Take a drive up the West Side! This story guides us along the path of the West Side Highway. Following the western shoreline of Manhattan is the West Side Highway. In history, it has passed the World Trade Center, various warehouses and slaughterhouses for livestock received on piers in the Hudson, and Moses' famous failure, the West Side Elevated Highway. Since the 19th century, the West Side Highway has been a vital part of the city's system of roadways.