There’s nothing else quite like it west of the Atlantic. It’s an elevated greenway—a narrow park a mile long but just 40 feet wide, suspended roughly 25 feet above the street. It’s the High Line, Chelsea’s way of reclaiming a piece of railroad history and transforming it into the future of public art and recreation.
Originally it was an elevated railroad track, constructed in the 1930s to make the streets safer for pedestrians and vehicles. But the rise of the semi-truck made the railroad less important, and the very last train—carrying just three cars of frozen turkeys—traveled the High Line in 1980. Some local residents lobbied for the unused railway’s demolition, and it was almost torn down. But the non-profit Friends of the High Line had another idea: why not turn it into a park? And in 2009, they did.
The trail runs north to south, winding back and forth, widening, narrowing and even forking off at times. Plants of every description surround the walkway—over 200 species, from birch trees to coneflowers, in wild-looking beds designed to imitate the natural growth on the abandoned tracks before the park’s construction. Sections of the original track remain among the foliage, such as on the Northern Spur Preserve, an off-the-trail area where tall grasses grow around the rails. While visitors are required to stay on the path for most of the High Line’s length, the 23rd Street Lawn provides an area for picnicking and people-watching. And there are plenty of people to watch—the High Line is one of New York City’s most popular parks, with up to 80,000 visitors passing through on an average summer weekend.
Even beyond the amazing architecture of the park itself, there’s quite a bit of art to be found on the High Line, so much that it even has a curator. The original piece was Spencer Finch’s The River that Flows Both Ways—700 panes of glass installed in the windows of an old loading dock, each tinted to match the color of the Hudson at a different time of day. It has since been joined by over a dozen sculptures and media pieces, from abstract cubism to Victorian shadow puppetry.
Nine stairways and four elevators along the High Line’s length make access easy, no matter where you are. There are benches throughout the park where you can cool your heels, as well as bathrooms near the midpoint of the trail. If you’re here during the warmer months, you can even grab a bite to eat in the park. At 15th Street there are a number of dining options to choose from. Terroir at The Porch is a popular open-air wine bar, and a great place to end a leisurely evening on the High Line. There’s plenty of options for daytime meals and snacks, as well—Blue Bottle Coffee, brisket sandwiches and pies at Delaney Barbecue’s Smokeline, L’Arte del Gelato, frozen treats at both La Newyorkina and People’s Pops, Melt Bakery‘s icecream sandwiches, and The Taco Truck.
The greenway can be found between Gansevoort and 30th Streets, mostly running along 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011.
1 Comment
[…] The fair is a somewhat recent phenomenon—it all started on a Saturday in 2010, when four friends reclaimed an empty lot to start an open-air market. The very first Hester Street Fair attracted 500 people in just the first half hour, and the crowds still gather every Saturday to purchase food, vintage clothing and crafts. Many of the same vendors come back week after week, and several small businesses that started at the fair (some from day one) now have brick-and-mortar locations—just look at the success stories of Macaron Parlour and Melt Bakery, the second of which also operates in the open air on the High Line. […]