INGENIEUR
FEATURE
INGENIEUR
HIGH LINE OF MANHATTAN , NEW YORK
By Chin Siew Yin
FEATURE
The High Line is a disused Elevated Railway Track turned into a city park and pedestrian walk . It has become a popular tourist attraction .
On my recent trip to New York , a Malaysian American , Terence Low , insisted that I visit the Manhattan ‘ High Line ,’ knowing that heritage engineering works interest me . Terence explained that the High Line is an elevated pedestrian walkway cum garden cutting across busy downtown Manhattan . Taking the Metro subway line 7 from Elmhurst , we took off from the last station , Hudson Station 34 Street . Within a short walk , we were already at the Hudson waterfront , formerly the busy New York harbour . It is also the northern tip of the High Line , climbing gradually to about 10m above the ground , winding its way southwards into the city center .
It was a worthwhile trip , walking along the abandoned rail tracks while looking at the city from an elevated platform . Lining the High Line were information boards relating the history of the High Line . Reading the historical information to understand the transformation of this abandoned elevated rail track was equally interesting .
The 19 th century brought a population boom and rapid growth in manufacturing to New York City . To serve the growing metropolis , freight rail lines were constructed along the city streets and waterfronts . The West Side of Manhattan was the country ’ s busiest industrial waterfront . In 1847 , the City of New York authorised street level
52 VOL 74 APRIL-JUNE 2018