5. The High Line’s forgotten half is partly visible in the West Village
The High Line, one of Manhattan’s most frequented spots, used to be around 50% longer than it is today, running through the West Village down to St. John’s Terminal in Tribeca. The High Line today, however, only stops at Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District. The High Line was originally built for trains to travel above ground following multiple deaths along 10th Avenue from locomotive accidents. Trains went back and forth on the over two-mile route, distributing all sorts of goods from refrigerated meats to Oreo cookies along the west side of Manhattan.
However, by the 1950s, the High Line was not as necessary with the rise of container shipping ports along the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, rendering the lower third of the High Line unnecessary. As more buildings were constructed, major sections of the High Line were taken down, including the section that would become the Jacob K. Javits Center. Though most sections were destroyed, two still remain, both of which actually went through buildings: the Westbeth Artists Residence and the West Coast Apartments. Both of these sites show some semblance of what was formerly the route.