New York City, United States1 hoursLate afternoon
High Line
Ideal: Ideal for walking, modern urban design, photography, and a calm but distinctive New York experience.
The line was built in 1934 to lift freight trains off the street after so many deaths that the avenue earned the nickname Death Avenue. The last train ran in 1980 carrying frozen turkeys; the track was abandoned and slated for demolition. A neighborhood group founded in 1999 stopped the teardown, and the 2.3-kilometer route has been turned into a park in stages since 2009. Even today's planting was deliberate: it draws on the wild growth that took over the abandoned rails.
Quick facts
- Built
- 2009
- Length
- 2.3 km
- Annual visitors
- 5 million
Facts from Wikidata, photos from Wikimedia Commons.
Why go?
- For a walk unlike New York's classic parks
- To explore Chelsea, the Meatpacking District, and Hudson Yards
- To see modern urban renewal and open-air design
Travel tip
Pair the High Line walk with Chelsea Market or Hudson Yards for a fuller route.
