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

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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