historically, Friends of the High Line raised over $150 million for the initial phases' construction, demonstrating effective reliance on support amid limited municipal funding for ongoing maintenance.

Funding Mechanisms and Public-Private Collaboration

The High Line's funding model relies on a public-private partnership, with the City of New York owning the 1.45-mile linear park and providing primary capital for initial construction, while the nonprofit Friends of the High Line (FHL) secures private donations for operations, programming, and supplemental capital projects. This structure allocates public resources toward land acquisition, structural rehabilitation, and basic infrastructure, estimated at approximately $250 million total for conversion from disused rail to public greenway, generating over 8,000 construction jobs. FHL, founded in 1999, has raised hundreds of millions from individuals, foundations, and corporations to cover design innovations, horticulture, and amenities not fully funded by government sources, embodying a neoliberal approach to urban public space where private philanthropy offsets municipal fiscal constraints. For the first two sections (opened in 2009 and ), construction costs totaled $152.3 million, with the contributing $112.2 million—about 74% of the budget—augmented by $20 million in federal funds via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and additional state allocations. Private contributions through FHL filled gaps for by Field Operations and artist commissions, with major donors including and Diane von Furstenberg, who pledged over $35 million cumulatively by , including a $20 million gift specifically for the second section's rail yards. This phase highlighted causal dependencies in funding: public investment de-risked the project by preserving the against demolition threats in the , enabling private capital to flow toward value-added features that enhanced and economic viability. Ongoing operations underscore the partnership's , as FHL funds nearly 100% of the annual —approximately $19 million as of recent years—through diversified private sources, including membership dues, corporate sponsorships, and endowments, while the covers only nominal in-kind support like coordination. Maintenance for Sections 1 and 2 alone runs $3.5–4.5 million yearly, financed via rather than taxpayer dollars, with mechanisms like a proposed $50-per-square-foot transfer tax on adjacent developments earmarked for amenities such as elevators and restrooms in early plans. Extensions, such as the 2019–2025 High Line Spur at 30th Street, extend this model through collaborations involving Empire State Development, the Port Authority, , and FHL, blending public infrastructure bonds with private developer commitments to minimize fiscal burden on the . This framework has sustained the park's 8 million annual visitors without direct appropriations, though critics note it amplifies inequalities by prioritizing donor-driven priorities over equitable access.

Economic Impacts

Tourism Revenue and Visitor Metrics

The High Line has drawn increasing numbers of visitors since its opening in June 2009, establishing itself as a major draw for both locals and tourists. By 2015, annual visitation reached 7.6 million, with approximately 69% of visitors from outside , including domestic and international travelers. Visitation peaked at around 8 million annually by 2019, reflecting its role in attracting leisure and cultural tourists to Manhattan's West Side. The caused a sharp decline, with only 2.7 million visitors in 2020 amid capacity restrictions and timed-entry systems implemented by Friends of the High Line to manage crowds and ensure safety. Post-pandemic recovery has brought visitation back toward pre-2019 levels, with projections estimating 7 million visitors in 2024 as rebounds to 95% of 2019 figures citywide. These metrics, tracked via counters, surveys, and event attendance data by Friends of the High Line, underscore the park's appeal, with over 26,000 annual participants in programmed events like tours and horticultural sessions drawing diverse crowds. Non-local visitors, comprising the majority, contribute to through ancillary spending on nearby dining, retail, and accommodations in Chelsea and the Meatpacking District, though direct attribution remains challenging due to the park's free admission. While the High Line itself generates no entrance fees, its visitor traffic induces broader revenue via economic multipliers. Independent analyses project that the park's operations and attractions will yield over $1.4 billion in tax revenue from 2007 to 2027, averaging $65 million annually, largely from heightened commercial activity and property assessments spurred by tourist influxes. This fiscal return stems from visitor-driven demand rather than direct park operations, which rely on nonprofit ; Friends of the High Line covers nearly 100% of the $20 million-plus annual maintenance budget through private contributions, avoiding taxpayer burden for core upkeep. Empirical studies of similar urban parks link such visitation to localized spending increases, but High Line-specific tourism expenditure data—encompassing hotels, , and —has not been isolated in recent peer-reviewed assessments beyond these aggregate impacts.

