The High Line

Part historic landmark, part park-in-the-sky, the High Line is a one-and-a-half-mile walkway that weaves through Chelsea. Snaking from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District more than 20 blocks up to 34th Street, this former commercial railroad track is now landscaped with lush greenery. Thanks to a local resident and railroad enthusiast who saved the tracks from demolition in the 1980s, the century-old structure has been refurbished into a green oasis and beloved Chelsea landmark, connecting prime destinations such as the Whitney Museum, Chelsea Market and Midtown Manhattan.

What to See on the High Line
For the full experience, ascend the south entrance from the open-air breezeway of the new Whitney Museum of American Art and stroll uptown. Stop at the 14th Street Passage and see High Line Channel 14, a broadcast installation that shows art videos, new productions and curated series.

Continue down to the 23nd Street Lawn to see picnickers, sunbathers, and summertime events. Specially landscaped spots like the Chelsea Thicket and Northern Spur Preserve are planted with trees and shrubs including crab apples, asters, bottlebrush buckeye, hollies and roses to evoke the wild feel of the tracks before they were manicured for pedestrians.

Meandering north, the High Line takes walkers past the new Hudson Yards, a futuristic development complex of parks, public areas, a shopping mall, and living and working spaces. In addition to conveniences like self-contained generators, the enclave is data-connected and will use state-of-the-art technology to influence daily events like pedestrian traffic. When completed in 2025, Hudson Yards will be the largest development in New York after Rockefeller Center. Until then, it’s one of the most fascinating places to see a megaproject rise from the ground.

For more information, visit the High Line’s website.