70-741: The Freedom Tunnel is a railroad tunnel carrying the West Side Line under Riverside Park in Manhattan , New York City . Used by Amtrak trains to and from Pennsylvania Station , it got its name because the graffiti artist Chris "Freedom" Pape used the tunnel walls to create some of his most notable artwork. The name may also be a reference to the former shantytowns built within the tunnel by homeless populations seeking shelter and freedom to live rent-free and unsupervised by law enforcement. The tunnel runs approximately 2.6 miles (4.2 km), from 72nd Street to 124th Street. The tunnel
140-411: A geographic district , normally for four-year terms. Primary elections for local offices use ranked choice voting , while general elections use plurality voting . All elected officials are subject to a two consecutive-term limit . The court system consists of two citywide courts and three statewide courts. New York City's government employs approximately 330,000 people, more than any other city in
210-532: A railroad tunnel under the park. The large 60th Street Yard served as the dividing point between the two-track realignment and a wider four-track line to the north. North of 123rd Street, the line became elevated between the Henry Hudson Parkway and Riverside Drive before returning to the surface and crossing under the Parkway to its west side near 159th Street . It continues along the shore of
280-549: A 1.45-mile (2.33 km) elevated section of the line, abandoned since 1980, has been transformed into an elevated park called the High Line . The south section of the park from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street opened in 2009 and the second section up to 30th Street opened in 2011, while the final section to 34th Street opened in 2014. The West Side Line was built by the Hudson River Railroad , which completed
350-537: A 1.45-mile-long (2.33 km) elevated linear park and greenway called the High Line starting in 2006 and opening in phases during 2009, 2011, 2014, and 2019. Since opening in June 2009, the High Line has become an icon of American contemporary landscape architecture. The park became a tourist attraction and spurred real estate development in adjacent neighborhoods, increasing real-estate values and prices along
420-550: A 3-year-old boy to enter the tracks, where he was struck and killed. Under the Penn Station Access project, Metro-North Railroad is studying ways it could also serve Penn Station. One alternative being studied would run some Hudson Line commuter trains into Penn Station via the Empire Connection, possibly with new station stops at West 125th and 62nd Streets. By the late 1970s, freight traffic on
490-446: A comprehensive statement of the expense and capital budget priorities and needs, evaluate the progress of capital developments and the quality and quantity of services provided by agencies, and otherwise consider the needs of the borough. Each of the fifty-nine community districts has a community board composed of up to 50 volunteer members appointed by the local borough president , half from nominations by Council members representing
560-523: A four-year term, whose duty it is to prosecute all crimes and offenses cognizable by the courts of the county. There is also a sixth DA, the Office of the Special Prosecutor for Narcotics , who is unelected, but appointed by the five elected DAs. The Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library are public library systems within their respective boroughs. The New York Public Library
630-470: A maximum of 950–1150 registered voters). The law also allows the election of assembly district leaders. The political parties' county executive committees typically select candidates for local offices, to be ratified by the full county committees. Many small parties do not have county committees and designate candidates at the state level. The political parties' judicial nominating conventions select candidate New York Supreme Court justices. Candidates for
700-523: A mayor who has become unable to serve. There are also numerous commissions, boards, tribunals and offices that are independent of the mayor's office. Legislative power in the City of New York is vested in the New York City Council . The New York State Constitution empowers local governments to adopt local laws in addition to ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations. The Council
770-493: A series of broken gates near 103rd Street and Riverside Park. Early artists who left their mark on the tunnel included the duo Sane Smith , Ghost, Twist, Dan Plasma, Cost , and Revs . Until the construction of the Trump Riverside development, the south end of the tunnel terminated in a large open area. In the 1980s and 1990s, a tent city with pirated electricity and hundreds, perhaps thousands of dwellers existed in
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#1732773387461840-414: Is a unicameral body consisting of 51 Council members, whose districts are defined by geographic population boundaries that each contain approximately 157,000 people. Council members are elected every four years, except that after every census held in years divisible by twenty, districts are redrawn, requiring two consecutive two-year terms, the second of which is held in the redrawn districts. The Speaker of
