Back in 1930 the city of New York began a massive project on the west side, near the meatpacking district. The project was to remove freight trains from street level where they posed a safety hazard. Elevating the railroad tracks cost a fortune, $2 billion in today's dollars. The tracks were used until 1980. In the late 1990's a plan to remove the elevated tracks was opposed by a neighborhood group which later became the Friends of the High Line. Today they provide 90% of the funding to maintain the park, although it is a city park owned by the city.
Portions opened in 2009 and 2011 and now it runs from West 34th Street to Gansevoort Street, roughly between 10th and 11th avenues. It is an extraordinary walk with many interesting twists.
Remember when looking at these photos, this is an elevated walkway. There are no street crossings. Access is via a series of steps and some elevators.
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