The High Line is a public park built on a disused elevated freight railway on Manhattan's west side. It runs for about a mile and a half from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District up to 34th Street near Hudson Yards, about two storeys above the street. Walking the High Line is free, and it gives you planted paths, public art and unusual views between the buildings of Chelsea, all without crossing a single road.
What the High Line is
The railway was built in the 1930s to lift freight trains off the streets, where they had caused many accidents, and it served the factories and warehouses of the west side. As trucking took over, the line fell out of use, and by the 1980s it was rusting and overgrown with wild plants. A local campaign saved it from demolition, and the first section opened as a park in 2009, with further sections following in the years after.
The planting design, led by Dutch designer Piet Oudolf, takes its cue from the self-seeded meadow that grew on the abandoned tracks. Grasses, perennials and small trees change through the seasons, and sections of old rail are left in place among the beds.
Getting to the High Line by subway
For the southern end, take the A, C or E to 14 St at Eighth Avenue, or the L to 8 Av. From there walk west to Washington Street and Gansevoort Street, about ten minutes, to the stairs at the very start of the park. There is also an access point at 14th Street itself.
For the northern end, the 7 line's 34 St-Hudson Yards station brings you out close to the High Line's top section and the Hudson Yards development.
Many people walk the full length in one direction and take the subway back. Starting at Gansevoort Street and walking north, you finish at Hudson Yards with the 7 train right there.
Entry, access and opening hours
There is no ticket and no charge. The park has stairways at many cross streets, and several access points have elevators. Opening hours vary by season, with later closing in summer, so check the official website, thehighline.org, before an evening visit. Bikes, scooters and dogs (other than service animals) are not allowed on the park.
Highlights along the High Line
Gansevoort Street and the Whitney
The southern end sits right beside the Whitney Museum of American Art, whose terraces look back over the start of the park.
The Chelsea Market passage
Around 15th and 16th Streets the park runs through a covered section in the old Nabisco factory buildings, directly above Chelsea Market. Stairs lead down if you want to stop for food.
The 10th Avenue Square
Near 17th Street, tiered seating steps down to a window cut into the structure, framing the traffic heading up Tenth Avenue below. It is a popular place to sit.
The Chelsea Grasslands and Thicket
North of here the path winds through denser planting, with views of new architecture, including buildings by well-known architects that have gone up beside the park.
The Spur and Hudson Yards
At the northern end, the Spur over 30th Street and Tenth Avenue hosts a rotating large public artwork on its plinth. Beyond it, the path curves around the Hudson Yards rail yards with views of the river.
Best time to walk the High Line
The park gets very crowded on sunny weekend afternoons, when the narrow sections slow to a shuffle. Weekday mornings are the most relaxed. Late spring and early autumn are lovely for the planting, and in summer an evening walk as the sun sets over the Hudson is hard to beat. In winter the grasses turn golden and there are far fewer people.
Walking the whole length at a relaxed pace takes about an hour, more with stops for art, food and photos.
Practical tips
- There is little shade in places, so bring water and sun protection in summer.
- Food and drink vendors operate on the park in warmer months.
- Look out for the art programme along the route; installations change through the year.
Nearby on the same subway stop
- Chelsea Market: the food hall in the old Nabisco factory, right under the park.
- Whitney Museum of American Art: at the southern entrance.
- Little Island: the park on stilts in the Hudson, off West 13th Street.
- The Meatpacking District: cobbled streets, shops and restaurants.
Find more around this station on the High Line on Around the Metro, or explore every stop on the New York subway map.