...
logo olympian water testing services

Olympian™
WATER TESTING

The High Line

bronx-little-italy

The High Line is a public park and promenade built on a historic, elevated railway line in New York City. The park stretches for 1.45 miles, from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street between 10th and 12th Avenues. The West Side Line formerly extended to the Spring Street railroad terminal, just slightly north of Canal Street, and to 35th Street, or Javits Center.

 

However, owing to the decline of rail traffic over the years, the High Line was abandoned in 1980, especially when building the Javits Center required that the city demolish the viaduct’s northern portion. However, the southern portion was demolished sometime during the late 20th century.

bronx-little-italy
bronx-3
bronx-2
bronx-1
bronx-4
bronx-5
bronx-6
bronx-7

History of the High Line

The first train on the High Line viaduct made its maiden voyage across the structure in 1933. In 1934, the elevated system was dedicated and became part of the West Side Improvement Project. Originally the High Line ran from 35th Street all the way up to St. John’s Freight Terminal. It went through the center of all the blocks instead of across the avenue. That’s why the construction of the viaduct required the demolition of a total of 640 buildings.

The High Line connected warehouses and factories across the city, allowing trains to quickly load and unload goods within the buildings. Items like meat, raw goods, milk, and other manufactured goods were transported and then unloaded without disrupting the traffic on the roads. Thus, this reduced the load on the then Bell Laboratories Building, which was later home to the West Artists Community in the 1970s.

In addition, the line also passed from under the Western Electric complex located on Washington Street. Interestingly this section continued to exist until May 2008 but isn’t connected to the park.

template-poza
bronx-little-italy

Repurposing The High Line

Friends of the High Line sponsored a design competition in 2003, attracting artists from over 38 countries. The proposals included everything from elongated swimming pools to the sculpture garden and a camping ground.

Robert Caro hosted the event at Grand Central Terminal, where submissions from the contest were exhibited. That same month, a group of officials petitioned the Surface Transportation Board to transfer the title of the Viaduct so that it could be used as a park. Later, then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans for Highland Park.

The Surface Transportation Board later issued a certificate of interim trial on June 13th, 2005, which allowed the city to remove most of the line from the system. Later, ownership was passed on to the city of New York.

Final Word

The High Line is now a popular destination for tourists and locals, with over 7 million visitors annually. The park features a variety of landscapes and design elements, including meadows, wetlands, and woodlands, as well as benches, swings, and overlooks. It also offers views of the Hudson River and the surrounding neighborhood, including the iconic Chelsea Market and the Standard Hotel.

In addition to its natural beauty, the High Line is also known for its public art installations, which are commissioned through a partnership between the Friends of the High Line and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

https://olympianwatertesting.com/water-testing-services-manhattan-ny/

Read More