This is a long overdue post of one of my favourite spot in New York City – the High Line Walk – a more than 2 km stretch of elevated walkway that crosses through several blocks in the city.

Formerly known as the West Side Elevated Line, this disused elevated rail track used to service the main manufacturing districts and warehouses in New Yok City including the meatpacking district, the west village and Chelsea.

In its heyday in the 1930s, the track was connected and ran directly through factories and warehouses to ease the movement and transport of supplies, and manufactured products including coal, dairy products and meat, while reducing the congestion and accidents in the street below. The 10th and 11th Avenue in Manhattan had earned the notorious title of ‘Death Avenue’ in the 1900s owing to the high number of injuries and fatalities incurred by traffic and pedestrians hit by the street level New York Central Railroads freight trains.

The train line was completed in 1933 and fully operational the year after. However, the use of this line declined from the 1960s onwards due to an increase in the use of trucks, and in .

The use of trains stopped completely in the 1980s, followed by calls to demolish the line.

Following this the The West Side Rail Line Development Foundation was formed to fight for the preservation of the structure. Despite this a section of the line from Bank to Gansevoort streets was demolished in 1991 when a warehouse was converted into an apartment building.

In 1999, the High Line owner CSX Transportation opened to proposals for the structure’s reuse. By then it had become an eyesore to some, but other saw potential in the space – especially the way a thriving garden of wild endemic plants had grown along the structure, inspiring the idea of maintaining it as a green space of solace and solitude within the bustling city.

The Friends of the High Line, a non-profit conservancy to advocate for its preservation and reuse as a public space was founded in 1999, and remains the sole group responsible for maintenance and operation of the High Line which is owned by the City of New York, and funded with donations from the public.

This park is today an exemplary community, urban renewal and adaptive reuse project that transformed a neglected urban spaces into a thriving green oasis. It has now progressed beyond a community space for relaxation and recreation to become a must-see for the millions of visitors to the city every year.

The park also hosts outdoor performances, community events and serves as a platform for various art installations – including sculptures, murals and interactive exhibits, cultural events, temporary and permanent art exhibitions, and educational programs – making it a vibrant hub for creativity and expression.

The you can start your walk along the highline either from Hudson Yards or across the road from ‘Little Island’ – a floating green space on the Hudson River and another favourite green spot with visitors to New York City. No need for tickets entry to both are free but you can donate to the community project via their website at highline.org