Transportation

37. The High Line

37a. The High Line (at West 14th Street).

37b. The High Line (aerial view).

The High Line is a thirteen-mile long elevated railway extending from 35th Street all the way to St. John’s Park Terminal on Manhattan’s West Side. The High Line was built in 1934 in response to a long and serious history of accidents and deaths associated with cargo trains running at street level. Its function was to transport goods and materials (including lumber, bricks, fruit and coal) on a short, one-track route between the Hudson River piers and the markets and warehouses of Chelsea and Greenwich Village. The High Line is significant because it represents a technological innovation that had a short-lived usefulness within the history of New York City’s transportation infrastructure, and because it was a vital part and distinguishing feature of the wholesale market economy of the Chelsea/Greenwich Village neighborhood. The High Line is eligible for the National Register and is considered a primary resource as it contributes to the character of our study area. However, because the majority of it is outside of our study area boundaries, we are not recommending it for designation in this plan.