910-467: Is a private, non-governmental library serving the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, that receives government funding. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) provides public housing for low- and moderate-income residents. NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, or HHC) operates public hospitals and clinics. The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)
980-548: Is superior to the older forms of municipal legislation such as ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations. The codified local laws of New York City are contained in the New York City Administrative Code . The Council has several committees with oversight of various functions of the city government. Each council member sits on at least three standing, select or subcommittees. The standing committees meet at least once per month. The Speaker of
1050-418: Is the chief executive officer of the city and a magistrate , appoints and removes all unelected officers and exercises all the powers vested in the city except otherwise provided by law, and is responsible for the effectiveness and integrity of city government operations. The mayor is directly elected by popular vote for a four-year term. The mayor is also responsible for creating the city's budget through
1120-779: Is the city's economic development corporation . The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) manages the New York City Subway and MTA Regional Bus Operations through its arm the New York City Transit Authority . Despite this name, the NYCTA, like the rest of the MTA, was created by the New York State Legislature as a public-benefit corporation , which the legislature and governor of New York control. The MTA also operates
1190-539: The American Revolution . "1625", the date at the bottom, was chosen to emphasize the city's Dutch roots but has been characterized as "arbitrary" and "simply wrong" by notable city historians (New Amsterdam was actually settled in 1624). The flag of New York City was adopted in 1915. Its blue, white, and orange bands represent the colors of the Dutch flag that flew over the city, then New Amsterdam, between
1260-893: The Hudson River to the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge , a swing bridge across the Harlem Ship Canal ( Spuyten Duyvil Creek ), before merging with the Hudson Line just north of the bridge. In addition to serving the industrial and dock areas of the Lower West Side , the line was the primary route for produce and meat into New York, serving warehouses in the West Village , Chelsea and the Meatpacking District , as well as serving
1330-541: The James Farley Post Office and private freight services. The New York Central Railroad was merged into Penn Central in 1968. In 1976, the combined Penn Central, following a bankruptcy and then a merger, became the largest part of Conrail . Conrail continued to operate freight along the West Side Line until 1980. Donald Trump optioned the 60th Street Yard in 1974. Riverside South ,
1400-787: The New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget , submitted for approval, not drafting, to the Council. Along with the mayor, the Public Advocate and the Comptroller are the only three directly elected citywide officials in New York City. The Public Advocate is an elected official with responsibility to ease public relations with the government, investigate complaints regarding city agencies, mediate disputes between city agencies and citizens, serve as
1470-581: The Pennsylvania Station rail yard at 31st–33rd Streets , the line turned west on the north side of 30th Street , then north just east of the West Side Highway . The northernmost bridge crossed 34th Street , and a ramp took it back to Eleventh Avenue south of 35th Street . The elevated line was built through the second or third floors of several buildings along the route; others were served directly by elevated sidings. In 1937,
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#17327733874611540-682: The Spuyten Duyvil and Port Morris Railroad ( Hudson Line ) opened, and most passenger trains were rerouted into the new Grand Central Depot via that line along the northeast bank of the Harlem River and the New York and Harlem Railroad ( Harlem Line ), also part of the New York Central system. The old line south of Spuyten Duyvil remained for freight to the docks along Manhattan's west side and minimal passenger service to
1610-729: The Staten Island Railway within Staten Island, as well as the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad , both of which are commuter lines that have termini in the city but run largely in the suburban counties of New York State and Connecticut. Other regional transportation is managed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , including the bridges and tunnels between New York City and New Jersey, and all airports and seaports within
1680-550: The West Side Yard for the Long Island Rail Road was built on the west side of Manhattan in 1986, a tunnel was built under it connecting Penn Station to the West Side Line just west of Eleventh Avenue , near the Javits Center . The project severed the southernmost part of the West Side Line, the High Line viaduct, from the rest of the West Side Line. When additional funding later became available, one track along