Catalyzed Urban Development and Employment

The High Line's conversion into a public park catalyzed extensive urban development in Manhattan's West Chelsea and adjacent Hudson Yards neighborhoods. Following its opening on June 9, 2009, the park spurred the planning and construction of over 30 major residential, commercial, and cultural projects along its 1.45-mile length. Notable developments include Frank Gehry's IAC headquarters, Jean Nouvel's 100 Eleventh Avenue residential tower, and Renzo Piano's relocation of the Whitney Museum of American Art to a new 50,000-square-meter facility at the park's southern terminus, completed in 2015. These initiatives were supported by 2005 rezoning in West Chelsea, which transferred development rights from the rail structure to adjacent sites, enabling contextual high-density construction while preserving industrial character. An HR&A Advisors economic impact study prior to opening projected that such transformation would generate substantial private investment exceeding public costs, a forecast validated by subsequent real estate activity. Development metrics underscore the scale: by 2021 assessments, the High Line vicinity saw additions of thousands of new residential units, over 1,000 hotel rooms, more than 423,000 square feet of , and 85,000 square feet of gallery space. This influx transformed previously underutilized industrial land into mixed-use hubs, with property values in adjacent blocks rising significantly—up to 103% in some areas between and —attributed in part to the park's amenity value enhancing locational appeal for high-end residential and commercial tenants. Empirical analyses, including those by HR&A, link the park's activation to accelerated permitting and completion rates for these projects, distinguishing its influence from broader trends through proximity-based value premiums. On employment, the High Line-associated developments directly generated approximately 8,000 construction jobs during the build-out phase through 2011, alongside an estimated 12,000 permanent positions in new , retail, office, and cultural operations. These figures, cited by then-Mayor , reflect job creation in proximate sectors like services and visitor-dependent businesses, with ongoing operations sustaining roles in park maintenance and event programming. While broader economic studies caution against over-attributing causality amid New York City's overall growth, localized data from rezoning outcomes and investment patterns support the park's role in concentrating employment gains, including in drawn to the enhanced urban fabric.

Tax Revenue and Fiscal Returns

The redevelopment of the High Line has produced notable fiscal returns for , with tax revenues from heightened property values and ancillary economic activity surpassing public investments. As of 2011, the city's expenditures on park construction totaled $115 million, while the introduction of the High Line prompted an estimated $100 million increase in local property taxes through rapid capitalization of nearby values. Broader economic impact assessments project or attribute $900 million to $1 billion in cumulative additional revenues, including property, sales, and income taxes stimulated by over $2 billion in private development, millions of annual visitors, and new commercial enterprises along the corridor. These figures derive from analyses by consulting firms like HR&A Advisors, which evaluated the park's role in generating municipal fiscal benefits beyond initial costs. Analysis of New York City Department of Finance assessment data shows the High Line accounted for $3.4 billion in added property values within 500 meters from 2007 to 2018, yielding roughly $103 million in extra collections over that period. Such returns underscore the project's efficiency, as induced taxes have recouped and exceeded public outlays, though some value uplift benefits private owners via limited tax capture mechanisms like abatements.

Social and Neighborhood Effects

Property Value Increases and Urban Renewal

Property values in areas adjacent to the High Line experienced substantial increases following its announcement, construction, and opening phases. Analysis of resale prices indicates that from June 2011, shortly after the opening of Section 2, to May 2016, median prices along Section 1 rose by 50.6 percent to $2,143,287, while those along Section 2 increased by 48.2 percent to $1,300,281; in comparison, prices in adjacent areas grew by only 31.4 percent during the same period. These differentials suggest a proximity premium attributable to the park, as sponsor sales along the High Line commanded 130 to 214 percent premiums over comparable areas in the year prior to May 2016. Econometric studies further support causal effects, with one estimating capitalization of the park's public good value into nearby housing prices upon its 2009 opening, using hedonic pricing models to isolate timing and location impacts. The High Line's influence extended to generating an estimated $3.4 billion in additional property value for sites within 500 meters, based on valuations from New York City's Department of Finance. This value uplift stemmed partly from 2005 rezoning in West Chelsea, which preserved the elevated structure while transferring and permitting higher-density , thereby incentivizing private investment proximate to the anticipated greenway. Such mechanisms enabled developers to capture elevated land values, with apartment prices along the route receiving measurable boosts from direct adjacency, as documented in market assessments controlling for broader trends. In terms of , the High Line catalyzed the redevelopment of formerly industrial zones in the Meatpacking District and West Chelsea from underutilized warehouses and declining freight infrastructure into vibrant, mixed-use precincts. This shift involved repurposing structures like the into commercial anchors and spurred construction of luxury residential towers, hotels, and cultural venues, including the Whitney Museum's 2015 relocation to a new facility at the park's southern terminus. The transformation aligned with principles, elevating the area's economic viability without wholesale demolition, though proximity-driven value gains primarily benefited properties in the West Chelsea Special District bounded by 10th and 11th Avenues from West 16th to 30th Streets. Empirical evidence links these changes to the park's role as a linear , fostering pedestrian connectivity and attracting high-value uses that reversed prior stagnation.

