The High Line Then And Now

***desertpunk*** · May 6th, 2011, 02:46 AM

The High Line then and now

What today is one of New York's more interesting parks and public spaces was once a lowly elevated freight rail line bringing goods into and out of Manhattan from the tunnels and wharves along the Hudson River. Later, as factories and warehouses slowly vacated the area in Chelsea, the High Line fell to disuse and abandonment. Or did it? Beside the graffiti artists and bums drawn to the fresh palette of an entire rusting infrastructure, there were intrepid and curious explorers who climbed the elevated to enjoy views and spaces unseen or cared about by most New Yorkers. So many in fact that the High Line has been resurrected as a major new urban park and experience. New lofts, condos and hotels have replaced the vacated commercial buildings and the High Line is now chic. This thread celebrates the story of the High Line.

image hosted on flickr

Locomotive on the High Line by syscosteve, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

High Line Views, New York City - 06 by Vivienne Gucwa, on Flickr

***desertpunk*** · May 6th, 2011, 02:49 AM

"Death Avenue"

http://theboweryboys.blogspot.com/20...1_archive.html

image hosted on flickr

Death Avenue by syscosteve, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

West Side Cowboy by syscosteve, on Flickr

During the 1840s, the city of New York mistakenly allowed the building of train tracks along Manhattan's West Side. Soon after, trains and street-level vehicles collided in frequent accidents, leading the Eleventh Avenue freight line to be nicknamed "Death Avenue." To provide more safety, the West Side Cowboys were formed, a contingent of several men on horseback who rode ahead of the trains to signal their arrival. In the 1930s a large project to reconfigure the West Side included the relocation of the dangerous tracks to an elevated High Line. Furthermore, the trains could move through factories and warehouses, delivering and picking up supplies. The trains hummed along until they faced competition with interstate trucks, and the southernmost section was torn up in the 1960s. The last train moved through in 1980. (syscosteve)

***desertpunk*** · May 6th, 2011, 02:53 AM

Building the High Line 1932

The High Line was built between the years of 1929 and 1934, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. (Friends of the High Line)

image hosted on flickr

Building the High Line by syscosteve, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Building the Hiline ca 1932 by syscosteve, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Building the High Line by syscosteve, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Building the High Line 8 by syscosteve, on Flickr

***desertpunk*** · May 6th, 2011, 02:58 AM

The High Line opens

The ceremonial first electric locomotive pulls into St. John's Terminal 1934

image hosted on flickr

West Side Rail Yards by syscosteve, on Flickr

The West Side Railyards

image hosted on flickr

High Line at 14th Street2 by syscosteve, on Flickr

The High Line at 14th St.

image hosted on flickr

Gansevoort Street by syscosteve, on Flickr

Gansevoort St.

image hosted on flickr

Hi-line National Biscuit Company by syscosteve, on Flickr

Nabisco at the High Line

image hosted on flickr

Merchants Refrigerating Company Warehouse by syscosteve, on Flickr

Merchants refrigerating Warehouse

image hosted on flickr

Bell Telephone Laboratoriesb by syscosteve, on Flickr

Bell Telephone Laboratories

image hosted on flickr

St. John's Park Terminal ca @1937 by syscosteve, on Flickr

St. John's Park Terminal

The High Line's original terminus was St. John's Park Terminal on Clarkson Street. The southernmost portion, from Clarkson to Gansevoort Streets, was demolished by the City in portions in the 1960s, and 1990s.
(Friends of the High Line)

More terrific photos can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsofthehighline/

***desertpunk*** · May 6th, 2011, 06:09 AM

Working life: 1940s-60s

image hosted on flickr

525h-NYC-Fantrip-554--07.30.1950 by e1234doyle, on Flickr

http://theboweryboys.blogspot.com/20...o-walking.html

image hosted on flickr

525d-NYC-Fantrip-554-@StJohnsPk-07.30.1950 by e1234doyle, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

525g-NYC-Fantrip-07.30.1950 by e1234doyle, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

525e-NYC-Fantrip-554-@StJohnsPk-07.30.1950 by e1234doyle, on Flickr

primus20 · May 7th, 2011, 12:39 AM

great treat! is the second part now open?

