She's so high, high above me

Up until the late 1800s, goods trains had transported meat, produce, and building materials to and from Manhattan via tracks along the west side of the island.  At the time, the tracks were at street level and traffic was so hazardous that 11^th Avenue was ominously known as “Death Avenue”.  

In 1931, construction began on The High Line, which elevated the tracks way above street level, and enabled trains to run directly through factories and warehouses to pick up and deliver goods.  

At first the neighbourhood served almost exclusively as a produce market, but as proper refrigeration became available, slaughterhouses and packing plants were subsidised by the city and they provided round-the-clock employment for new immigrants eager to make their mark.  New York’s Meatpacking District really flourished and without the High Line, the scale of operations wouldn’t have been possible.  

But in less than 20 years, with the advent of refrigerated trucks and interstate highways, New York ceased to be a manufacturing hub and the railways began to fall into disuse.  In 1980, the High Line’s final train made its way up the West Side, carrying frozen turkeys from the shuttering downtown warehouses to supermarkets across the country.  

These days, the High Line is a popular pedestrian park with multiple entry points along its 30+ block length, with new extensions being planned.  Entry is free and the elevated tracks provide joggers, families and visitors with a unique and safe way to appreciate the city streets and enjoy art installations and viewing platforms, pop-up food & drink options, and guided historical and cultural tours along the way.