1 Train - 59 St. (Day 1, stop #28)

Out:  The intersection is busy, at the circle which defines the intersection of Broadway, 8^th Ave., and 59^th St.  On the west side of the intersection, the gleaming Time Warner Center dominates the skyline with two huge towers and the upscale, non-Manhattanesque mall contained on the lower floors.  

At the part of the intersection where Central Park West meets Broadway, the famous gold globe stands outside the Trump Hotel.  

Directly to the East stands the entrance to Central Park and the large gilded monument to the U.S.S. Maine.

  

Of course, in the middle of the circle lies a large fountain and a statue of the Circle’s namesake, Cristopher Columbus.  There are a lot of people here.  There is an interesting mix of tourists, workers, shoppers, and people going to exercise in the park.  Most people look pretty upper class and of many different races, but there is definitely some mixing.

In:  The white tiled walls in this significantly curved platform are dirty and look like they have suffered quite a bit of water damage.  The platform is also dirty and dimly lit.  There is a mosaic tile station name (“Columbus Circle”) with a green background and tile border.  Instead of a small number on the wall for a station name, there are small tile pictures of a sailing ship in brown on a green background; nice touch.  There is a strangely shaped mezzanine on the same level with stairs downstairs to transfer to the A/B/C/D trains.