F/V Trains - 2nd Ave. (Day 1, stop #50)

Out:  On the north side of Houston St., the stores look pretty squat and not so well-maintained, with a fair amount of graffiti on the outside.  

Here there are a few bars and a gas station a block or two up 2^nd Ave.  On the south side, there is quite a contrast, with a brightly lit Whole Foods situated underneath a brand-new, high-rise luxury residential building.  

There is also a small park with some kids playing ball on the south side of Houston.

In:  This station is really hot inside, for some reason.  There is a 2 platform, 4 track layout with local and express access.  The tiling looks quite old, but the lighting is ok and the platforms have cement floors.  There is a medium-sized mezzanine at the booth level at both the 1^st and 2^nd Ave. exits.  There’s a blue tiled stripe on the walls but no mosaic station names.  The square painted columns by the platform edge are purplish-blue.