The High Line:

CartLegger: 19th Jun 2007 - 01:29 GMT

Wow. That has got to be the longest post I have seen on CityNoise. But there is so much to capture. And you have my heartfelt jealousy that you got to walk on that soon to be transformed landscape. Pray tell how?

Peter: 19th Jun 2007 - 01:44 GMT

oh man, i am so gonna take you there. wear some tough boots and bring your cam... its very easy to get into if you know the right access point... i didnt even post the rest of the 200 or so pics i took... but yeah, i thought this was good enough fodder to merit a gargantuan post!

Peter: 19th Jun 2007 - 01:50 GMT

also: getting those last 5 aerial shots turned out to be harder than getting into the high line to begin with, hahaha...

Franny Wentzel: 19th Jun 2007 - 02:05 GMT

The last train to use that was back in 1981 when a load of Thanksgiving turkeys were delivered. Amazing to see how quickly Nature reclaims what man thought was his own.

hyperspacemonkeymind: 19th Jun 2007 - 04:00 GMT

This stuff should be archived someplace other than online. It's the sort of collection that urban historians will die for in thirty years or so...

CartLegger: 19th Jun 2007 - 10:30 GMT

Peter: Where are all these links coming to your post from? 600 in one night? Thats a whole new level of popular, no?

Aniline: 19th Jun 2007 - 13:29 GMT

The best part was when I saw the little tiny tree (I think it was that evergreen) and it was covered in a string of lights and had these two really nice cement benches off to either side. It was such an adorable little hiding spot. :)

Tony Coppoletta: 19th Jun 2007 - 16:29 GMT

Lovely. I'm looking forward to enjoying the green space once it's open--although it'll be in spurts since I don't live in New York... It's really exciting that this is happening, though, since it sets a good precedent for these sorts of urban projects.

This particular rails-to-trails project has inspired a similar endeavor, albeit grassroots, that has gotten a good amount of attention and city support, here in Chicago. The Bloomingdale Line is basically a largely-abandoned track spur that cuts straight across a swath of the city's West Side starting from northwest of downtown, and is also an elevated freight railway right-of-way.

It may not be right through the core of the city like the "High Line," but the views would be pretty incredible, and it'd be a great escape from the dense neighborhoods it cuts through.

Peter: 19th Jun 2007 - 19:37 GMT

this got picked up by curbed.com:
www.curbed.com/archives/2007/06/19/high_line_construction_chronicles_caledonia_looming.php

oompaloompa: 19th Jun 2007 - 19:41 GMT

Great historical piece. makes me remember that there are still parts of this city that can be explored and yet are hidden in plain sight just waiting for someone with the sense of adventure and willingness to brave that wilderness in a concrete jungle.

UPforit: 19th Jun 2007 - 19:55 GMT

I would love to join you on a surreptitious trip on the highline, these pics are great. As I live in Red Hook I totally appreciate the need to document at length the urban landscape before it becomes the spacescape. We can have an outlaw party up there (remember those, if you don't you really missed a great time in the city). How do we organize...

procyon: 19th Jun 2007 - 19:58 GMT

this made my morning!! what is that vaguely trapezoidal building in #1 and #5, among others? it reminds me of wilson hall at fermilab.
history.fnal.gov/highrise.html

balt: 19th Jun 2007 - 20:21 GMT

I believe that the building in #1 and #5 is the WNET/ Channel 13 building.

anon (c-68-35-227-32.hsd1.fl.comcast.net): 19th Jun 2007 - 20:45 GMT

Not even a day ago I was housesitting a fancy apartment that was but a few blocks from that station. It was my first time in NYC and when walking around I peered over the ledge on Tenth Ave to see the station and thought there's a lot of adventure to be had there. But damn, I had no idea. Great pictures. I'll be saving a few as a reminder.

rudy.sellsius: 19th Jun 2007 - 23:34 GMT

awesome pics!

i remember walking the highline many moons ago - looks pretty much the same. thanks for taking me back in time.

- rudy.sellsius°

http:blog.sellsiusrealestate.com

futurebird: 20th Jun 2007 - 01:42 GMT

http://www.curbed.com/archives/2007/06/19/high_line_construction_chronicles_caledonia_looming.php

It's soon to be the loaction of some fancy condos.

EvilGentleman: 22nd Jun 2007 - 23:30 GMT

I do believe you managed to out-comprehensive me. Nice job, Peter.