Crime Reduction and Public Safety Data

Since its opening on , , the High Line has recorded zero instances of major felonies, including , , , or , directly on the park premises. This safety record persists through 2025, attributed to design features promoting visibility—such as transparent railings, open sightlines, and elevated positioning—combined with operational measures like over 60 cameras, LED activated from dusk until midnight, and partnerships with the NYPD's 10th Precinct for patrols. High daily foot traffic, averaging 8 million visitors annually by the mid-2010s, fosters "eyes " natural surveillance, deterring criminal activity without relying solely on formal policing. In the adjacent 10th Precinct, encompassing Chelsea and much of the High Line's footprint, seven major offenses (, , , assault, , grand , and grand auto) totaled 3,456 in 2000 but declined to 1,892 by 2010, reflecting a 45% reduction amid broader trends driven by factors like policing and economic recovery post-1990s crime peak. Violent crimes specifically fell from 512 incidents in 2000 to 289 in 2010, with rates remaining below citywide averages post-2009; for instance, the precinct reported just 1 , 19 , 81 , and 103 assaults in 2018. No peer-reviewed studies causally attribute these neighborhood declines directly to the High Line, as precinct-level reductions predated its full opening and aligned with systemic NYPD interventions; however, the park's activation correlated with stabilized low rates, potentially amplified by induced economic activity and increasing guardianship. Minor incidents, such as petty or quality-of-life offenses, occur infrequently on the High Line, often linked to tourist rather than resident victimization, with response protocols emphasizing rapid NYPD coordination via dedicated hotlines. Surrounding Chelsea maintains a rate of approximately 6.06 per 1,000 residents annually in recent assessments, graded as average relative to U.S. urban benchmarks but safer than 61% of neighborhoods. Anecdotal reports of drug-related near entrances emerged in the early , tied to citywide post-pandemic spikes rather than park-specific causation, prompting enhanced private security collaborations. Overall, empirical data underscore the High Line's role in fostering a secure public realm through integrated and vigilance, without evidence of crime displacement to adjacent blocks.

Gentrification Debates and Empirical Evidence on Displacement

The development of the High Line has sparked debates over its role in gentrifying the surrounding West Chelsea and Meatpacking District neighborhoods, where critics contend it accelerated the displacement of lower-income residents, artists, and small businesses through surging costs and demographic shifts favoring affluent newcomers. Proponents, including city officials and developers, argue that the spurred beneficial in previously underutilized industrial zones with sparse residential populations, transforming derelict infrastructure into a catalyst for economic vitality without widespread forced relocations. These discussions often conflate —involving rising property values and influxes of higher-income households—with actual displacement, defined as involuntary out-migration due to economic pressures like rent hikes or evictions. Empirical analyses confirm substantial property value appreciation attributable to the High Line, with homes in closest proximity experiencing a 35.3% premium post-opening, as estimated via hedonic pricing models and triple difference-in-difference regressions using sales data from 2003 to 2018. This capitalization effect, most pronounced for units with direct views and above the first floor, contributed to neighborhood income polarization, with increased in-migration of high-earning households expanding the local tax base but also heightening affordability barriers. Commercial rents in the Meatpacking District rose sharply, from an average of $40 per in 2005 to over $100 by 2015, prompting some galleries and legacy businesses to relocate, though total employment in the area grew due to new luxury retail and hospitality. However, rigorous studies tracking resident mobility in gentrifying areas, including those influenced by public amenities, reveal limited evidence of net displacement linked to projects like the High Line. Low-income households in such neighborhoods exhibited lower out-migration rates—around 6% to 10% displacement-related moves from 1989 to 2002—compared to stable low-income areas, as vulnerable residents often exited earlier due to pre-existing conditions rather than new investments. A Medicaid-based of low-income children in NYC found no disproportionate exodus from gentrifying zones, with most families remaining despite incoming affluence, suggesting that rent-stabilized units and buffered direct economic displacement. While exclusionary displacement—preventing low-income in-migration—and cultural shifts (e.g., loss of industrial character) are plausible concerns, causal attribution to the High Line remains correlative rather than proven, as the area's pre-2009 residential density was minimal (under 2,000 residents), enabling overall population growth exceeding 500% by 2020 without evicting entrenched communities. These findings underscore a distinction between price pressures and verifiable moves, challenging narratives of inevitable harm from while highlighting the need for targeted affordability measures.

