The High Line was built by the New York Central Railroad between 1929 and 1934 to lift dangerous freight trains from Manhattan's streets. Originally extending down to the St. John's Park Terminal at Clarkson Street, it was part of the much larger West Side Improvement, which eliminated street-level train crossings from Spuyten Duyvil to Lower Manhattan. Its trains carried meat, produce and dairy products into warehouses and factories at the third-floor level, earning it the name "Life Line of New York." For many years it was a vital part of the industrial West Side's busy manufacturing landscape, but as trucking replaced rail as the primary means of moving freight in New York City, train traffic declined and the southernmost section was torn down. By 1980, the trains had stopped running. The remaining section, from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street, was slowly taken over by a self-sown landscape. In 1999, when demolition threatened the structure, neighborhood residents Joshua David and Robert Hammond formed Friends of the High Line to advocate for its preservation and reuse. In 2002, through the leadership of Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the New York City Council, the City of New York committed to transforming it into a one-of-a-kind park with an innovative design meant to create a public landscape as unusual and unexpected as the structure itself. Tens of thousands of people took part in its transformation, reflecting dedication to New York City and a desire to create something wonderful for future generations.