1750-471: The West Side station on Chambers Street (used until 1916). As the city grew, congestion worsened on the west side. Eventually, plans were drawn up for a grade-separated line. The West Side Elevated Highway was built with the line's grade separation in the 1930s. Work on the highway – named for Manhattan Borough President Julius Miller , who championed it – began in 1925, and the first section
1820-432: The Bronx is Bronx County, Manhattan is New York County, Queens is Queens County, and Staten Island is Richmond County. When New York City was consolidated into its present form in 1898, all previous town and county governments within it were abolished in favor of the present five boroughs and a unified, centralized city government. However, each county retains its own district attorney to prosecute crimes, and most of
1890-538: The City of New York". Eboracum was the Roman name for York, the titular seat of James II as Duke of York . The two supporters represent the unity between Native Americans and colonists, the four windmill sails recall the city's Dutch history as New Amsterdam , and the beavers and flour barrels the city's earliest trade goods (see History of New York City ). The crest over the seal is the American eagle , added after
1960-534: The Council, selected by the 51 Council members, is often considered the second most powerful post in New York City's government after the Mayor. Bills passed by a simple majority are sent to the mayor, who may sign them into law. If the mayor vetoes a bill, the Council has 30 days to override the veto by a two-thirds majority vote. A local law has a status equivalent with a law enacted by the New York State Legislature (subject to certain exceptions and restrictions ), and
2030-573: The Council, the Majority Leader, and the Minority Leader are all ex officio members of every committee. Prior to 1990, the city also had a powerful Board of Estimate , a unique legislative-executive hybrid. Although it could not pass laws, it shared authority for the city budget with the council and controlled functions such as land use, municipal contracts, franchises, and water and sewer rates. The Board's membership consisted of
2100-531: The Criminal Court and Civil Court, respectively.) The Family Court of the State of New York is a family court that hears cases involving children and families. The Surrogate's Court of the State of New York is the probate court which oversees the probate of wills and administers estates. New York City is composed of five boroughs or counties, collectively comprising 59 community districts. Each of
2170-544: The Criminal Court and the Civil Court, and several statewide courts, the Supreme Court, Surrogate's Court, and Family Court. Unlike the rest of New York, New York City counties do not have a typical County Court. Each statewide court is located in each of New York City's five counties (boroughs). There are also numerous extrajudicial administrative courts such as OATH , which are executive agencies and not part of
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2240-462: The Mayor, and numerous departments, boards and commissions. The Mayor also appoints several deputy mayors to head major offices within the executive branch of the city government. The City Record is the official journal published each weekday (except legal holidays) containing legal notices produced by city agencies, and regulations are compiled in the Rules of the City of New York . The Mayor
2310-587: The New York state and local courts' total filings. There are also several extrajudicial administrative courts, e.g. the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) adjudicates matters for city agencies unless otherwise provided for by law, and the city Parking Violations Bureau adjudicates parking violations. The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial court of general jurisdiction , which in New York City hears felony cases and major civil cases. (Lesser criminal and civil cases are heard in
2380-474: The United States and more than any U.S. state but three: California , Texas , and New York . The city government is responsible for public education, correctional institutions, public safety, recreational facilities, sanitation, water supply, and welfare services. New York City consists of five boroughs , each coextensive with one of five counties of New York State : Brooklyn is Kings County,
2450-462: The centerpiece mural by Freedom and Smith commemorating the former residents of the tunnel. For unknown reasons, Amtrak did not finish repainting the tunnel walls north of 91st Street. Today, all of the walls that were repainted have been covered by new layers of graffiti. Around 2010, the Third of May mural suffered major water damage due to a leak in the tunnel directly above. The Freedom Tunnel and
2520-417: The city's ombudsman and advise the mayor on community relations. The Public Advocate is a member of the Council. The Public Advocate stands first in line of succession to the mayoralty. The Comptroller conducts performance and financial audits of all city agencies, serves as a fiduciary to the city's five public pension funds totaling nearly $ 160 billion in assets, provides comprehensive oversight of