***desertpunk*** · May 8th, 2011, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by primus20

great treat! is the second part now open?

Getting closer to the opening!

***desertpunk*** · May 8th, 2011, 02:26 AM

The Starrett-Lehigh Building, a massive industrial and commercial structure built in 1934 by the Lehigh Valley Railroad to accomodate users of the High Line.

Construction of the Starrett-Lehigh Building

Thw West Side Railyards with the Starrett-Lehigh Building in the backdrop

primus20 · May 8th, 2011, 06:19 PM

excelent this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o_5cbPDQoY

primus20 · May 8th, 2011, 06:28 PM

My pictures from the High Line:

***desertpunk*** · May 8th, 2011, 10:52 PM

Terrific!!

primus20 · May 9th, 2011, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertpunk

Terrific!!

Thank you

primus20 · May 9th, 2011, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertpunk

Terrific!!

Thank you

your photos too

andreseloy200 · May 9th, 2011, 05:05 PM

Great thread, I enjoyed it, anyone know about the extension of
park to the 34st?

My contribution. It's a map of the park attached to a support structure of the line

image hosted on flickr

High Line Park NYC por andres.z, en Flickr

***desertpunk*** · May 9th, 2011, 11:08 PM

image hosted on flickr

airael view north of 17th st by syscosteve, on Flickr

The High Line hummed with freight commerce for the first 20 years after it opened in 1934, doing the job of moving goods from the wharves to factories, warehouses and meat purveyors on the west side of Manhattan. But as the harbor saw traffic decline after World War 2, the line began to decline with it. Piers closed, traffic dropped and factories began to disappear. Bell Labs moved to Northen New Jersey and others followed them out to areas west of the Hudson with better rail and port access to the rest of the US. In their wake, the High Line became disused and partial demolition of the elevated structured began in the 1960s. With recession and New York's poor finances in the 1970s, maintenance and upkeep of the structure vanished and it's last user held out until 1980 before the entire line was basically abandoned. The last train on the High Line carried a load of frozen turkeys.

The line sank into a long period of decay and was largely forgotten.

***desertpunk*** · May 17th, 2011, 01:23 PM

In 1990’s, residents of the area, city planners and architects started discussing about what should be done with the remnants of the railroad and in 1999, with the aim of turning area in to a park for the people of the city “Friends of the High Line” was established as a civil movement.

http://www.architectureoflife.net/?p=1918

image hosted on flickr

The High Line, New YorkThe High Line, New York by Architecture of Life, on Flickr

***desertpunk*** · June 1st, 2011, 01:14 AM

image hosted on flickr

High Line by bitpuddle, on Flickr

Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line works in partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park.

The project gained the City's support in 2002. The High Line south of 30th Street was donated to the City by CSX Transportation Inc. in 2005. The design team of landscape architects James Corner Field Operations, with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, created the High Line's public landscape with guidance from a diverse community of High Line supporters. Construction on the park began in 2006. The first section, from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street, opened in June 2009.

Some shots of the High Line first phase construction from 2006-2009

image hosted on flickr

High Line Construction 3/10/2006 Picture 2 by msid1967, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Tour of the High Line by NYCviaRachel, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

feb-construction-1.jpg by curbed, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Sky high line by TrespassersWill, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

On the High Line by Jordan Perr, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Construction Maze by Jordan Perr, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

09 May _ High Line Construction Tour by Q's wandering..., on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

High Line Park, Under construction by Ed Gaillard, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

NYC - The High Line: Attention, Water Feature Under Construction by christiNYCa, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

The High Line Building under construction by Andrew St. Clair, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Rails in High Line Park by Andrew St. Clair, on Flickr

***desertpunk*** · June 1st, 2011, 01:15 AM

Curbed

Quote:

