Three weeks ago, Carrie, my brother (Steven), and I headed to Manhattan’s west side to climb the High Line, an elevated rail line above 10th Avenue (mostly). The current High Line is a remnant of a much larger elevated freight rail system, and it has been out of use since 1980. The trackbed provides a glimpse of what New York would look like if it were abandoned and turned over to nature.
The High Line starts at 33d Street and 12th Avenue near the MTA’s Hudson Yards and runs to Gansevoort Street and Washington Avenue in the Meatpacking District. I have wanted to walk the line for years and it was exactly as much fun as I thought it would be.
You can read the full article here, but the real gems are in the captions to their photo gallery. There are tips on entry and safety, and the photos are fantastic: see especially the Cost & Revs roller, the sculpture garden, and the spider.
The highline is being turned into a trail/park. It was recently approved by the Surface Transportation Board after like 10 or 15 years. So it will be all gussied up over the next few years, probably the graffiti all taken down to, I’m betting. So get up there and go for a walk while it’s still wild.
Also, MoMA has an exhibit of photographs of the Highline going right now, ending at the end of October. MoMA usually costs a lot to get into but is free Fridays from 4-8pm. Get there early, cuz there’s always a line.