Cultural and Global Reach

Influence on Rail-to-Park Conversions Worldwide

The High Line's successful repurposing of an elevated freight rail corridor into a 2.3 km (1.45 mile) public , attracting over 8 million visitors annually by , has popularized the concept of converting disused rail infrastructure into linear green spaces worldwide, often emphasizing preservation of original structures, native plantings, and integration with urban fabric. This "High Line effect" has encouraged municipalities to prioritize over demolition, leveraging public-private partnerships to fund transformations that enhance and while mitigating urban heat islands through elevated vegetated pathways. Although precedents like Paris's Promenade Plantée (opened 1993) existed, the High Line's post-2009 visibility—bolstered by media coverage and measurable economic returns—accelerated global adoption, with projects citing its model for blending industrial heritage with recreational amenities. In , Rotterdam's Hofbogen project exemplifies this influence, transforming a 1.9 km from the 1876-built Hofpleinlijn into an elevated and commercial corridor; development phases began in 2010, with green spaces opening progressively by 2015, where architects drew on the High Line's approach to retaining rusticated steel and adding linear gardens to foster community activation. Similarly, segments of Paris's 28 km Petite Ceinture ring , abandoned since the 1930s, have seen conversions into accessible post-2009, including a 1.4 km stretch in the 19th opened on October 28, 2017, featuring wild meadows and boardwalks that echo the High Line's "wild" aesthetic while addressing local demands for equitable green access. In , Seoul's park, redeveloped from a 984 m constructed in 1971 (originally spanning a rail-adjacent corridor), opened on May 20, 2017, after a 17-month retrofit planting 24,000 perennials across themed gardens; city officials referenced the High Line as a benchmark for turning underutilized into a pedestrian corridor that reduced traffic reliance and boosted adjacent property values by up to 20%. These adaptations demonstrate causal links via replicated strategies—such as community-led preservation campaigns and landscape architects like Field Operations consulting on international variants—but outcomes vary by context, with denser Asian cities emphasizing vertical over the High Line's horizontal sprawl. Empirical studies note that while inspiration is widespread, direct replication succeeds where local aligns with verifiable public health gains, like increased daily steps tracked via fitness in user studies. The High Line has been featured in several documentaries highlighting its transformation from an abandoned rail structure to a public park. The 2006 short film The High Line, produced by Friends of the High Line, provides an overview of its , preservation efforts, and proposed reuse designs. In 2009, the series High Line Stories profiled individuals involved in the park's redevelopment, emphasizing community and architectural contributions. The 2014 documentary Treasures of New York: Elevated Thinking: The High Line, part of the Great Museums series and narrated by , explores the park's design and cultural significance as an urban greenway. A 2020 video narrated by actor Ethan Hawke traces the site's evolution from the 1840s "Death Avenue" era to its modern role. In fictional media, the High Line appears as a backdrop in action sequences and urban narratives post its 2009 opening. It served as the setting for the climactic battle between the Avengers and the aliens in the 2012 film The Avengers, directed by , showcasing its elevated structure amid Manhattan's skyline. The park features in the 2013 adaptation August: Osage County, directed by John Wells, where it underscores themes of family dysfunction against New York City's revitalized industrial landscapes. The High Line's policies permit small-scale film and photo shoots, contributing to its frequent use in commercials, music videos, and independent productions that capitalize on its linear views and greenery. Non-fiction literature has documented the High Line's cultural impact. Joshua David and Robert Hammond's 2011 book High Line: The Inside Story of New York City's Park in the Sky details the advocacy campaign led by Friends of the High Line, drawing on primary accounts to argue its success as a model for . Adam Gopnik's 2001 New Yorker essay "A Walk on the High Line" predates the park's opening but captures its overgrown allure, influencing public perception of potential repurposing. Design-focused works, such as James Corner's The High Line (2015 edition), analyze its through plans and photographs, positioning it as a global influence on elevated urban spaces. These accounts prioritize empirical narratives over speculative interpretations, often citing archival rail records and stakeholder interviews for verification.

References

  1. https://files.thehighline.org/pdf/high_line_fact_sheet.pdf
  2. https://www.thehighline.org/history/
  3. https://www.thehighline.org/about/
  4. https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/the-high-line/history
  5. https://dsrny.com/project/the-high-line
  6. https://www.asla.org/2010awards/173.html
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