Wednesday, March 4, 2009

D/F/N/Q Trains - Coney Island-Stillwell Ave. (Day 5, stop #213)


Out:  Entrance is near corner of Stillwell Ave. and Surf Ave.  Outside there are some signs in Russian/Ukranian.  On the N. side of Surf Ave. there are furniture places, food stands, and an auto dealer.  

On the S. side there are all the Coney-Island related attractions, from the amusement park to Nathan’s to the Freak Shows.

In:  This is probably the most impressive station in the entire MTA system.  There is a huge mezzanine with attached shops, tile floors, glass walls, lots of ramps and stairs leading to various platforms.  

This station serves as the terminus for four different trains, many of them lined up, each of which can occupy a different set of tracks.  The station is open to the outdoors, but a graceful arching glass roof is ~100 feet up and is supported by white metalwork and green columns on the platform.  The lines and contours of the roof are quite striking and provide a good contrast and complement to all the trains in the station.  There is plenty of daylight streaming in as well, which adds to the effect.