The High Line
High Line
A 2.3 km elevated garden built on a disused freight railway, passing through the Chelsea gallery district and Hudson Yards. It is a world model of urban renewal.
The High Line was converted from the West Side elevated freight railway, which opened in 1934 and was abandoned in 1980. It opened in sections starting in 2009. The park runs 2.3 km north from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street at Hudson Yards, about 9 meters above the street. The designers kept the rails and planted more than 500 grasses and native species, creating a sense of a wild railway landscape. Along the way are wooden lounge chairs, the 'City Theater' glass windows overlooking traffic on Tenth Avenue, a lawn at 23rd Street, a section that passes right by the Standard Hotel and public art installations that change regularly. At the southern end, the Whitney Museum of American Art, designed by Renzo Piano, charges 30 dollars for admission, and its terrace overlooks the High Line. Nearby, Chelsea Market is a food hall known for lobster, tacos and doughnuts, and buying lunch there to eat on the High Line is a local tradition. In the middle section, more than a hundred free galleries line both sides between 20th and 27th Streets. At the northern end, in Hudson Yards, is the Vessel, a honeycomb-shaped structure that reopened in 2024 and requires a reservation, along with the Edge observation deck, a triangular cantilevered terrace that costs about 40 dollars. The park is free, and several entrances have elevators. Walking from south to north takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, and the walk is especially lovely at sunset over the Hudson River. Getting there: take the A, C, E or L subway to 14 St-8 Av and walk about 5 minutes to the southern entrance, or take the 7 train to 34 St-Hudson Yards for the northern entrance. The walkway is narrow and crowded on weekend afternoons. Cycling and dog walking are prohibited. In summer, free guided tours and evening stargazing events are offered.
Opening hours
07:00–22:00 (Apr–Nov), 07:00–19:00 (Dec–Mar)
Nearby sights
- Chelsea Market
- Hudson Yards: Edge & Vessel
- Little Island
- Flatiron Building
- Intrepid Museum
- Washington Square Park & Greenwich Village
- Union Square
- Empire State Building