Look at any modern city, and you can spot the remains of the past. If it is ancient enough, then a historical monument marks the spot, and people will pay to visit. But what happens to the detritus of the recent past? The buildings and sites that perhaps were once on the cutting edge of an era but now have been overtaken by time and progress? Some are destroyed, others just sit there, gradually falling victim to the vagaries of time and weather. Only in a few rare cases are the remains preserved, repackaged and turned into an enduring legacy. Usually, this is the result of work done by one or two individuals who want to make a difference. Such is the case with the High Line in New York.

Back in the 1800s, massive freight trains rumbled down along Tenth Avenue on their way to deliver goods to the factories and meatpacking warehouses along Manhattan’s West Side. The proximity of the tracks to pedestrians was so perilous that the railroad hired men on horseback to precede the train, waving a red flag to warn pedestrians of the dangers — the so-called West Side Cowboys.  Eventually, to further reduce the dangers of the trains, in the 1930s elevated tracks were built, running parallel to and 30 feet above 10th Avenue. Until 1980 thirteen miles of elevated tracks carried carcasses and other products to and from the meatpacking warehouses that gave the neighborhood its name. In some spots, the tracks were designed so that the trains could drive straight into the warehouse to unload.

When the trains stopped running (having been replaced by trucking), the tracks were abandoned. Over the course of the next 30 years, the great iron struts and art deco cast iron bridges began to rust. Left to its own devices, nature took over — indigenous trees, grasses, and wildflowers took over the space, the seeds carried on the wind or dropped by some passing bird. It looked like a jungle up there!

With pressure from developers, the derelict line was scheduled to be demolished until two concerned citizens, David Hammond and Joshua David, started an organization (Friends of the High Line) to save the elevated tracks and turn them into a park for the citizens of New York. Today the High Line is one of New York’s most popular destinations and is an example of urban renewal at its best. Over 300 species of trees, grasses, flowers, and bushes grow in the sky above the traffic among the remaining ties, sleepers and trestles. Works of art are nestled here and there. Huge murals cover the walls of buildings overlooking the park.

If you want peaceful contemplation, find one of the wooden lounge chairs that line portions on the walk, allowing you to sit and bask in the sun as you watch ships and ferries plying the waters of the Hudson River to your west. For something more exciting, work your way to the Tenth Avenue Square at about 20th Street. Here a multi-layered amphitheater faces the stage of the street below, showcased in massive windows where trucks, yellow taxis, and buses steam up the avenue.

All around you the icons of the New York City skyline — the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and more — are visible from an entirely different perspective, above the rooftops. it almost feels as if you are part of the sky and yet not…At the same time!

If you are hungry stop for a snack from one of the food vendors near West 15th Street. Or in the warmer months, get one of our favorites — an ice cream sandwich from the Melt Bakery cart on West 12th Street. The Red Velvet cookies cradling cream cheese ice cream are particularly good.

The Cinderella-like transformation of the derelict railway line into a green oasis is a testament to the imagination of the creators as well as a clear demonstration of how one or two individuals can make a difference.

IF YOU GO
The High Line on Manhattan’s West Side is accessed from Tenth Avenue and Gansevoort Street, 14th, 16th, 18th and 20th Streets. The Park (which is free) is open daily from 0700 to 2300 in summer, 2000 the remainder of the year. Check the website (www.thehighline.org; tel 212-500-6035) for a calendar of events that take place throughout the week.

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