View from the Ground of High Line Park

The High Line is a public park located in an unusual place; atop an historic freight rail line high above the streets of Manhattan’s Lower West Side.

One hundred percent wheel chair accessible, the first section of the High Line opened in June, 2009, ten years after community residents founded the Friends of the High Line organization to preserve and develop the area into a useful public space.

The second section of the park opened in June, 2011; and there are plans to open a third, and last section of the park. All three sections are 30 feet above the streets of Manhattan, are accessible from nine points along its length, four with elevator service. The southernmost point of the High Line is located at Gansevoort and Washington Street, and the northernmost point is at West 30th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues.

Due to the havoc reeked on New York and New Jersey by Hurricane Sandy, combined with High Line’s location within location A, a mandatory evacuation area, High Line Park has been closed since October 28, and has not yet reopened as of this writing. As of November 1st it appears that the park has no electricity, and a minimal amount of damage appears to have been suffered by trees and other landscaping elements. A full assessment of the park’s condition will  not be available for at least a few more days.

When life in New York gets back to normal, definitely visit the High Line Park and get a new perspective on New York City.