Overview & visitor information
The High Line runs 1.45 miles above Manhattan's West Side from Gansevoort Street to West 34th Street. The steel structure opened for freight trains in 1934 as part of the West Side Improvement, carrying goods directly into industrial buildings before rail traffic ended in 1980.
James Corner Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro and planting designer Piet Oudolf transformed the abandoned line into a public park opening in phases from 2009. Concrete planks peel into benches and planting beds, while retained rails emerge among grasses, perennials, shrubs and trees inspired by spontaneous growth on the disused track.
The route alternates narrow passages, street overlooks, gathering spaces and views of the Hudson, moving through Chelsea, the Meatpacking District and Hudson Yards. Adjacent architecture has changed dramatically around it, making the park both a preserved industrial artifact and a catalyst whose popularity reshaped the land visible from its elevated path.