2590-414: The city's budget and fiscal condition, reviews city contracts for integrity, accountability and fiscal compliance, manages the fair, efficient and effective resolution of claims against the city, ensures transparency and accountability in the prevailing wage rate-setting process and enforces prevailing wage and living wage laws. The Comptroller stands second, after the Public Advocate, in the line to succeed
2660-410: The city. The line north of 31st Street was acquired by Amtrak. The southernmost part of the High Line (south of Bank Street ) had been removed in the 1960s; the structure from Bank to Gansevoort Streets was removed some 20 years later. The northernmost block of the High Line viaduct, between 34th and 35th Streets, was rerouted to the south of 34th Street in the 1980s because the ramp to 35th Street
2730-479: The city. The Port Authority is an interstate compact operating agency jointly controlled by the Governor of New Jersey and Governor of New York . State Election Law defines the structure of political parties. It requires each party to have a state committee and allows them to organize county committees. The county committees are composed of at least two members elected from each election district (containing
2800-427: The citywide offices of mayor, comptroller and public advocate are designated jointly by the five county executive committees of each party. In most cases, insurgents who are party members can challenge party-designated candidates by petitioning for a primary election . The seal of New York City , adopted in an earlier form in 1686, bears the legend SIGILLVM CIVITATIS NOVI EBORACI , which means simply "The Seal of
2870-420: The community district ( i.e. , whose council districts cover part of the community district). Community boards advise on land use and zoning, participate in the city budget process, and address service delivery in their district. Community boards act in an advisory capacity, wielding no official authority to make or enforce laws. Each of the five counties of New York City elects a district attorney (DA) for
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2940-554: The court system is organized around the counties. New York City is divided between two federal judicial districts. Bronx County and New York County are in the Southern District while Kings County, Queens County, and Richmond County are in the Eastern District , although both districts have concurrent jurisdiction over the waters in their respective districts. The executive branch of New York City consists of
3010-513: The demise of the West Side Line . The giant, man-made caverns became a haven for homeless people. At its height in 1994, nearly a hundred people lived in the tunnel. On April 4, 1991, the tunnel was reopened for trains of the Amtrak Empire Connection , and a massive eviction followed. The shantytowns were bulldozed and the tunnel was chained off. To this day, however, graffiti artists and urban explorers continue to visit
3080-481: The development project he ultimately began there, was then the city's biggest private residential development; it faced opposition from many people living on the Upper West Side . To obtain approval of his project, Trump agreed to substantially reduce the size of his ambitions, build Riverside Park South on 23 acres (9.3 ha) of the yard, and donate the park and the right-of-way for a relocated highway to
3150-422: The five boroughs has an elected borough president . The borough presidents can have legislation introduced in the council, recommend capital projects, hold public hearings on matters of public interest, make recommendations to the mayor and to other city officials, make recommendations on land use and planning, and make recommendations regarding the performance of contracts providing for the delivery of services, in
3220-414: The forty miles (64 km) to Peekskill on September 29, 1849, opened to Poughkeepsie by the end of that year, and extended to Albany (Rensselaer) in 1851. The city terminus was at the junction of Chambers and Hudson Streets ; the track was laid along Hudson, Canal , and West Streets, to Tenth Avenue , which it followed to the upper city station at 34th Street . Over this part of the right-of-way,
3290-704: The homeless people that were living there in the mid-1990s are mentioned in numerous book and documentaries; some of the notable ones include: West Side Line The West Side Line , also called the West Side Freight Line , is a railroad line on the west side of the New York City borough of Manhattan . North of Penn Station , from 34th Street , the line is used by Amtrak passenger service heading north via Albany to Toronto ; Montreal ; Niagara Falls and Buffalo, New York ; Burlington, Vermont ; and Chicago . South of Penn Station,
3360-497: The interests of the people of their borough. Each of the five boroughs has a borough board . They are composed of the borough president , Council members from the borough, and the chairperson of each community board in the borough. The borough boards can hold or conduct public or private hearings, adopt by-laws, prepare comprehensive and special purpose plans and make recommendations for land use and planning, mediate disputes and conflicts among two or more community boards, submit