SCAM28: 23rd Jun 2007 - 13:03 GMT

Absolutely great!!
And don't know what it is with abandoned places like that...but i just love 'em!

groovehouse: 26th Jun 2007 - 18:55 GMT

Love this series of photos. I love NYC off the beaten path! I want to go back so bad. Actually I want to live there, but am afraid I never will. I'll settle for another visit. Anyone want to put me up for a week? =)

highwalker: 19th Jul 2007 - 01:30 GMT

been there a few times last year - 'twas fun while it lasted, the best part was slipping past the (now apparently dismantled) steel gates and fences, and getting into that huge building on the 14th (rooftop view is incredible, and so is the meaty stench on the underground level).
but just so that you know, we got busted eventually. some dunkin' donuts shop musta run out of goodies that night, 'cause on our way back we were greeted by a couple of NY's finest. they gave us the whole trespassing spiel, threatened us with arrest, but in the end just gave us tickets (which we successfully weaseled out of in the court, "with a little help from my friends").

be careful out there. ;)

highwalker: 19th Jul 2007 - 06:35 GMT

yeah, btw
http://flickr.com/photos/krace/sets/72057594116971410/

Peter: 20th Dec 2007 - 14:35 GMT

you better check it out quick... from what ive heard (and saw last time i was in the neighborhood), its quickly being renovated... this is good, for sure, but its more than 2/3 of the way finished (well, as in cleaned up and cleared out, as opposed to final renovation), so it will look very different... and be harder to access as well...

im going to try to go check it out again soon (id like to see it in the winter time, when all the overgrowth has died back), and will make an effort to snap some more updated pictures...

saiga: 9th Jan 2008 - 20:35 GMT

what is the best way to get up there now? definitely would like to check it out again before it's too late.

JKMI England: 4th Apr 2008 - 13:22 GMT

Great images. Unfortunately, looking at the final few shots (before the aerial views) I just can't help feeling an imminent sense of loss. A trip along the route of the High Line just won't be the same once the rusting rails have been replaced by a well manicured pathway and the industrial buildings, and the characters that work within them, have given way to endless blocks of over-priced condos, and their faceless occupants.

db: 11th Apr 2008 - 01:14 GMT

excellent pics...

I am looking forward to seeing how this space is transformed into an urban park.

Director 9209: 29th Jun 2008 - 03:18 GMT

Nice pics, but you should keep off the High Line (Notice that it's two words or FO will get you!) because it is a bonafide construction site complete with all the OSHA phobic hazards, and will only get worse over the next few months. The wearing surface has been stripped and the site preparation work is already underway. You may have noticed that steel is being blaster, primed and painted (Man, it took a while for the City to decide on that green-black!) Next is drain piping, pigeon deterrent and concrete topping. Phase 1 opens later this year. Enjoy the walsk, but please wait until it's done.

Rob: 2nd Jul 2008 - 22:00 GMT

When is Phase 1 opening? I'd love to see it sooner rather than later.

-R

mackie.p: 4th Jul 2008 - 17:18 GMT

I like this post.
You have captured a great area.
Joel Sternfeld produced a book "walking the high line" back in like the late 90's, great work!

Paul in Seattle: 29th Jul 2008 - 06:28 GMT

My 1st trip to NYC was in '85, I was there to see the girlfriend and a sister's wedding. While she was at work, I walked this entire line from BANK Street (that's right kids, it ended there back then) all the way North past the Cloisters and a very dilapidated twister span crossing the Harlem River.

Since then, a few things have changed, and I'm happy to say mostly for the better. You'll never get that high from sneaking unto a rusted/barbed stairwell cut eight-feet from the ground, some of the coolest graffiti most of NY has never seen, but it's still safe and saved. Moreover, much of the rail system North of 34th has been put back to work, something I never expected to see, even when I saw what they were doing around Javits way back then.

Recently cracked open parts of my storage unit and went looking for photos of the girlfriend (she has since passed away), and found an embarrassing number pictures from that time- quite a few, only in retrospect not enough. If anyone is interested, please let me know.

deckard@eskimo.com

מוטי ויסברוט: 8th Aug 2008 - 08:16 GMT

I like it , its a very good idea to post it . great work .

Samarth Das: 10th Aug 2008 - 08:07 GMT

Brilliant!! very nice wrk...the high line project is finally workin out ...hopefully i ll be able to see it the next time i visit !!!