photo taken from the High Line through JoeòÀÙs 5-inch Celestron by Patrizia Iacino on 7/30/09
Built in the 1930òÀÙs as an elevated freight line on the west side of Manhattan, the High Line originally ran 2 miles from St. JohnòÀÙs Park Terminal at Spring Street in the West Village up to the West Side Rail Yards at 34th St. With the growth of interstate trucking in the 1950òÀÙs, traffic on the High Line gradually diminished, and the southernmost section was torn down. During the 1980òÀÙs, the entire line was threatened with demolition. The Friends of the High Line was established in 1999 with the goal of turning the rail line into a public park. Their efforts paid off in 2005, when New York City took ownership of the line from the railroad company. Construction of the first section of the park, from Gansevoort to 20th Street, began in April 2006 and was completed in June of 2009. Section 2, running between 20th Street and 30th Street, opened in June of 2011. The final section, running up to 34th Street, opened in September of 2014.
The AAA began its weekly observing sessions on the High Line on August 25th, 2009. WeòÀÙve gone up every week since then, except for a break during the winter months of November through March, and the inevitable cancellations due to overcast skies.
AAA Observing Calendar
The AAA will resume regular Tuesday evening observing on the High Line on April 5, 2016 and will continue each Tuesday through the end of October.
Getting to the High Line
The nearest subway station is the 14th Street & 8th Ave stop on the A/C/E trains. From there itòÀÙs only a block and a half walk to 10th Ave.
If youòÀÙre planning to drive, keep in mind that the area around the High Line is very busy at night òÀÓ lots of restaurants, etc. Parking on Friday or Saturday evenings is nearly impossible.
Observing Locations
photo of Jupiter and its moons taken 9/18/10 at Broadway and 106th St by Ethan Glenn using his iPhone
Although the High Line extends from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street, most of our observing will take place near the 14th Street entrance or just south of the Standard Hotel, which crosses over the High Line near 13th Street. You can enter the park at any one of these entrances/exits:
Gansevoort Street (with elevator access)
14th Street (with elevator access)
16th Street (with elevator access)
18th Street
20th Street
23rd Street (with elevator access)
26th Street
28th Street
30th Street (with elevator access)
34th Street & 12th Avenue (with ramp access)
Hours
The High Line is open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM starting April 1st. During the warmer months of June, July, August, and September, the park stays open until 11:00.
Starting at about 20 minutes before closing, the park attendants close the southern and northern-most exits and begin shepherding people towards the other exits. AAA observing will take place from dusk until 15 minutes before closing.
Web Resources
An early NY Times article about the High Line can be found here
The official website for the Friends of the High Line is at:
http://www.thehighline.org