Friends of the High Line Are the Advocates of the High Line

In 1999, Robert Hammond and Joshua David established Friends of the High Line as a non-profit organization. Together, they advocated for the preservation of the abandoned West Side Line spur, which formed part of the New York Central Railroad, into a linear park in Manhattan. The High Line, as it was also called, was reused as a public open space characterized by an elevated greenway.

The path toward the creation of the High Line Park was marked by passionate support from several influential companies and people. The owner of the High Line, CSX Transportation, gave Joel Sternfeld permission to take photographs of the area for a year; the photos were then used as evidence of the need for perseveration at public meetings. Diane von Fürstenberg and her husband, Barry Diller, organized several fundraising events for the preservation campaign as well.

With the increased public awareness, the New York City government pledged $50 million in 2004 for the creation of the proposed park. Among the important supporters of the High Line Park were Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City as well as Gifford Miller and Christine Quinn, both of whom were City Council Speakers. High Line funders also raised over $150 million in the early 2000s for this purpose.

The construction of the elevated urban park began in 2006. The High Line Park was opened to the general public in several phases – the first phase in 2009, the second phase in 2011, and the third and final phase in late 2014. The park’s opening has also increased real estate development along the line while also encouraging more visitors to come; as o September 2014, for example, roughly 5 million visitors come to the park annually.

Today, the High Line Park is a 1.45-mile linear park in Manhattan, New York City that runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street. It is known for its beautiful aerial greenway design and rails-to-trails park look.