Phase II of the High Line Will Open Next Wednesday
Tuesday, May 31, 2011, by Sara Polsky

Without further ado: the long-awaited Section 2 of the High Line has an official opening date, and that date, according to the latest Friends of the High Line e-mail blast, is Wednesday, June 8. For those without a calendar in reach, that's a week from tomorrow! Excuse us while we go press the exclamation mark key a few more times. We've already gotten sneak peeks at a few of the new phase's features, including the 30th Street Cut-Out, the seating steps, and the Lawn at 23rd Street. Then there are the old renderings of the rest, which we suppose can tide us over a few more days.

600West218 · June 1st, 2011, 08:28 PM

Awesome news. Looking forward to it. How much further will it go?

***desertpunk*** · June 1st, 2011, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 600West218

Awesome news. Looking forward to it. How much further will it go?

It'll go all the way to Hudson Yards and Phase III will happen in conjunction with the Hudson Yards development.

May 6th, 2011, 02:46 AM	#1
*desertpunk* Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: ELP ~ ABQ Posts: 29,645 Likes (Received): 1372	The High Line Then And Now The High Line then and now What today is one of New York's more interesting parks and public spaces was once a lowly elevated freight rail line bringing goods into and out of Manhattan from the tunnels and wharves along the Hudson River. Later, as factories and warehouses slowly vacated the area in Chelsea, the High Line fell to disuse and abandonment. Or did it? Beside the graffiti artists and bums drawn to the fresh palette of an entire rusting infrastructure, there were intrepid and curious explorers who climbed the elevated to enjoy views and spaces unseen or cared about by most New Yorkers. So many in fact that the High Line has been resurrected as a major new urban park and experience. New lofts, condos and hotels have replaced the vacated commercial buildings and the High Line is now chic. This thread celebrates the story of the High Line. image hosted on flickr Locomotive on the High Line by syscosteve, on Flickr image hosted on flickr High Line Views, New York City - 06 by Vivienne Gucwa, on Flickr __________________ We are floating in space... Last edited by desertpunk; May 6th, 2011 at 03:03 AM.

May 6th, 2011, 02:49 AM	#2
*desertpunk* Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: ELP ~ ABQ Posts: 29,645 Likes (Received): 1372	"Death Avenue" http://theboweryboys.blogspot.com/20...1_archive.html image hosted on flickr Death Avenue by syscosteve, on Flickr image hosted on flickr West Side Cowboy by syscosteve, on Flickr During the 1840s, the city of New York mistakenly allowed the building of train tracks along Manhattan's West Side. Soon after, trains and street-level vehicles collided in frequent accidents, leading the Eleventh Avenue freight line to be nicknamed "Death Avenue." To provide more safety, the West Side Cowboys were formed, a contingent of several men on horseback who rode ahead of the trains to signal their arrival. In the 1930s a large project to reconfigure the West Side included the relocation of the dangerous tracks to an elevated High Line. Furthermore, the trains could move through factories and warehouses, delivering and picking up supplies. The trains hummed along until they faced competition with interstate trucks, and the southernmost section was torn up in the 1960s. The last train moved through in 1980. (syscosteve) __________________ We are floating in space... Last edited by desertpunk; March 13th, 2012 at 05:02 AM.

May 6th, 2011, 02:53 AM	#3
*desertpunk* Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: ELP ~ ABQ Posts: 29,645 Likes (Received): 1372	Building the High Line 1932 The High Line was built between the years of 1929 and 1934, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. (Friends of the High Line) image hosted on flickr Building the High Line by syscosteve, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Building the High Line by syscosteve, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Building the High Line by syscosteve, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Building the Hiline ca 1932 by syscosteve, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Building the High Line by syscosteve, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Building the High Line 8 by syscosteve, on Flickr __________________ We are floating in space... Last edited by desertpunk; May 8th, 2011 at 02:20 AM.

