On the High Line
Exploring New York's most original urban park

Thirty feet in the air, rebuilt and planted on one-and-a-half miles of abandoned, elevated railroad track snaking through Manhattan’s West Side, the High Line turns the dream of escape offered by most urban parks inside out. On The High Line invites you deeper into the city than you’ve ever been before. Its stunning gardens wend between warehouses and apartment buildings, through one of the world’s most vibrant contemporary art districts, transforming the neighbourhood and reawakening the senses of the millions of visitors it attracts every year.

On the High Line is an engaging, friend-at-your-side guide to everything a visitor sees when strolling through the park. Seven highly illustrated, colour-coded chapters and a gatefold map reveal the innovative gardens and their thousands of plants from around the world; the architecture, both old and new; and a neighbourhood whose lively character includes not only one of the world’s premier gallery districts, but a history ranging from the Titanic and Hell’s Kitchen to the Manhattan Project and the Tenth Avenue Cowboy.

 

This updated edition includes eight new pages devoted to the recently opened final section of the park, with original photography, design renderings and a new essay by Rick Darke. Illustrated with some 400 colour photos, On the High Line captures the countless details that make exploring either a short stretch or the whole park such a memorable experience.

"This book captures the experience of the High Line, setting it in historical and cultural context, and illustrating how a city can meld its industrial heritage into a vibrant new landscape that can be enjoyed by millions from around the world"
Piet Oudolf, landscape designer, The High Line (New York City) and The Millennium Park (Chicago)

"A wonderful guide to what has quickly become a popular institution"
Geographical

"An engaging guide to everything a visitor will see … a sumptuous volume, small enough to carry in your bag when exploring the park, and a handsome addition to the coffee table for armchair travellers"
The Garden Design Journal 

 

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION | 8 
Annik LaFarge
PREFACE | 13
Rick Darke
ON THE HIGH LINE | 24
ON THE HIGH LINE MAP | 30
Marty Schnure
GANSEVOORT- 14TH STREETS | 37
14TH - 16TH STREETS | 72
16TH- 20TH STREETS | 97
20TH - 23RD STREETS | 132
23RD - 26TH STREETS | 159
26TH - 30TH STREETS | 184
30TH - 34TH STREETS | 202

SOURCES AND NOTES | 212
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY | 214
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 215
INDEX | 216
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | 218

ABOUTH THE RESEARCH:
The first illustrated guide to the elevated park that has transformed our idea of urban escape.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Annik LaFarge is a writer and lifelong New Yorker who has been writing about the High Line since it opened in 2009. Read her blog LivinTheHighLine 
Rick Darke is a widely published author, photographer, lecturer and consultant focused on contextual landscape design and management. His books include The American Woodland Garden, The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Landscapes and The Wild Garden: Expanded Edition. Visit rickdarke.com