The final stretch of New York’s High Line opened on Saturday, completing a 15-year project that has transformed the once derelict overhead railway into an urban park.
Starting at Gansevoort Street, in the Meatpacking District, the High Line now runs as far north as 34th street, finishing where the line once terminated at Hudson Yards.
The project began in 1999 when the Friends of the High Line – founded by local residents Joshua David and Robert Hammond – fought to protect the line from demolition.
Now, each year close to five million people visit the walkway, which is lined with trees, grasses and shrubs and has become a site for artistic commissions, events and activities ranging from concerts to meditation.
Since the first sections opened, the project has been heralded as a model example of urban redevelopment and the line has contributed to the gentrification of Manhattan’s Lower West Side. It has also inspired similar projects around the world, such as the Petite Ceinture in Paris and the Chapultepec Project in Mexico City.
Among the features of the final stretch of the High Line – known as the Rail Yards section – is the 11th Avenue Bridge, an elevated ‘catwalk’ from which visitors can view the park, the cityscape and the Hudson River and the Pershing Square Beams; and a children’s play area constructed from the original line’s framework of steel beams and girders.
Speaking ahead of the opening ceremony, Mayor de Blasio said: “What was once a dilapidated train track has been transformed into a world-renowned park, thanks to the dedicated efforts of two neighbourhood residents and a strong public-private partnership. The idea – and later the reality – of the High Line filled a void in the community by providing free open space for all of its residents to enjoy.”
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