May 6th, 2011, 02:58 AM	#4
*desertpunk* Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: ELP ~ ABQ Posts: 29,645 Likes (Received): 1372	The High Line opens The ceremonial first electric locomotive pulls into St. John's Terminal 1934 image hosted on flickr West Side Rail Yards by syscosteve, on Flickr The West Side Railyards image hosted on flickr High Line at 14th Street2 by syscosteve, on Flickr The High Line at 14th St. image hosted on flickr Gansevoort Street by syscosteve, on Flickr Gansevoort St. image hosted on flickr Hi-line National Biscuit Company by syscosteve, on Flickr Nabisco at the High Line image hosted on flickr Merchants Refrigerating Company Warehouse by syscosteve, on Flickr Merchants refrigerating Warehouse image hosted on flickr Bell Telephone Laboratoriesb by syscosteve, on Flickr Bell Telephone Laboratories image hosted on flickr St. John's Park Terminal ca @1937 by syscosteve, on Flickr St. John's Park Terminal The High Line's original terminus was St. John's Park Terminal on Clarkson Street. The southernmost portion, from Clarkson to Gansevoort Streets, was demolished by the City in portions in the 1960s, and 1990s. (Friends of the High Line) More terrific photos can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/friendsofthehighline/ __________________ We are floating in space... Last edited by desertpunk; May 8th, 2011 at 02:17 AM.

May 6th, 2011, 06:09 AM	#5
*desertpunk* Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: ELP ~ ABQ Posts: 29,645 Likes (Received): 1372	Working life: 1940s-60s image hosted on flickr 525h-NYC-Fantrip-554--07.30.1950 by e1234doyle, on Flickr http://theboweryboys.blogspot.com/20...o-walking.html image hosted on flickr 525d-NYC-Fantrip-554-@StJohnsPk-07.30.1950 by e1234doyle, on Flickr image hosted on flickr 525g-NYC-Fantrip-07.30.1950 by e1234doyle, on Flickr image hosted on flickr 525e-NYC-Fantrip-554-@StJohnsPk-07.30.1950 by e1234doyle, on Flickr __________________ We are floating in space... Last edited by desertpunk; March 25th, 2012 at 09:34 PM.

May 7th, 2011, 12:39 AM	#6
primus20 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Sin City Posts: 543 Likes (Received): 0	great treat! is the second part now open? __________________ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I ♥ NY

May 8th, 2011, 02:26 AM	#8
*desertpunk* Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: ELP ~ ABQ Posts: 29,645 Likes (Received): 1372	The Starrett-Lehigh Building, a massive industrial and commercial structure built in 1934 by the Lehigh Valley Railroad to accomodate users of the High Line. Construction of the Starrett-Lehigh Building Thw West Side Railyards with the Starrett-Lehigh Building in the backdrop __________________ We are floating in space... Last edited by desertpunk; May 8th, 2011 at 02:35 AM.

May 8th, 2011, 06:19 PM	#9
primus20 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Sin City Posts: 543 Likes (Received): 0	excelent this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o_5cbPDQoY __________________ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I ♥ NY

May 8th, 2011, 06:28 PM	#10
primus20 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Sin City Posts: 543 Likes (Received): 0	My pictures from the High Line: __________________ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I ♥ NY Last edited by primus20; May 8th, 2011 at 07:44 PM.

May 8th, 2011, 10:52 PM	#11
*desertpunk* Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: ELP ~ ABQ Posts: 29,645 Likes (Received): 1372	Terrific!! __________________ We are floating in space...

