The High Line preserves an elevated freight railway as a linear public park above Manhattan’s West Side. Original steel, rail tracks, and planted paths let visitors experience an industrial route that once carried food directly into city buildings.
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The rails beneath the planting beds give away the park’s former job. Built as part of the West Side Improvement, the High Line began carrying freight trains in 1934, moving meat, dairy, and produce through Manhattan’s industrial district. At points, tracks entered buildings directly so goods could be unloaded without street-level traffic.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The High Line opened to freight trains in 1934.
- Freight service ended in 1980.
- The first section of the public park opened in 2009.
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