Everything You Need to Know About NYC's High Line

Get acquainted with the wildly popular park.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

You may be loosely acquainted with what is arguably the city's sleekest park, but architect Babak Bryan is here to help you get on a first-name basis. Look up, and get familiarized with the High Line.

THE VITALS:

What: The High Line
Where: Far west side of Manhattan, from Gansevoort St. to 34th St., mostly west of 10th Ave.
Neighborhoods spanned: Meatpacking District, West Chelsea, and Hell's Kitchen
Year built: 1934
Converted to a park in: 2009 (Phase 1: 2009; Phase 2: 2011; Phase 3: ongoing)
Hours:  7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Park architects: Diller Scofidio + Renfro (past projects include Lincoln Center redevelopment, Brasserie Restaurant, and ICA Boston)
Park's landscape architect: James Corner (past projects include Fresh Kills Park)
# of species of plants found: 210, 161 native to New York (a better ratio than the city’s residents)
Total length of original track laid: 5.7 miles
Current length of park: 1.45 miles (or 91,872 inches)
In operation as at freight line: 1934-1980
Last freight shipment: 3 carloads of frozen turkeys

10. Those awesome lounge chairs on the sundeck? They don't move, so stop trying.

Not Available Interstitial

9. The park's best feature hasn't even been built yet.

Not Available Interstitial

8. There are hidden works of art strewn throughout the park.

Not Available Interstitial

7. Ray Bradbury loosely inspired the "Woodland Flyover" section of the park.

Not Available Interstitial

6. There's a "wild" area of the park called the Northern Spur.

Not Available Interstitial

5. The park has a "theater" (but not really).

Not Available Interstitial

4. The High Line passes over what was once the Nabisco Factory (and is currently the Chelsea Market).

Not Available Interstitial

3. The second phase of the park will mean more roaming, and less "keep off" signs.

Not Available Interstitial

2. The best views? They might just be found at the Standard Hotel.

Not Available Interstitial

1. As with life, the park comes to an abrupt end.

Not Available Interstitial

Latest in Pop Culture