Photo by Janifest
The High Line in 2023 – 2024
Today, in 2024, the High Line is a must-see attraction in New York City. And now, The Moynihan Connector extension connects the popular path directly to the Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station, making it an easy option for Amtrak riders! Newly opened in June 2023, the High Line–Moynihan Train Hall Connector moves east along 30th Street; pedestrians are then able to move north from 31st Street and then west into the train station. This new path traverses over busy streets, allowing neighbors, commuters, and visitors access to transit amenities and the west side of Manhattan with only one street crossing.
The extension consists of a pair of bridges.The Woodland Bridge, running along 30th Street, has deeper planting beds than anywhere on the High Line, which allows for larger trees. Plantings include 63 trees, 90 shrubs, and more than 5,200 grasses and perennials. The Timber Bridge, made of sustainably-sourced wood runs above Dyer Avenue.
Whether you’re someone looking for a little bit of nature in an urban environment, or someone looking to take on a trail without walking through the woods, the High Line has something for everyone— at every season of the year.
THE HIGH LINE THROUGH THE SEASONS
Early in March, Highline horticulturalists and volunteers took part in the Spring Cutback – the hand trimming of overgrown and dried grass and perennials along the path. This Cutback encapsulates the naturalistic and sustainable approach to gardening that allows such fantastic growth of flowers and plants along the path eery year through the seasons. The High Line’s plants are left intact until spring is over, unlike many other gardens in which the plants are cut in the falls. This keeps garden designer Piet Oudolf’s original vision for a four-season landscape honored.
Check out nearby Chelsea Market, a food and retail marketplace. The market has a diverse collection of merchants making it not just a food hall but a gathering of community. You can take home prime cuts of beef, purchase artisanal cheeses, pick out the best fresh produce, or simply grab a meal and take a moment to relax.
Even during the winter months, the High Line attracts a steady stream of visitors who bundle up to get some exercise and check out the attractions. One of the most popular attractions near the park is Hudson Yards, the home of the Vessel, Edge, and multiple shops. The Vessel at Hudson Yards is a major attraction for visitors, towering over the city. When you climb to the top of this honeycomb-style structure, you’ll experience the art of the sculpture you’re standing on as well as the art of the city skyline and the Hudson River. During the holidays Shine Bright at Hudson Yards illuminates the area with over two million twinkling lights. Get into the spirit of the season with free photo opportunities with Santa and special shopping and dining events.
Or go ice skating at the Edge; this high-rise observation tower is home to the highest ice skating rink in the Western Hemisphere! Suspended in mid-air, you feel like you are floating in the sky. Look 100 stories down from the thrilling glass floor. (And sip champagne if you are over 21.) Even outside of the winter months, the Edge offers incredible activities, such as ticketing packages that guarantee entrance not only to the Edge but to the Museum of Modern Art with the “Starry Night” package. PEruse all options and buy tickets here.
HISTORY
During the mid-1800’s, railroad tracks ran along 10thand 11thAvenue in Manhattan, delivering coal, dairy products and beef to processors and distributors on the West Side. Men on horseback rode in front of the trains, waving flags to warn people of approaching trains, but the corridor was hazardous. By 1910, an estimated 548 deaths and 1,574 injuries had occurred over the years on the 11thAvenue line alone. The solution – elevate the tracks!
In 1933, the first train chugged alongthe High Lineviaduct, which ran from St. John’s Park to Spring Street. However, by the 1950’s the dramatic increase in interstate trucking greatly depressed the market for freight trains. By 1978, the High Line saw only two carloads of cargo per week. Two years later, with the construction of the Javits Convention Center at 34thStreet, Conrail, the High Line’s owner, had to disconnect it from the national rail system. Afterward, the unused line fell into disrepair, but its riveted steel structure remained sound.
A Second Life
In 1999, inspired by the Promenade Plantée, a tree-lined walkway following an old, elevated railroad line in Paris, residents along the High Line began advocating for the city to preserve and repurpose of the High Line as an urban park. Work on the project began in 2006, with the first phase opening in 2009. The third and final phase was completed in 2014, with a short spur above 10thAvenue and 30thStreet to open this year.
Today, the High Line is one of New York’s outdoor gems. This 1.45-mile elevated greenway now has over 5 million visitors annually and has inspired other cities throughout the United States to turn obsolete infrastructure into attractive public areas.
Photo by Hansenn/Adobe Stock
The Highline is open daily from 7 am to 10 pm, with free tours offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This April you can take part in “From Freight to Flowers” a tour explaining the story behind New York City’s park in the sky! Learn about its architecture, design, and landscape. These tours are available first come first serve!
