Hudson Yards, Manhattan: Rail Yards Rebuilt Sky-High
Hudson Yards, New York
Pictures from Hudson Yards
See all 4 photos →
Hudson Yards takes its name from the MTA's West Side rail yard along the Hudson River, part of a Penn Central facility that once ran to 39th Street. In 1987 the MTA rebuilt the yard for commuter-train storage, leaving gaps between the tracks so a platform could later be built above on air rights. That idea had been proposed since the 1950s and blocked for decades by poor transit access and the city's 1970s fiscal crisis, until the City Council approved a 60-block rezoning in January 2005 following a 2003 master plan for 40 million square feet of development. Ground broke for 10 Hudson Yards in December 2012, and Related Companies' Phase 1 opened to the public on March 15, 2019. None of it would have worked without the 7 train's extension to 34th Street–Hudson Yards, which opened September 13, 2015 as the first entirely new subway station built in New York City since 1989, 125 feet underground.
-
sight
The highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere, on the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards.
-
sight
The climbable staircase landmark, reopened in 2024 with new safety mesh.
-
sight
An arts center with a retractable shell that rolls open in about five minutes.
-
walk
A four-acre park chain named for the feminist congresswoman, with two subway entrances.
-
food
José Andrés's Spanish food hall at the base of 10 Hudson Yards.
-
food
Dan Kluger's seasonal restaurant with an all-day bakery and cocktail bar.
-
food
Greek seafood on Level 5 of the Shops, overlooking the Vessel plaza.
-
food
José Andrés's contemporary Mexican restaurant next to Mercado Little Spain.
-
A wellness-focused luxury hotel with a rooftop pool and Hudson River views.
Building a Neighborhood on Air Rights
Vessel, Thomas Heatherwick's climbable lattice of interlocking staircases, opened March 15, 2019 in the development's Public Square and Gardens; it later closed in 2021 and reopened in October 2024 with full-height safety mesh. Nearby, The Shed — an arts center in the Bloomberg Building with an 8-million-pound retractable shell that rolls open in about five minutes — opened April 5, 2019 to a design by Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Rockwell Group. On the west edge, Edge, the 100th-floor sky deck at 30 Hudson Yards, bills itself as the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere. The High Line's northern section wraps the whole site along 30th to 34th Streets, with its Spur meeting 30th Street and 10th Avenue.
Getting there by subway
The 7 train terminates at 34 St–Hudson Yards, a block from the Shops, Vessel, and Edge. For more lines, it's about a 10-minute walk east to 34 St–Penn Station for the A/C/E and 1/2/3 — note these are two separate stations with no free transfer between them.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I get to Hudson Yards by subway?
- The 7 train terminates at 34 St–Hudson Yards, right by the Shops, Vessel, and Edge. The A/C/E and 1/2/3 stop about a 10-minute walk east at 34 St–Penn Station (two separate stations with no free transfer).
- Can you still climb Vessel?
- Yes. It closed in 2021 after a series of incidents and reopened in October 2024 with full-height steel safety mesh; tickets start around $10 via vesselnyc.com.
- What happened to the 7 train station here?
- It opened September 13, 2015 as the 34th Street-Hudson Yards station — the first entirely new station built in the New York City subway since 1989, built 125 feet underground at a cost of roughly $2.4 billion.
- Where can I stay in Hudson Yards?
- The Equinox Hotel at 33 Hudson Yards is a wellness-focused luxury hotel with an Equinox club, spa, and rooftop pool, home to the Electric Lemon restaurant.
- Is the High Line part of Hudson Yards?
- The High Line's northern section, including its Spur at 30th Street and 10th Avenue, wraps the Hudson Yards site, though the park itself is covered under this guide series' Meatpacking District entry.
Some booking links on this page earn Ethos a commission at no extra cost to you.