Derelict Rail Line Could Be N.Y.C.'s Newest Park

As in Paris and Chicago, the Friends of the High Line believe that long-abandoned elevated tracks can serve a greener purpose.

1 minute read

August 6, 2004, 1:00 PM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen

"Today, the High Line is a rusty elevated railroad line that some local property owners want to see demolished. The tracks - last used in 1980 to deliver a load of frozen turkeys - are now sprouting lush berry vines and dainty saplings. Rotting ties and engine parts are largely concealed by chest-high vegetation... New York is not alone in trying to save some of its elevated past. An elevated line in Paris became the sunny Promenade Plantée (Planted Promenade) in 1988. A Chicago group hopes to refurbish the three- mile Bloomingdale line, which has been used as a bicycle path since trains stopped running in the early 1990s. And Philadelphia's Reading Viaduct Project aims to transform a former downtown commuter line into an elevated walkway. Outside major cities, there are similar projects in Jersey City, N.J., and the Florida Keys."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Read the full story: Derelict rail line could be N.Y.C.'s newest park

Friday, August 6, 2004 in The Christian Science Monitor

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