Digital Discussion - Elevated Railways

Before the current subway system in New York City was constructed, there were elevated railways. Now considered a beloved relic of the past, Els were built to ease the overcrowding in what is known as Lower Manhattan today, while simultaneously expanding the city outward to the other boroughs. The elevated lines along Ninth, Sixth, Third, and Second Avenues eased congestion and added new development, ultimately changing the geography of New York City. 

Join Processing Archivist Katherine Sorresso for a digital discussion that explores the evolution of New York City’s elevated subways from a solution to – literally—get transportation off the ground, to their eventual decline due to the construction and rapid expansion of the subterranean subway.