May 9th, 2011, 05:05 PM	#14
andreseloy200 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Maracaibo Posts: 885 Likes (Received): 39	Great thread, I enjoyed it, anyone know about the extension of park to the 34st? My contribution. It's a map of the park attached to a support structure of the line image hosted on flickr High Line Park NYC por andres.z, en Flickr __________________ AndrésEloy200, desde Maracaibo, Venezuela

May 9th, 2011, 11:08 PM	#15
*desertpunk* Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: ELP ~ ABQ Posts: 29,645 Likes (Received): 1372	image hosted on flickr airael view north of 17th st by syscosteve, on Flickr The High Line hummed with freight commerce for the first 20 years after it opened in 1934, doing the job of moving goods from the wharves to factories, warehouses and meat purveyors on the west side of Manhattan. But as the harbor saw traffic decline after World War 2, the line began to decline with it. Piers closed, traffic dropped and factories began to disappear. Bell Labs moved to Northen New Jersey and others followed them out to areas west of the Hudson with better rail and port access to the rest of the US. In their wake, the High Line became disused and partial demolition of the elevated structured began in the 1960s. With recession and New York's poor finances in the 1970s, maintenance and upkeep of the structure vanished and it's last user held out until 1980 before the entire line was basically abandoned. The last train on the High Line carried a load of frozen turkeys. The line sank into a long period of decay and was largely forgotten. __________________ We are floating in space... Last edited by desertpunk; May 9th, 2011 at 11:40 PM.

May 17th, 2011, 01:23 PM	#16
*desertpunk* Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: ELP ~ ABQ Posts: 29,645 Likes (Received): 1372	In 1990’s, residents of the area, city planners and architects started discussing about what should be done with the remnants of the railroad and in 1999, with the aim of turning area in to a park for the people of the city “Friends of the High Line” was established as a civil movement. http://www.architectureoflife.net/?p=1918 image hosted on flickr <!--:en-->The High Line, New York<!--:--><!--:TR-->The High Line, New York<!--:--> by Architecture of Life, on Flickr __________________ We are floating in space...

June 1st, 2011, 01:14 AM	#17
*desertpunk* Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: ELP ~ ABQ Posts: 29,645 Likes (Received): 1372	image hosted on flickr High Line by bitpuddle, on Flickr Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line works in partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park. The project gained the City's support in 2002. The High Line south of 30th Street was donated to the City by CSX Transportation Inc. in 2005. The design team of landscape architects James Corner Field Operations, with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, created the High Line's public landscape with guidance from a diverse community of High Line supporters. Construction on the park began in 2006. The first section, from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street, opened in June 2009. Some shots of the High Line first phase construction from 2006-2009 image hosted on flickr High Line Construction 3/10/2006 Picture 2 by msid1967, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Tour of the High Line by NYCviaRachel, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Tour of the High Line by NYCviaRachel, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Tour of the High Line by NYCviaRachel, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Tour of the High Line by NYCviaRachel, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Tour of the High Line by NYCviaRachel, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Tour of the High Line by NYCviaRachel, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Tour of the High Line by NYCviaRachel, on Flickr image hosted on flickr feb-construction-1.jpg by curbed, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Sky high line by TrespassersWill, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Sky high line by TrespassersWill, on Flickr image hosted on flickr On the High Line by Jordan Perr, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Construction Maze by Jordan Perr, on Flickr image hosted on flickr 09 May _ High Line Construction Tour by Q's wandering..., on Flickr image hosted on flickr 09 May _ High Line Construction Tour by Q's wandering..., on Flickr image hosted on flickr 09 May _ High Line Construction Tour by Q's wandering..., on Flickr image hosted on flickr 09 May _ High Line Construction Tour by Q's wandering..., on Flickr image hosted on flickr 09 May _ High Line Construction Tour by Q's wandering..., on Flickr image hosted on flickr High Line Park, Under construction by Ed Gaillard, on Flickr image hosted on flickr NYC - The High Line: Attention, Water Feature Under Construction by christiNYCa, on Flickr image hosted on flickr The High Line Building under construction by Andrew St. Clair, on Flickr image hosted on flickr Rails in High Line Park by Andrew St. Clair, on Flickr __________________ We are floating in space... Last edited by desertpunk; June 5th, 2011 at 10:24 PM.

June 1st, 2011, 08:28 PM	#19
600West218 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,299 Likes (Received): 204	Awesome news. Looking forward to it. How much further will it go?

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