NYC's High Line To Reopen In July, Park Execs Say

CHELSEA, NY — New York City's High Line, an elevated private park on repurposed rail tracks on Manhattan's west side, will reopen this month with rules in place to limit overcrowding, the park's executives announced Thursday.

The High Line will open July 16 and issue a set number of daily entrance passes to promote safety at the usually-bustling tourist hotspot. Visitors will be able to enter the park at its Gansevoort Street and Washington Street entrance and exit at 14th, 16th, 20th, and 23rd streets.

In order to limit the number of people using the High Line, the park will issue parkgoers passes with a specific entry time. Reservations for the passes will go live on July 9, park officials said.

"We are happy to be able to reopen the High Line and we invite our neighbors and fellow New Yorkers across the City to reconnect with the High Line and each other in a new way," said Robert Hammond, executive director of the High Line, said in a statement. "Throughout the pandemic, we have really seen how important parks and public spaces are to our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing."

The High Line will be open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. seven days per week. The park closed in March when city and state officials enacted social distancing regulations to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic in New York City. The city experienced one of the worst virus outbreaks in the world with more than 210,000 cases and 22,000 confirmed and probable deaths as of July 1.

The High Line is one of few privately-owned parks in New York City. Public parks run by the city's Parks Department have remained open during the pandemic to provide New Yorkers with spaces to safely spend time outdoors. The city has also limited traffic on a number of streets throughout the five boroughs to pedestrians to create more open space.

The High Line team has been hard at work to create a system to welcome you safely, with reduced capacity to make social distancing possible," NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver said in a statement. "The park’s reopening will be a great moment for New York City, showcasing our resiliency and our commitment to safely welcoming residents, workers, and visitors to parks and open spaces across the five boroughs."