3430-663: The last two palace cars, where the stoves and lamps were upset and ignited the woodwork and upholstery. In 1867, the New York Central Railroad and Hudson River Railroad were united by Cornelius Vanderbilt , being merged in 1869 to form the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad . The railroad acquired the former Episcopal church's St. John's Park property and built a large freight depot at Beach and Varick streets, which opened in 1868. The tracks south to Chambers Street were then removed. In 1871,
3500-727: The mayor, comptroller, president of the City Council, and the five borough presidents . The three citywide officials each cast two votes, and the borough presidents one each. In 1989, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the Board of Estimate as violating the principle of "one man, one vote", due to the dramatically unequal numbers of constituents being represented by each borough president. The city subsequently adopted its current arrangement by referendum. The state court system in New York City has two citywide courts,
3570-468: The mid-1990s. On April 7, 1991, all of Amtrak's trains departing for or arriving from Albany and points north began using the Empire Connection into Penn Station, ending Amtrak service to Grand Central. Transportation planners had long envisioned consolidating all intercity service to New York at Penn Station, but those efforts did not go beyond the planning stages until the 1980s. Besides being more convenient for passengers, many of whom had balked at taking
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#17327733874613640-459: The northern part of the West Side Line was rebuilt for passenger service and named the Empire Connection. A short section of single track into Penn Station was electrified using third rail and overhead catenary , since diesel locomotives are not allowed in Penn Station's tunnels. North of 39th Street , the single track expands into two tracks and electrification on the line ends. A wye
3710-479: The rails were laid at grade along the streets, and since the Hudson River Railroad's regulations did not allow locomotives to draw cars through streets, the cars were drawn by a dummy engine . While passing through the city the train of cars was preceded by a man on horseback known as a "West Side cowboy" or " Tenth Avenue cowboy " who gave notice of its approach by blowing a horn. At 34th Street,
3780-492: The right-of-way curved into Eleventh Avenue , the dummy engine was detached, and the regular locomotive took the train. As far as 60th Street , the track was at street level. The first cut was at Fort Washington Point. The railroad crossed Spuyten Duyvil Creek on a drawbridge; a fatal wreck occurred there on January 13, 1882, when the Atlantic Express, stopped on the line, was rear-ended by a local train, telescoping
3850-592: The route. Notes Sources Government of New York City The government of New York City , headquartered at New York City Hall in Lower Manhattan , is organized under the New York City Charter and provides for a mayor-council system . The mayor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for the administration of city government. The New York City Council is a unicameral body consisting of 51 members, each elected from
3920-499: The sidewalks of Riverside Park above the space. The descending shafts of light allow graffiti art to be seen in the gloom, and artists would often center their projects under the light to take advantage of the spot-lighting effect, as if in a gallery. After achieving popularity in the book Spraycan Art by James Prigoff and Henry Chalfant , graffiti artists began to flock to the Freedom Tunnel and gained access through
3990-488: The south end of the tunnel. Retired trains were also permanently parked near the south end of the tunnel allowing artists to cover whole cars with paint and murals, even if the cars themselves never left the tunnels. However, the homeless population was gradually relocated from the tunnel to other places. "Freedom" dedicated one of the tunnel's murals to the former homeless population there. Works by "Freedom" remained mostly untouched and respected by taggers. A notable exception
4060-465: The southern portion of the line had become nearly non-existent. In the early 1980s, the tracks were closed for a significant period of time as the line was reconfigured to accommodate the expansion of the Javits Center . Even after the line reopened, freight traffic never returned, and the elevated viaducts in Manhattan stood abandoned for over thirty years. The elevated viaducts were transformed into
4130-586: The state Unified Court System. The Criminal Court of the City of New York handles summons court appearance tickets, violations, misdemeanors (generally, crimes punishable by fine or imprisonment of up to one year), and conducts arraignments (initial court appearances following arrest) and preliminary hearings in felony cases. The Civil Court of the City of New York includes Housing Court for landlord-tenant matters, Small Claims Court for cases involving amounts up to $ 5000, and generally has jurisdiction for damages up to $ 25,000. It handles about 25% of all
