MEMORY

A Historical Look at the High Line (PHOTOS)

Tourists swarm New York City's now-iconic 21st-century urban park, but it's well worth remembering its transition.

Courtesy Diane Cook and Len Jenshel/National Geographic Creative

By William BootPublished Jan 04, 2016 12:01AM EST

galleries/2016/01/04/a-historical-look-at-the-high-line-photos/151215-high-line-04_dvxxtz — In the 1930s, as part of the West Side Improvement Project, the High Line opened to trains in Manhattan. Running from 35th Sreet to Spring Street, the High Line was initially designed to carry supplies through then-industrial neighborhoods of Chelesea, Meat Packing, Hells Kitchen, & the West Village. In the 1980s, with the boom in the trucking industry, trains on the High Line came to a halt. In June 2009, the High Line was reopened as a beautiful public park—offering a walkway along the tracks lined with gardens. The High Line, a new book available through Phaidon Press, chronicles the creative development of the High Line from abandoned tracks to beloved New York City park.

This image is of the southern end of the High Line which starts at Gansevoort Street. Full disclosure, the chairman of The Daily Beast’s parent company IAC, Barry Diller, was involved in the High Line restoration.

Courtesy Diane Cook and Len Jenshel/National Geographic Creative

galleries/2016/01/04/a-historical-look-at-the-high-line-photos/151215-high-line-03_rwf4wj — The High Line under construction.
Timothy Schenck

galleries/2016/01/04/a-historical-look-at-the-high-line-photos/151215-high-line-01_atpjce — Here, The High Line Core Design Team (l-r): Elizabeth Diller, Matthew Johnson [both of Diller Scofidio + Renfro], James Corner [James Corner Field Operations], Ricardo Scofidio [Diller Scofidio + Renfro], Lisa Switkin [James Corner Field Operations].
Courtesy Matthew Monteith

galleries/2016/01/04/a-historical-look-at-the-high-line-photos/151215-high-line-02_bfszqf — The High Line under construction.
Courtesy Timothy Schenck

galleries/2016/01/04/a-historical-look-at-the-high-line-photos/151215-high-line-06_mcceqd — The High Line.
Courtesy Iwan Baan

galleries/2016/01/04/a-historical-look-at-the-high-line-photos/151215-high-line-07_gl1uvj — The High Line.
Courtesy Ari Klickstein

galleries/2016/01/04/a-historical-look-at-the-high-line-photos/151215-high-line-08_kdlezz — The High Line
Courtesy Iwan Baan

galleries/2016/01/04/a-historical-look-at-the-high-line-photos/151215-high-line-09_y9ycs8 — The High Line, by James Corner Field Operations & Diller Scofidio & Renfro, is available now through Phaidon Press.

TRENDING NOW