4200-499: The style of a comic book that tells an abstract story that seems to reference the relationship of the former residents of the tunnel, the city government , and the police. Other historical pieces range from Michelangelo to Norman Rockwell . Beginning in late 2009, Amtrak began to aggressively repaint the tunnels in an effort to restore their original appearance. Nearly all of the tunnel's interior walls south of 91st Street were repainted, resulting in many murals disappearing, including
4270-413: The tracks along Eleventh Avenue were bypassed by a below-grade line, passing under the 35th Street intersection and running north just west of Tenth Avenue before slowly curving northwest, passing under Eleventh Avenue at 59th Street and rejoining the original alignment. There were three sections that remained open, one at 37th Street , one at 45th Street , and one at 49th Street . The one at 37th Street
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#17327733874614340-546: The train to New York City due to the difficulty of transferring between stations, this saved Amtrak the expense of operating two stations in New York City. Additionally, Amtrak had to pay $ 600,000 per year to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , operator of Grand Central, to use that station's tracks. Despite warnings by officials in March 1991, inadequate fencing along the line allowed
4410-420: The tunnel, while the homeless population has been mostly displaced. Around 2014 and 2015, graffiti artists and urban explorers were sporadically caught and escorted out by Amtrak Police . Over the tunnel's years of disuse, its isolated nature allowed graffiti artists and street artists to work without fear of arrest, leading to larger and more ambitious pieces. The tunnel has unique lighting provided by grates in
4480-590: Was a legacy of the fact that the Empire Service lines had previously been part of the New York Central Railroad , which built and owned Grand Central, while Penn Station was owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad . The two stations had never been connected, even after the PRR and New York Central merged as Penn Central in 1968 and after Amtrak took over intercity passenger rail service in 1971. When
4550-420: Was built by Robert Moses in the 1930s to expand park space for Upper West Side residents – although the construction of Moses's Henry Hudson Parkway in the same area effectively blocked access to the river. After it was completed, the tunnel was used for freight trains until 1980, when regular operations ended. The railroad favored using yards in the Bronx and New Jersey, and increased use of trucking led to
4620-423: Was constructed next to Track 2 (the westernmost track) to allow diesels to turn around. South of 48th Street , there is a crossover from Track 1 (the easternmost track) to Track 2, and another siding splits off Track 2 just south of 48th Street, extending about 300 feet and ending at bumper block at 49th Street . The Empire Connection was double-tracked north of 39th Street to south of the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge in
4690-609: Was covered over in the mid-2010s, but the openings at 45th and 49th Streets remain to this day. Around the same time, New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses covered the line from 72nd Street north to 120th Street with an expansion of Riverside Park . His project, called the West Side Improvement , was twice as expensive as the Hoover Dam and created the Henry Hudson Parkway , as well as
4760-523: Was dedicated on June 28, 1934. This included a new, elevated eight-track freight terminal called St. John's Terminal , located several blocks north of the old one at St. John's Park , with its southern edge at Spring Street . North of there, an elevated structure (the present-day High Line ) carried two tracks north on the west side of Washington Street , curving onto the east side of Tenth Avenue at 14th Street , then crossing Tenth Avenue at 17th Street and heading north along its west side. Just south of
4830-711: Was demolished as part of the Javits Center 's construction. However, the realigned ramp was never used. By mid-2005, the rest of the High Line was owned by CSX , which acquired it after the 1999 breakup of Conrail. The Empire Connection (or West Side Connection ) allows Amtrak 's passenger trains traveling on the Empire Corridor from Albany in upstate New York , and beyond, to enter Penn Station . Before its construction, Empire Service trains came into Grand Central Terminal , requiring passengers bound for Northeast Corridor trains to transfer to Penn Station via shuttle bus , taxicab , subway or on foot. This
4900-464: Was the recreation of Francisco Goya 's The Third of May , which was defaced, but subsequently restored by Freedom. In addition, there are numerous other murals on the walls in the 90- and 100-block areas of the tunnel; including a chiaroscuro style study of the Venus de Milo , and original portraits rendered with impressionistic splashes of color. The centerpiece of the tunnel is a mural painted in
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